Hi!
The first day of the two-day Yuma hamfest got off to a nice start. Even for a Friday, there were more people and more vendors and exhibitors compared to last year's hamfest. Having two of the big amateur-equipment manufacturers doesn't hurt things, along with good weather. The AMSAT table was in the middle of the main hall, and I had two local hams working with me - Larry KI6YAA, and Alex XE2BSS/N2IX. As with other hamfests, there is always a lot of traffic by the table, and the demonstrations were well-attended outside the hall.
Larry KI6YAA worked a western AO-27 pass in the mid-afternoon, and told me that a couple of the operators asked him to say "hi" to me. Messages were all received. :-) After that pass, I went outside and worked a pair of passes. First, SO-50 at 2200 UTC. There was a nice assortment of stations from across the continental USA, from K0NW and K6CDW in California to WB2SIH in New York state right at the end of the pass. For a couple of moments during this pass, I stopped trying to work the radio due to local noise. This hamfest is at the end of two runways used by both Yuma International Airport and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The Marine Harrier jets were practicing landing maneuvers, and when those jets slow down and swing the exhaust nozzles toward the ground it is loud!!!! A total of 7 stations were logged during this pass.
A few minutes past 2330 UTC, it was time to go back outside for an AO-51 pass just before the hamfest closed for the day at 5pm (0000 UTC). This time, the Marine air manuevers changed from the Harrier jets to other aircraft. An impressive sight, and not as noisy. The satellite was full of activity, the norm as of late with ND9M's travels across the USA. Even though much of the activity was focused on Jim's unusual location near the Rio Grande River (DL98 - and many thanks for the concise description of your location for the audience), I was able to make 14 contacts with stations from XE1AO in central Mexico to many stations all across the USA and John VE7JRX in the Olympic city of Vancouver.
A couple of people commented after the pass that it sounded like an HF contest. I agreed with them, and explained in more detail why so many were trying to work ND9M and the basic concept of working stations in different grids. I also assured them that, with practice, they could be working the satellites and get used to that sort of rapid- fire activity.
I, along with several hams from this area, will be around the AMSAT table throughout the day tomorrow (Saturday). The hamfest runs from 8am to 5pm (1500-0000 UTC). Demonstrations will be given, including - hopefully - on VO-52 in the morning. If you are able to work VO-52, please look for me around 145.910 MHz +/- on that downlink. If I can't drum up enough activity there, I will try tuning around and working whoever I hear. For the FM birds, my voice may not be the only one on from the hamfest. I may try to get KI6YAA's sons KJ6DDS and possibly KI6ZXU on the microphone while I take care of working the VFO knob and holding the antenna. Or I might get others on the mic. We'll see how things go tomorrow. Whatever we do, we will try not to make life difficult for those trying to work ND9M from wherever Jim and his wife happen to stop.
For those who would like a QSL card for contacts with WD9EWK at the Yuma hamfest, please send me an e-mail with QSO information. If you are in the log, you'll get a card. If someone else is on the mic during the demonstrations, please direct QSL requests to them using the information on QRZ.com for their respective callsigns.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Calexico CA http://www.wd9ewk.net/