You guys are making me all teary-eyed! I loved that bird, especially for all the "challenges" it presented. Mike, I still have the 10 gHz downconverter I built for that never-used mode :-(
My first contacts were on 05 May 2001: W1BFN, KB2WQM (now KB2M), W7ID, N1JEZ, WL7BQM (first DX), and WC0Y--all in mode U/S. My last contact was K5VAS on 22 Nov 2003 using mode L/S. Later that weekend I took down my antennas to move to VK8. I took everything I needed to work AO-40 in Australia, including an 18" DSS dish with a dual-band feed, but by the time I moved and got into a penthouse apartment with a big deck looking north (why do you think I had to find a top floor with that view?), AO-40 died.
If it hadn't been for the launch of Eagle (AO-51), I would have never been able to use that L/S gear. I used it dozens of times to talk to myself on AO-51 as it orbited over the Indian Ocean :-) I used to do the same thing on ISS packet. From where I was located (Darwin, NT), there were no other population centers within the footprint of the LEOs (not even Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, or Singapore).
73, Jerry, K5OE
Those were fun days Clare!
My most challenging contacts were made using K band (24 GHz down). First contact was on 4/20/2002 with Jerry, K5OE.
http://www.burlingtontelecom.net/~n1jez@burlingtontelecom.net/index.html
I think the only mode I never got to try was 2.4 GHz up. I have the transverter sitting here in my shack, but AO-40 went bang before I got to use it. The plan was S/k.
73, Mike, N1JEZ AMSAT 29649 "A closed mouth gathers no feet"
----- Original Message ----- From: "Clare Fowler" clarefowler@rogers.com Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO40 contacts
I made over 1300 contacts on AO-40 during its 2 3/4 years of operation.
The first QSO was on 05/05/01 at 08:17 with Mike N1JEZ on U/S then at 08:39 worked Dom I8CVS, at 08:52 Fred CU8AO, and at 09:03 Frank DL6DBN.
I then fired up my FT-736R on 1.2 GHz and at 09:44 worked Steve KB8VAO with both of us making our 1st L/S QSO on AO-40 and then at 09:55 worked Mike N1JEZ for his first L/S contact.
On the 25th and 26th of Jan 2003 an AO-40 QSO party was held. 30 logs were submitted from 14 countries. I made 107 QSO's with 19 DXCC countries.
My last contact was on 28/01/04 at 20:39 with DG4DW. My next log entry was at 29/01/04 at 01:35 with Jerry W0SAT and my log note is "we talked about AO-40 gone"
In spite of the fact AO-40 had major problems and never operated near it's original design I think it was a very successful amateur satellite.
Bob (W7LRD); I guess all we can do now is remember the good old days and cry on each others shoulders. SOB SOB
Clare VE3NPC
----- Original Message ----- From: "Floyd Rodgers" kc5qbc@swbell.net Subject: [amsat-bb] AO40 contacts
Did anyone manage to bag any contacts off A040 before it's sad event?