Hello Roy.
It has been a while, but I still have your photo on the wall in the radio shack. I also have your listing on a test homepage I cobbled up about 1998. The page was never finished.
You are listed as W5SLL, and your recordings of Sputnik 1
Extract --
" Roy and his two-year-old daughter would put the radio speaker in a window and then go outside and listen to the strong signals while they watched the third stage booster tumbling end over end like a bright pulsating star as it passed over in the evening sky. Listen with them to this recording of Sputnik 1 (.WAV (113K) or RealAudio (10K)). This recording was made in Dallas, Texas on October 7, 1957 at 0457Z using a military surplus AN/FRR3A HF RTTY receiver."
Quite an achievement Roy.
My first experience was trying to find a satellite, putting the radio on the beacon frequency, then bedding down on the floor of the shack with a sleeping bag and a pillow, and keeping an ear open, then, jump up, grab a pen, and note time and direction.
Oscar 10 was my favourite. My first digital was 8J1JBS, and it was to upload a one liner.. both James, G3RUH and Freddie, ON6UG uploaded a reply on the same pass. This was one of the highlights of my life.
Today my satellite gear is still here, FT736, DSP-12, and G3RUH's modems. My antenna (KLM's) took a fall, and are all down. The 22C is slightly bent in the middle. The old PC with Win 98 and the KCT is still here, and everything is gathering dust. The Satellite Gateway and the software development was fantastic.
I was gearing up for AO-40, and have a tuned G3RUH / ON6UG dish here in a box. My intention was to use it on a camera tripod, but that was not to be.
I miss Amsat, especially all the friends I met there, too many to mention. They were so helpful. I reverted back to building a model railroad, and have gone to West Springfield, MA. railroad show for the past six years or so. Then we to visit a cousin of Marie's in Chicago, for about two days, just to say hello, then home.
Nell is right.. I'm five years behind you, and I do not climb ladders. My by-pass was 26 years ago.. so you have a bit to go yet.. I also developed diabetes, and I check my sugar several times a day. Keeping my sugar in check is a great way to control my diet.
You have done very well at tracing your family history. I had not heard of the FamilyTreeDNA.com. Sometimes we take a few days over to Ennistymon, where we stay at the Falls Hotel. As the name implies, there is a nice waterfall right beside it. It's just two miles to Lahinch, where surfing is very popular.
Delighted to hear from you again.
Say hello to Nell and Rachael.
Best wishes.
Tom -- Ei6EH Kells Ireland
----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy" [email protected] To: "Tom Clarke" [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012 10:09 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Wisp and Windows 7
Wow! A cherished voice from the past! How in the world are you Tom? So very good to hear from you. It was June 12, 1995 when I visited your shack in Ireland. I think you were at the 1997 AMSAT-GB meeting when I last saw you.
My 98 with the KCT is idle too, pretty much after the Gateway system closed down and the digital birds disappeared. I need a small 10" or so monitor to use with the 98 PC. I have an XP and a Win 7 work station I use now but still keep the 98 machine setup.
Nell and I are both in our 80s now and she refuses to let me go up on the roof to do antenna work so if and when they need work I will have to do it on the sly or get a friend to help me. I had a triple bypass heart operation about 18 months ago and have been going to cardiac rehab three days a week just to keep in shape. You recall my granddaughter, Rachel, sending the small bear, Scotty, around the world. Well, she is married and is teaching in Denver, Colorado. Her older sister has two children so we are great grand parents now.
I have been doing some genealogy research, trying to find out when and where my Welch ancestors arrived in the country. I have documented my 4th great grandfather, Walter Welsh settling in North Carolina in the 1750s but have hit a brick wall trying to go back past him. As a result I tried the FamilyTreeDNA.com way to see if I could find a relative. I tested to 111 DNA markers and the closest match I found is a Max Walsh in Australia. His grandfather arrived there from Ennistimon, county Clare, Ireland in the 1800s. I match Max Walsh 105 out of the 111 markers, closer than some cousins. With that match and the Walsh/Welch/Welsh similarity it supports the family traditional tales that our family came to the USA from Ireland. I haven't been able to dig back any further, however.
It's been good to hear from you and I hope you and the family are all OK. Stay in touch.
Regards, Roy Welch - W0SL
On 8/30/2012 11:13 AM, Tom Clarke wrote:
Hello Roy.
Nice to see you. I still got the KCT and the PC with Win 98, but have them sitting idle for a number of years.
My current PC and laptop have no slots for the KCT, and run XP.
The KCT was a dream come true. I still have the FT736, DSP-12, and G3RUH modems, but lying idle.
Best wishes to your family.
Tom Clarke - Ei6EH