[amsat-bb] Re: QSL Cards?

5 Jan 2009

      Just keep in mind that if you use eQSL, the ARRL and AMSAT do not  
accept them for awards. But, eQSL has many of their own awards.
73...bruce
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 4, 2009, at 5:35 PM, Jeffrey Koehler jeffk13057@yahoo.com  
wrote:
...
Hi Tom:
You could look into using something like eQsl (www.eqsl.cc) which is  
pretty cool. Also, get yourself a computer logging program (N3FLP's  
amateur contact log) that will interface with eQsl. Pretty neat,  
although there is a learning curve associated with eQsl.
The exchage is different on the FM sats vs the others (AO-7, FO-29,  
AO-16) where you can actually have a short conversation. listen in  
for a bit before you try to work anyone. On the FM birds, you have  
to be pretty quick, as well...people don't wait to make calls to  
others. The FM birds are a world of their own.
Enjoy, and see you on the birds!!
73,
Jeff WB2SYK FN13
--- On Sun, 1/4/09, Jim Walls jim@k6ccc.org wrote:
From: Jim Walls jim@k6ccc.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: QSL Cards?
To: "Amsat-BB" amsat-bb@amsat.org
Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:32 PM
Tom Williams wrote:
...
I'm just starting to work sats - are QSL cards commonly exchanged?  
How is the exchange initiated? Also, what is the voice protocol on  
a busy bird?
As far as QSL cards, yes many people send them.  When I was active, I
would QSL to any station that I had not talked to before, or any time
upon request.  I normally just sent the postcard, and I did have  
special
QSL cards printed for satellite use with a custom set of fields that
made more sense for satellite work.  See
http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc/QSL.html for my cards.  If the other
station was on an expedition (for example a rare grid), I would send  
an
SASE as I knew they had gone to special expense to activate a grid for
the community so I would pay for the postage both ways.
For the voice protocol on the busy birds, the best way is to listen  
for
a couple passes and you'll pick it up pretty quickly.  The short  
answer
is keep it VERY SHORT and FAST.  When the birds are not busy, you can
actually chat.  Back a few years ago when I was active, there were
northbound passes on UO-14 in the late evening that were well off the
Pacific coast of the USA and the footprint just skirted the west  
coast.
As I am in the Los Angeles area I often got on and there was only  
one or
two other stations for the first one to three minutes of my pass.  We
would often chat  for fun that way.  As the bird went farther north,
there were more people and it was back to the SHORT and FAST  
operating mode.
-- 
73

Jim Walls - K6CCC
jim@k6ccc.org
Ofc:  818-548-4804
http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc
AMSAT Member 32537 - WSWSS Member 395

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[amsat-bb] Re: QSL Cards?

Bruce