Hi!
After the Tucson Spring Hamfest wraps up next Saturday, I am planning a drive to southeastern Arizona and some of the DM5x grids that straddle the Arizona/New Mexico border. This is an area I visit once or twice a year. Dale KL7R was also out in this area a couple of months ago, but I'm sure anything out there would be new to someone looking to work those grids for their satellite logs.
Based on feedback I've received via Twitter and e-mails, I am tentatively planning the following...
1. DM51bx/DM52ba, starting with AO-7 (it should be in mode B) at 2048 UTC, possibly through the SO-50 pass at 0025-0034 UTC. This location is on 32 degrees North latitude, the boundary between grids DM51 and DM52, near US-191 and south of I-10 in Cochise County AZ. It takes just over an hour's drive from Tucson to get to this area, which should be good enough to make that AO-7 pass.
2. Somewhere in the southwest corner of DM53, or possibly the DM52ax/DM53aa grid boundary along US-70, northwest of Safford in Graham County AZ. US-70 travels through the southwest corner of DM53, on the way from Safford in DM52 up to Globe and the east end of the Phoenix area in DM43. At a minimum, I would look to work the ISS pass around 0352 UTC and the AO-73 pass at 0430 UTC from this area. I probably would not stay for any later passes from this spot, as the drive from DM53 back to Phoenix takes almost 3 hours.
The drive from DM51bx/DM52ba to DM53aa takes about 90 minutes, so I don't think I could work one SO-50 pass from DM51bx/DM52ba and make it to DM53 for the next SO-50 pass. One advantage for an earlier departure from DM51bx/DM52ba is to have some daylight when I reach DM53, to find a good (and safe) spot to operate from, and have at least one SO-50 pass to work from DM53.
While on the road, my location should show up on APRS as WD9EWK-9. APRS coverage is OK in that part of rural Arizona. This should be visible on sites like APRS.fi:
I will also use my @WD9EWK Twitter feed to send updates while on the road. High-speed data from the mobile networks isn't always available in that part of Arizona, but I can use Twitter via SMS messages. If you do not use Twitter, you can still see these updates in a web browser at:
QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World after I'm back home. QSL cards will be available as usual, by e-mailing me with the QSO details. No need to send me cards for QSOs in these locations, as they fall well outside my 200km satellite VUCC limit for my QSOs in and around Phoenix.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK