Hi!

On Saturday (10 April) morning, there was an HO-68 SSB/CW pass that went from the north toward the Pacific Ocean. I was out at my normal Phoenix QTH (DM33xp/DM43ap boundary), and worked 3 stations. Early in the pass, John VE8EV called me from CP38. I've worked John in the past when I was on a road trip, and this was the first time I have heard him - or worked him - from my "home QTH". After that, Mike KC9ELU in Indiana called me. Then I went back to CQing, until the third station I heard on that pass called me - Peter NH6VB. I remembered seeing his posts to the -BB last month about getting a new satellite radio, and then trying to get SatPC32 working again. We ended up chatting for a few minutes, as the satellite was approaching LOS for me. It was fun to work VE8EV and KC9ELU, but hearing NH6VB calling me on HO-68 in SSB was a huge - and pleasant - surprise.

After the pass, Peter sent me an e-mail explaining his setup. His larger Yagis are still on the ground, but he was using an Arrow Yagi until those other antennas are back on his tower. For those that missed AA5UK/KH6 recently, and have not heard the only resident station working the SSB satellites from Hawaii in recent years (WH6BIE), we may now have another option for those looking to work Hawaii via satellite in modes other than FM.

Hopefully Peter will show up on more passes, as he continues to get his satellite station back on the air. And, maybe, we can return this list to its regularly-scheduled subject matter... :-)

73!

Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/