Hi!

With the AMSAT Symposium wrapping up Sunday morning, and I don't fly back home until Monday afternoon, I am going to make use of the unlimited mileage on my little rental car for a day or so of sightseeing. And, yes, some satellite operating. After working from the 4-grid intersection with John K8YSE the past couple of mornings (EN51/EN52/EN61/EN62) and from outside the Symposium hotel (EN62aa) at other times, I will do some sightseeing in the area where I used to live north of Chicago. I plan on being up to the Wisconsin state line for at least one pass around midday (still in grid EN62, and possibly on the Illinois/Wisconsin state line), before making a hard drive toward grid EN40 in western Illinois.

If all goes well, I hope to be on some passes in the late afternoon and early evening from out there. On Monday morning, I plan on working some passes from out that way - grids EN40 and/or EN41, in Illinois or *possibly* a very quick detour into Iowa to work a pass or two - before returning to O'Hare airport for the flight home.

So far, around the Symposium site, I have not been able to get an APRS packet heard by the local digipeater network. I will have my VX-8GR squawking away once I start driving away from here, and that should be visible at http://aprs.fi/wd9ewk-7 if all goes well.

As with my other trips where I work the satellites around the USA, there will be no need to send me QSL cards for contacts made with WD9EWK while I have been in Chicagoland. Please e-mail me with the QSO details, and I will be happy to send out cards.

73!

Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Elk Grove Village, Illinois http://www.wd9ewk.net/