WD9EWK @ DM22, Saturday afternoon/evening
Hi!
Thanks to John K8YSE for the Friday evening activity via AO-51 from DM51 in southeastern Arizona. A new grid for my logbook, and I'm sure for several others. I was down in that part of Arizona in May 2008, and except that time and tonight I haven't heard DM51 on the satellites in the almost 3 years I've been on. John's trip earlier this week to DM31 in another part of southern Arizona was also a good time to put another rare Arizona grid into satellite logs. Nice to see others trying to activate unusual grids, allowing everyone a chance to put them in our logs.
Tomorrow (Saturday, 22 November) afternoon and evening, into Sunday (23 November) on the UTC clock, I will be out in another corner of Arizona. I will go out to southwestern Arizona for grid DM22. My plans are still to work several passes there. I am planning to work one AO-16 pass, then two passes each on AO-51 and SO-50, hoping to put many stations in my log and a new grid (or, if I am on a grid boundary, possibly 2 new grids) in satellite logs across North America.
DM22 has been on over the past few years. There were a couple of stations on from Yuma, Arizona, about a year ago working the FM satellites. Over the years, there has been some activity from Mexicali on the Mexican side of the border fence, across from Calexico and El Centro in California. Apparently DM22 has not been on enough for many to work, or to get confirmations for that grid, via satellite.
As with many of my recent trips, it will not be necessary to send me a QSL card to get one of mine for DM22. Just e-mail me the details of our QSO(s) so I can check that against my log and audio recordings. If you are in the log, you'll get a card.
And, after all my travels in 2008 up to now - at least 3000 miles/5000km by road plus a recent trip to Canada - portable satellite operating is still fun. :-)
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
Hi Patrick, thanks for being there, and for calling me back. That was a very low pass for me on SO-50, just above 1 degree, but I heard you in there. I'll be sending you a card naturally, but I just wanted to sincerely thank you for making the effort! You were the only station that I heard on there, during the approximately 20 seconds or so that I had reception from the bird.
73 de W4AS Sebastian
On Nov 22, 2008, at 2:09 AM, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) wrote:
Tomorrow (Saturday, 22 November) afternoon and evening, into Sunday (23 November) on the UTC clock, I will be out in another corner of Arizona. I will go out to southwestern Arizona for grid DM22.
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
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Hi Sebastian (and others reading along)!
Hi Patrick, thanks for being there, and for calling me back. That was a
I am taking full advantage of the lower fuel prices now. I made a 1600-mile road trip in July around the time prices were at their highest, and paying about half as much now is something I'm not complaining about. I've tried to make it out to other places away from Phoenix to work passes, and DM22 is now the 21st different grid in/around Arizona I've worked from in 2008. That count is 22, if I include CN89 from my Vancouver trip 2 weeks ago.
very low pass for me on SO-50, just above 1 degree, but I heard you in there. I'll be sending you a card naturally, but I just wanted to sincerely thank you for making the effort! You were the only station that I heard on there, during the approximately 20 seconds or so that I had reception from the bird.
I had heard from a friend in EL96 who was not going to attempt that SO-50 pass (around 2338 UTC Saturday), so I was surprised to hear you from EL95 pop up in there. Glad to get you in the log... the last QSO I made on that SO-50 pass, followed by the first of 26 QSOs on the 0051-0102 UTC AO-51 pass. Yes, 26!
For the record... I went to a spot along Interstate 8 in Yuma County, in southwestern Arizona. I parked north of old US-80, which runs parallel to a cross-country railroad and the I-8 freeway, east of Avenue 36E, near the "town" of Roll:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=32+41.399+N+114...
Mountains are almost due north and due south of this spot, which were no problems. Being near the USA/Mexico border, the area had lots of US Border Patrol vehicles zooming all around. Thankfully, no hassles from any of the law-enforcement agencies out there. I knew DM22 in particular was a desireable grid, especially for that all-important QSL card, and I had fun working 5 passes (one on AO-16, two each on AO-51 and SO-50).
I made a total of 57 QSOs in those 5 passes, including the AO-51 pass I mentioned above with 26 QSOs and 13 on the AO-16 pass. Thanks to all the stations, especially on the passes to my east that covered most of North America, for your cooperation in allowing virtually anyone on these passes work me for a new grid or two out here in Arizona. If I did not work you today/tonight, there will be other opportunities.
QSL cards... I hope to get them printed and ready for mailing before the Thanksgiving holiday or just after that weekend in the first week of December. You don't have to send me a QSL to get one of my DM22/DM32 QSLs. E-mail me directly the data from our QSO(s), and - if you're in the log - I'll send you a card.
Good night, and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
participants (2)
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Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) -
Sebastian