Hi Alan,

Yes, those were the days :) My first satellite station was a kit-built 435 downconverter feeding an IC-735, a homebrew helix for 70cm, 2M FM Heathkit Xtal radio into a homebrew amp, a TAPR PSK modem/PK-232 combo. That was so awesome exchanging emails via satellite before the "Internet" existed :)

I remember the first time I copied the microsats---I was standing on the roof, hand pointing the ugly helix, with the window open and the volume cranked up really loud so I could hear it....hi.

Gene KC4SA was my elmer when I became a ham (in graduate school in S.C. at the time, held the call of KC4EBR for many years). He and I spent many evenings chasing the parade of birds. For us the fun was the challenge of making it all work...then moving toward automation of the station, including various homebrew tracking boxes. Working the digital satellites was the project we picked to keep us active and working together when I moved to N.M. for a postdoctoral stint at Los Alamos. Living at 7000' elevation was AWESOME for satellite work. I remember being able to pick up the bird before Gene could, even when the pass was to his EAST ;)

Yes, lots of QSOs and message exchanges with folks during those days. Glad to be in your log book!

It's been a real privilege getting to command AO-16 for the last year+, given those early days of operations. I'm glad your have extraordinary soldering skills :)

73,

Mark N8MH (formerly KC4EBR) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Guess who turns 19 tomorrow?? From: "Alan Sieg WB5RMG" wb5rmg@xxxxxxxxxxx Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:50:42 -0600 (CST)

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I'll have to dig out some of the pictures I took in the Microsat Lab in Boulder Colorado, as they were under construction . . . - some of the test images from WO-18 (hard to call those pictures now) - a flowchart I made for TLMDC ... Sounds like a new webpage.!. I'll let yall know when it's ready.

I've been so proud of the ol' AO-16 bird, I made solder connections for batteries, solar panels & regulators (BCR) on all four spacecraft. Who'd have ever thought it would enjoy such a 2nd life as a voice repeater.

Speakin of the Microsat launch of 1990 - does anyone know the whereabouts of Dave Cowdin - WD0HHU ? He was there in Kourou for the launch campaign, but I've not heard anything from/about him for years and years now... He used to conduct AMSAT HF nets, and our local nets in Denver.

* Mark, of course didn't recognize your N8MH - but your name looked more and more familiar as I wrote this. I looked back in my log sheets for 1990, and found AO-16 contacts with KB5MU, WD0E, KC4EBR, KC4SA, WJ9F, WA4SXM ... all on the same page. It says you were in WhiteRock NM at the time. Just readin those callsigns now, I can hear that raspy PB on PSK downlink... and hear the FT-736 beepin crazy trying to keep up with the 437 doppler.

Seems you and Gene were on there most every night. You were my 4th AO-16 contact logged at 1904 on 30 Sept 1990. I guess that was via the digi, as I didn't log messages sent via PB/PG. We must have spent months collecting telemetry with Jim - WD0E, before we indulged in QSOs. Then I took down my tower and moved.

My goodness - how time flies, nearly 20 years since I left Colorado . . . and you're in NC now... and I'm in Huntsville. Who'da thunkit. My my my ~ ~ ~ ~ * Thanks for the memory jog Mark 73 for now /;^)