Hi!

I was at another Phoenix-area hamfest last weekend, the Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club's "Springfest" at Scottsdale Community College. The AMSAT table that had been at two other Phoenix-area hamfests this winter was in Scottsdale, and with me there was Gerry VE4GTB/KD7MDB (from Winnipeg, but spends the winter in Arizona) and Larry W7LB (from Tucson AZ) to take care of questions, sales, and the satellite demonstrations. We had a visitor who stuck around the table for much of the morning (AO-51 regular Brock W6GMT, on his road trip from southern California to Minnesota), helping with the questions and the satellite demonstrations. With great weather and turnout, this was a successful event. Ron W6ZQ from southern Arizona also stopped by the table, another AO-51 regular.

As with most hamfests in the Phoenix area, things get started at 0600 local time (1300 UTC). There were two AO-51 passes that we planned for our demonstrations - 1445 and 1625 UTC. Even with the crowds on both passes, WD9EWK was heard on both passes and contacts were made. We had 9 contacts logged on the 1445 UTC pass , and 4 contacts on the 1625 UTC pass. For those 13 contacts, 9 were with USA stations, 3 were with Mexican stations, plus one maritime-mobile contact with W3PM/MM who was in the eastern Pacific Ocean (grid CM60) at the end of the later pass. The next-to-last contact on the later pass, with Manuel XE2BHL in Tijuana, was the 2000th satellite contact for WD9EWK - something I did not realize until I logged these contacts at home later in the weekend.

By noon (1900 UTC), the hamfest was wrapping up. Most of the sellers were either getting ready to leave or had already left, and we closed up our AMSAT table. Lots of flyers on how to work AO-51 and the other FM satellites had been picked up, and we sold almost $200 in AMSAT merchandise.

This was the third time I had been part of an AMSAT table at a hamfest, probably the last time until the next hamfest season here in the Phoenix area next fall/winter, and once again I enjoyed it. Thanks to Gerry Baker VE4GTB/KD7MDB for his efforts in getting the AMSAT merchandise and for taking his time while enjoying the Arizona winter to be at the AMSAT tables for these 3 hamfests, and Larry Brown W7LB for making it up to Phoenix for 2 of these 3 hamfests with his shade and tables. Also, thanks to Brock Thomsen W6GMT, who spent much of the morning around the AMSAT table talking with us and anyone else stopping by with questions about AMSAT or satellite operating.

73!

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