Hi Pat.
Congratulations for WAS Award, I know for sure how difficult it is to work all states with a portable set up and LEO satellites.
And is great to know that you could get it, since you have helped so many of us to get our awards by traveling (even during the expensive gas times) or elmering, specially the mexicans
I hope to be hear you soon in the satellites....
73
XE2RV
------Original Message------ From: Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Aug 10, 2009 10:37 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] satellite WAS #309
Hi!
After over 3 1/2 years working the satellites, getting on the air for around 6000 satellite QSOs followed by requesting QSL cards from stations across the USA, I was able to complete one of my goals when I started on the satellites - work and confirm QSOs with all 50 US states. I had my applications and cards for the satellite Worked All States award reviewed here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, and the certificate arrived today. :-)
Out here in the western part of North America, it is possible to work all 50 states with the existing group of LEO satellites we have. In fact, it can be done with just the FM satellites from out here if there are stations on from each of the states. My application used QSL cards from contacts only on the 3 FM satellites (AO-27, AO-51, SO-50). There is no special endorsement for doing that; the WAS certificate has "OSCAR" to identify this as a satellite WAS, along with the serial number for this version of the WAS (#309) and the date it was issued (last Thursday, 6 August). I wanted to use cards from only the FM-satellite QSOs, as that was one of the two goals I wanted to do when I started out in late 2005 (the other thing was to get QSL cards from at least 100 grids, for the satellite VUCC award).
I'll use many of the same cards toward the AMSAT Sexagesimal award (confirming contacts with at least 60 US states/Canadian provinces/DXCC countries), and then do the bigger task of assembling a satellite VUCC application (I'm somewhere between 250 and 300 grids confirmed). Or I can go back on the radio, and leave that paperwork for some other time. :-) In any event, thanks to all the stations over 3 1/2 years that got on the air from the different states - and for sending those QSL cards to confirm the contacts.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ http://www.wd9ewk.net/
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Hi Rafael!
Congratulations for WAS Award, I know for sure how difficult it is to work all states with a portable set up and LEO satellites.
Geography aside, a WAS award is much harder to achieve on any band than awards like DXCC or VUCC. You can get DXCC with 100 of the 338 entities on that list, or VUCC with 100 of the many hundreds of grids in the footprints of the various satellites, but WAS requires all 50 states (or substituting Washington DC for Maryland). There still needs to be someone on from each state when you're on the air to make that happen. And don't forget the matter of getting cards for each of those states.
And is great to know that you could get it, since you have helped so many of us to get our awards by traveling (even during the expensive gas times) or elmering, specially the mexicans
I've gotten many grids confirmed thanks to operators like you and our friend XE2AT through travels around Mexico. If I am getting new grids from the XE side of the border, the least I can do is try to help with the grids up here for all of you searching for new grids. The lower fuel prices this year helped me make my decision to drive further last month than I did in July 2008.
I hope to be hear you soon in the satellites....
Maybe you can make the short drive south from Nogales on some Saturday or Sunday to put grid DM40 on the air? The DM40/DM41 boundary is about 40km or so south of the border, and Imuris is 70km south of the border (a good place to set up, off the main highway). I don't think there are many good places near the highway where you can stop on the DM40/DM41 boundary and have a good view of the sky for working satellites. I know there are still many up here that would appreciate DM40 being on the air, despite the efforts of others who have worked from there over the past few years. Or maybe we can put together a plan for some weekend this fall or winter from DM40?
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
--- On Tue, 8/11/09, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) amsat-bb@wd9ewk.net wrote:
Geography aside, a WAS award is much harder to achieve on any band than awards like DXCC or VUCC.
I would think that DXCC would be next to impossible to achieve on the LEO satellites.
73s John AA5JG
On Tuesday 11 August 2009 12:09:56 John Geiger wrote:
--- On Tue, 8/11/09, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) amsat-bb@wd9ewk.net
wrote:
Geography aside, a WAS award is much harder to achieve on any band than awards like DXCC or VUCC.
I would think that DXCC would be next to impossible to achieve on the LEO satellites.
73s John AA5JG
If you were in eastern europe?
--STeve Andre' wb8wsf en82
participants (4)
-
John Geiger -
Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) -
Rafael Valdez G. -
STeve Andre'