Clint,

Thank you to contacted stations in Montana ... Tennessee ... Laguna Beach ... Colorado ... Texas ... the event's parking lot ...

Huh?

A special thanks to Patrick WD9EWK for his assistance last Saturday during the 2nd annual Palm Springs HamFest. While working the second pass of the day, I heard a familiar voice calling me. Same grid square, too - DM-13. Just after contacting Tennessee, and kiddingly telling the assemblage, "Wow - can this REALLY work THAT far? Tennessee at 2 Watts?" ... Patrick contacts me from the parking lot of the event ... (grin)

I was using my TH-D72A with a Diamond 2m/70cm long duckie (about 20"/50cm in length) on it, with an earpiece so I would not have any feedback. Knowing Clint's setup, I figured he would hear me from the satellite and not on the uplink. Since this was an impromptu thing, I did not have my audio recorder set up. I made sure to stress the distances the radio signals covered to bridge that short distance between us at the hamfest. That was fun!

That hamfest was a nice way to spend a day. I have not spent any time in Palm Springs - other than fuel/food stops along the freeway going to or from Los Angeles - in almost 20 years, until the hamfest. Several regular satellite operators made their way to Palm Springs, besides Clint. I saw Larry WA6DIR, John W6ZKH, David K6CDW, and Bob KO6TZ during the day. I was able to get on a couple of VO-52 passes from places around Palm Springs before the hamfest, and an AO-7 pass after the hamfest, along with that AO-27 pass. Not a lot of radio work for me, but that's OK. Clint put on good shows for the hamfest crowd, and DM13 isn't all that rare (KO6TZ lives up the road a short distance from the hamfest site, and there are others who get on as well).

73!

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