Hi!

I will have an AMSAT table at the Radio Society of Tucson's 2014 Hamfest in Tucson, Arizona, this Saturday (29 March 2014). The hamfest is at a restaurant east of downtown Tucson. This is a half-day event, and you can read more about it in the PDF file at:

http://www.k7rst.org/hamfest_2014.pdf

I plan on having demonstrations of satellite operating throughout the morning, probably starting around 6am (1300 UTC). If you hear WD9EWK on the satellites Saturday morning, please call and be part of the demonstrations. The hamfest site is in grid DM42. As usual, I will upload my log to Logbook of the World sometime after the hamfest, and will be happy to send QSL cards out to those who work me during the hamfest. Just send me the QSO details, and I will drop a card in the mail. No need to first send me a card or SASE.

In addition to satellites, the Arizona Near Space Research group will launch its ANSR-81 balloon around 9am (1600 UTC) Saturday morning from a site between Tucson and Phoenix in central Arizona. Among the payloads that will be carried aloft, there will be a cross-band repeater that requires a PL tone - basically SO-50, but with more downlink power and no Doppler adjustments needed. I may be on there between satellite passes, for anyone in Arizona or surrounding states that would like to work me at the hamfest. More information about the balloon flight is available at:

http://www.ansr.org/ (click on Announcements)

You can see coverage maps based on the balloon being over central Arizona at different altitudes at:

http://balloon.wd9ewk.net/

73!

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