Hi!

today I was listening 2 orbits of AO-27. The first (#69.611) was over S.Arabia. Note: the Satellite it could be active around ~12.40Z, but at this time I heard with surprise the ended packet-sound ! Precisely at 12.41Z was "OFF".

KD6PAG was correct, suggesting a look at the AO-27 web site:

http://www.ao27.org/

It looks like the TOPR was reset on the satellite yesterday, as the "TOPR Epoch (UTC)" now shows 31 January 2007. The web site has this bit of news:

January 31th, 2007 UTC Allen, N5AFV is working from Honduras, Belize, Cozemel and from sea. For the next few days, the schedule is shifted 7 minutes early but is extended to 8 minutes ontime. The web site has the correct times. Thanks you Allen for the contact from V31 land. Also of interest is that N1XAU was heard on a pass today.

N3UC - one of the AO-27 control stations - commented on 20 January during an AO-27 pass that the batteries were in good shape and the transmitter was working well, and he had extended the repeater time for 2 minutes during one eastern North American pass. It's possible that he extended the repeater time shifted the time a little earlier to allow more stations - especially those further south - a chance to work AO-27 while it is currently functional. The satellite must be in pretty good shape, if N3UC went ahead and made these changes.

Good luck and 73!

Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Phoenix, Arizona USA http://www.wd9ewk.net/