[amsat-bb] Re: WD9EWK @ DM22, Saturday afternoon/evening

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi Sebastian (and others reading along)!

> Hi Patrick, thanks for being there, and for calling me back.  That was a

I am taking full advantage of the lower fuel prices now.  I made a
1600-mile road trip in July around the time prices were at their
highest, and paying about half as much now is something I'm not
complaining about.  I've tried to make it out to other places away
from Phoenix to work passes, and DM22 is now the 21st different
grid in/around Arizona I've worked from in 2008.  That count is 22,
if I include CN89 from my Vancouver trip 2 weeks ago.

> very low pass for me on SO-50, just above 1 degree, but I heard you in
> there.  I'll be sending you a card naturally, but I just wanted to sincerely
> thank you for making the effort!  You were the only station that I heard on
> there, during the approximately 20 seconds or so that I had reception from
> the bird.

I had heard from a friend in EL96 who was not going to attempt that
SO-50 pass (around 2338 UTC Saturday), so I was surprised to hear
you from EL95 pop up in there.  Glad to get you in the log... the last
QSO I made on that SO-50 pass, followed by the first of 26 QSOs on
the 0051-0102 UTC AO-51 pass.  Yes, 26!

For the record... I went to a spot along Interstate 8 in Yuma County,
in southwestern Arizona.  I parked north of old US-80, which runs
parallel to a cross-country railroad and the I-8 freeway, east of
Avenue 36E, near the "town" of Roll:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=32+41.399+N+114+W&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=39.592876,113.203125&ie=UTF8&ll=33.367237,-113.939209&spn=2.614714,7.075195&t=h&z=7

Mountains are  almost due north and due south of this spot, which
were no problems.  Being near the USA/Mexico border, the area
had lots of US Border Patrol vehicles zooming all around.
Thankfully, no hassles from any of the law-enforcement agencies
out there.  I knew DM22 in particular was a desireable grid,
especially for that all-important QSL card, and I had fun working
5 passes (one on AO-16, two each on AO-51 and SO-50).

I made a total of 57 QSOs in those 5 passes, including the AO-51
pass I mentioned above with 26 QSOs and 13 on the AO-16 pass.
Thanks to all the stations, especially on the passes to my east that
covered most of North America, for your cooperation in allowing
virtually anyone on these passes work me for a new grid or two out
here in Arizona.  If I did not work you today/tonight, there will be
other opportunities.

QSL cards... I hope to get them printed and ready for mailing before
the Thanksgiving holiday or just after that weekend in the first week
of December.  You don't have to send me a QSL to get one of my
DM22/DM32 QSLs.  E-mail me directly the data from our QSO(s),
and - if you're in the log - I'll send you a card.

Good night, and 73!



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