[amsat-bb] Re: DX on satellites

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

> VP2EAG, FS/KO4MA, and KG4MA were all very well received on satellite! It's a
> hoot to be on the other end of a pile up, and well worth the hassle of
> taking the radios, and getting the license.

Yes, Drew, it is fun to be on the receiving end of the pileup.  I have not
done this on satellite from other countries (yet), but on HF I've done it
a few times from Argentina, Canada, and Mexico in the past few years.
Now that the satellite "bug" has bitten me and it's a terminal case, I will
make sure that I include satellite operating when I travel.

Next month, I will be in Vancouver BC for a few days.  I will only take a
couple of HTs and portable antennas with me, and operate from around
the city (CN89) and possibly at Whistler (CO80) on the FM birds as
CJ7EWK - replacing my normal VA7 prefix with a special prefix that
Canadian hams are permitted to use during this month and November.

Other future trips... I used to frequently visit Mexico and get the XE radio
permits for those trips.  The process was a hassle, having to pay around
US$ 100 to US$ 125 for a 6-month permit.  Having the legal paperwork
when in Mexico with radios was a good thing, despite the cost and the
hassles, as not having it might cost a lot more in the end.  I don't know
how the current struggles between different drug cartels and the Mexican
Army will turn out, but I hope to return to operating from there in the not-
too-distant future as XE2/WD9EWK via HF and now satellite.

For satellites, it looks like there are some very desireable grids inside
Mexico not far from the USA border for satellite operators.  I've seen the
lists of some long-time ops and web sites like the one WI7P (ex-N7SFI)
has, to get some idea of which Mexican grids would be in demand via
satellite.  I am not limiting myself to just those grids near the border, as
I might expand my travels further into Mexico in 2009.  We'll see...

73!



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