[amsat-bb] Satellite WAS

[Frank A Cahoy]

Hello All,

It's been a very long time since I've posted to the BB.  All the recent
discussion about Satellite WAS has given me a chance to do some bragging.
 My first ever satellite QSO was on RS-12, Mode K, Jan. 29th, 1994.  It
was on CW with WA6OWM and one of the greatest thrills of my ham radio
adventures.  It took me about nine more months to complete my WAS. 
Believe it or not my last state worked/confirmed was KY!  I had both AK
and HI long before the elusive KY QSO.  My RS-12 Elmer was Roger, N4ZC,
who to my knowledge is the only station to ever achieve DXCC on a LEO
bird.  When the conditions were really good we could "cheat" a bit on
RS-12.  It was quite easy to work that bird when it was well below the
horizon. I have DXCC entities such as SM, OK and JW (Actually in the
footprint but for only about 3 or 4 minits.) confirmed on RS-12.  I often
heard this bird when it was well below the horizon and have received
emails from several Europeans that tell me I was being heard but not
hearing those that were calling me.  My Satellite WAS no. 211 is dated
Oct. 17, 1994.  All 50 were worked via RS-12.  I have been licensed since
June, 1960 but the Satellite WAS Award is the only WAS I've ever applied
for.

Now I cannot even work the LEO birds.  I've taken my AO-40 earth station
completely down and put a 4 element 6 m. Yagi up in its place.  As stated
several times on this BB in the past, I am a DXer (115 DXCC via satellite
and 368 DXCC alltime via HF.) and trying to work any DX at all on the LEO
birds is more of a challenge than this OM has left.  It would appear that
there is no hope of getting an HEO up anytime in the near future so hence
the move to 6 m.  All of my station is safely stored away and I don't
plan on selling any of it just in case we do actually experience a
miracle launch.  Most painful is seeing the ICOM 910 sit and gather dust
and used to work, very occasionally, the local 2 m. repeater.

73 to all.  Frank, KØBLT
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