[amsat-bb] WD9EWK @ Scottsdale "Springfest", Saturday (13 March)

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

I will have an AMSAT table at the Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club's
Springfest hamfest on Saturday morning, 13 March 2010.  For the 
first time in about 20 years, this hamfest has a new location.  It
will be in the parking lot at the Fort McDowell Casino, along the
Beeline Highway (Arizona route 87) a couple of miles northeast of
Shea Boulevard on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation reservation.  
The hamfest officially runs from 7am to 1pm (1400-2000 UTC), 
although it typically wraps up before noon.  

During the hamfest, I will do several on-air demonstrations using a
variety of satellites as WD9EWK.  Even though the hamfest does not
officially start until 1400 UTC, I may be on passes as early as 
1300 UTC.  I will attempt to work passes on two FM satellites (AO-51
and SO-50) along with 3 SSB satellites (AO-7, FO-29, VO-52) from 
the hamfest, located in either grid DM43dn or DM43do depending on 
the parking lot the hamfest uses.  With K4T on this weekend, I will 
try not to get in their way on the SSB passes.  I will try to be in 
the upper half of the downlink passband for each of these satellites
(and, if possible, work K4T during one of the demonstrations), but 
not park too close to their planned frequencies.  If there is 
activity at the hamfest until 2000 UTC, I will also try to work an 
HO-68 pass at 1920-1933 UTC around 145.950 MHz USB on that downlink.  

Anyone working WD9EWK on Saturday wanting a QSL card for any contacts
only needs to e-mail me with the QSO details.  If you're in the log,
you will get a card.  Making contacts with regular operators is a 
great help with the demonstrations; stations typically make the normal
exchange along with briefly mentioning the city/town and state they
are in.  This helps to reinforce that a low-power portable VHF/UHF 
station can reach out across North America via satellite.  

Thanks in advance, and 73!





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