[amsat-bb] VA7EWK from British Columbia, 3-11 July 2010

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

In the past two years, I have taken road trips through northern 
Arizona and parts of Utah and Nevada - lots of sightseeing, and 
lots of satellite operating.  This year, I am escaping the desert 
heat, going north for a week.  I will spend over a week in British 
Columbia, visiting much of Vancouver Island plus spending time in 
and around metropolitan Vancouver.  I enjoy visiting Canada, and 
this is the perfect time of the year for me to head up there (it 
is hot in Arizona in early July - over 110F/43C!).  During this 
trip, I plan on working satellites - FM and SSB - from many 
locations on Vancouver Island and some locations in and around 
metropolitan Vancouver as VA7EWK.

The only things that have been set in stone right now are my flights
to and from Vancouver.  I go to Vancouver on Saturday, 3 July 2010, 
and return home on Sunday, 11 July.  Beyond the flights, all plans 
are tentative at this time.  I am thinking of spending a few days, 
including part of the 4 July holiday (in the USA) weekend on 
Vancouver Island, and then a few days at the end of the week in and
around Vancouver.  

Based on several printed and online maps, it appears that I do not 
need a Jeep, tank, boat, or helicopter to visit 6 of the 8 grids on 
Vancouver Island (CN78, CN79, CN88, CN89, CO60, CO70).  Of these 6,
two of them are heard with some regularity on the satellites (CN88
and CN89), as those grids cover parts of Washington state and the
Lower Mainland of British Columbia.  I do not plan on much radio 
activity from them.  The others are rarely heard, and those would be 
the focus of my radio operating while on the island.  Two other grids 
on the island (CN69, CO50) could be visited, if I see passable roads 
when I am up there.  

Back on the Lower Mainland, CO80 north of Vancouver is one that has
been rarely heard on the satellites.  This is where the Whistler ski
resort is located, and an area I want to visit and operate from.  I 
may be able to drive to CN99 east of Vancouver, depending on how much
time I have at the end of the week - assuming I start the week on 
Vancouver Island.  I also hope to meet up with some satellite 
operators while I am in Vancouver.  

My recent trip to Dayton was partly a test in preparation for this
planned trip to Canada.  I wanted to bring a station with me to 
Dayton that I could use to work FM and SSB satellites, and in 
particular try to work long distances through the SSB birds to 
places I can't work from home in Arizona.  As I had posted last 
weekend, I was able to make a couple of transatlantic QSOs via AO-7
from the Dayton area, and was able to work other satellites from 
points in and around Dayton.  I will take my two FT-817NDs, Elk log 
periodic antenna, and other gear and accessories to Canada as my 
portable station - just like I did for Dayton.  

I have started a web page for this trip at:

http://july2010.wd9ewk.net/

I will post updates there, as well as through messages to the -BB
before and during this trip.  Please e-mail me if you have any 
questions, comments, suggestions, etc. regarding this trip.  Even
though radio is only one part of the trip, I hope to have time to
work many stations all over from up there.  

73!





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