[amsat-bb] VK/WD9EWK in late May 2011

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

I've been asked by a few people recently if I am going to be at Dayton 
next month.  I've been there the past two years, but will not make it 
this year.  Maybe in 2012.  As this year's Hamvention is starting, I 
will be flying to Australia.  I have never been there before, so this 
should be a fun trip - even with the 16-hour flights over the Pacific.  

My tentative travel plan is as follows:

19-21 May: two flights - Phoenix-Los Angeles, then Los Angeles-
           Melbourne (arriving on 21 May)
21-24 May: Melbourne area
24-26 May: drive around the countryside away from Melbourne
26 May:    return to Melbourne Airport in the early morning, then
           fly up to Sydney
26-28 May: Sydney area
28 May:    fly back to Melbourne in the late evening
29 May:    two flights - Melbourne-Los Angeles, then Los Angeles-
           Phoenix

While I am in Australia, I plan on doing some satellite operating in 
FM and SSB as VK/WD9EWK.  If asked, I will also operate as VK/VA7EWK.
Both callsigns are legal in Australia under the "class license" that
covers operating by foreign hams for short visits.  I plan on making
the trip with a small station - TH-D72A HT for FM satellites and APRS,
one or both of my FT-817NDs for SSB/CW satellite work, and my TH-F6A HT
(backup radio for FM, plus its all-mode receiver could be used in place 
of one FT-817ND).  I may even try a little bit of HF operating with one 
of my FT-817NDs that make up my all-mode satellite station.  If time 
permits, I hope to meet up with some of the Australian satellite hams 
in and around Melbourne and possibly in Sydney (best chance for me in 
Sydney would probably be the evening of 26 May).  

As I have done on other trips in the past several months, I plan on
making use of APRS on my TH-D72A while traveling in Australia.  My 
APRS call will be WD9EWK-9, with VK/WD9EWK in a status field that is
included with each transmission.  

I plan on confirming my QSOs in Australia with QSL cards and also 
the LOTW system.  I'll take care of getting Australian stamps for
international airmail, so I can get some QSL cards in exchange for 
my cards.  

I'll post more here on the -BB as the trip gets closer, and also on
the "amsatvk" list where I have already made some posts with my 
plans.  I am looking forward to this trip, something I have thought
about for many years.  This will be my first trip to Australia, but
probably not my last trip.  :-) 

73!





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