[amsat-bb] Re: AO40 contacts

[K5OE]

You guys are making me all teary-eyed!  I loved that bird, especially for all the "challenges" it presented.  Mike, I still have the 10 gHz downconverter I built for that never-used mode :-(  

My first contacts were on 05 May 2001:  W1BFN, KB2WQM (now KB2M), W7ID, N1JEZ, WL7BQM (first DX), and WC0Y--all in mode U/S.  My last contact was K5VAS on 22 Nov 2003 using mode L/S.  Later that weekend I took down my antennas to move to VK8.  I took everything I needed to work AO-40 in Australia, including an 18" DSS dish with a dual-band feed, but by the time I moved and got into a penthouse apartment with a big deck looking north (why do you think I had to find a top floor with that view?), AO-40 died.  

If it hadn't been for the launch of Eagle (AO-51), I would have never been able to use that L/S gear.  I used it dozens of times to talk to myself on AO-51 as it orbited over the Indian Ocean :-)  I used to do the same thing on ISS packet.  From where I was located (Darwin, NT), there were no other population centers within the footprint of the LEOs (not even Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, or Singapore).

73,
Jerry, K5OE

>Those were fun days Clare!
>
>My most challenging contacts were made using K band (24 GHz down). First 
>contact was on 4/20/2002 with Jerry, K5OE.
>
>http://www.burlingtontelecom.net/~n1jez@burlingtontelecom.net/index.html
>
>I think the only mode I never got to try was 2.4 GHz up. I have the 
>transverter sitting here in my shack, but AO-40 went bang before I got to 
>use it. The plan was S/k.
>
>73,
>Mike, N1JEZ
>AMSAT 29649
>"A closed mouth gathers no feet"


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Clare Fowler" <clarefowler at rogers.com>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO40 contacts


>I made over 1300 contacts on AO-40 during its 2 3/4 years of operation.
>
> The first QSO was on 05/05/01 at 08:17 with  Mike N1JEZ on U/S
> then at 08:39 worked Dom I8CVS, at 08:52 Fred CU8AO, and at 09:03 Frank
> DL6DBN.
>
> I then fired up my FT-736R on 1.2 GHz and at 09:44 worked Steve KB8VAO 
> with
> both
> of us making our 1st L/S QSO on AO-40 and then at 09:55 worked Mike N1JEZ
> for his first L/S contact.
>
> On the 25th and 26th of Jan 2003 an AO-40 QSO party was held.
> 30 logs were submitted from 14 countries.
> I made 107 QSO's with 19 DXCC countries.
>
> My last contact was on 28/01/04 at 20:39 with DG4DW.
> My next log entry was at 29/01/04 at 01:35 with Jerry W0SAT and
> my log note is "we talked about AO-40 gone"
>
> In spite of the fact AO-40 had major problems and never operated near it's
> original
> design I think it was a very successful amateur satellite.
>
> Bob (W7LRD); I guess all we can do now is remember the good old days and 
> cry
> on
> each others shoulders. SOB SOB
>
> Clare VE3NPC
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Floyd Rodgers" <kc5qbc at swbell.net>
> Subject: [amsat-bb] AO40 contacts
>
>
>> Did anyone manage to bag any contacts off A040 before it's sad event?