[amsat-bb] Re: The Ham Radio Bucket List

[ac4ny_1]

Welcome to the birds and keep up the good work!
Working satellites is addictive. Hi Hi
73
Joe..AC4NY
EM73dp


(My neighbors thinks I lost it; running around the yard with a handheld 
antenna)!


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Les Rayburn" <les at highnoonfilm.com>
To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 1:11 AM
Subject: [amsat-bb] The Ham Radio Bucket List


> I've been a ham well over 40 years, since my childhood. Back then, I could 
> barely afford the Heathkit transmitter, Halicrafters receiver, knife 
> switch, and longwire antenna that made up my shack.
>
> My elmer used to let me borrow his copy of QST and I'd dream about all the 
> great adventures that I'd have "someday" in ham radio. Being a child of 
> the Space Age, key among them were anything related to the New Frontier.
>
> EME (Moonbounce), Meteor Scatter, and satellites all seemed like the stuff 
> of science fiction---and I longed to experience them all. But they were 
> exotic, and required equipment far beyond my reach. I resolved to 
> accomplish them all someday and added them to a sort of ham radio "bucket 
> list" that I hoped to accomplish before my ham career was over.
>
> Five years ago, shortly after getting started in weak signal VHF work, I 
> checked off the first item on that list. Working meteor scatter contacts 
> with the aid of WSJT software, and during a Perseid shower, even using 
> SSB. What a thrill to make contacts off the ionized gasses of those tiny 
> rocks. Thanks Joe Taylor!
>
> Tonight, I managed to check off a second. I worked Art, K4YYL on FO-29, a 
> Japanese amateur satellite!
>
> My journey to the "birds" started about a month ago when I joined AMSAT, 
> determined that 2013 was going to be "the year" when I finally got active 
> on satellites. I purchased a copy of SATPC32 software, because I knew that 
> it could control my IC-910H--hopefully making it easier to get active.
>
> After listening to a few passes on both the FM and the SSB/CW birds, I 
> decided to try my luck on the less-crowded FO-29. A brief CQ was quickly 
> answered by Art. I adjusted the tuning knob just a bit to correct for the 
> Doppler effect, and voila! there he was clear as a bell.
>
> We had a brief QSO of perhaps ten minutes or so, and then we signed. I was 
> quickly called by K4FEG near Memphis in EM55---who just wanted to welcome 
> me to the birds!
>
> Man, what a thrill! And it wasn't tough at all.
>
> I'm using a 7 element 432 antenna tilted up to 15 degrees (fixed) and a 6 
> element 2 Meter beam tilted up to about 10 degrees (fixed) both inside my 
> crowded attic. The SSB Electronics pre-amp helps a ton on 432, and the 
> 1/2" hardline makes sure that I don't lose too much signal. So far, I've 
> been able to copy the birds down to about 2 degrees above the horizon 
> using this setup.
>
> Now to attempt that EME contact! I've got a 12 element Yagi just waiting 
> to deploy in the driveway once the weather warms a bit. Hoping to use WSJT 
> to work one of the monster stations on EME. All this in a deed-restricted 
> HOA neighborhood.
>
> I wasted 35+ years on HF----man, all the fun really is in the World Above 
> 50 MHz! Thanks for helping to make
> a boys dreams come true at age 51!
>
>
>
> -- 
> 73,
>
> Les Rayburn, N1LF
> 121 Mayfair Park
> Maylene, AL 35114
> EM63nf
>
> 6M VUCC #1712
> AMSAT #38965
> Grid Bandits #222
> Southeastern VHF Society
> Central States VHF Society Life Member
> Six Club #2484
>
> Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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> 

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