[amsat-bb] An exciting afternoon on the birds!!!

[Hector, CO6CBF]

Hello to all!
 
It was an exciting afternoon on the birds! First, I worked Patrick, WD9EWK
on SO-50 in a new grid for me (FN56). Patrick, thanks very much for the
great QSO and new grid!
 
Then, I had my first contact on satellites with France.  Michael, F6GLJ in
IN94qs and I completed a great QSO on FO-29. We had a maxim elevation of 0.5
degree at our ends. I believe it is the first contact between Cuba and
France on FO-29! It is a 7508 Km contact!

Our first attempt was on July 18 but Michael was not able to get a solid
copy of my signal. Fortunately, FO-29 offered us another opportunity, we
made a schedule again and I decided to use the ELK antenna instead of the
ARROW which I used in the first attempt. 

I was operating portable from a tall building (45m over the ground), I had a
great horizon visibility. I was running half - duplex with my FT-817nd, a
homebrew 50W power amplifier and a homebrew preamplifier. Everything was
supplied by a 12V 7A gel battery.
 
Michael, thanks very much for the great contact, new grid and new country!
 
73!

Hector, CO6CBF / KF5YXV
El92sd