[amsat-bb] ISS - watch it as you work it!

[Jeff]

I remember in, I think 1998, I was  working Valery on the MIR on a regular 
basis.  On this particular night it was my son's  birthday and  as I was 
into an almost daily chat with him  he wanted to wish my son a happy 
birthday. We went outside to watch the pass, my son and I chatted with Val 
as we watched him fly over, he wished my son a happy birthday and also 
encouraged him to become an astronaut. My son mentioned this in show and 
tell at school afterwards. I got a call from his teacher, she said she was 
concerned that Jeff was talking to people in space and she didn't think this 
was healthy, as he said it wasn't a story, but was true. I told her that yes 
he actually did talk to a cosmonaut. It took me awhile to convince her of 
that.  I also remember my son working the ISS on kids day. I don't recall 
who was active on the ISS but he heard the kid's day call and then had a 
nice pass eating chat with my son! I have many more contacts with the space 
station I could talk about, but you get the idea. I wish the ISS occupants 
had the time like they used to to do more voice contacts, so everyone can 
experience this.

73 Jeff kb2m


-----Original Message----- 
From: Paul Stoetzer
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2015 7:04 PM
To: Scott
Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] ISS - watch it as you work it!

I saw it here in DC too. Didn't take the TH-D7A(G) out to try the
digipeater though.

My dream for portable satellite tracking is a Google Glass satellite
tracking app that provides a heads up display!

73,

Paul, N8HM

On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 7:01 PM, Scott <scott23192 at gmail.com> wrote:

> With a clear sky tonight and wanting to do some antenna experimentation, I
> found myself sitting outside with the laptop as the ISS flew almost
> directly over.
>
> I have to confess that it felt very strange to work the packet digipeater
> on the ISS at the same time that I was looking up and actually SEEING the
> thing fly over.  If I had been holding the Arrow antenna in my hand 
> instead
> of having it on a tripod, the visual target sure would have made it easier
> to point at!  Too bad all of the cubesats aren't visible for antenna
> pointing like that.
>
> Anyway, whether you're working the packet digipeater, monitoring an ARISS
> school QSO, or receiving special event SSTV images from the ISS, if you 
> get
> a chance to make the radio connection at the same time that you can look 
> up
> and see it fly over, I highly recommend it!
>
> -Scott, K4KDR
> Montpelier, VA  USA