[amsat-bb] KG5CCI/P EM35 2016-01-17

[Dave Swanson]

Friends and Colleagues,

I'll be up in EM35 tomorrow, scouting out a fabled spot in the Ozarks 
that I've heard of from other ham radio operators and off-road 
travelers. Supposedly this mountain is 500' higher than anything else 
around it, has 360° unobstructed views, is miles from the nearest power 
line, and has a somewhat respectable Jeep trail to the top. If such a 
mystical spot truly exists, I plan to hang out for a few hours and 
operate the following passes from the site:

2016-01-17 1529z SO-50
2016-01-17 1649z AO-73
2016-01-17 1700z SO-50
2016-01-17 1736z FO-29
2016-01-17 1758z AO-7(B) (Big EU Footprint)
2016-01-17 1848z SO-50
2016-01-17 1918z FO-29

For western hemisphere chasers, I will try to hand out anyone needing 
EM35 on all birds other than AO7. There's plenty of passes on both 
linear and FM, so I should get you in the logs no problem, even if the 
mountain turns out to be a bust.

On the AO-7 pass at 1758z though, as it will only be 1.6° in elevation 
from this location, I will be using it for something a little special. 
I'll be using a couple of precision clocks and cameras in order to 
record actual AOS and LOS times, and compare that to the times that the 
computer calculates for my location. As I've indicated before, I have 
some theories of just how much elevation can affect satellite 
visibility, but I'm always trying to collect more data to back these 
theories up. As soon as I can get into the bird I'll begin CQing in SSB 
around 145.945 and will continue until I have lost it again some minutes 
later. The computer says I should have 7 minutes and 18 seconds of 
visibility, but based on my observations, the Height Above Average 
Terrain (HAAT) of this location should grant me an additional 55 seconds 
on the front and about 45 seconds on the end of the pass. I would 
appreciate any listeners out there with bigger footprints that I will 
have (if they're not chasing new contacts that is) to note the time they 
first hear me, and the time that I disappear into the noise, and email 
me with the results. I would also welcome any DX stations to stop by and 
have a quick QSO, if they're interested in picking up a new grid that I 
don't believe any Sat operators live in. Normally it's our friends 
across the pond that us Americans are chasing after, so I'm going to do 
my best to return the favor when I can, with trips like tomorrow.

As always, I'll be providing play-by-play on Twitter @KG5CCI. I may also 
throw an HF rig in, for the downtime between passes and I'll announce my 
spots on Twitter if I do. Twitter will also be the way to find out if 
something goes horribly wrong with the plans, such as the mountain is 
inhabited by silver coveting dragons and I have to trade my N-connectors 
for my life.. or snow.. but more likely dragons.. anyway..

Hope to hear you tomorrow.

73!

Dave, KG5CCI