[amsat-bb] WD9EWK from northern Arizona (DM34/35/45), 11-12 June 2016

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

After the Prescott Hamfest wraps up on Saturday, I plan on heading to
Flagstaff in northern Arizona. This was my plan for last weekend, which I
had to cancel abruptly. I won't be able to make it over to the Petrified
Forest National Park along I-40 in eastern Arizona this weekend, but I do
plan on visiting at least 2 sites for the ARRL's National Parks on the Air
activity and a grid boundary in northern Arizona.

After the hamfest, I am looking to work at least one, and *maybe* two,
SO-50 passes from the DM34/DM35 grid boundary near Ash Fork in northern
Arizona on Saturday evening. I have operated from this location in the
past, along a county road running parallel to AZ-89 south of Ash Fork.
The first of the two SO-50 passes Saturday evening is just before 0200 UTC,
and there should still be daylight up there at that time. The later pass
will probably be dark, except for any lighting I have on and around my car.
After the DM34/DM35 stop, I may operate from other locations in grid DM35
and/or DM45 as I drive to Flagstaff for the night.

On Sunday (12 June) morning, I plan on going north of Flagstaff to operate
from the Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments north of
Flagstaff near US-89. Both monuments are in grid DM45, and are located next
to each other. If time permits, I might try to stop at another NPOTA site
like the Walnut Canyon National Monument east of Flagstaff, or the
Montezuma Castle National Monument along I-17 between Phoenix and
Flagstaff.

At each NPOTA site, I would like to make contacts with at least 10
different stations to make my stop an "official" activation under ARRL's
NPOTA rules. I am planning to start Sunday morning at Sunset Crater Volcano
National Monument, hoping to work at least 10 different stations. Then I
hope to repeat that at Wupatki, before heading back to Flagstaff and
deciding on where I will go next.

I will use my @WD9EWK Twitter feed to send out updates on my travels and
operating Saturday evening and Sunday. If you don't use Twitter, you can
see my tweets - some of which will have photos - in a web browser at:

http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

My travels should also appear on APRS, using the call sign WD9EWK-9. There
is good APRS coverage throughout most of northern Arizona, including where
I plan on traveling. Among other web sites, my travels should be visible
at:

http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9

I will upload my QSOs to Logbook of the World after this weekend. If you
would like a QSL card for any QSOs made this weekend, please e-mail me with
the QSO details. No need to first send me a QSL card or SASE. If you are in
my log, I will gladly send you a QSL card.

73!




Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/
Twitter: @WD9EWK