[amsat-bb] Has anyone made a satellite QSO with an orbiting ISS astronaut?

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Douglas,

No, this hasn't happened - but not from a lack of trying.

In 2006, at the very end of Bill McArthur's ISS tour, there was an
effort to see if Bill could make a QSO via AO-51. Bill had already
completed WAS, WAC, and DXCC working hams around the world, and
this was considered the last big thing he could do from the ISS
radio. Time was tight, and probably the biggest reason why this
didn't work. Instructions were sent up to the ISS, and stations
were recruited on the ground in locations compatible with both
available AO-51 passes and Bill's available time. Bill was heard
through AO-51, but no QSOs were made.

I am not aware if there have been other attempts since 2006 for an
ISS crewmember to work an amateur satellite from the ISS. Maybe
if Doug Wheelock can get another ISS tour, this could be tried again.

IIRC crewmembers that used the ISS cross-band repeater to work
stations on the ground are not using a different radio to work
through the ISS repeater. Since the cross-band repeater was a
function of the Kenwood dual-band mobile transceivers, the crews
would use the microphone and speaker on that radio to work
stations. Really no different than if the cross-band repeater
function on those radios is turned off, or if the crews used
the GE/Ericsson HTs to work stations.

73!





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







On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 2:35 PM, Douglas Quagliana <dquagliana at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Has anyone ever had a successful two-way QSO with an orbiting ISS
> astronaut through an amateur radio satellite transponder?
>
> Regards,
> Douglas KA2UPW/5
>
>