2014-04-29
My first succes in radio connection via amateur satellite 5 years ago
I made my first satellite QSO yesterday evening. I saw an upcoming SO-50 pass which was right overhead for me, northwest to southeast. This is the ideal direction for following a pass in the backyard. And there would also be a big overlap for when it would be in view from the Cambridge hams on Lewis Island, maidenhead locator IO68UL. That's a distance of around 1010 kilometers. When I started to hear the satellite I heard some CQ's from different callsigns. I tried calling CQ myself once but heard no clear answer. The pass was reaching the zenith, the moment of the highest change in doppler shift. Then I heard GS3PYE/P in another contact. When that contact was over I answered with G S 3 Papa Yankee Echo, this is Pappa Delta 4 Kilo Hotel/Portable and heard the answer Pappa Delta 4 Kilo Hotel/Portable ... followed by noise. I made a little yell which made my wife come out to see what was happening. But there was still the question whether my callsign got across and logged as a valid contact. That was answered minutes later: the contact was visible in the 2014 - Lewis Logbook - Camb-Hams DX blog. I will send a QSL card and request one.