Logging amateur satellite contacts (and another contact) / 2019-05-19

After getting a satellite contact via SO-50 the next thing was to get it in the log correctly. I followed the instructions from Logging Satellite QSOs with Logbook of the World - Amsat, logging the contact in the tqsl program, uploading that log to Logbook of the World and importing the logfile (ADIF) into CQRLOG later.

But later I found out that CQRLOG now supports satellite logging after enabling it in the preferences. Since version 2.3.0 satellite support is included.

Update 2019-05-19: And at the next usable SO-50 pass I got another contact in the log so I could test the satellite logging in CQRLOG. It worked fine and the upload to both Logbook of the World and eqsl turned out with all fields correct. The contact was difficult: lots of interference on the pass and I could only hear the suffix of the person who called me. But a bit of searching found a very probable call sign and I could confirm via e-mail that he heard my callsign fine. Contact with UR3CTB.

Thanks to the SatNOGS network I can find audio of my own contact! SO-50 pass observed by OZ7SAT - SatNOGS network Observation #677405. There is even more interference than I thought.

Usable SO-50 passes happen in a row for me. A pass is usable when the time is doable between all other things in life and the high pass/passes of SO-50 shift 15-30 minutes later each day. After a number of days they shift out of my local evening so they get harder to schedule. I had the serious luck to have the first evenings I try to get back on satellites with really usable passes. And it seems I got better at hearing callsigns and at throwing in my call and establishing contact.