AO-7, VO-52 & AO-51

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In between cleaning my motor cycles, I have spent today in and out of the shack as I have been closely monitoring the various Satellite passes over my QTH.

I started the day early making QSO via the AO-7 Satellite at 08.44 utc with three stations from Europe - 9A2EY, EA1BYC and ON5NY.

The next "Bird" I worked via was VO-52, where I made QSO with OZ2SAT & DL7UHF at around 10.32 utc.

I then tried my luck again at 16.11 utc where I got into AO-51 which is an FM Satellite which always proves a bit more difficult than the SSB Sats that I worked through earlier. Despite the European pile up and only one station working at a time via the FM transponder, I still managed to work S57ORG who was quickly followed by ES5QA. I heard many other European Ops calling through the bird during the pass, as usual it was chaotic but still lots of fun.

To work the Satellites, I am still using my reliable home brewed IO-10 dual band Sat yagi with its 30º fixed elevation (seen on my QRZ page & this blog).

I have big plans for next spring when I shall hopefully set up my recently acquired Oscar 435 30 Element X beam and 145 Yagi which will be controlled by a GS5500 Azi/Ele rotator (seen in the picture below). I will still be keeping my IO-10 El set up at this QTH as we are in the process of obtaining a second QTH. There I shall be installing some nice/big antennas for both Satellite and HF work. The Sat antenna pictured above is a sneak preview of some of the new equipment & antennas that I have been putting together recently for my new/second shack. Fortunately for me I have more HF antennas on standby waiting to be erected at the other QTH next spring. I am looking forward to posting more detail regarding this in the near future but for now you will have to imagine what I will be up to hi hi.(Besides changing nappies and being a Dad!)

Comments

PE4BAS, Bas said…
Hello Simon, the antenna system looks very professional from what I can see on the picture. Well about your ideas erecting more HF antennas I hope you still have time for that. Being a Dad consumes a lot of time ;-) 73, Bas
11:02 am
Hans said…
Hello Simon,

Welcome on "The Old Lady AO-7".
I hope we meet us someday on this sat.
By the way, I think that 9A4EY must be 9A2EY, Zeljko.
See: http://www.planetemily.com/ao7/ao7log.php

73 de Hans, PE1BVQ
1:44 pm
MØYKS Simon said…
Hello Bas, I think you will be right about that :-) I will have lots to do! I am getting very excited now, cant wait to meet him/her.

All the best to you and yours 73
Simon
7:13 pm
MØYKS Simon said…
Hello Hans,

Thank you very much and I don't know why I took so long to try "The Old Lady" hi hi.

Very nice link that you sent, I will be visiting that link regularly from now on. Also thanks for putting me right with 9A2EY, I have corrected my log ;-)

I will listen out for you on the "birds" and I look forward to the 1st contact.

73 Simon
7:18 pm
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