Satellites

[W1MSG]

Ya that was me, I was going out to work another but its raining pretty hard. I heard the AA call as well, when I first got on there was one guy that just kept calling out, made it hard to get in.

 

[W1MSG]

Ok I went to Radio Shack this morning and picked up a small voice recorder and a Y adapter for my ear buds. It works pretty well, I can capture my Satellite sessions then replay them to make sure I get the contacts correct.

I also put up my first try on my web site W1MED Ham Radio Blog . For those of you looking to try the Satellites the sound file might prepare you a bit.

73's

Craig

 

[N3KDJ]

Arrow Antenna Helps!

I had fun working my first few contacts tonight after getting the Arrow Antenna. Many THANKS TO MOLECULO for the video and the VX-8DR memory file.
I am in CT and worked ND, MT and MA...coolest was logging in to my email and finding the 3 QSL cards at eQSL.cc already within an hour of the contacts! I was able to fire them into Ham Radio Deluxe and auto-real-time QSL via eQSL.cc. I am liking this.

BTW the Y adapter is a good idea, although if you're not hearing yourself much on the downlink you might be losing the advantage of hearing yourself say partial or full callsigns back right? I recorded mine with an Olympus recorder around my neck. I was getting tied up too, so I may lose the speaker mic for the next pass and just go headset.

I wonder if I could get an adapter for my Heil Pro-set headset for the VX-8DR or the VX5??

 

[W1MSG]

I had fun working my first few contacts tonight after getting the Arrow Antenna. Many THANKS TO MOLECULO for the video and the VX-8DR memory file.
I am in CT and worked ND, MT and MA...coolest was logging in to my email and finding the 3 QSL cards at eQSL.cc already within an hour of the contacts! I was able to fire them into Ham Radio Deluxe and auto-real-time QSL via eQSL.cc. I am liking this.

BTW the Y adapter is a good idea, although if you're not hearing yourself much on the downlink you might be losing the advantage of hearing yourself say partial or full callsigns back right? I recorded mine with an Olympus recorder around my neck. I was getting tied up too, so I may lose the speaker mic for the next pass and just go headset.

I wonder if I could get an adapter for my Heil Pro-set headset for the VX-8DR or the VX5??

Congrats and welcome to the obcession ..

Well what I did is used some sticky back velcro and mounted my recorder near the handle of the Arrow, ran the Y under the grip so I have to plug ins at the end of the handle, plug that into the recorder plug my ear buds into one and a double male cable from the other to my radio. Works out Great and I dont have a mess of wires to deal with. I dont use the hand mic as it is easier to changechannels for the doppler effect and see what I'm doing on the radio.

I think I may have heard your call, were you on the 51 bird ?

I have a 5 minute sound clip of the 51 from late this afternoon, kind of crazy. Its on my web site.

73's

Craig

 

[N3KDJ]

AO-51

Craig- I was on AO-51 while you were ...I listened to your MP3 in your blog, which looks great by the way, congrats...my call is heard early in the recording and then later working you! Got your eQSL card with the headphones on it and replied. Thanks! [can you confirm you got my eQSL?]

Man that was a busy, busy pass wasn't it? I wish your MP3 continued a little longer so I could hear the other two guys I worked. I was recording too and have not listened to that yet.

I was using a VX-8DR into the Arrow Antenna. Used SatScape and HRD for the predictions. What fun! I am hooked.

 

[W1MSG]

Craig- I was on AO-51 while you were ...I listened to your MP3 in your blog, which looks great by the way, congrats...my call is heard early in the recording and then later working you! Got your eQSL card with the headphones on it and replied. Thanks! [can you confirm you got my eQSL?]

Man that was a busy, busy pass wasn't it? I wish your MP3 continued a little longer so I could hear the other two guys I worked. I was recording too and have not listened to that yet.

I was using a VX-8DR into the Arrow Antenna. Used SatScape and HRD for the predictions. What fun! I am hooked.

Yup I did get it, no wonder your call sounded familiar :w00t: ..

I'll try to take a couple of pictures of mt recorder set up, I just need a longer double male cable from the radio to the connector and I can tie it to the antenna cable. That will make the wires much easier to deal with.

I'm using the Orbitron software, pretty nice package and does all the predictions as well, easiest one I could find.

 

[W1MSG]

My Recorder MOD for the Arrow Antenna. I actually have a 3 way splitter so someone else can plug in and listen as well.

 

[Moleculo]

You guys should also try the cheap preamp idea that I built. It really does help hear quite a bit better.

 

[W1MSG]

You guys should also try the cheap preamp idea that I built. It really does help hear quite a bit better.

I would love to, but my building abilities are a bit limited. Give me a 500+ HP Mustang and I can fine tune it, but build a little circuit board and I am lost.

Hey do ya think we might be able to get a Sub for Satellites ?? Maybe we can all agree on a Sat Pass and try to contact each other.

You are creating obsessed HT Freaks with a bunch of crazy looking antennas hehehe My neighbors watch me and think I am NUTZ Of course I tell them I am talking with space

 

[Hutch]

Don't forget your tin foil hat to finish off the look, the neighbours will appreciate you going the extra mile.

 

[W1MSG]

Don't forget your tin foil hat to finish off the look, the neighbours will appreciate you going the extra mile.

Actually I am trying to find one of those arrow through the head loops to wear, maybe that and a foil hat hehehehe...

Actually what I should do is wear all my field gear and vest, put camo paint on and act like I am hiding behind a bush, think they would call the cops ??

 

[Qwazyone]

Actually I am trying to find one of those arrow through the head loops to wear, maybe that and a foil hat hehehehe...

Actually what I should do is wear all my field gear and vest, put camo paint on and act like I am hiding behind a bush, think they would call the cops ??

911: How may me help you?

Neighbor: Soldier next door finally lost his marbles, he's wearing a tinfoil hat and using some contraption claiming he's communicating with outer space

W1MED, I was going to ask you earlier if you had a contact with W6GMT, but I heard it this morning, I hear him all the time on the early passes. And then I think you made a contact with N0JE(?), a ND station on AO-27. There is a mobile satellite op that will be going through South Dakota sometime soon, so it may be a good time to get some rare sat grid squares

 

[Hutch]

Actually I am trying to find one of those arrow through the head loops to wear, maybe that and a foil hat hehehehe...

Actually what I should do is wear all my field gear and vest, put camo paint on and act like I am hiding behind a bush, think they would call the cops ??

Don't make us come out with the black helicopters to get you.

 

[W1MSG]

Well they dont give me live ammo anymore and I'm not allowed to play with sharp objects so I guess everyone is safe .. Hmmm Black Heli's, I have seen and ridden in a few of them, dont want to be on the receiving end..

Qwazyone, I made both of those.. I signed up over at eQSL.cc, made about 22 contacts since Saturday afternoon. Back to work tomorrow so I'll have to slow down for a while.