It can be done...

[AC2GK]

So after getting a bit bored today I finally decided to try and hit AO-51 using a bare-bones setup...

Sitting in the backyard in a lawn chair under a tree with nothing more than the VX-8DR (complete with stock rubber duck) and a pair of headphones I was able to hear the satellite (I would have been happy with just this)... so I figured what the heck lets try talking and woah someone said my callsign back to me! It was about as exciting as my first satellite QSO...

Thanks VA6BMJ for calling me back!

Now that I know I can do that consider DO62 active, as well as DO63/73 this weekend...

Tim - AC2GK/VE5

[W5PFG]

So after getting a bit bored today I finally decided to try and hit AO-51 using a bare-bones setup...

Sitting in the backyard in a lawn chair under a tree with nothing more than the VX-8DR (complete with stock rubber duck) and a pair of headphones I was able to hear the satellite (I would have been happy with just this)... so I figured what the heck lets try talking and woah someone said my callsign back to me! It was about as exciting as my first satellite QSO...

Thanks VA6BMJ for calling me back!

Now that I know I can do that consider DO62 active, as well as DO63/73 this weekend...

Tim - AC2GK/VE5

It can certainly work with a rubber duck. The right pass, elevation, and timing seem to be the key elements from my experience. On a busy pass -- forget it!

[AC2GK]

It can certainly work with a rubber duck. The right pass, elevation, and timing seem to be the key elements from my experience. On a busy pass -- forget it!

Yea, I think it was actually a bit easier with a low pass (51 degrees to my west) since the radio can be held mostly upright, it also helps that it passed through the area of unobstructed sky that I have to work with.

But yes I agree, I am sure that during a busy pass it would be near impossible to do anything more than listen...

Tim - AC2GK/VE5

[K6LCS]

>> ... VX-8DR ... stock rubber duck ...

WAY TO SHOOT, Tim!

Imagine the passes you could work with a little antenna "improvement!" Like a tape measure beam (a whopping 15 bucks in parts) or an antenna made from that old, broken umbrella the front closet ... (plans for these at http://www.work-sat.com )

You have the "bug." now. See you on the birds!

Clint Bradford, K6LCS

[AC2GK]

>> ... VX-8DR ... stock rubber duck ...

WAY TO SHOOT, Tim!

Imagine the passes you could work with a little antenna "improvement!" Like a tape measure beam (a whopping 15 bucks in parts) or an antenna made from that old, broken umbrella the front closet ... (plans for these at http://www.work-sat.com )

You have the "bug." now. See you on the birds!

Clint Bradford, K6LCS

Thanks Clint! I'm glad to say that the satellite bug bit me back in December (actually 7 years before that when I saw a demonstration but I didn't get around to it till December...) But I have never tried it without my Elk until today (my family is mailing that up soon) and I was glad to have success!

By the way, your website has helped me out a few times with various things, thanks for keeping it up and running (and up to date)! Now that I am a bit further west we can try and work each other on one of the birds?

Tim - AC2GK

[K6LCS]

Let's get past the deployment of ARISSat-1 Wednesday 7:30AM PDT first ... then we'll meet up on the birds!

Clint, K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com

[KD8DVR]

Let's get past the deployment of ARISSat-1 Wednesday 7:30AM PDT first ... then we'll meet up on the birds!

Clint, K6LCS
http://www.work-sat.com

Of course, we will need the TLEs or Keps to get our tracking software set up for the new bird!

[AC2GK]

Yeah, I've had a lot of fun, I think my furthest was about 1100 miles on AO-51 back in Feb.

It's just this lack of gain getting to me 0_o and is hurting my ability to activate some rare grids (was up in DO73 last weekend, heard the sats, no chance of a rubber duck being heard on a weekend though)

From the sounds of the stations I hear you should be quite workable from here (1300 miles as the crow flies) perhaps once I've got antennas...

Tim - AC2GK/VE5

[AC2GK]

Close but no cigar...

Just heard a great pass go 70 degrees overhead to my south west, sounded fantastic on the rubber duck. I heard a few of the big names come in very clear (KO4MA, K8YSE, etc) and tried calling them back with no luck, pass got quiet for a bit as it went between the east coast and west coast and then it got busy again. Perhaps another day... (I wish my family wasn't dragging their feet on mailing me up my antennas, they are too busy bickering about the best way to mail them )

Oh well, there are always other days,
Tim - AC2GK/VE5

[KD8DVR]

I've worked K8YSE at least 3 times now, got 3 QSL cards anyhow. All from an HT. I think from AO27. HT sat stuff is great. I'd have to look at the back of my "wallpaper" to see what the farthest contact was.

Good stuff!

73