AMATEUR SATELLITES!!
Orbiting Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio (OSCAR)
Another new facet of what seems to be a never ending source of fun and excitement! Here I am during the 2018 Field Day at the Daytona Beach Police Department parking lot making my (well, kinda) first ever Amateur Satellite QSO! Officially, I was using the N4DAB Daytona Beach CERT Amateur Radio Team call sign, so it wasn’t really “me”. I made the QSO Sunday morning June 24, 2018 at 1449Z with W4DW through the OSCAR AO-92 Satellite. It was my fourth try during the FD weekend, but I finally made it. I was using a Kenwood V71 dual-band FM transceiver running 5 Watts out to an Arrow II 146/437-10 hand held antenna. We got the 100 bonus points too!
A week later, on early Monday morning July 2, 2018 at 0204Z (actually Sunday night) I made a QSO with N4UFO through the same satellite using my own call. I’m Official! This time, same antenna, but using an Alinco DJ-G7 HT Transceiver running 1 Watt output on 70cm! Wowwee!
Here is the QSL Card:
Here’s the AMSAT First Satellite Contact Award Certificate
Amateur Radio Station WB4OMM 
Wow! Congrats Steve.
Hi Steve, worked you for your first official satellite contact under your own call on SO-50 during Wal Mart Parking Lots On The Air. Going to highly suggest that you use a set of headphones while working sats as it is almost essential to prevent feedback due to working full duplex. The first time you called I couldn’t make out much of what you said because of it… and it can cause QRM. By the way, I can send you a recording of that contact via e-mail if you like… just let me know. Congrats on the contact and welcome to the addiction that is ham satellites! =^)
Hi Kevin,
Yeah, already figured that headphones are a necessity! How fast I learn…….ha!
I would LOVE an audio file of our QSO – I will post a copy of it on this web page!
Send it to me via my home e-mail address: sszabo1@cfl.rr.com
Thanks!
73!
Steve WB4OMM
DOH! Make that AO-92 satellite… it was a busy day. ;^D