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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=PT link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Satellite contact between Cuba and Alaska<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>After many attempts, Hector Martinez CO6CBF in Cuba and Dale Pelzer KL7R in Alaska have achieved a contact between Grid Squares EL92sd and BP54xt using the amateur radio satellite FO-29.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Hector CO6CBF posted this report on the AMSAT Bulletin Board<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Cubans cannot operate on AO-7 mode B so FO-29 is our only opportunity for long contacts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>I cannot say how much time we tried but I am sure that it was more than 10 attempts. Dale did all the hard work, he drove around 4 miles from his home to a nearby hill. Majority of times he drove very late in the night.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>All the SSB attempts failed. Today [Sunday, July 8] at 1920z was our first attempt on CW and it was successful!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Dale’s working conditions are a Yaesu FT-817 (only 5W semi-duplex) and ARROW antenna with preamplifier. My working conditions are a majority homebrew setup, 10 elements Yagi on 2m and 18 elements Yagi for 70cm with a homebrew preamplifier.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Thanks very much to Dale for his constancy and effort!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>PS: I continue looking for new grids and long contacts on satellite, if you are into any footprint with EL92sd and want to try, please drop me an email [address at qrz.com]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>73!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Hector, CO6CBF<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>EL92sd<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>New Cuban Amateur Radio Satellite Group formed <a href="http://www.uk.amsat.org/5454">http://www.uk.amsat.org/5454</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>FO-29 Information <a href="http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=5">http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=5</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Getting started on amateur radio satellites <a href="http://www.uk.amsat.org/267">http://www.uk.amsat.org/267</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>