[amsat-bb] ISS QSO with Hobart, IN school kids

["Stan Vandiver" <stan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a resend... it did not make it on the BB when I first sent it 2 
days ago.

Greetings all,

The ARRL published an article Aug. 3rd (http://www.arrl.org) 
relating our outstanding success with a 4 AM (local CDT) radio 
contact with Hobart school kids and astronaut Jim Voss onboard 
the International Space Station. The contact was made from Joan 
Martin Elementary School in Hobart, Indiana  

There is a link to a full audio recording on the ARRL article, but it
is formatted such that you cannot save it.  If you wish to have a
permanent copy of this QSO, you can download it directly from:
http://www.pcarc.net/kf9ov.zip

The zip file is about 3.2MB and the expanded WAV is about 5MB. 
(Greg Miller, KF9OV, supplied this audio copy.)  

I will have a full transcript available soon also. If anyone would
like to have a copy of this, please email me direct.

It was a huge success, in spite of the irregular hour. A great group 
of parents, supporters, press, and local hams came out to watch 
and help.  Please allow me the space here to mention some of 
those that I know who were deeply involved (ie, they were THERE 
at 4am!):  

Of course, all the kids!!!  They were the best!!!
Debbie Matthys, school contact person for this event
Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS Mentor
Mike Frank, KF9WW, control operator (applied for this contact 
many years ago!)
Mike Fisher, WT9W, backup operator
Stan Vandiver, W4SV, primary antenna control
Bob Pence, W9ORW, backup antenna control
Also on the ground or on the roof were Greg Miller, KF9OV -- Mike
Truax, KB9OCE -- Jim Rodgers, K9KXQ -- and Rich Ard, N9QLQ.

It was a lot of work leading up to the contact. I would like to thank 
many on these email reflectors for their enthusiasm and also for 
technical advice (lately concerning circular polarization techniques) 
that helped me personally as I strove to make sure the antennas 
were going to be satisfactory for this task.  

Yes, it was a lot of work.  But I would heartily recommend anyone 
to get involved in this kind of activity!  It was a great feeling of 
satisfaction at the moment of sign-off... that brief moment of total 
silence as the knowledge of what just happened sank in... just 
before the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause.  I am still 
quite awestruck by it all, and I am very happy that I was able to 
play a part in making this happen for the kids.  

There are many people working behind the scenes also... people at 
NASA, AMSAT, ARRL, and other places.  Many thanks to all of 
you who play a part in these wonderful segments of "mission time" 
onboard the manned spacecraft, both now and in the past.  

Very 73 to all,

Stan Vandiver, W4SV
Hanna, Indiana

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