[Elecraft] Possible STS-113 Launch Special Event Station

[Jack Brindle]

The KSC discussion seems to be far more conjecture than fact. There is 
a very active ham radio club at KSC. During launches, they retransmit 
the launch control audio on their two meter repeater. There is actually 
a lot of ham radio activity ongoing around the space center area during 
launch time.

Many years ago while working for Motorola in Ft Lauderdale I was a 
member of the Motorola ham radio club. We were approached by  NASA and 
ARRL to provide a two-meter HT for use on the shuttle. We (the ham 
radio club) built a pair of Motorola MX-300 radios, and put them 
through all sorts of NASA-required testing, including some rather 
severe tests for out-gassing carried on at a NASA facility in New 
Mexico. These radios were not manufactured on the Motorola assembly 
line, but rather were hand built by a ham club member who happened to 
be a development engineering technician. So, even though they were of 
the Motorola design and components, they actually qualify not as 
commercial gear, but as ham-built equipment. Owen Garriott carried one 
of the MX-300s along with about eight battery packs into space. He used 
the MX for many QSOs on that first flight, and ended up using only a 
pair of batteries. Since that time, NASA has considerably relaxed their 
requirements for equipment used in space as experience has shown very 
few problems.

As a reward for the fine work of the club members, several were invited 
up to KSC to view a shuttle launch some time later. They pretty much 
had free run of KSC, and used their ham rigs extensively while there, 
even during the launch. Now this was before the Challenger accident, 
but I have heard nothing  that has changed this situation since.

I no longer live in Florida (I'm now in Sillycon Valley), but I would 
suggest that if anyone is worried, they should contact the KSC ham 
radio club for better information. My own feeling is that I really hope 
I get a chance to QSO with KC4KGU while he is operating there. HF 
operation close to the salt water provides some outstanding 
opportunities because of the proximity to excellent ground provided by 
the salt water. A vertical antenna in that situation should provide 
great results. While growing up in Miami (only two miles from the 
ocean), the best antenna I ever had was a 14-AVQ vertical. The number 
of radials didn't matter since it was only a few feet above the 
brackish/salt water table. I seemed to have an outstanding pipeline 
into Europe and also towards the west coast.

Have a great time in Florida!

-Jack Brindle, WA4FIB
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