[HIham] [Fwd: NEW RECORD Set Via ISS]

[Ron Hashiro]

Hawaii Hams,

Just a short note to let you know that the first Hawaii-to-California 
2-way VHF packet contact was accomplished this morning via the ISS.

Scott, WA6LIE and I hooked up on 145.825 simplex on a very low pass (3 
degrees max, 2.5 degrees at the start of the mutual window).  The mutual 
window was about a minute 20 seconds or so.

I was packet satellite mobile at Bellows Beach, (it used to be called 
Bellows AFB, not sure what it's called now), running an Icom IC-910H at 
about 60 watts, into an Arrow Antenna vertically polarized, mounted on a 
Bogan 3221 video tripod, pointed at about 60 degrees north, 2 degrees 
elevation.  TNC was a KPC-3+, running Bob Bruninga's program for 
controlling his APRS satellites (which does a good job of logging 
packets with timestamps).  Many thanks to Bob for past opportunities to 
work with him on APRS and satellites.

I am super excited to have partnered with Scott on the Q. 

Both Scott and I have had quite a thrill with satellites and the ISS.  
When Space Tourist #5 Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP was on the ISS in April 
11, 2007, I randomly happened to be the first person to talk with him.  
Minutes later as the ISS drifted towards Oregon, Scott was the first 
California and mainland station to work him.  We work together 
periodically to improve the chances of contacts.

It's been quite a ride, waiting for the packet radio mode to be restored 
onboard the ISS, so that Scott and I could schedule and complete the Q.  
This was the first mutual window, and first weekend we could do this 
after completing the support for Richard Garriott's mission a little 
more than a week ago.  Both Scott and I supported the effort as part of 
an around-the-world ARISS ground support team, and I got the scouts from 
Troop 49 up on JOTA, with WH7RB making this first DX and space contact.  
These usable openings happen perhaps once a month, so when it comes 
around, you have to take the shot.

Between midnight and 2:30 am this morning while providing overnight 
security for another event, I spent the time bench testing and verifying 
the configuration of each piece of equipment, calculating the mutual 
window, elevation, azimuth, range and doppler in five second increments 
to figure out the exact moment and location of acquisition and loss of 
signal onto a notepad, then repacking everything into the car for this 
morning's contact.

I just kept PING'ing away until the start of my AOS (Acquisition of 
Signal) and waited intently to hear the packets returning.  Moments 
later, when I heard them starting to return and the audio got solid, I 
could see the messages appearing on the PC screen.  I knew we were in 
business.  Three minutes later would be the start of the mutual 1 
minute, 20 second window.  When the time (9:02:05 local), I kept 
PING'ing away so that Scott would know his view to the ISS was good, and 
it was such a thrill to see his packet pop on my screen!  I switched to 
"send" mode and IM'ed him a line giving him a 59 from Hawaii!  The Q was 
in the bag, and in the log!  Thank you Richard Garriot, Mike Finke, 
ARISS and ARRL for making the last piece possible!

Scott informs me that the packets were SATGATED into the Internet, and 
is visible on FINDU.COM.  I haven't looked yet.

I "just" completed a local high pass with Robert, NH7WN, on the way back 
home and have just returned home to file this report.  The configuration 
that Robert and I did is very similar to what can be done for exchanging 
critical messages during the peak of a storm, even a Cat 5 hurricane, 
whenever the ISS has a high local pass.  Hams in Hawaii should develop 
and practice this mode (APRS text digipeating via a 1/4 wave ground 
plane and the ISS.  My ground plane was a mag mount stuck on the roof of 
my car) for critical inter-island text communications.

I've been up for quite a while, so I'm heading to sleep. In a sense, 
it's no different than an emergency communications operations.......pack 
up the equipment, head to the field, make it work the first time -- even 
if you're totally sleep deprived.  You only get one shot at making it 
happen.   So, this Q was easy.

I'll file an expanded report when I wake up and return to the land of 
the living, and will do further analysis with the recorded telemetry.

This is what Amateur Radio is all about.....making contacts!  And, with 
Emergency Communications.  "Move the message forward".

Thanks Scott.  Will hook with you when I awake.

Ron Hashiro, AH6RH
Honolulu, HI
Home: BL11bh
I'll have to calculate the Maidenhead grid for the Bellows location.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	NEW RECORD Set Via ISS
Date: 	Sat, 1 Nov 2008 13:02:05 -0700
From: 	Scott Avery <wa6lie at msn.com>



Today at 1803 UTC, Ron AH6RH and I made the FIRST packet QSO/exchange 
via ISS's digipeater RS0ISS.
We had several pings on my 1 minute 20 second mutual visibility pass 
between us. See http://www.ariss.net/
 
Ever since ISS packet/voice was activated, I was looking for a partner 
on the east side of the Big Island
of Hawaii to do this. I sent out blind emails to all hams in the area. 
Looked at packet from Hawaii etc...
Finally about 3 years ago, I met up with Ron, AH6RH who shared my goal. 
For the past few years we have been
trying to make this first contact. Between ISS packet being off the air, 
and limited times to try with work etc,
it finally became a reality today! I did my victory DX dance when Ron 
called me from Hawaii screaming in excitement!
 
Thanks to ARISS for it's support of amateur radio on the ISS.
 
73, Scott WA6LIE
CM96eq