QRP ARCI adds satellite endorsements to awards

The QRP Amateur Radio Club International (QRP ARCI) has added satellite endorsements to many of its awards, which are available to all radio amateurs. The club also has made some other changes to its awards program.

Please visit the QRP ARCI Web site - http://www.qrparci.org - and click on the Awards tab down the left side of the home page to see the various awards the group offers, and to get the guidelines for each award.

There are now five amateur satellites in orbit that can be worked using a basic handheld satellite station (e.g., dual-band HT, a commercial antenna like the Elk dual-band log periodic or Arrow dual-band yagi, or a homebrew handheld yagi or log periodic.

NOTE: Aftermarket whip antennas like the Pryme AL-800, Diamond RH-789 or SRH-789, and the Smiley dual-band whip also work on the FM satellites - and better than you might expect!). They include AO-27, AO-51, the new Chinese satellite HO-68, SO-50 and the new South African Satellite SO-67. You can find information on all of them at the AMSAT Web site http://www.amsat.org.

Readers who own a FT-817ND and another all-mode UHF/VHF receiver (e.g., Yaesu VR-500, Icom IC-R5, Kenwood TH-F6A HT, which includes an all-mode receiver) can add one of the dual-band gain antennas above with a duplexer and also work the current fleet of linear (SSB/CW) satellites, including AO-7 (now in its 36th year in orbit!), HO-68 (this new Chinese satellite has both single-channel FM and linear SS/CW transponders; control operators activate one or the other, and make schedules available online), and VO-52.

The Japanese linear satellite FO-29 also may be back in regular service soon. Control operators are testing FO-29, which went silent last fall due to power issues related to the satellite epending extended periods in eclipse.

I routinely work all of the satellites mentioned above (and the International Space Station, when its amateur station is active) using QRP power levels. It's among the most fun operating I've ever enjoyed in amateur radio. If you haven't tried it, please do!

AMSAT has its own awards program, and the addition of satellite endorsements from QRP ARCI enhances and expands the awards available to satellite operators.

73 to all,

Tim – N3TL
Athens, Ga.
EM84ha