50th Anniversary of Explorer 1 QSL cards

[RennMan]

RIGHT NOW, on the Table Mountain 2 M repeater W6VIO from JPL in Pasadena is accepting callsigns from those wishing a QSL card.

Background:

January 31st 1958, JPL and the US Army successfully launched the first US satellite, called Explorer I.  The US was not happy with the USSR "beating" us into space, and the Navy and Army had competing programs to launch a satellite.

Here's a link to an NPR-Morning Edition story:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18567821

What's a QSL card?

It's a postcard sent between two Amateur radio operators confirming that contact was made, usually with some of the specifics of the contact, such as time and signal strength.

This will be my first QSL card!

[Wrightwood]

It's over now.
I was able to get in a call.

[RennMan]

Sorry about the lateness of the posting, but I just found out about it myself.

Here is a link to the JPL ARC Wiki page.  They are going to be on various bands all weekend.

http://pitfall.org/jplarc/Station/ExplorerIAnniversary

[Wrightwood]

KG6ZEP
KG6ZEQ
KW6WW
KG6ZET

All made contacts from Wrightwood

[tiltronix]

I built a 108 MHz converter and had a dipole with backed by a tri-reflector pointed straight up atop my garage in Pomona.  I heard the satellite for quite a long period using a Q-Fiver and Selecto-Ject filter while it was over our hemisphere in 1958.

[RennMan]

I'm curious, has anyone received their QSL cards?  Approximately how long a wait is usual in these instances.

This would be my first card, so I'm not sure as to the proper procedure.

73's

[RennMan]

Bump!

Still no word from JPL.  Anyone else receive their cards as yet?

[Wrightwood]

I'm a little disappointed as this was back in Feb 

[clint]

Did you all understand how this works? You have to send a QSL note or QSO Card to W6VIO to receive the commemorative card back.

This line in the Web Site:

For each QSO, we plan to send out a commemorative Explorer I QSL card. QSL to W6VIO CBA.

means they will send a card if you QSL (Acknowledge Receipt of Signal) to W6VIO (JPLs radio club) at their CBA (Call Book Address)
which you can get by typing their call sign into the search line at www.qrz.com.

Send a note or card that has your call sign, address, and details of your contact or receipt of the message with at least:

Date and Time (in UTC not local)
Frequency
And anything else that was important.

[Wrightwood]

That's not the way we were instructed during the QSO.

[clint]

Maybe that's why no cards have been received. It's pretty clear in the announcement what the procedure was. So what was said in the QSO must have been wrong. I double checked this on the VIO web site and their newsletter says the same thing. And this is the usual procedure.

[tiltronix]

I monitored Explorer I with my 108 MHz converter and dipole with three reflectors my Pomona garage roof pointed skyward.  It was truly exciting!!  By Explorer II they changed the format from continous a 108 MHZ signal to intermittent interrogation only!  When I heard the Explorer II short signal telemetry burst, I placed the converter power switch to the OFF position and soon rebuilt the 108 MHz converter to tune 144 MHz.  Never again did I try to hear the satillites.

[RennMan]

My first ever QSL card arrived in yesterday's mail.  This was from the Explorer 1 50th Anniversary net conducted by the JPL Amateur Radio club, in late January/early February 2008.

The card is quite informational, giving a background on Explorer 1, and the role that JPL had in that launch and mission.

The contact information is interesting; the card states I made the contact on 224MHz, but my actual contact was on the Table Mountain 2M repeater.  During that net, I believe the TM repeater was linked to a 224MHz repeater in Pasadena.

18 months after that contact, I have my first card!

73
N4MAN

[Wrightwood]

We received ours in yesterday's mail and must say that it is a great looking card.

the card states I made the contact on 224MHz, but my actual contact was on the Table Mountain 2M repeater

Our contacts were also on the 2m frequency   

[CA5th]

So was mine but it was through a linked repeater.

Beautifil Card!  Now KW6WW has to do one for some event in our area.  Maybe the area with the highest per-capita amateur radio operators, if that is true.

[Wrightwood]

KW6WW still needs to send out QSL cards from the Wildfire & Disaster Awareness special event held in May. Hopefully we won't be as late as JPL cards