Amsat Oscar 7, A proud moment
 

http://www.planetemily.com/ao7/userStats.php

Makes me feel good to look at that page and see my call on that list.
Not every one uses the AO-7 log book and I do not log every contact my self.

Just knowing that this bird is still active after so many years and getting to chance to operate via it is great.

That shows your dedication to this hobby Buddy. Well deserved at that.

Thats cool Buddy! You are the Satellite Man!

73

Chris

Thanks guy's,
Much appreciated.

I am not the man :)
That would be Joe K3SZH. He has made over 5881 contacts via AO-7.
Now he is the man! :D

Not sure how much you all know about AO-7 but it is the oldest working amateur bird in space. And has a long history. Put up in 1974 and fell dead in 1981.

Some history:


About AO-7
AO-7 was the seventh OSCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) satellite to be launched since the inception of the OSCAR program. AMSAT-OSCAR 7 built by a multinational team under the direction of AMSAT-NA and was launched November 15, 1974 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. AO-7 carries two working linear transponders, one in Mode A (145.850-950 MHz uplink; 29.400-500 MHz downlink) and another in Mode B (432.180-120 MHz uplink; 145.920-980 MHz downlink). It also containst two working beacons on 29.502 and 145.972 MHz. A third beacon on 435.1 MHz has been reportedly heard sporatically, and a fourth beacon on 2304.1MHz was never turned on.

In mid 1981 AO-7 ceased operation due to battery failures. It was thought at that time that the batteries had shorted. However on June 21, 2002 Pat Gowen, G3IOR reported hearing AO-7s 2m beacon. After the news was relayed through AMSAT bulletin boards, several more hams monitored the satellite.

AO-7 continues to operate continuously, albeit a bit whimsical. After emerging from an eclipse AO-7 may turn on in one of four modes. Mode A and Mode B are shown above, and Mode C is a low power version of Mode B. Mode D is a beacon only mode. It is impossible to distinguish between Modes B and C, although in the short time I have been using AO-7 I think I have heard it twice because there was a noticeable decrease in signal strength from normally strong signals.

More technical information about AO-7 can be found in the useage page shown above, and at the AMSAT Satellite Summary page for AO-7 at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satel...ummary/ao7.php.