I have a  operating location in Mesa, Arizona, DM43.  The station can be operated remotely over the internet and if it is, the cawllsign used will be K8YSE/7.  Contacts with K8YSE/7 will count for grid DM43 unless otherwise mentioned in the exchange. 

PLEASE LOG ALL K8YSE PORTABLE 7 CONTACTS  IN LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD (LOTW) USING K8YSE/7

PLEASE LOG ALL K8YSE/PORTABLE CONTACTS IN LOTW USING JUST K8YSE 

NOTE: K8YSE CONTACTS ONLY UPLOADED TO LOTW ON REQUEST

ALL K8YSE/7 CONTACTS ARE UPLOADED TO LOTW

All Direct QSL's are via the qrz.com address. 

Visit my website for Satellite Audio Recordings, Grid Expedition Info, Grid Maps and information about how to work the satellites.

http://www.papays.com/

Atlas V Launch 19March2013 taken from the Canaveral National Seashore (5 miles)

 

Photo taken immediately after the SO-50 pass, 15Jan2013 2236-2249utc. Also operated from Sanibel Island Causeway on 16Jan2013 SO-50 2303-2317utc, EL86XL

If you need a card, please email me.

 

DAYTON HAMVENTION 2011 - COL. DOUG WHEELOCK NA1SS

Left to Right, Doug Papay KD8CAO, Col Doug Wheelock NA1SS/KF5BOC, John Papay K8YSE

One of the highlights of the 2011 Dayton Hamvention was getting to meet Col. Doug Wheelock NA1SS, Commander of the ISS during the last half of 2010. Col. Wheelock made about 1500 contacts with amateur radio operators around the world and autographed photos at the AMSAT booth where this picture was taken. He gave a presentation at an ARRL forum and showed a very nice video of a start to finish trip to the ISS. Most interesting was his description of a very serious ammonia generator failure in the ISS which threatened to disrupt communications with mission controllers. Instinctively Col Wheelock thought to send one of his crewmembers to the Amateur Radio Station and ready it for possible backup communications should regular communications channels fail. He gave us a rundown of what it is like to be in space for six months and then return to gravity. We learned about many aspects of being an astronaut that you just don't get from other sources. Col Wheelock remarked that the ham radio activity provided a good off time hobby when he was not performing his duties as Commander. He said that he looked forward to getting on the air and chatting with others around the world. Col Wheelock is a down-to-earth kind of guy. You can talk with him for a few minutes and it's like you've been his personal friend for years. He is truly an Ambassador for ham radio in Space. It was a privilege to meet him.

 

Lake Superior Grid Expedition August 2010 Details Now Available

http://www.papays.com/sat/lakesuperior.html

Image of QSL Card for Minnesota taken at Palisade Head

Expedition Stats: 2069 q's, 32 grids, 168 passes, 5 weeks, 5049 miles

 

QSL Card from Conroe High School Signed by the Students (it just doesn't get any better than this)

 

EN80/EN81/EN90/EN91Ohio Grid Operation

A spur of the moment decision to operate from a 4 corner grid boundary took place on Novermber 8th, 2009. The intersection of EN80/81/90/91 is in a field overgrown with brambles and weeds just west of the Pilot Truck Stop on I-71 at SR 83. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day in northeast Ohio and operating from that location was easy except for the thorns and weeds that firmly attached themselves to any clothing that brushed up against them. Twenty-six contacts were made on two AO-27 passes at 1847z and 2027z. QSL cards are being printed and will be sent to everyone in the log. No return card necessary. I hope to return to this location in the future since it is only a 40 minute ride.

EM97West Virginia Grid Activation

The grid expedition to EM97, Prosperity West Virginia, came off as planned on October 24, 2009. It was about 300 miles down there from the home QTH in Cleveland via I-77 and the West Virgnia Turnpike. This area of West Virginia is rugged and mountainous. The site selected was fairly high and the terrain to the west allowed AO-27 to be worked for the entire 7 minutes with a max elevation of 8 degrees. The operation was from the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, one of the few places where the trees did not block the sky. A total of 5 passes were worked,three on AO-27 and two on AO-51.There were 54 contacts made and 48 unique callsigns. QSL cards were mailed on November 3d to all stations in the log. No return card is requested. If you don't receive your card by November 15th, please email me and I'll check the log. Thanks to everyone who supported me in this mission.

EM88/EM98 West Virginia Grid Activation

Thanks to all of you who worked me from the EM88/98 grid boundary in Sassafras, West Virginia on 20 September 2009. The 450 mile round trip was interesting and also successful despite some rain showers on the first AO-27 pass. A total of 52 contacts were logged. Anyone who worked me will get a QSL card; no return card is necessary. I was hoping to work more in the western States but perhaps the announcment of the operation came a little late for everyone to know about it. QSL cards were mailed on September 28th. Here's a preview of what you can expect in your mailbox:

Lighthouse Update 8/9/2009

John K8YSE activated the Fairport Harbor OhioGrand River Lighthouse, USA-279on August 8th, 2009. The West Breakwater Light USA-280 and Historic Light USA-1196 were also close by and will be confirmed for this operation. A special thanks to Bob, K8BL, for helping set up the antennas and equipment and also operating the station. Another thank you to John, KB8YJY, for assisting in the antenna setup. Wire antennas for 20m and 40m were hoisted to the railing of the lighthouse tower and sloped down to poles on the ground. It rained all day so we were operating from a garage about 10' away from the tower. Satellite contacts were made on AO-27 including a contact with WD9EWK/7 on a rare grid boundary, DM54/55 in Arizona on a 12 degree pass. Finally, a special thank you to the Fairport Harbor Historical Society for allowing me to operate from their lighthouse in both 2008 and 2009. They were presented with some of the qsl cards I received from last year's operation. If you made a contact and would like a card, please QSL with an SASE.

Doug KD8CAO and John K8YSE activated the Little Sable Point Lighthouse USA-443 on Lake Michigan on 8/1 and the Holland Harbor Light (Big Red), USA-375 on 8/2. We had a great time together operating from these lighthouses and it was great to work all of you. We used the callsign K8YSE for this operation as we did last year, ARLHS Membership Nr. 1568. Picture QSL cards are already printed. If you want a confirmation, please send a SASE to K8YSE at the qrz.com address. There is a possibility of activating the Fairport Harbor Lights in Ohioon 8/8. Hope we gave you a new light!

 

QSL cards for my Delaware Satellite operation 9-12 July, 2009 have been mailed to everyone I have in my log. If you don't receive your Delaware card by August 1st, please email me with the date/time of your contact. I have recordings of all passes and can check for your qso. Between ND9M's earlier operation and my operation, Delaware should be off the most wanted list for Satellite WAS.No need to send a card to me.

Dayton Hamvention 2009

Richard Garriott W5KWQ was the guest speaker at the AMSAT Banquet at the Dayton Hamvention this year. Richard operated from the International Space Station in October 2008 and treated many to a voice qso from space. He also sent SSTV pictures with breathtaking views of the Earth. Owen Garriott, Richard's father, the first ham to make a contact from Space was also on hand. We were able to look at Richard's log sheets and find our callsigns there if we made a contact. The picture below was snapped at the banquet.

John Papay K8YSE; Owen Garriott W5LFL; Doug Papay KD8CAO; Richard Garriott W5KWQ

Biography:

First licensed as KN8YSE in 1961 at age 15. Spent my first year as a ham on 40cw and 2 meter AM and was mentored by my older cousin Paul, xW8BUS (SK).Became interested in FM repeaters while in the US Army in New Hampshire and along with Bunny, W1RFP and Dick W1USK (SK), constructed the first repeater in the Hanover/Lebanon, New Hampshire Upper Valley Area on Mt. Ascutney, Vermont in 1969. It is still licensed today on 146.76. Started actively DX'ing in 1986 after a zoning battle with the City of North Royalton over my second tower, 60' high. After losing in the Common Pleas Court of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Ohio State Appeals Court found the zoning law unconstitutional and then there were two towers on my property. Achieved Top of the Honor Roll in 2002 and am one shy of the Top on CW (P5 of course). I am active on 160-6 meters. My DX club is the Northern Ohio DX Association (NODXA). Be sure to check out the OPDX Bulletin edited by KB8NW our club President and hosted on my web server, http://www.papays.com/opdx.html A new issue is uploaded every Sunday evening.

Participated on three DXpeditions: C21BH Nauru with Martti Laine OH2BH in 1996, FO0PAP in the Australs and Marquesas Islands (first to operate RTTY from these two new Entities) along with my antenna mentor Bill W8JGU/FO0MAC in 1998, and finally, every dx'ers dream, operating from a brand new Entity, Swains Island KH8SI, a short dxpedition led by accomplished dx'er and dxpeditioner Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK in 2006. My most memorable QSO's were with JY1 King Hussein of Jordan, the International Space Station NA1SS, and the first qso with my son, KD8CAO, in 2006 via the AO-51 satellite.

Antennas include a Telrex 4element 36' boom 20m monobander at 106', a 5 element 15m Hygain monobander at 113' and a 5 element 10m monobander at 120', a 12/17m monobander on a rotating sidemount at 70' (2 elements on each band), a 4element 6 meter monobander currently on a 15' pole in the yeard, a 17 element log periodic 6.2-30 MHz on a 60' tower, a quarter sloper for 80m off the log tower, an 80/40m Hygain trap dipole sloped down from 70' on the big tower and a linear loaded 160m elevated wire vertical hung off the big tower at 100'. Rigs include a FT1000D and a TS2000X plus an Acom 2000A used sparingly.

The latest venture is Satellites which I have always wanted to do. My son decided to get his license and led the way in this mode. It was easy for me to follow. The current setup is a 14element KLM on 2 meters and a 40element on 435 on a 30' tower (tower #3). The rig is a TS-2000 controlled by Sat PC32 and a custom hardware interface for rotor control designed by my son, KD8CAO. Active on both FM and SSB/CW on the birds and always looking for new grids. Especially enjoy AO-7 and FO-29 with their slight footprint into Europe from Ohio.

Retired from Microwave/Communications Engineering at Ohio Bell/Ameritech/Cingular/SBC/AT&T in 2007. Now enjoying not having to work for someone else!

Please QSL Direct for all Satellite contacts with SAE or SASE. Effective 08/2014 I will be uploading K8YSE/7 contacts to LOTW.  Please use K8YSE/7 in your log for these Arizona contacts.All HF qso's are uploaded to LOTW on a regular basis or QSL direct. Please include an SASE for all special event operations (lighthouses and portable operations away from the home QTH). These types of operations are not uploaded to LOTW. You can usually find me on my repeater K8YSE-R, Echolink Node 6563.