We have just completed an unofficial event post-con about one block away from the Westin. KD8HQK, VA6FOX, Silaria, and myself K9SPK went to the Greyhound bus station garage at 10th and Penn Avenue to the top deck to work satellite, hoping to make contact with the International Space Station. We were successful. This location was chosen due to the fact that the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was officially closed off, and the site was recommended by a very helpful Dorsai member in Con Ops.

I had pulled my car (2006 Chevy Impala 9C3) to the roof of the garage where we had an open sky and a moderately clear line of site to utilize its Yaesu FT7800R mobile radio, and able to broadcast at a full 50 watts of power. My signal (K9SPK) was able to be transmitted to and received back from the International Space Station at approximately 1,500 miles above Earth. There was no QSO made with the crew, however the signal did make it there and back at about a S6 or S7.

The radio transmitter operator was K9SPK.
In attendance were KD8HQK and VA6FOX, as well as Silaria (not an amateur operator).
The antenna direction was managed by KD8HQK.
The transmitter was a Yaesu FT7800R at 50 watts NFM.
The receiver was an Icom IC T90A.
The antenna was an Arrow II Model 146/437-10WBP.
The signal on the return transmission was between an S6 and S7.
The antenna direction was Northeast at a 20 degree elevation.
The tracking program was Satscape Java.

This was a very successful run, and next con, me and the others in attendance hope to organize an event similar to this for all Furry Hams to hopefully attend, most likely from the same location due to its height utilizing my vehicle for the transmitter unless we can acquire another radio that can be operated from an alternative power source.

Thanks for those in attendance, and I hope you were excited about the very successful signal as I was.

Cross-posted to my personal LiveJournal account.