It was 1989 and I had not been licensed for long. I tuned into the RSGB news, the date, Sunday April 1st. The news reader announced that Mir was using the 2m band to communicate with amateurs using the call U5MIR.
After the news, that evening at 20:10 GMT I was tuning around the band when I heard a strong signal on 144.550……. U5MIR calling …..U5MIR
Calling. I paused for a while, the date said to me that it was April fools day. U5MIR calling, the radio called, by now gradually fading away. I plucked up courage, U5MIR this is G7BYN over. No reply but it seemed that everyone was waiting for the first station to break the silence. Now there was one almighty pileup.
I waited for the next orbit but I didn’t hear anything. Not knowing anything about orbits it was possible that it’s next orbit was over the Atlantic and not England.
It wasn’t until 1997 that MIR was heard again, this time I had a computer and Satscan to follow and predict when and where to find it.
After the news, that evening at 20:10 GMT I was tuning around the band when I heard a strong signal on 144.550……. U5MIR calling …..U5MIR
Calling. I paused for a while, the date said to me that it was April fools day. U5MIR calling, the radio called, by now gradually fading away. I plucked up courage, U5MIR this is G7BYN over. No reply but it seemed that everyone was waiting for the first station to break the silence. Now there was one almighty pileup.
I waited for the next orbit but I didn’t hear anything. Not knowing anything about orbits it was possible that it’s next orbit was over the Atlantic and not England.
It wasn’t until 1997 that MIR was heard again, this time I had a computer and Satscan to follow and predict when and where to find it.
MIR with the Earth below
MIR Heard quite clearly
On the 2m band
(Click the player for the sound to
Play).
MIR Heard quite clearly
On the 2m band
(Click the player for the sound to
Play).
MIR Space Station
MIR Courtesy of NASA
