I’m not a very active satellite user these days, mostly getting on a couple of weeks before Winter or Summer Field Day to get things ready for the bonus station. Part of that planning involves finding usable satellite passes for my club’s FD station. The task is somewhat more difficult these days because there are fewer satellites in orbit. I also restrict myself to daylight passes (nothing like fumbling around in the dark while getting devoured by mosquitos at night).
For Saturday June 27, 2026, usable satellite passes for Rhode Island (FN41) are:
- SO-50 13:56 (Eastern pass – if worked after 14:00)
- AO-73 15:13 (Eastern pass)
- SO-50 15:37 (Western pass)
- RS-44 15:38 (Eastern pass) <== best pass of all
- AO-7 15:58 (Eastern pass)
- AO-73 16:47 (Western pass)
- RS-44 17:38 (Western pass)
- AO-7 17:45 (Eastern pass)
- FO-29 19:33 (Eastern pass)
Eastern passes (in bold above) tend to work well for the East Coast, because much of the footprint of the bird is over the ocean, meaning there are fewer people competing for access. Also, note, the times above are VERY approximate as it is beyond the typical 10-day useful period for the orbital parameters.
I plan to arrive at the Field Day site at 1PM Saturday, and plan to be on the air using SO-50 by 2PM. I will leave after the 4 PM AO-7 pass.
Unfortunately, the ISS passes are mostly in darkness or very early in the morning this year. The best pass is shortly before 8 AM on Sunday, and other FD commitments prevent me from attempting that.
