Deciding priorities (2)

I said in my last post that I thought achieving a transatlantic satellite QSO would "take a fairly high-spec portable configuration, rather than a simple Arrow antenna and a handy-talky". Well maybe I was wrong. Domenico I8CVS and Tony N2UN recently worked each other via FO-29 and reported the details on the Amsat-BB mailing list: CW and SSB, and Tony working portable with 20W to a 4-element yagi. Off list, Tony told me he uses are pair of FT-817s. I don't think I'll be buying a pair of brand new FT-817s just for this purpose, but Domenico and Tony's work is encouraging.