DSTAR Parachute Mobile QSOs with US Jumper prove popular in Japan

On Oct 17 ham-skydiver Mark Meltzer, age 66, had an optimistic longshot QSO sked with hams in Japan hoping to work them on 28.425 KHz with a 5 watt SSB signal.

Poor propagation prevailed and Meltzer's 10M contacts from aloft were limited to line of sight stations in California.

Still wanting Parachute Mobile QSOs, Japanese hams Shu Chiba JA3GQJand Greg Cook JO3SLK traded emails with Mark at his dropzone in Byron CA and walked him through the programming of his long dormant Icom IC 91AD DSTAR HT. On his last jump of the day, operating from 12,000 feet under an open canopy, Mark was able to contact a number of Japanese hams using the WW6BAY repeater in California and the JR3VH repeater in Japan. An enthusiastic article appeared in a Japanese ham publication:https://www.fbnews.jp/201511/news/parachute.html

Buoyed by the excitement and support of hams in Japan, DSTAR Parachute Mobile jumps are definitely in Marks future jump plans. 
See www.parachutemobile.com for further info on Mark and his fellow ham-jumper teammates' (Michael Gregg KF6WRW and Rob Fenn KC6TYD) future VERTICAL DXPEDITIONS.

Photos:https://sites.google.com/site/markmeltzeraf6imqsosandlanding/

source:  https://www.southgatearc.org/  https://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/november/dstar_parachute_mobile_qsos.htm#.VjqUU_nhDIU