The reason I ask, is when I was at the MSC #5 Gary Snyder did a presentation on EME* as an analog for deep space communication and at one point he said something like. "EME is ten times harder than comms with Mars." Ii don't accept this as fact (out right), but it should be close to it...

Anyway, a typical output would seem to be about 25 watts. So the AMSAT-DL's Phase 5-A proposed Mars Communications Satellite with an output of 50 Watts and a very large dish would possibly be the best comms out that way. So lots of Hams should be able to play with it as it heads to Mars and at Mars, as the planet is near Opposition.

*EME = Earth Moon Earth (Many Hams the world over bounce radio signals off the very rough curved surface of the moon and communicate this way!!!)

Thanks,
--Chris Vancil