[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon Found (and OOps!)
Great story! There is a reason why the SPOT is one of the best balloon assurance systems out there. Doesn't do much during flight but great on the ground :-) BTW, thanks so much for the BS2 code. Will try to make it work here. 73, Stefan VE4NSA On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 2:50 PM, Robert Bruninga bruni...@usna.edu wrote: Crowded Air space today over PA! Saturday morning, launched the Naval Academy Balloon (W3ADO-11) from Harpers FY and noticed two other balloons launched about the same time (W3EAX-9 and 11) about 40 miles north. All was going fine until... Our sincere apologies to MD, VA, PA, DE and NJ! At about 3000' our balloon Arduino processor got stuck in a reset-loop and switched from 1 minute rate to one packet as fast as it could re-boot. Less than every 2 seconds! Fortunately they were direct only and at 100 millliwatts. Fortunately, we could still see some packets from the W3EAX balloons, and APRS.FI seems to have copied them all. Then ours went nuts! and appears to have come down very fast, and we raced to towards the impact point (20 miles away), but then 20m later, we got one packet at 38,000 feet 20 miles farther east. Then another race though Amish country and to our horror, the last position report was within 0.1 mile of the river and still at 2000 feet and heading right out to the middle! We were about to give up the search (no more packets heard and river current pretty swift) when our back up system (SPOT system?) gave another report about 60 feet from the water. Low an behold, there it was, 60 feet from waters edge after having flown almost 100 miles. Everything intact includeing HDTV video camera! Apparently the students used a non-high-altitide GPS and it went squirrely until it got back below 38,000 feet. But you should see the track (W3ADO-11) Bob, Wb4APR ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon lost near Shrewsbury, PA (FOUND!)
Balloon found. We returned to site on 8 April with post-flight analysis and better estimate of where to look. We were only about 100 yards off. Details: http://aprs.org/balloons.html Final student lesson learned: Turn the Highdef video camera on before release. Since the students have the payload intact, we may try again in the next weeks or so. Bob, WB4APR *From:* Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruni...@usna.edu] *Sent:* Monday, April 07, 2014 10:48 AM *To:* aprs...@tapr.org; a...@yahoogroups.com *Cc:* amsat-bb@amsat.org; k...@usna.edu *Subject:* Balloon lost near Shrewsbury, PA Short Story. The balloon is lost near Shrewsbury, PA. But we are sure (now after post processing) that we know where it is within about an acre. See: http://aprs.org/balloons.html Premature burst (or separation) caused the payload to descend at over 5000 feet per minute slowing to 4000'/min (nearly 50 MPH straight down)at last posit. We did not know this at the time, and wasted our time searching the track 1/2 mile beyond the last data point assuming the much slower parachute design rate of 600'/min. When we got home, post processing revealed the high descent rate and the more likely spot much closer to the last known position. Also the high impact is why it probably ceased transmitting. Also we were looking for a balloon and parachute in the trees, not (as it turns out) for the football sized Styrofoam box (mostly covered in black duct tape!) somewhere on the ground in the underburush. We would not have noticed that between other occasional trash in the area. Contact info is on the balloon. Bob, WB4APR 410-293-6417 ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon
I think the complaint you're referring to is an artifact of the APRS.FI website not a particular person complaining. Jeff Moore -- KE7ACY CN94 - Original Message - From: Kevin Deane summit...@live.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 6:53 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Balloon You know here are some people trying to do an experiment of whatever kind, probably spent alot of time and money on the project and I think that is great. I was tracking it and was waiting for it to get above the Sierra's and try to get the downlink. Would have been neat. BUT here we have people saying this and that and complaining... What a bunch of spoil sports, I mean really who cares. Like it was really gonna disrupt the whole APRS system, and if it did for a little while WHO CARES, GIVE THE GUYS A BREAK!!! Anyway, good try guys and am looking forward to another attempt. Kevin KF7MYK ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon across Atlantic 21 April?
Can we please have the location of the launch? I know it has a 2 land call sign, but now days that's meaningless. Plus the date and time. How about in UTC time for both? This announcement says, The current target for executing launch of PBH-15 is between 11:00PM -- 12:00AM on Thursday (4/21)/Friday (4/22), weather and approval permitting. But especially the midnight thing and then EDT CDTGMT, since there is no indication of launch site, 11:00 PM Where? Lets keep everything in Amateur Radio on one time zone please? UTC. aka: GMT. Joe WB9SBD The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com On 4/19/2011 3:22 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote: KC2TUA announces: Balloon attempt across the Atlantic. 21 April 2011 Hams in the USA and worldwide are needed to listen on 7.1023 and 10.1466 MHz and to send readings of the balloon's progress to pbh15.d...@gmail.com. More information about the program, including the latest projected flight path, can be found at http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/ https://twitter.com/PBH5. It also has an APRS GPS tracker on 144.39 with the callsign KC2ZJH and will launch from Oswego, NY around midnight Thursday. Thanks in advance for your help! The HF downlink exact frequency will vary 10 Hz or so with temperature. Accurate recording of frequency will be useful. 73, -Tom Triebwasser PBH Alumnus '09 KC2TUA --- The Project Blue Horizon Increment 5 (PBH V) team has finalized a launch window for the third and final flight of Increment 5; launch of PBH-15 is tentatively planned for 4/21/11 -- 4/22/11. The team will be rolling out GO/ NO-GO communications to all parties to provide adequate time for interested individuals to plan accordingly for observing the launch or tracking and following the mission progress. The PBH-15 mission will be the Increment 5 teams attempt at breaking the current ARHAB distance (3,361.81 miles) and duration (49 hours, 45 minutes) records. It will include integration of an altitude control mechanism for reducing air vehicle weight during flight to sustain float and 30m HF communications via an Enhanced Morse Decoder provided by Dylan Thorner of Enhanced Solutions. PBH-15 will be lifted with a 54,000 cubic foot Zero-pressure envelope and is projected to float for long durations between 85,000-110,000. The current target for executing launch of PBH-15 is between 11:00PM -- 12:00AM on Thursday (4/21)/Friday (4/22), weather and approval permitting. At conclusion of Thursday's Flight Readiness Review (2PM - 3PM), the team will provide updated GO/ NO-GO information. During the PBH-15 mission, the Twitter feed will be updated in 30 minute increments at: http://twitter.com/PBH5 -- For those interested in tracking the Mission Payload, the following band plan and call signs will be used for PBH-15: Function Frequency Required HAM Level Payload Call Sign Primary Voice / Mission Communication 147.500MHz Technician Mission Payload HF (40m) N2XE Secondary Voice / Mission Communication Owego Repeater (Duplex) 146.760MHz Technician Mission Payload HF (30m) N2XE Mission Payload APRS KC2ZJH APRS 144.390MHz Technician 40m HF (Morse Code) See attached Technician 30m HF (Morse Code) See attached General Users can input data received from the Mission Payload via the User Input tab at http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/. Points received from the PBH-15 payload over HF can also be submitted to: pbh15.d...@gmail.com Thanks, Matthew T. Lewis ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon across Atlantic 21 April?
Hi Joe, I think you overlooked the paragraph - it is #3 in the original email. It also has an APRS GPS tracker on 144.39 with the callsign KC2ZJH and will launch from *Oswego, NY* around midnight Thursday. Being that NY is EST, it would be scheduled to launch sometime between 22/0300z and 23/0400z. I think that is right... 73, Zack KD8KSN -Original Message- From: Joe Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 9:21 AM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Balloon across Atlantic 21 April? Can we please have the location of the launch? I know it has a 2 land call sign, but now days that's meaningless. Plus the date and time. How about in UTC time for both? This announcement says, The current target for executing launch of PBH-15 is between 11:00PM -- 12:00AM on Thursday (4/21)/Friday (4/22), weather and approval permitting. But especially the midnight thing and then EDT CDTGMT, since there is no indication of launch site, 11:00 PM Where? Lets keep everything in Amateur Radio on one time zone please? UTC. aka: GMT. Joe WB9SBD The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com On 4/19/2011 3:22 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote: KC2TUA announces: Balloon attempt across the Atlantic. 21 April 2011 Hams in the USA and worldwide are needed to listen on 7.1023 and 10.1466 MHz and to send readings of the balloon's progress to pbh15.d...@gmail.com. More information about the program, including the latest projected flight path, can be found at http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/ https://twitter.com/PBH5. It also has an APRS GPS tracker on 144.39 with the callsign KC2ZJH and will launch from Oswego, NY around midnight Thursday. Thanks in advance for your help! The HF downlink exact frequency will vary 10 Hz or so with temperature. Accurate recording of frequency will be useful. 73, -Tom Triebwasser PBH Alumnus '09 KC2TUA --- The Project Blue Horizon Increment 5 (PBH V) team has finalized a launch window for the third and final flight of Increment 5; launch of PBH-15 is tentatively planned for 4/21/11 -- 4/22/11. The team will be rolling out GO/ NO-GO communications to all parties to provide adequate time for interested individuals to plan accordingly for observing the launch or tracking and following the mission progress. The PBH-15 mission will be the Increment 5 teams attempt at breaking the current ARHAB distance (3,361.81 miles) and duration (49 hours, 45 minutes) records. It will include integration of an altitude control mechanism for reducing air vehicle weight during flight to sustain float and 30m HF communications via an Enhanced Morse Decoder provided by Dylan Thorner of Enhanced Solutions. PBH-15 will be lifted with a 54,000 cubic foot Zero-pressure envelope and is projected to float for long durations between 85,000-110,000. The current target for executing launch of PBH-15 is between 11:00PM -- 12:00AM on Thursday (4/21)/Friday (4/22), weather and approval permitting. At conclusion of Thursday's Flight Readiness Review (2PM - 3PM), the team will provide updated GO/ NO-GO information. During the PBH-15 mission, the Twitter feed will be updated in 30 minute increments at: http://twitter.com/PBH5 -- For those interested in tracking the Mission Payload, the following band plan and call signs will be used for PBH-15: Function Frequency Required HAM Level Payload Call Sign Primary Voice / Mission Communication 147.500MHz Technician Mission Payload HF (40m) N2XE Secondary Voice / Mission Communication Owego Repeater (Duplex) 146.760MHz Technician Mission Payload HF (30m) N2XE Mission Payload APRS KC2ZJH APRS 144.390MHz Technician 40m HF (Morse Code) See attached Technician 30m HF (Morse Code) See attached General Users can input data received from the Mission Payload via the User Input tab at http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/. Points received from the PBH-15 payload over HF can also be submitted to: pbh15.d...@gmail.com Thanks, Matthew T. Lewis ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon across Atlantic 21 April?
According to the info at http://www.arhab.org/ARHABlaunchannouncements.html The launch of PBH-15 is schedule for 2330 EDT from Owego, NY (Lat/Lon: 42.09/-76.22). 73, Steve KJ4FEL From: Joe n...@mwt.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Wed, April 20, 2011 9:21:04 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Balloon across Atlantic 21 April? Can we please have the location of the launch? I know it has a 2 land call sign, but now days that's meaningless. sat-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon mission from Austrian hams
- Original Message - From: William Leijenaar pe1...@yahoo.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 12:03 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Balloon mission from Austrian hams Hi AMSATs, Last weekend I was in Austria for holidays, and on the Saterday there was a high altitude balloon experiment done by Austrian hams which included a known transponder to me ;-) My location was near Landeck, some 350km west of the balloon experiment and down in the valley, which made it impossible for me to work the transponder (from my mobile ham station). From the website I understand that the balloon experiment was successfull, but I read some remarks that the transponder unfortunately was not used very much. Most propably because the event was not widely known amoung the hams. What I understand, is that there will be another balloon mission on Saterday (26-June) during the well known Ham Radio event in Friedrichshafen. I will not be at the Ham Radio, but I like to pass on the news to other hams who will be there and have a chance to listen/work the transponder or the balloon APRS. The balloon information can be found at the website of OEVSV: http://www.oevsv.at/opencms/modules/news/20100621_ballon_passepartout_5_nach lese_2010_graz.html?uri=/index.html 73 de PE1RAH, William Leijenaar www.leijenaarelectronics.nl Hi William, PE1RAH Congratulations ! It would be very interesting to know if your transponder was recovered at the end of the flyght. In Italy early in 1982-1984 we did three hight altitude balloon transponder flights at 40.000 meters as a secondary AMSAT passenger on board of high altitude balloons with primary experiments of the italian CNR and french CNES both governement research organizations. The high altitude baloons were lifting from the airport of Milo Sicily and were recovered near Huelva south of Spain after three days of flight crossing the mediterranean at a maximum latitude over the Balearis islands. The name of the joint CNR and CNES flyght mission was ODISSEA and italian balloons were named ULISSE, TELEMACO and PENELOPE i.e. the name of three heros from the Omero's poem ODISSEA. Our italian linear transponder was designed by i5TDJ (now SK) and it was built with fundings of ARI the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani ad it was publiched with drawings and photos in four pages of the AMSAT newsletter June 1978 Volume X- Numbar-2 I can send a copy of it to you and to everybody is interested on it. Our three linear 100 mW transponder prototypes were in Mode-A and in Mode-B with a total bandwidth of 45 KHz but the 10.7 MHz IF was splitted into three overlappd sections 15 KHz each with three separate amplifiers and with three separate AGC controls in order do not desense the full bandwidth of 45 KHz in presence of one very strong signal falling into one 15 kHz wide IF amplifier. During the flights at 40.000 km altitude many QSO's were made with the balloon over the mediterranean area and the transponder never failed one flyght. Our linear transponder was recovered every time under CNR and CNES command near Huelva south Spain and actually is still working as a linear transponder on top of a mount in north of Italy. Best 73 de i8CVS Domenico ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Balloon mission from Austrian hams
On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 04:05:51PM +0200, i8cvs wrote: - Original Message - From: William Leijenaar pe1...@yahoo.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 12:03 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Balloon mission from Austrian hams Hi AMSATs, Last weekend I was in Austria for holidays, and on the Saterday there was a high altitude balloon experiment done by Austrian hams which included a known transponder to me ;-) My location was near Landeck, some 350km west of the balloon experiment and down in the valley, which made it impossible for me to work the transponder (from my mobile ham station). From the website I understand that the balloon experiment was successfull, but I read some remarks that the transponder unfortunately was not used very much. Most propably because the event was not widely known amoung the hams. What I understand, is that there will be another balloon mission on Saterday (26-June) during the well known Ham Radio event in Friedrichshafen. I will not be at the Ham Radio, but I like to pass on the news to other hams who will be there and have a chance to listen/work the transponder or the balloon APRS. The balloon information can be found at the website of OEVSV: http://www.oevsv.at/opencms/modules/news/20100621_ballon_passepartout_5_nach lese_2010_graz.html?uri=/index.html 73 de PE1RAH, William Leijenaar www.leijenaarelectronics.nl Hi William, PE1RAH Congratulations ! It would be very interesting to know if your transponder was recovered at the end of the flyght. In Italy early in 1982-1984 we did three hight altitude balloon transponder flights at 40.000 meters as a secondary AMSAT passenger on board of high altitude balloons with primary experiments of the italian CNR and french CNES both governement research organizations. The high altitude baloons were lifting from the airport of Milo Sicily and were recovered near Huelva south of Spain after three days of flight crossing the mediterranean at a maximum latitude over the Balearis islands. The name of the joint CNR and CNES flyght mission was ODISSEA and italian balloons were named ULISSE, TELEMACO and PENELOPE i.e. the name of three heros from the Omero's poem ODISSEA. Our italian linear transponder was designed by i5TDJ (now SK) and it was built with fundings of ARI the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani ad it was publiched with drawings and photos in four pages of the AMSAT newsletter June 1978 Volume X- Numbar-2 I can send a copy of it to you and to everybody is interested on it. Our three linear 100 mW transponder prototypes were in Mode-A and in Mode-B with a total bandwidth of 45 KHz but the 10.7 MHz IF was splitted into three overlappd sections 15 KHz each with three separate amplifiers and with three separate AGC controls in order do not desense the full bandwidth of 45 KHz in presence of one very strong signal falling into one 15 kHz wide IF amplifier. During the flights at 40.000 km altitude many QSO's were made with the balloon over the mediterranean area and the transponder never failed one flyght. Our linear transponder was recovered every time under CNR and CNES command near Huelva south Spain and actually is still working as a linear transponder on top of a mount in north of Italy. Best 73 de i8CVS Domenico Domenico, The payload including William's transponder was recovered two hours after splash-down in a montainous area covered completely with forest. No GSM communication in that area - 6 different providers were under test ! Only the Global Star configuration was successful in receiving the precise landing coordinates - a narrow trail between 30 m high trees on both sides. Three previous flights ended up always high up in trees and the help of the fire brigades was needed - for cutting down the trees ;-) The next flight will be this weekend (Saturday, June 26) at the Ham Radio fair in Friedrichshafen. Planned height 28 km, not high enough for Napoli - sorry ! Vy 73 de Viktor OE1VKW ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
