Flight Recap for EOSS-185/186

Recap Maps | Frequencies | Flight Systems | Payload Config | I-Gates | T & R | Text Recaps | Photos | Audio | Video | Data | Charts

04/22/2013 14:05 (CDT): Photos and videos from Nick, N0LP and Doug N0IX added, Charts by N0LP added, Russ Chadwick's GPS telemetry analysis

EOSS-185 in the Wires

by Mark Patton, KC0D

Submit photos and data to:

URL: ftp.eoss.org
username: photos@eoss.org
password: photos

For details on how to use FTP and general information about sending in materials see:

• Submission Guidelines

Mileage Compensation Form

This flight should be a compensated event so fill out the form for your reimbursement

• EOSS-185-186 - April 13, 2013 CU Demosat flight Reimbursement

Flight Coordinator: Jim Langsted, KC0RPS
LAUNCH DATE: April 13th, 2013

• LAUNCH TIME EOSS-185: 7:03 am MDT (13:03 UTC)
• LAUNCH TIME EOSS-186: 7:23 am MDT (13:23 UTC)

LAUNCH SITE: Eaton, CO (driving directions to Eaton Launch Site)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-185 AE0SS-11

Blue = Actual Track
Green = Predicted Ascent Phase
Red = Predicted Descent Phase
Map made with MapPoint
Prediction made with Balloon Track

Green Track = Ascent
Red Track = Descent (NO DESCENT TRACK)
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Launch Site - Eaton Schools
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.52696� lat.   -104.72327� long.
Grid: X=.02 Y=64.29
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4835 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.41261� lat.  -103.38665� long.
Grid: X=70.3 Y=56.4
Altitude: 5000 feet
Flight Time: 130 Minutes
Bearing: 96.0� True
Range: 70.7 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.49419� lat.  -103.46802� long.
Grid: X=65.9 Y=62.0
Bearing: 91.6� True
Range: 65.935 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 322.8� True
Range: 7.07 Mi.

---

E0SS-186 KC0YA-11

Blue = Actual Track
Green = Predicted Ascent Phase
Red = Predicted Descent Phase
Map made with MapPoint
Prediction made with Balloon Track

Green Track = Ascent
Red Track = Descent (NO DESCENT TRACK)
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

Launch Site - Eaton Schools
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.52696� lat.   -104.72327� long.
Grid: X=.02 Y=64.29
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4835 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.41261� lat.  -103.38665� long.
Grid: X=70.3 Y=56.4
Altitude: 5000 feet
Flight Time: 130 Minutes
Bearing: 96.0� True
Range: 70.7 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.50159� lat.  -103.41053� long.
Grid: X=68.9 Y=62.5
Bearing: 91.0� True
Range: 68.932 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 348.5� True
Range: 6.271 Mi.

---

Final Pre-Flight Prediction is available here
Prediction History is available here

EOSS Flight Day Frequencies:

Tracking and Recovery Frequencies

Preflight Net:

• 147.225 MHz (107.2 HZ Tone) CRA Repeater, 8 pm MDT preceding night 
• 146.940 MHz (103.5 HZ Tone) RMRL Repeater if the CRA machine is down
• 146.640 MHz will serve as a backup frequency

Tracking and Recovery Operations  

• Front Range and out east 
  • 449.450 MHz RMRL (103.5 Hz Tone)

• Sterling

  • 145.295-, NPL May be off air, try 147.500

• Holyoke

  • 146,955-, NPL

• Ovid

  • 146.655-, NPL

• Akron

  • 145.600-, 123 Hz PL

• Field Simplex Frequencies   
  • 446.100 MHz simplex for field recovery operations for EOSS-185
  • 446.150 MHz simplex for field recovery operations for EOSS-186
  • Note: Some radios insist on incorrectly placing a negative 5 MHz offset when selecting frequencies from the simplex portion of the 70 CM band. Check your radio and if this is the case. Consider programming in this simplex frequency to a memory channel as some radios have demonstrated the annoying habit of re-inserting the offset if you momentarily shift to a repeater then return to the simplex freq. Check the operation of your radio on this simplex freq to be ready for however your radio behaves.
  • 146.550 MHz Backup field simplex
• Repeater Coverage Pages - Listings of all repeaters available in the expected flight areas.
• There may be FRS operations see THIS PAGE for a list of channel numbers and their associated UHF Frequencies.

Ground Stations Frequencies

• Launch Site Simplex
  • 146.550 MHz
• HF - Possible ops
  • 7.235 LSB

EOSS-185 Balloon Payload Frequencies  

• Beacons
  • 147.420 MHz
    • CW ID: K0SCC
• APRS
  • 144.340 MHz
    • ID: AE�SS-11
    • DIGI: EOSS
    • Node: BALNOD
    • APRS Time Slotted Every 30 seconds at 0:00 and 0:30
    • power up at 58 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry
    • Telemetry once a minute
    • Sample Data

• 147.420 MHz 

• ID: K0SCC-11
• slotted 15 and 45 after the minute

EOSS-186 Balloon Payload Frequencies  

• Beacons

• 145.600 MHz

• CW ID: W5VSI

• APRS

• 144.340 MHz

• ID: KC0YA-11
• DIGI: EOSS
• Node: BALND2
• APRS Time Slotted Every 30 seconds at 0:15 and 0:45

• power up at 13 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry

• Telemetry once a minute
• Sample Data

• 445.975

• KC0UUO-11

Flight Systems: 

EOSS-185

EOSS-186

Payload Configuration: 

• EOSS-185_Payload_Plan_RevC.pdf
• EOSS-186_Payload_Plan_RevD.pdf

Payload Experiment Designer

Space Grant Consortium Demosats

Experimenters are welcome to submit websites for linking or overviews which I will post on a page on the EOSS website.

Internet Gateway Stations:

as seen on Findu.Com (listed alphabetically)

EOSS-185, AE0SS-11

• AE0SS - Nick Hanks at the Ground Station
• KB0TVJ  - Russ Chadwick, Launch Site
• KD0MBL - Heal Tew, Pueblo, CO
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0IX-12 - Doug Gentges, Mobile Igate

EOSS-185, K0SCC-11

• KC0D-2 - Mark Patton, Centennial, CO
• KD0MBL - Heal Tew, Pueblo, CO

EOSS-186, KC0YA-11

• AE0SS - Randy Collander at the Ground Station
• KB0TVJ  - Russ Chadwick, Launch Site
• KD0MBL - Neal Tew, Pueblo, CO
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0IX-12 - Doug Gentges, Mobile Igate

EOSS-186, KC0UUO-11

• KD0MBL - Neal Tew, Pueblo, CO
• N0IX-13 - Doug Gentges, Mobile Igate
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO

EOSS wishes to express our sincere appreciation to the stations above who iGated the balloon APRS telemetry onto the internet. Did you know I publish predictions for i-gates? I keep a list of everyone who has ever i-gated an EOSS balloon flight. You're all in the list so if you're wondering when the balloon will pop up over your horizon, check out this page for future flights.  Currently predictions are being made for 30 i-gates.

We are relying heavily on real time position information available on the net to allow the FAA controllers to have up to the minute location data to assist them in air traffic control.

Redundant stations for the balloon iGating provide excellent coverage. If you are able to iGate we invite you to join the Internet Gateway Team. Contact me (webmaster@eoss.org) to be put in touch with the coordinator. By joining the team, you are giving peace of mind to the iGate coordinator for that flight. He knows you'll be there and he can rely on you.

Naturally, anyone can iGate data onto the net and even if you aren't a member of the team we will welcome your contribution to the internet based tracking effort. If you callsign appears on the findu.com log, you'll be shown as a contributing station as those above are.

Having more than one station covering each APRS beacon means that should a station drop out momentarily, the others can often maintain the data flow.

Thanks again guys! The FAA (and EOSS) are very grateful for your assistance in this endeavor.

Future I-Gaters:

Check out the EOSS I-Gate page for information on how to participate and why we need you.

Current I-Gate Stations:

Guys, the prediction program used to determine the track of the balloon prior to flight can now output a prediction for the Rise, Closest Approach or maximum elevation, and Set of the balloon for each of your stations. I have posted a prediction page for stations that I have been able to discover geographic coordinates. See the I-Gate prediction page for an example. The page will not be updated daily, however, it will be updated the evening prior to flight for I-gate planning purposes.

I have often been asked by iGaters when they should expect to either start receiving signals (AOS) or expect to see those signals disappear (LOS). This prediction page should answer all those questions for you.

Tracking and Recovery Operations

The T&R Coordinator's Notes:

Hello Trackers!

Thanks to everyone for stepping up to this very long tracking adventure.  We will be flying two 3000 gram balloons and hosting over 100 students.  We have a great crew and I am sure we will be successful. 

Some trackers will advance to the launch site where there will be some breakfast bagels at the launch site.  Or they can stop in at Johnson�s Corner for those great cinnamon rolls.  For the folks moving towards Sterling on I-76, look to meet at McDonalds in Ft. Morgan sometime about 5:30-5:45.  Be sure to finish up and get on the road by 6:15 as we may have a long way to go from there.  Mark and I will not be joining you at McDonalds as we are going to be booking it to the field and we will meet up with you there. 

Be sure to fill up with gas Friday night, bring warm clothes, water and munchies.  Bring tow ropes if you have them. 

The pre-flight net will be hosted by John, KC0L at 8:00 on Friday.  CHANGE HERE!!!  This net will be on the 146.94 PL 103.5 RMRL machine.  Thanks to John for running the net.  Let�s all give him our support.

Tracking and Recovery Grid  

Tactical Call Signs

Text Recaps

Photos

Launch Site

EOSS-185

• by Nick Hanks, N0LP

EOSS-186

• by Nick Hanks, N0LP

Recovery Operations

EOSS-185

• by Mark Patton, KC0D
• by Mike Pappas, W9CN

EOSS-186

• by Jim Langsted, KC0RPS
• by Doug Gentges, N0IX

Audio

• eoss-185-186_audio_1003.MP3 - Unedited audio from T&R Repeater from just before launch to recovery

Video

Data

EOSS-185 AE0SS-11

Text

• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps
• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_kpc3_log.txt -  KPC3 Logs annotated by Mike Manes, W5VSI
• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_kpc3_airborne.txt  - Airborne only from KPC3 Log
• full_packet_2013_04_13.log - Full Packet Log from APRS-IS for these flights (NEW)

 Spread Sheets

• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_Flight_Data.csv - airborne only Log ripped to spreadsheet format
• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_Telem_Data.csv - KPC3 Telemetry log (captured during flight)

Mapping Files

• eoss-185_ae0ss-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• EOSS-185_ae0ss-11_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight
• EOSS-185_predict_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the predicted flight path

EOSS-185 K0SCC-11

• eoss-185_k0scc-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-185_k0scc-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps

EOSS-186 KC0YA-11

Text

• eoss-186_kc0ya-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-186_kc0ya-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps
• eoss185-186/eoss-186_kc0ya-11_kpc3_log.txt - KPC3 Logs annotated by Mike Manes, W5VSI
• eoss185-186/eoss-186_kc0ya-11_kpc3_airborne.txt - Airborne only from Findu Log

Spread Sheets

• eoss185-186/eoss-186_kc0ya-11_Flight_Data.csv - airborne only Log ripped to spreadsheet format
• eoss185-186/eoss-186_kc0ya-11_Telem_Data.csv - KPC3 Telemetry log (captured during flight)

Mapping Files

• eoss-186_kc0ya-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• eoss-186_kc0ya-11__track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight

EOSS-186 KC0UUO-11

• eoss-186_kc0uuo-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-186_kc0uuo-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps

Doug Gentges files from EOSS-186 KC0UUO-11 This is a new payload with some very nice (accurate and prolific) information on GPS derived location data. Gives us the most accurate burst locations we've yet to have available.

Charts

EOSS-185 (AE0SS-11)

by Nick Hanks, N0LP

EOSS-186 (KC0YA-11)

by Nick Hanks, N0LP

GPS Data Analysis

• eoss186flight_dynamics.pptx by Russ Chadwick - KB0TVJ (PowerPoint Presentation)