Flight Recap for EOSS-164

03/02/2012 15:50 (CDT): Launch Site photos by kc0rps posted

Students at Recovery Site

by Mike Pappas, W9CN


Flight Coordinator: none announced
 

LAUNCH DATE: May 28th, 2011 (wx delay +1 day)
LAUNCH TIME: 07:10 am MDT (13:10 UTC)
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, Colorado (Click Here for directions)


Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-164 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
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track

Maps by Google Earth

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

 

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=-57.50 Y=20.57
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.72155� lat.  -103.00142� long.
Grid: X=45.3 Y=37.7
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 133 Minutes
Bearing: 79.9� True
Range: 104.2 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.74938� lat.  -103.39936� long.
Grid: X=24.5 Y=39.6
Bearing: 76.4� True
Range: 84.104 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 275.4� True
Range: 20.91 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 8 pm MDT preceding night
    • 146.640 MHz will serve as a backup frequency
  • Tracking and Recovery Operations
    • 449.450 MHz RMRL (103.5 Hz Tone) north track
    • 145.295 MHz (100 Hz Tone) Sterling
    • Field Simplex Frequencies
      • 446.100 MHz simplex
      • 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.
  • 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.
  • Launch Site Simplex
    • 146.550 MHz

 

EOSS-164 Balloon Payload Frequencies

Beacons

  • 147.555 MHz
    • CW ID: AE0SS

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

Video Might Be available, check http://www.eoss.tv

Various Online Live Tracking Pages


Flight Systems: 

EOSS-164

Balloon ManufacturerTotex
Balloon Typelatex
Balloon Size3000 g
Neck Load18.1 lbs.
Neck Lift21.8 lbs.
Ascent Rate1329 fpm estimated
Descent Rate950 fpm estimated
Parachute10 ft.
Peak Altitudedetermined after flight
Launch Conditionsdetermined at launch

 


Payload Configuration: 


Payload Experiment Designer

CU SGC

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

EOSS-164, AE0SS-11

  • AE0SS - EOSS Ground Station at Windsor
  • KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
  • KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Ground Station
  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • KC0VJE - Louis Perley, Nunn, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
  • 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

Alpha News

EOSS 164 be a heavy 3000 gm balloon.  This will be a long, flight so bring food and water as well as cash for gas!  The students will be on the run to catch up with this flight, so we will wait until they arrive.

This will be fun as Mike will be sending up the GoPro Hero to get some cool video.  Be sure to download the Payload Plan, thanks Mike Manes. 

Unless we decide to cut down early, we will head out I-76 to Exit 125 and go east on Highway 6 towards the prediction.  Stay tuned for any changes. 

We may migrate to the Sterling 145.295 � PL 100 repeater so I suggest you have it programmed into your radios.  Thanks Pappas for the research. 

Nice group for these flights!  Thanks for coming out on this holiday weekend.  I know Chris and Brian really appreciate this effort.

 

Breakfast

  • McDonalds in Ft. Morgan (Google Map)
    • Meet at 05:30
    • Head into the field at 06:00

 

Grid   

Location

Grid X

Grid Y

Hwy 14 & 71 West1030
Test Coordinates (41.25� N, 103.75� W)6.273.9

   

 

Tactical Call Signs

TacticalCallsignNameNotes
AlphaWA0GEH, KC0D, KD0MSPMarty, Mark, AnthonyTracking and Recovery Coordinator
Bravo   
CharlieW9CN, KD0JITMike, MilesTrackers, Comm Coordinator
Delta   
EchoKC0ZIE, KG6HXMDarren, SamTrackers
Foxtrot   
GolfN0NDM, W0CBHLarry, BenjieLaunch Coordinator, Tracker
Hotel   
IndiaKB0UBZBenTracker
JulietKC0UUO, KB0YRZ, N0IXRob, Chris, DougTrackers and Executive Branch
    
    

Text Recaps

none


Photos

Launch Site

Recovery Site


Audio

recorded, not posted


Video

 

 

Payload Train and Launch of EOSS-164

by Nick Hanks, N0LP


Nick shows us the layout of the payload train, then the launch sequence.

 

 

Trailer for Hero HD

by N0KKZ

Teaser for the "full length" feature below

 

Hero HD to Space

by N0KKZ

GoPro Hero HD camera ride to 94,000 ft. ASL and back. Some launch and touchdown site video recorded by the camera also included.

 

 


Data

EOSS-164, AE0SS-11

Text

 Spread Sheets

Mapping Files