EOSS Training Session

The EOSS Training Session has been re-scheduled for October 17, from 8:00-12:00 at the Golden Coral, 3677 S. Santa Fe, Sheridan, CO 80110.  This date and venue has been changed to accommodate some of our important presenters.  This training session has two major objectives:

                1.            To train new and current members in some of the processes, procedures and technology used by EOSS members to successfully launch, track and recover balloon payloads.

                2.            To welcome and encourage new members who will help with upcoming missions.  Mentors will be assigned to new members.  Membership fees for 2015-2016 will be waived for new members signing up during this session.

 Here is the adjusted agenda (subject to better ideas, sequences and content):

 8:30-8:40:  Welcome, Kick-Off and Meeting Overview (Rob, KC0UUO, Marty, WA0GEH)

•                     Breakfast:  8:00-8:30

•                     Meeting Start: 8:30

•                     Breakout Sessions Start: 11:30

•                     Meeting End, QRT:  12:00

8:40-9:00:  Meet EOSS Flight Coordinators, Welcome New Members: Assign EOSS Mentors (Jim, KC0RPS, Tom, KE7KCK, Russ, KB0TVJ)

•                     Introduce EOSS Members, New Members

•                     New Member Orientation, Web Pages, Email Services (YAHOO), ARHAB Community

•                     Encourage STEM Initiatives

•                     Review, thank our important sponsors, encourage educational sponsors

•                     About Flight Coordinators, Join Up!

•                     Encourage New Members, Complete New Member Applications, Free for Attending

9:00-9:20:  Using GPS and APRS (Tom, KE7KCK, Nick, N0LP)

•                     GPS Overview, Data Formats

•                     GPS Format used by EOSS Payloads (Examples)

•                     Demo:  Adding a Waypoint to Your GPS (Bring Your GPS)

•                     Demo:  APRS Overview (Examples, Resources)

•                     Compass Operation

•                     Introduction to TrackPoint

•                     Copying ARPS using TrackPoint (Bring your own notebook PC), using APRS-enabled radios

•                     Loading APRS Location Data to Your GPS

9:20-9:40:  Payload Overviews (Doug, N0IX, Parker, KE0BMV, Stephen, K0SCC, Mark, KC0D)

•                     EOSS Payloads, Upper, Bottom, Payload Demonstrations

•                     Student Payloads

•                     Designing, building and testing EOSS Payloads (Mark)

•                     Handling Instructions, Power Down Process, Payload and Parachute Care During Recovery

•                     Special Instructions for Each Flight to Ensure Experiment Success

•                     Live Payload Demo (Bring Your Own Radios)

9:40-10:00:  Direction Finding Techniques:  (Chris, KB0YRZ, Marty, WA0GEH)

•                     Required Equipment, Maps, Radios, Antennas, Attenuators

•                     Map Grid Processes

•                     Alpha Coordination

•                     Demonstration

10:00-10:30:  Preflight Flight Line Preparations, Conducting Student Orientations and Briefings, (Stephen, K0SCC)

•                     Flight Line Preparations, Hand-off to Launch Team

•                     Launch Site Student Briefing Topics, examples

•                     Recovery Site Student Briefing Topics, examples

•                     Encourage New Flight Prep Members

10:30-10:45:  Launching the Balloon, Site Experiences, Videos (Larry, N0NDM, Nick, N0LP, Parker, KE0BMV)

•                     Launch Procedures

•                     Selected Launch Discussions and Student Videos

•                     Encourage New Launch Team Members

10:45-11:00:  Ground Station Operations (Nick, N0LP, Russ, KB0TVJ, Randy Collander)

•                     Ground Station Equipment, Capabilities

•                     Tasks Before and During Flights

•                     Critical Support Functions, Liaisons with FAA

11:00-11:30:  Tracking and Recovery Procedures (Marty, WA0GEH, Mike, W9CN, Dave, KD0SEM, Jim, KC0RPS)  (as an example, topics have been assigned to various presenters)

•                     About Alpha and Bravo (Marty)

•                     Tracker Team, two team members, (Marty)

•                     Tracker Conduct and Public Protocols (Marty)

•                     Preparing for a Tracker Mission, Preflight Net (Dave)

•                     Tracker Go Kit Contents (Dave)

•                     Vehicle Setup, Minimum Equipment (Post meeting breakout demos) (Mike)

•                     Switching to Direction Finding, grids, centralized reporting, using compass, true bearings (Mike)

•                     Conducting the Recovery, Alpha Functions, Student Participation, Payload Power-down,

Parachute Packing (Jim)

•                     Landowner Protocols, Permissions, Restrictions (Jim)

•                     Interfacing with Students (Jim)

•                     Knowing Emergency Contacts, First Aid (Marty)

•                     Encourage New Tracker Members (Marty)

11:30:  Start Breakout Sessions, Complete Membership Applications (Rob, KC0UUO, Marty, WA0GEH)

•                     Breakout Session:  TrackPoint for Beginners, Setup, Install (Nick, N0LP)

•                     Breakout Session:  Vehicle Demos (Members bring tracker vehicles prepared for tracking) (Mike W9CN, Glenn, WB0DKT, Tom, KE7KCK) with others, Demonstrate TrackPoint running in vehicles, activate payloads

•                     Breakout Session:  Open Q&A, Meet New Members (Jim, KC0RPS, Rob, KC0UUO)