EOSS-285/286 Colorado Space Grant Consortium DemoSats - Recap

Tom Londrigan (KE7KCK)'s picture
Submitted by Tom Londrigan (... on Fri, 04/05/2019 - 09:26

EOSS-285 with nine Colorado Space Grant Consortium student payloads weighting 15.5 pounds, two GPS-equipped radio beacons, and a 12 ft. Rocketman parachute was launched on a 3000 gram balloon from the Eaton Middle School in Eaton, CO launch site (N40° 31.58', 104° 43.40') at an elevation of 4845 feet at 07:13 AM MST on Apr. 6, 2019.  Air temperature at launch time was 45°F.  The last packet received before balloon burst was at 8:31 AM at an altitude of 77,382 ft. after an ascent averaging 1084 ft./min.  The maximum recorded speed was 58 mph at 8:03 AM at an altitude of 92,433 ft. on ascent.  The parachute and flight string touched down at 9:17 AM at N40° 38.46', W104° 6.77' and were recovered at an elevation of 5160 ft. after a flight lasting 1 hr. and 53 min.  The straight line distance between the launch site and touchdown point was 42 miles.  The touchdown point was about 20 miles northeast of the town of Briggsdale, CO (N 45° 38.07', W 104° 19.59').  The flight string touched down with a vertical speed of 1122 ft./min and a horizontal speed of 16 miles per hour.

EOSS-286 with four student Colorado Space Grant Consortium student payloads weighting 9.47 pounds, an ADS-B beacon under test, two GPS-equipped radio beacons, and a 12 ft. Rocketman parachute was launched on a 3000 gram balloon from the Eaton Middle School in Eaton, CO launch site (N40° 31.58', 104° 43.40') at an elevation of 4845 feet at 07:24 AM MST on Apr. 6, 2019.  Air temperature at launch time was 45°F.  The maximum recorded speed was 48 mph which occurred at 8:36 AM at an altitude of 59,192 ft. on ascent.  The parachute and flight string touched down at 9:21 AM at N40° 42.60', W103° 57.36' and were recovered at an elevation of 5,036 ft. after a flight lasting 2 hr. and 37 min.  The straight line distance between the launch site and touchdown point was 33 miles.  The touchdown point was about 11 miles east of the town of Briggsdale, CO (N 45° 38.07', W 104° 19.59').  The flight string touched down with a vertical speed of 1012 ft/min and a horizontal speed of 14 miles per hour.   NØLP

 

 

 

 

 


EOSS Member Mileage Link

Recap Gallery: 
Original Announcement: 

Update 4/5/19. 1200   New payload plans posted.  We will only require 3 exempt balloons.  Since the cloud cover forecast is >5/10ths, the exempt plans have been posted as primary with the 'Heavy" plans as contingencies.

Update 4/5/19 0900.  KC0D-1 beacon frequency changed to 145.645 MHz as noted below.   Predictions of the balloons path can be found here: Predictions

Event Date: 
Saturday, April 6, 2019 - 00:00
Flight Coordinator: 
KE7KCK
Launch Site: 
Eaton Middle School
Grid: 
Rt 71&14 West, X=60, Y=10, test N41.000, W104.000 = 43.2, 36.8
Flights: 

EOSS-285

Since cloud cover likely, the Lite payload plan has been posted as primary, and the Heavy will be posted as a contingency.

EOSS-285 Heavy Payload Plan Rev B

Balloon Type: 
1500g latex
Parachute: 
12 ft Rocketman Orange/Green
Beacons: 
FrequencyCallsignTypeNotes
144.905KC0D-2APRS/Release/DF
144.340AE0SS-12APRS/DigiSlotted 10/40
Payload Plan: 
PDF icon EOSS-285 Lite Payload Plan Rev C.pdf

EOSS-286

Since cloud cover is forecasted as >5/10ths, the primary payload plan will be Lite with the heavy posted as contingency.

EOSS-286 Heavy Payload Plan Rev C

Balloon Type: 
1500g latex
Parachute: 
10 foot orange spherachute with fast release and thermal cutter
Beacons: 
FrequencyCallsignTypeNotes
145.535 MHzKE0BMV-11APRS/Release/DF
144.340KC0D-14APRS/DigiSlotted 00/30
Payload Plan: 
PDF icon EOSS-286 Lite Payload Plan Rev B.pdf

EOSS-287

Balloon Type: 
1500g latex
Parachute: 
12 ft Rocketman Orange/Green
Beacons: 
FrequencyCallsignTypeNotes
145.645KC0D-1APRS/DF/Release
144.340 MHzAE0SS-13APRS/DigiSlotted 25/55
Payload Plan: 
PDF icon EOSS-287 Lite Payload Plan Rev B.pdf
FrequencyList: 

EOSS Preflight Net @ 8 PM MDT preceding night:
        • 449.225 MHz (-5 MHz Offset, 141.3 Hz Tone )  RMHAM Repeater  
        • 146.940 MHz (-600 KHz Offset, 103.5 Hz Tone) RMRL Repeater if the RMHAM machine is down
        • 146.640 MHz (-600 KHz Offset, 100.0 Hz Tone) DRL Repeater will serve as a backup to the backup repeater 

Launch Site:
        • 446.050 MHz Simplex  
        (Note that some radios assume these are repeater frequencies and attempt to put a 5 MHz offset in the transmit frequency automatically)

Track & Recovery Operations:
        Repeaters:
        • 449.450 MHz (-5 MHz Offset, 103.5 Hz Tone) RMRL repeater (Assuming we are flying out of Eaton).
        • 448.450 MHz (-5 MHz Offset, 100.0 Hz Tone) PPFMA repeater (Assuming we are flying out of Deer Trail).

        Simplex Frequencies:
        • 446.100 MHz Balloon #1 Field Simplex 
        • 446.150 MHz Balloon #2 Field Simplex
        • 446.200 MHz Balloon #3 Field Simplex
        • 446.275 MHz Car to Car drive out Simplex
        (Note that some radios assume these are repeater frequencies and attempt to put a 5 MHz offset in the transmit frequency automatically)

        Legacy 2M Simplex Frequency (not generally used due to desense/interference issues with the 2M APRS packets)
        • 146.550 MHz Simplex

2M Direction Finding Frequencies:

  • 144.340
  • 144.360
  • 144.905
  • 145.535
  • 145.645
  • 145.710
  • 145.765

 

Tactical Calls: 
TacticalCall SignNameNotes
AlphaSaturday: WAØGEH, KCØD Sunday: KC0RPS, W0GVSaturday: Marty, Mark, Sunday: Jim, Gerry285L: Alpha Team
BravoKB0YRZChris, Jen286L: Alpha Backup
CharlieKE7KCKTom286L: FC, Tracker
DeltaKØSCCStephen286L: Launch, Tracker
EchoKD0SEMDave286L: Launch, Tracker
FoxtrotN6BAJeff285L: Tracker, SDR Whiz
Ground StationKB0TVJ, N2XGLRuss, Jeff, RandyGround Station
GolfKB0UBZ, KA0ZFIBen, Ann285L: Trackers
HotelN0NDM, N0LPLarry, Nick287L: Launch, Tracker
IndiaKE0GKIBernadetteColorado Space Grant
JulietKC0RPS, W0NFWJim, George286L: Trackers
TangoKC0LJohnFrom Texas
WhiskeyKD0NRYChrisColorado Space Grant
KiloNB4VBraedon287: Colorado Space Grant
TR Breakfast: 
Ft Morgan, McDonald's, 1203 Main Street, 6:00 1. We are flying three light balloons as primary. If the cloud cover is less than 5/10, then we will fly two heavies (not likely). We need to be prepared for both contingencies. 2. First launch is at 0650. We will need some help working with the students during launch – brief the students and help manage the payloads for launch 3. Breakfast is a 6:00 at McDonalds, Ft. Morgan. 4. Be gassed up for the chase. 5. John, KC0L will run the net tonight from Texas. See you there at 2000. 449.225