This will henceforth be known as the EOSS 381/382 Fog, Battery, Brakes, Fork Flights. Two 1500g balloons were launched from the Limon Soft Ball Fields on Saturday, August 2, 2025.
Students started arriving around 4:00 a.m. By 5:00 a.m., tables were up, the weigh-in had started, and we were watching the beautiful starry night sky with a few falling stars. The EOSS Team began arriving, and the FOG started rolling in. The payloads were strung as two 1500g balloons, with hopes we could combine them to fly one 3000g balloon. We put the launch "on hold" around 7:30 because of the fog. The FAA was notified, and we agreed to meet back at the launch site at 8:30 am to determine next steps. The fog was lifting, and we could see 5 miles. After calls to the weather forecasters and the FAA, we launched two 1500g balloons between 9:00 and 9:30. Trackers, as usual, located the landowner who permitted us to retrieve 381. The landowner took 2 EOSS members out in the deluxe 4-wheeler to retrieve 382.
EOSS member mileage reimbursement submission here
FOG-rolled in at 6 and out at 9
BATTERY- auxiliary battery in the Van almost caught fire
BRAKES- Alphas' brakes locked, and Mike ran Tracking & Recovery from the picnic tables at Hugo's Loaf & Jug
FORK- Payload retrieval - go to the fork in the road and wait for further instructions (see the photos below)
This is one 3000g balloon or two 1500g balloons carrying student-built payloads from a variety of Colorado colleges participating in the Colorado Space Grant Consortium.
The launch site has been moved from Deer Trail to the Limon Softball Fields. This is because of summer winds winding back into DIA airspace.
Predictions are shown at www.eoss.org/predict. Scroll to the correct date and launch site. Two weeks before the flight, predictions will start updating on a 24-hour basis.
Please indicate your ability to participate (or indicate if you cannot) on this flight here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/Jnn9F8BM8G . You can look at the participation spreadsheet (if you are logged into Teams) here:
If clouds are greater than 5/10ths, the payload string will be split and flown on two 1500g (exempt) balloons as follows:
Carrying Colorado Space Grant Consortium student payloads
| Frequency | Callsign | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 145.710 MHz | KCØD-3 | Remote Release/DF | Secondary Beacon |
| 144.340 MHz | AEØSS-4 | APRS/Digi AEØSS | Primary Beacon Timeslotted 0:13 & 0:43 |
The preflight net is hosted on the Fun Machine linked system https://www.we0fun.com/
EchoLink *CANONCTY* conference and on the TGIF DMR Network Node: 1997 Talkgroup 815
Denver area Frequencies:
Back up Pre Flight Net Frequincies
Digital Mobile Radio (DMR):
The decision as to which talkgroup use will be made by the EOSS RF Coordinator on a per flight basis.
- Rocky Mountain Wide Network – Talk Group 700 - Rocky Mountain Ham Radio has approval to the use "Wide" for flight operations.
- Central Colorado Regional Network – Talk Group 720 - On occasion, EOSS may use the Central Colorado Regional Network (Talk Group 720).
| Tactical | Call Sign | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | W9CN | Mike Pappas | with Jeff Deaton N0JD |
| Bravo | Kb0yrz | Chris Krengel | with Zach Price KF0LDI |
| Charlie | N0JPS | John Spainhower | with Jeremy Cook |
| Delta | K0sCC | Stephen Meer | |
| Echo | KE0UWC | Glenn Reker | with John KF0MBR |
| Foxtrot | NØMM | Doug Leber | |
| Golf | K0NKK | Nancy Koos | student escort |