Announcement of EOSS-24


LAUNCH DATE: 30-July-1995
LAUNCH SITE:
NAVSYS Corp.
Monument, Colorado, USA
Take the Baptist Rd. exit from I-25, go west to WoodCarver Rd. (the first left) then south to NAVSYS Corp.

LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

  • 39.09165 deg North
  • 104.87129 deg West



Shuttle II FREQUENCIES:

  • Telemetry:
    • 144.340 MHz FM (1 Watt output) - The Packet telemetry stream is in ax.25 format at 1200 baud and is readable in plain english for the most part. Included in each telemetry frame is an APRS position string (APRS users see note below). Every few minutes a CW ID is transmitted on this frequency.
  • VHF/UHF Crossband Repeater (changed 7/16/95)
    • Input 446.000 MHz
    • Output 147.555 MHz
  • ATV:
    • 426.250 MHz AM (1 Watt output) -NTSC video
  • Foxhunters:
    • Pikes Peak FM Association 448.450 MHz (tentative)
  • HF Net:
    • 7.235 MHz KA0DPC, Sparky, will be handling net control

The Central States VHF Society is having a meeting in Colorado Springs on the weekend of the 29,30-July-1995. EOSS will launch a demonstration flight. The primary payload will be the Rocky Mountain Radio League's Crossband repeater. This repeater was designed and built by Glenn WN0EHE and Warren N0FVG.

In addition, we will be conducting tests on our GPS system's software to check for recently made changes.

A new cutdown device will be tested. It utilizes a pager receiver retuned for 2 meters. This receiver is "plugged" into a basic stamp computer. The computer decodes DTMF tones and issues commands to the actual nichrome wire cutdown device.

notes:

This balloon will ascend to approximately 95,000 feet where the flight will be terminated by sending a cutdown command to the payload. The duration of the flight should be around 2 hours with the balloon reaching its maximum altitude approximately 1 hour 30 minutes into the flight.

Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS):

  • EOSS Shuttle controllers now beacon on the packet telemetry frequency with an APRS position string. If you are running APRS you should be able to graphically track the progress of the flight on the "CODENVER.MAP" map file. The Shuttle is not a TNC equipped packet station. It only reads data from various sensors and experiments and formats and transmits that data in AX.25. Therefore, beacons from other APRS stations will NOT be retransmitted (digi). So, inorder to minimize possible interference with hams in your area, we request you turn off the position beacons in APRS. Thanks!
  • The Amateur Video Signals from the payload may be picked up by a cable ready TV set on channel 58. However, you need to be very close to the balloon, and have a directional antenna to do this as cable receivers do not have much sensitivity (why should they?). If you don't have a cable ready set, try tuning DOWN from UHF channel 14. Some sets can receive the signal there too.
  • Almost all our transmitters are on VHF or above frequencies. Therefore, you need to be line of site to the payload to hear/see it. Since the payload rises to an altitude of over 90,000 feet on most missions, reception is usually possible for folks in most of Kansas, most of Nebraska, most of Wyoming, extreme south eastern Idaho, eastern Utah, north eastern Arizona, most of New Mexico, northern Texas, and western Oklahoma. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED by the apparent low power of our signals. I usually monitor the Beacon with an HT from the ground station throughout the flight. The signal is strong even at 130 miles and I only lose it when the balloon descends below my horizon.