Announcement for EOSS-54


LAUNCH DATE: Feb 23, 2002
LAUNCH TIME: 09:00 MST, 16:00 UTC
LAUNCH SITE: Meadow Lake Airport (directions and map here)

Frequencies:

  • Preflight Net:
    • 147.225 MHz 8 pm MDT Friday February 22, 2002
    • 146.640 MHz will serve as a backup frequency
  • HF Net during Flight
    • 7235 KHz starting at 15:30 UTC (8:30am MDT)
  • Cross Band Repeater (RMRL)
    • 445.975 MHz Input
    • 147.555 MHz Output
  • Beacon
    • 145.990 MHz International Space Station uplink and beacon
      • Callsign KC0JHQ-11
  • Beacon (backup)
    • 147.555 MHz (will fly only if we have to leave off the cross band repeater)
  • APRS
    • 144.340 MHz (Payload APRS Beacon)
      • DIGI OPEN see notes below
      • Callsign W5VSI-11
    • 147.555 MHz (APRS strings accompany Cross Band Repeater Output)
  • ATV
    • 426.250 MHz
  • Tracking and Recovery Operations
    • 448.450 MHz (100 Hz tone required) PPFMA Repeater
    • 146.550 MHz simplex (same simplex for field and launch ops)
  • Simplex at Launch Site
    • 146.550 MHz (same simplex for field and launch ops)

Due to high winds expected at the launch site, we may have to leave the RMRL Cross band repeater off the payload line. If it is removed a lighter beacon will appear on that output frequency.

Grid Position

The locations for the Tracking and Recovery Grid are:

  • Punkin Center 40,40
  • Intersection of 287 and 40 (1 mile east of Kit Carson) 90,35
  • Haswell 69.8,13.1

Punkin Center will be used as the Grid Calculator reference point. The lat/long pair for that location is:

  • X,Y = 40,40
  • 38.85208� decimal degrees or 38� 51.125' degrees and decimal minutes North Latitude
  • 103.70053� decimal degrees or 103� 42.032' degrees and decimal minutes West Longitude

Digipeating Welcome

EOSS-54 will have an open digipeater on board. Individuals are welcome to use it to make brief contacts and digi APRS positions. Please follow these rules for operation.

IDs:

  • w5vsi-11 - payload (aprs packets)
  • balnod - node
  • eoss54 - digi

Watch the balloon's callsign packets for instructions and requests. We might request beacons be turned off so that direct connections can take place more smoothly.

Do NOT beacon automatically more than once every 10 minutes

Beacon out APRS strings for your ID

Connection to the airborne payload is disabled.

Connections through the digi are ok but try and keeping things short to free the system for others use.

Multiple Digi may be possible

Arizona Near Space Research may be flying a balloon with a digi at the same time our system goes up. If that is so, it may be possible to make extremely long range connections using both balloons in your path. Watch this page for further information on digi callsigns and advised unproto paths to get your APRS strings out to the widest possible "audience". APRS should offer an excellent opportunity to identify long range contacts for folks trying to get in the record books at Ralph Wallio's "Ballooning Records Page".

Here is a map showing the combined footprints of both balloons.

If you are located within either of the circles you should be able to digi to anyone else. For instance, San Diego, California to Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Node Path for that contact From San Diego would be to:

  1. Connect with AZNOD

  2. Connect to BALNOD (through the AZNOD)

  3. Then connect with a station in Lincoln

The DIGI path to connect to N0KKZ in Lincoln from San Diego would be

  • CONNECT N0KKZ via ANSR, EOSS54

Beacons:

You have to manually set your UNPROTO Digi Path. We are not using WIDEx-x so:

If  the EOSS payload has the strongest signal then

  • UNPROTO via EOSS54, ANSR

If  the ANSR payload has the strongest signal then

  • UNPROTO via ANSR, EOSS54


ANSR-5 Flight Announcement

Arizona Near Space Research Web Site

Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR) is proud to announce the upcoming flight of ANSR-5. This is the fifth in a series of checkout and qualification flights designed to develop standard techniques and processes for scientific and educational high altitude balloon flights.

The purpose of this flight is to demonstrate:

(1) Reliable command, telemetry and crossband repeater links from the flight computer module including commandable cutdown capability.

(2) GPS/APRS tracking beacons on 70CM bands. APRS packets will be digipeated on standard 144.390 MHz via ground based Gateway.

(3) The acquisition and maintenance of high quality video from the ATV payload package.

(4) Digital communications relay capability utilizing balloon borne packet digipeaters over wide area. In this case, attempt Earth-Balloon-Balloon-Earth (EBBE) communications with Colorado based EOSS-54 during simultaneous flight.

Flight Specifications:

  • Launch date and time: Saturday, February 23, 2002 at 0900 MST
  • Launch site: Near Casa Grande/Maricopa, AZ (TBR).
  • Balloon: 1200 gram latex
  • Fill gas: Helium
  • Payload Frequencies:

(1) KD7LMO-11, Flight controller telemetry and Crossband FM repeater; input: 145.560 MHz , output: 445.525 MHz, 1 or 5 W (selectable). This package will be put in APRS mode if required.

(2) KD7LMO-11, Minibeacon APRS 445.950 MHz 300mW

(3) W7ATN, ATV 434.00 MHz AM 3W PEP

(4) AA0P-11, ANSR (Digi), AZNOD (K-node); EBBE Digipeater 144.34 MHz 1 W

HF Coordination Frequency with EOSS: 7235 KHz -QRM. (Cell phone backup)

UHF Tracking coordination frequency 447.725 MHz, -5.0 MHz offset, 100 Hz tone

Local AZ Pre-flight coordination Nets: 2/18/02 and 2/22/02, Frequencies and times to be announced.