Announcement of EOSS-102

LAUNCH DATE: 8-Apr-2006
LAUNCH TIME: 8:00 am (14:00 UTC)
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, CO (Driving Directions)

EOSS Frequencies:

Frequency assignments tentative. Check back the night prior to flight for final determinations.

Global Frequencies

• Preflight Net:
  • 147.225 MHz 107.2 Hz tone
  • 8:00 PM Night before flight
• Tracking and Recovery Operations
  • 449.450 MHz RMRL Repeater (103.5 Hz Tone)
  • 146.550 MHz simplex (for both field ops and the launch site)
  • Repeater Coverage Pages - Listings of all repeaters available in the expected flight areas.
  • 7.228 MHz + QRM HF (sporadic usage)

Balloon Frequencies

• Beacon
  • 147.555 MHz
    • ID: AEØSS in CW
    • Tracking Tone then CW ID
• APRS
  • 144.340 MHz
    • ID: AEØSS-11
    • DIGI: EOSS
    • Node: BALNOD
    • APRS Time Slotted to 0:00 every minute
    • Telemetry Every 2 minutes at 0:00
    • Sample Data
  • 145.600 MHz
    • ID: KC0YA-11
    • DIGI: EOSS
    • Node: BALNOD
  • 445.975 MHz (removed from payload due to weight constraints)
    • ID: K0ANI-11

Experimental Systems

NOAA AirCore™ atmospheric sampler.

Recovery Crews - There is a valve at the end of this tube with a lever. If the lever is aligned or parallel with the tube, it is open. If it is perpendicular or crosswise to the tube it is closed. The first recovery crew person to approach the AirCore should immediately close the valve sealing the air sample inside.  Immediately report that you have sealed the experiment to station ALPHA, net control. This is valuable data for the experiment.

14 lbs of AirCore™ planned to fly

Pieter Tans from NOAA attended our most recent meeting (14-Mar-06) and gave a presentation on atmospheric CO2 as well as an overview of the methodology of collecting an air sample using the AirCore™ and processing it after the flight.

If you are interested visit:

• http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/index.php - for a global overview of the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA.

• http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/index.html - for the overview of Carbon Cycle in the atmosphere and ...

• http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/ - for current trends.

I expect to receive a powerpoint file of the presentation at the EOSS meeting and I have received permission to post it along with an MP3 of Dr. Tans talk.

I've received a PowerPoint file (converted to PDF below) concerning how an AirCore sample is analyzed. Like really good PowerPoint presentations, the details and all the good information are in the mind of the presenter and not really all that apparent in the PPT file. It is after all used to illustrate points being made in a presentation, not become an independent presentation of the entire subject. One of the authors will be attending the next EOSS meeting. If he gives this presentation, I'll record it and add the MP3 of that here too:

• AOS_Aircraft_analyzer_n0kkz_edit.pdf - I received two revised slides for this presentation and have inserted them and removed the originals. That's why my call and "edit" are in the filename. To properly attribute any weird results to me rather than to the original authors of the presentation.

NOAA, updates detailing any changes to the experiment are most welcome as are links to NOAA pages covering this elegant device.

See our previous flight announcement for additional details about this system.

Flight Systems:

Payload Configuration:

• Payload_Plan_102A.pdf

Internet Gateway Stations:

Future I-Gaters:

Check out the EOSS I-Gate page for information on how to participate and why we need you.

Current I-Gate Station:

Guys, the prediction program used to determine the track of the balloon prior to flight can now output a prediction for the Rise, Closest Approach, and Set of the balloon for each of your stations. I have posted a prediction page for stations that I have been able to discover geographic coordinates. See the I-Gate prediction page for an example. The page will not be updated daily, however, it will be updated the evening prior to flight for I-gate planning purposes.

I have often been asked by iGaters when they should expect to either start receiving signals (AOS) or expect to see those signals disappear (LOS). This prediction page should answer all those questions for you.

Tracking and Recovery Info:

Data for EOSS-102

Tacticals will be finalized Friday night.

Tactical Callsigns

Tactical	Callsign	Name	Notes
Alpha	N0NDM, N0MPM	Larry and  Mike	Tracking and Recovery Coordinator
Bravo	WA0GEH, N0AUS	Marty and Al
Charlie	W0CBH, WG0E	Benjie and Colin
Delta	KB0YRZ, KC0UUO	Chris and Rob
Echo	K0AEM, KI4GYZ	Richard and Art
Foxtrot	K0SCC, K0ETN	Steve and Rick	tracking after launch
Golf	AC7FY	Clint

Grid

Always check the Prediction Page to ensure you have the latest info. I occasionally seem to forget to update the predicted touchdown on this chart.

Location	X	Y
West Junction of SR-14 and SR-71	45	35
NE-Peetz	75	59.3
SE-Otis	82.6	3
SW-Roggin	8	4.5
Launch Site (Windsor)	-22.43	25.57
Predicted Touchdown	34.2	23.4

Notes:

Our Customer

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

EOSS has developed an excellent working relationship with NOAA. We have flown several payload systems for them from the incredibly complex (GAINS) to the elegantly simple (AirCore)

GAINS Links

• EOSS-059
• EOSS-064
• EOSS-084

AirCore™

• EOSS-087

note: customers are welcome to submit detailed synopses of their flights or web links to their own web sites.

Radio Coverage:

Map made with Radio Mobile Deluxe

This is the approximate coverage for a flight launched from Windsor, Colorado once it reaches 95,000 feet ASL. Red marks a signal below .25 uV

CLICK HERE for a general discussion on radio procedures during the ascent and descent phases of a balloon flight.