Balloon Group Minutes 05/29/91

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AA0P - Starts Meeting at 7:15 PM

Tape is replayed

AA0P - Team leads, what went right and wrong?

Balloon Lead - 

• K0YUK
  • Parachute deploy failed
  • The 10 meter antenna and shroud lines wrapped about spreader ring.
• W6OAL - Seperate payload prior to balloon burst
• AA0P - Possible test launch for Parachute tests

Payload Lead -

• W6OAL - Full payload has to be functional by CDR
• AA0P - Digital Voice??
• Group likes Digital voice.
• AA0P - Running DVR on 9v battery for a week killed bat and required an opening and reequip prior to flight day.

• WB0TUB - On spinning of payload.

Because of payload swinging like pendulum, the stabilizer causes the payload to rotate. When the payload swings in one direction, the stabilizer rotates the payload 180 then on the return swing the it brings the payload around another 180 degrees. (from WD0E)

• W6OAL - Camera works fine. 6 meter servos destroyed on impact.
• AA0P - What accounts for loss of 6 mtr.
• W6OAL - Sig/noise to great overwhelmed received signal.
• AA0P - Any desense?
• W6OAL - Filters installed to prevent desense.
• WB0TUB - What about timer?
• AA0P - Wants timer to switch ID more often we were very close to legal.
• W6OAL - 35mm camera was inappropriately set.
• W5VSI - Audio test??
• K0ELM - Voice went away upon touchdown. Others heard it after touch.10 meter ID anomalous during part of flight. As the balloon reached altitude it seemed to come back. And, temperatures from telemetry were a bit high.

Operations Lead -

AA0P - Op lead defaulted. We definitely need this position. FAA, no notam issued a day prior to flight. Tower controlers didn't know about launch but finally gave ok. We need FAA to issue that notam to coordinate the entire FAA group. On site phone patches and cell phones worked well. Equipment setup went well this time.

KD0UE - On ten meter net only a couple of checkins including a possible report from V31QA MAX.

WD0DGL - Check date for launch to avoid conflicts with other possible activities of amateurs. Avoid holidays, walkathons etc. Make a firm backup date and stick to it.

Tracking and Recovery -

N0KKZ - We need more personel at net control. A phone person, gofer and do all. Recommend we have launch commit criteria that predicts a balloon touch down point 25 or so miles east of I-25. This will increase probablility of finding payload (no mountain valley landing) and reduce reflections from the front range that confuse the DFers. Firm backup to avoid dropouts from tracking teams.

AA0P - is 40 meter net useful

K0ELM - in theory. This time not needed as the balloon stayed within repeater coverage and CRA had portable repeater out. Two repeaters on one frequency caused some problems 145.145 on squaw would blank out some secondary remote repeater signals.

Prediction program works well on azimuth but distance is very unreliable.

Antennas, Qubie quads worked better than yagis.

Field plot lead requires 3 persons. Radio op, Plotter, Driver.

DFers should take up assigned positions by liftoff time in order to

allow quick redeploy.

AA0P- Commends tracking team.

Public relations -

WB0TUB - No media reps. Article in works for WB8ELK

AA0P - We need a public affairs officer at the launch site. Too many questions were being asked of operations folks and their duties were being interupted.

WB0TUB - Camera, the control of camera requires a full time operator.

WD0DGL - Comments

On women net controls

• Next time get anybody. Women are too hard too find.
• 40 & 10 meter nets were dead.
• 40 meters Search frustrated by inability to talk to net control. (due to conditions??)

2 meter net

• Strengthen ability to communicate with t-hunters via 2.
• Make sure net controls are aware of all nets.

Launch Dates

• Look more carefully into launch dates.
• Lots of folks were unavailable for this launch.

Post launch meeting place

Prearrange a spot for the recovery teams and anyone else interested to meet and show payload following recovery.

Wrap up meeting pre scheduled

Set a definate date for the after the launch meeting.

(two previous items could be included in net speil during flight.)

QSL Cards - do we want a photo QSL again.

Plotting station

Plotting station needs help. Phone calls and other interruptions extreamly disrupting.

AA0P - Get articles into Bill Brown quick, he has a deadline.

W6OAL - Literature at launch site.

WA6RLC - Assign kids to team leads.

AA0P - Organize kids activities at launch site. This time no plots available.

AA0P - Every lead needs backup.

W6OAL - Meteor dust experiment during persids 

Camera may be a MUST. It helps all folks ALOT.

AA0P - Send proposals to KD0UE

WB0TUB - FIND a SPONSOR.

WB0TUB - We need a demo package for sponsor. Payload capabilities, weight power budget etc.

AA0P - BARCFest next "official" launch (suggested). Possible crossband repeater with 6 meter net control input to reduce chaos.

AA0P - We should work with FAA and see what requirements are for exceeding 4 lb payload.

W6OAL - Boulder Government wants to fly payloads (side look radar etc.)

AA0P - Wants government jobs to reimburse for gas for fox hunters, possibly other reimbursements.

AA0P - We need a data aquisiton and control computer for payload.

Meeting closes at 9:35pm

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