Announcement of EOSS-27

LAUNCH DATE: August 17, 1996
LAUNCH TIME: 14:00 UTC
LAUNCH SITE: Pikes Peak Radio Control Club Airport (Here's a Map.)
LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

• 38deg 57' 17.65" North Latitude
• 104deg 30' 04.43 West Longitude

EXPECTED TRACK: Between 45 degrees and 145 degrees azimuth

FLIGHT EXPERIMENT: Chaff dispenser
PROJECT INTEGRATOR: EOSS

FREQUENCIES:

• Preflight Foxhunter Net 8:00PM the preceeding night
  • 147.225 MHz Colorado Repeater Association
• Launch Site:
  • Simplex 146.550 MHz
• 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.
• Xband Repeater:
  • Input - 445.985 MHz
  • Output - 147.555 MHz
• ATV:
  • EOSS Shuttle Video - 426.250 MHz AM (1 Watt output) - NTSC video
• Foxhunters:
  • 448.450 MHz Pikes Peak FM Association Repeater
  • 146.58 MHz Simplex Field Frequency
• HF Net:
  • 7.235 MHz no net control set as of this writing

A Chaff dispenser will drop a cloud of reflective strips into the upper atmosphere. This cloud will reflect 10GHz signals. It is hoped that you 10GHz folks active during the contest Saturday will be able to take advantage of the sudden and dramatic increase in potential range. notes:

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 at your APRS station. 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.