Announcement of EOSS-28

LAUNCH DATE: November 17, 1996 (Snow Delayed)
LAUNCH TIME: 15:00 UTC
LAUNCH SITE: Colorado State University at Pueblo
LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

EXPECTED TRACK: Between 45 degrees and 90 degrees azimuth

PREDICTED TOUCHDOWN:

Using Balltrak and the 11/15/96 morning RAOB reports
- 69.9 statute miles
- 65.8 degrees true
Using 11/15/96 Evening RAOB wx
- 62.7 statute miles
- 46.8 degrees true
Using 11/16/96 Morning RAOB
- 59.4 statute miles
- 36.9 degrees true
For the final Evening and Morning predictions George, N0NJM, has requested I run two different predictions. The first will be RAOB only winds. The second will be FSS (FAA) predicted winds for the first 39K feet, then switching over to the Denver RAOB for the winds from 45K to 100K. Because Pueblo is so distant from the DEN RAOB site, this may refine the prediction somewhat.
Using 11/16 Evening RAOB Only
- 58.7 Statute miles
- 83.7 degrees true
Using 11/16 FSS Upper Air to 39K and RAOB to 100K
- 90.3 Statute Miles
- 89.5 degrees true

FLIGHT EXPERIMENTS:

Accelerometer - measure the acceleration of the payload in flight and measure the variance between gravity at the launch site and at altitude.
A second passive experiment which will measure the impact of the payload's landing.

FREQUENCIES:

Preflight Foxhunter Net 8:00PM the preceding 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.
Beacon:
- 147.555 MHz
ATV: (weight contingent)
- EOSS Shuttle Video - 426.250 MHz AM (1 Watt output) - NTSC video
Foxhunters:
- 146.970 MHz 100Hz PL Toned Pikes Peak FM Association Repeater (Changed!!)
- 146.58 MHz Simplex Field Frequency
HF Net:
- 7.235 MHz no net control set as of this writing

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, in order to minimize possible interference with hams in your area, we request you turn off the position beacons at your APRS station. Thanks!

ATV:

The payload weight this time out may require us to leave out the ATV package. Listen in on the Fox hunter frequency and you may be able to discover if we are flying it or not!
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.

Who Can Hear It:

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.

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