Announcement for EOSS-47

Flight Related info

• Prediction Page offers a map and text prediction of the flight path for the upcoming mission.
• A couple of WX Links
• EOSS Hardware Page - some photos and descriptions of various EOSS payloads
• APRS LIVE Tracking of EOSS Payloads on the Internet
• Maps and Directions to "all" of the EOSS standard Launch Sites.
• Check the EOSS List Server for the most up to date info.

If an EOSS payload is highlighted, there is a link to an information page about that payload.

Here is a recap of EOSS-46

EOSS-47

LAUNCH DATE: February 25th, 2001 (24 hrdelayed due to WX)
LAUNCH TIME: 16:00 UTC - 09:00 MST
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, Colorado, Gene Fatton�s Ranch
DIRECTIONS:

• Leave Denver Colorado on I-25 north bound. Proceed to the Windsor exit (Exit
  Number 262). Proceed East on State Road 392 approximately 1.3 miles to
  county road 3. Take county road 3 south a few hundred yards. The launch site
  will be on the east side of the road. Numerous vehicles with antennae will
  undoubtedly mark the spot.

LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

• 40.4744 Degrees N. Latitude
• -104.9628 Degrees W. Longitude

EXPECTED TRACK: (See Prediction Page for Details) Between 45 degrees and 135 degrees azimuth

PRIMARY INTEGRATOR: Pioneer Astronautics, Dr. Robert Zubrin, Dean Spieth, �Mars Micro Balloon Probe�.

PRIMARY EXPERIMENT(S):

• This is the fifth of many planned EOSS flights for the �Mars Micro Balloon
  Probe� which will place a series of balloons in the Martian atmosphere.  The
  objective of this flight are to test and develop inflatable gases from
  compounds that are normally liquids at Standard Temperature and Pressure
  (STP).   The Mars surface pressure is simulated at 100,000 feet above sea
  level, thus the experiment on an EOSS balloon.  This experiment will attempt
  to inflate balloons using various compounds.  This will also permit a test
  of the deployment canisters required on Mars.
• Additionally, two 600 gram �Grape� drag balloons will fly to help stabilize
  the payload on decent while deploying the micro balloon.  This experimental
  drag balloon concept will be deployed on Mars missions if successful.
• See this PDF file for the Payload Train Configuration

CROSS BAND REPEATER: The RMRL cross-band repeater will be deployed.  QSL
cards will be issued for successful contacts through the repeater. Look at this footprint! Are you inside it? If so, you can contact anyone else within the footprint with nothing more than a dual band HT with a rubber duck antenna. This footprint is calculated for an altitude of 90,000 feet. 90% plus of our launches reach or surpass this altitude. For operation guidelines see the cross band repeater page.

footprint at 90,000 ft. ASL
Mapping Software - Street Atlas V 8.0

APRS:

• The packet callsign will be:  W0WYX
• Go to the Live Tracking page to see how you can follow the flight via the internet.

NET AND OPERATION FREQUENCIES:

HF Net:

• 7.235 MHz Bruce, NA0BR net control starting @15:30 UTC

Preflight Foxhunter Net:  

• 147.225 MHz Colorado Repeater Association, 8:00PM the preceding night

Launch Site: 

• Simplex 146.550 MHz

Beacon:        

• 144.340 MHz FM (350 milliwatts output).  
  • CW beacon and cut down system

Cross-Band Repeater:

• Net Control K0YG, Mark
• Input 445.975 MHz
• Output 147.555 MHz

APRS Output: 

• 147.555 MHz, Output of Crossband Repeater

ATV:

• 426.250 MHz.

Tracking Teams:

• 449.450 MHz Rocky Mountain Radio League (RMRL) (pending approval)
• 146.58 MHz Simplex Field Frequency
• Click on Tracking Teams for more info
• Tracking Grid Placement Coordinates

SCHEDULE YOUR BALLOON CONTACTS IN ADVANCE

There is a new Yahoo Group dedicated to scheduling contacts (IN ADVANCE) for any
balloon flights from any group. People can go there and "register" and
perhaps find other folks with whom they can plan contact schedules for the
flight. This should be especially helpful for folks out on the fringe of the
footprint as they will have extremely limited time windows to make contacts.
This scheduling is optional and is not required to contact others through
the cross-band repeater. You can join this group right here at EOSS's website. Just go to:

• The Mailing List Page

Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS):

Some of the APRS systems aboard EOSS payloads will act as digipeaters.
However, we request that only the Chase team use this system in order to
minimize the disruption to the packet telemetry. Chase team APRS info is
used to assist in coordinating placement of the various DF teams.

Please disable your beacons on the EOSS packet frequencies, as that will
minimize interference to other stations in your area trying to copy
telemetry. Of course, if we are on the National APRS frequency, you should
continue to beacon out your data as usual. WE do NOT want to interfere with
144.390 MHz traffic other than to add our balloon's location.

ATV

ATV is transmitted on 426.250 MHz. This is equivalent to cable channel 58.
If you have a high gain 70 centimeter antenna, it may be possible to view
the video on a normal TV. However, we only transmit 1 watt so you will need
a very high gain antenna for this frequency.