Announcement of EOSS-109/110

LAUNCH DATE: 29-July-2006
LAUNCH TIME: 7:30 am (13:30 UTC) second balloon 45 minutes later
LAUNCH SITE: Genoa, CO (Driving Directions)
GROUND STATION SITE: Deer Trail, CO (Driving Directions)

  IMPORTANT!! 

CHANGED AGAIN Friday Afternoon

Due to strong winds driving the flight track significantly towards the west into DIA's Class B airspace, we are moving the launch site to Genoa, Colorado (8 miles east of Limon - new driving directions linked below). The ground station will still be setup at Deer Trail and the initial preparation of flight strings will be carried out there. However, once the two payload trains have been assembled, they will be moved with student launch teams to the alternate launch site. The drive from Deer Trail to the alternate launch site is approximately 45 minutes. So, be prepared to move up your schedules to accommodate the scheduled launch time for the first balloon at 07:30 am MDT.


Tracking and Recovery Team
Flight Day Breakfast

Final breakfast location determined the evening before flight.

  • Talkin: 146.880 MHz
  • 5:00 am  (earlier to compensate for the longer drive to the launch site)
  • Location: Flying "J" Travel Plaza (Truck Stop)
    • 16751 E 32nd Ave, Aurora, CO
    • South of I-70 1 block on the west side of Airport Blvd.

EOSS Frequencies:

Global Frequencies

  • Preflight Net:
  • Tracking and Recovery Operations
    • 448.450 MHz PPFMA Repeater (100 Hz Tone)
      • If flightpath goes east or south
    • 449.450 MHz RMRL Repeater (103.5 Hz Tone)
      • If flight path goes northeast
    • 447.875 MHz (103.5 Hz Tone)
      • This repeater is in the Deer Trail vicinity (15 mi. SW of Deer Trail)
    • 147.060 MHz
      • (Genoa backup repeater)
    • 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

EOSS-109

  • Beacon and APRS
    • 145.600 MHz
      • ID: K0ANI-11
      • Tracking Tone then CW ID then APRS
  • APRS
  • 144.340 MHz (Payload Train)
  • ID: AE�SS-11
  • DIGI: EOSS
  • Node: BALNOD
  • APRS Time Slotted Every 30 seconds at 0:00 and 0:30
  • power up at 58 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry

EOSS-110

  • Beacon
  • 147.555 MHz
  • APRS
  • 144.340 MHz
  • ID: KC0YA-11
  • DIGI: EOSS
  • Node: BALND2
  • APRS Time Slotted Every 30 seconds at 0:15 and 0:45
  • power up at 13 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry

 


Flight Systems:

We may convert to a single 54,000 cu. ft. plastic Raven for the entire flight payload train.

EOSS-109

Balloon Manufacturer Kaysam
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 gram
Payload 24 lbs
Free Lift % calculated at fill
Ascent Rate 1100 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 910 fpm estimated
Parachute 10 ft
Peak Altitude determined after flight
Launch Conditions determined at launch

 

EOSS-110

Balloon Manufacturer Kaysam
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 gram
Payload 23.1 lbs.
Free Lift % calculated at fill
Ascent Rate 1100 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 910 fpm estimated
Parachute 10 ft
Peak Altitude determined after flight
Launch Conditions determined at launch

 


Payload Configuration:


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:

If you are present at your iGate during the flight try and monitor the tracking and recovery frequency. The ground station likes to check the frequency prior to launch to find out if any stations are out there ready to igate the traffic onto the net for the FAA to monitor.

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:

(as of Friday evening, 7/28/06)

Grid

Location X Y
Deer Trail 33 58
Punkin Center 51.5 5.5
Calhan 20 18.9
Kiowa 11 40
Touchdown (see Prediction Page)

Tactical Callsigns

Tactical Callsign Name Notes
Alpha N0NDM, N0MPM Larry and Mike Tracking and Recovery Coordinator
Bravo W0CBH, WG0E Benjie and Colin  
Charlie KB0YRZ, KC0UUO Chris and Rob  
Delta KI4GYZ Art  
Echo WA0GEH, N0AUS Marty and Al  
Foxtrot K0SCC Steve and Whitney  
Ground AE0SS Nick Ground Station

 


Notes:

Our Customer

CU 2 3000g heavies, DemoSats

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 Deertrail, 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.