Recap of EOSS-122/123

photo by Marty Griffin, WA0GEH

Team members both Trackers and Experimenters gather for group photo

Recap Preparation Notes: as of 02 Mar 2012 15:50:52

LAUNCH DATE: October 27, 2007
LAUNCH TIME: 

• EOSS-122 - 07:33 am MDT (13:33 UTC) AirCore
• EOSS-123 - 08:16 am MDT (14:16 UTC) Bacteriological Sampler

LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, CO (directions)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Track

EOSS-122

Blue = Actual Track
Green = Predicted Ascent Phase
Red = Predicted Descent Phase
Map made with MapPoint
Prediction made with Balloon Track

Green Track = Ascent
Red Track = Descent
Jagged line = Relative Speed
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Map files available in the data section

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=-57.50 Y=50.57
Ascent Rate: 1400 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.32549� lat.  -103.46516� long.
Grid: X=21.2 Y=40.3
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 123 Minutes
Bearing: 96.9� True
Range: 79.4 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.33176� lat.  -103.60143� long.
Grid: X=14.0 Y=40.8
Bearing: 97.4� True
Range: 72.221 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 273.5� True
Range: 7.184 Mi.

EOSS-123

Blue = Actual Track
Green = Predicted Ascent Phase
Red = Predicted Descent Phase
Map made with MapPoint
Prediction made with Balloon Track

Green Track = Ascent
Red Track = Descent
Jagged line = Relative Speed
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Map files available in the data section

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=-57.50 Y=50.57
Ascent Rate: 1400 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.32549� lat.  -103.46516� long.
Grid: X=21.2 Y=40.3
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 123 Minutes
Bearing: 96.9� True
Range: 79.4 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.32175� lat.  -103.39349� long.
Grid: X=25.0 Y=40.1
Bearing: 96.7� True
Range: 83.157 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 93.9� True
Range: 3.784 Mi.

Prediction History for EOSS-122/123 AVAILABLE HERE

EOSS Flight Day Frequencies:

Global Frequencies

• Tracking and Recovery Operations
  • 449.450 MHz RMRL Repeater (103.5 Hz Tone)
  • 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.

EOSS-122 Balloon Frequencies

• Beacon
  • 147.555 MHz W5VSI built beacon
    • CW ID: AE0SS
• APRS
  • 144.340 MHz
    • ID: AE�SS-11
    • DIGI: EOSS
    • Node: BALNOD
    • APRS Time Slotted Every 30 seconds at 0:00 and 0:30
    • Telemetry once a minute
      • power up at 58 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry
    • Sample Data

EOSS-123 Balloon Frequencies

• Beacon
  • 445.975 MHz
    • ID: K�ANI in CW
• 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
    • Telemetry once a minute
    • Sample Data

• 445.975 MHz (Transmitter worked but, no data was sent down)

• ID: K�ANI-11

Radio Coverage:

Green, you should be able to work the payload systems.

Red, is the border of the received signal. Red appears jittery because it is depicted topographically. Thus, the red dots on the eastern half of the map but well within the maximum distance show hilly terrain behind (east) which reception is not possible.

This is a generic 95,000 ft ASL coverage map for flights that depart from the vicinity of our launch site. Flight day coverage may vary depending on upper air winds.

Flight Systems:

EOSS-122

EOSS-123 

Payload Configuration:

• Payload_Plan_122-3B.pdf

Tracking and Recovery Info:

Grid

Tactical Callsigns

Internet Gateway Stations:

as seen on Findu.Com

For AE0SS-11

• K0UT - Bill Beach, Ft. Collins, CO
• KB0TVJ-3 Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
• KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO (new callsign)
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
• KC0MWM - Roger Hammond, Grand Island, NE
• K0ANI - Larry Cerney, Denver, CO

For KC0YA-11

• K0UT - Bill Beach, Ft. Collins, CO
• KB0TVJ-3 Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
• KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO (new callsign)
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
• KC0MWM - Roger Hammond, Grand Island, NE
• K0ANI - Larry Cerney, Denver, CO

It isn't too surprising to see the exact same group of folks iGating both balloons as they were time slotted on the same frequency.

Thanks to our host for GPSL 2007 for being there to iGate a bunch of packets from Grand Island, hey Roger!

EOSS wishes to express our sincere appreciation to the stations above who iGated the balloon APRS telemetry onto the internet. You have all i-gated before but did you know I publish predictions for i-gates? I keep a list of everyone who has ever i-gated an EOSS balloon flight. You're all in the list so if you're wondering when the balloon will pop up over your horizon, check out this page for future flights. 

We are relying heavily on real time position information available on the net to allow the FAA controllers to have up to the minute location data to assist them in air traffic control.

Redundant stations for the balloon iGating provide excellent coverage. If you are able to iGate we invite you to join the Internet Gateway Team. Contact me (webmaster@eoss.org) to be put in touch with the coordinator. By joining the team, you are giving peace of mind to the iGate coordinator for that flight. He knows you'll be there and he can rely on you.

Naturally, anyone can iGate data onto the net and even if you aren't a member of the team we will welcome your contribution to the internet based tracking effort. If you callsign appears on the findu.com log, you'll be shown as a contributing station as those above are.

Having more than one station covering each APRS beacon means that should a station drop out momentarily, the others can often maintain the data flow.

Thanks again guys! The FAA (and EOSS) are very grateful for your assistance in this endeavor.

Future I-Gaters:

Check out the EOSS I-Gate page for information on how to participate and why we need you.

Current I-Gate Stations:

Guys, the prediction program used to determine the track of the balloon prior to flight can now output a prediction for the Rise, Closest Approach or maximum elevation, 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.

Experimental Systems

We're flying two experiments

EOSS-122 - NOAA AirCore� Atmospheric Sampler

Recovery Crews - There is a valve at the end of this tube with a lever. If the lever is aligned or parallel with the tube, it is open. If it is perpendicular or crosswise to the tube it is closed. The first recovery crew person to approach the AirCore should immediately close the valve sealing the air sample inside.  Immediately report that you have sealed the experiment to station ALPHA, net control. This is valuable data for the experiment.

14 lbs of AirCore� from a previous flight

If you are interested visit:

http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/index.php - for a global overview of the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA.

http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/index.html - for the overview of Carbon Cycle in the atmosphere and ...

http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/ - for current trends.

NOAA, updates detailing any changes to the experiment are most welcome as are links to NOAA pages covering this elegant device.

See our previous flight announcement for additional details about this system.

EOSS-123 - Atmospheric Bacteriological Sampler

No detailed information at this time

note: customers are welcome to submit detailed synopses of their flights or web links to their own web sites.

Photos

Launch Site

• by Nick Hanks, N0LP

• EOSS-122 Prep
• EOSS-123 Prep

Recovery Area

• by Marty Griffin, WA0GEH

Audio

I have repeater audio and will edit and post later this week.

Video

none yet

Data

EOSS-122

Text

• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_findu.txt - Full Findu Logged Data
• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_findu_ts.txt - Full Findu Logged Data with Findu timestamps
• EOSS-122_ae0ss-11_KPC3_log.txt - Kantronics KPC3 onboard log file
• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_combo.txt - GPS only data

Spread Sheets

• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_Flight_Data.csv - from the combo text files above
• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_Telem_Data.csv - telemetry data

Mapping Files

• EOSS-122_predict_track.kml - Google Earth
• eoss-122_ae0ss-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint
• EOSS-122_track.kml - Google Earth

EOSS-123

Text

• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_findu.txt - Full Findu Logged Data
• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_findu_ts.txt - Full Findu Logged Data with Findu timestamps
• EOSS-123_kc0ya-11_KPC3_log.txt - Kantronics KPC3 onboard log file
• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_combo.txt - Findu and Logged data combined
• full_packet_2007_10_27.log - All packets from 144.340 logged at N0KKZ QTH

Spread Sheets

• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_Flight_Data.csv - From the combo data file
• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_Telem_Data.csv - telemetry data

Mapping Files

• EOSS-122_predict_track.kml - Google Earth (same predict for 122 and 123
• eoss-123_kc0ya-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint
• EOSS-123_track.kml - Google Earth

Charts

• by Rick von Glahn, N0KKZ
• by Nick Hanks, N0LP