Recap of EOSS-128/129


by Sam-Cam

Last photo aboard EOSS-129 taken @ 43,587.6 ft. ASL

LAUNCH DATE: June 14th, 2008
LAUNCH TIME:

  • EOSS128 - 07:21 MDT (13:21 UTC)
  • EOSS129 - 08:11 MDT (14:11 UTC)

LAUNCH SITE: Deer Trail, CO (directions)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Track

EOSS-128


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
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Map files available in the data section

Launch Site - Deer Trail
-----------------------
Launch Point: 39.61137� lat.   -104.04255� long.
Grid: X=6.54 Y=62.43
Ascent Rate: 1400 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 678 feet per minute
Altitude: 5205 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.14663� lat.  -102.96255� long.
Grid: X=64.4 Y=30.3
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 146 Minutes
Bearing: 118.8� True
Range: 66.0 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.2552� lat.  -103.51567� long.
Grid: X=34.7 Y=37.8
Bearing: 131.0� True
Range: 37.343 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 284.4� True
Range: 30.528 Mi.

EOSS-129

KC0YA-11


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
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Map files available in the data section

KOANI-11


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
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Map files available in the data section

Prediction vs. Actual posted when I get the actual touchdown data.

Prediction History is available here

EOSS Flight Day Frequencies:

Global Frequencies

  • Tracking and Recovery Operations
    • VHF/UHF
      • South flight Track: 448.450 MHz PPFMA Repeater (100 Hz Tone) likely
      • North flight track: 449.450 MHz RMRL Repeater (103.5 Hz Tone) backup
      • 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.
    • HF
      • 40 meters 7.245 MHz
    • FRS Comms
      • Channel 8
      • 467.5625 MHz

EOSS-128 Balloon Frequencies

  • Beacons
    • 147.555 MHz
      • 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
  • CU Downlink Frequencies (unknown modulation or data package)
  • 432.200 MHz
  • 435.000 MHz

EOSS-129 Balloon Frequencies

  • Beacons
  • 145.600 MHz
  • CW ID: K0ANI
  • 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
  • 145.600 MHz
  • ID: K0ANI-11
  • CU Downlink Frequencies (unknown modulation or data package)
  • 436.795 MHz
  • 437.445 MHz

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-128

Balloon Manufacturer Kaysam
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 gram
Neck Load 22.5 lbs.
Free Lift % calculated at fill
Ascent Rate 1060.8 fpm calculated average
Descent Rate -1216.8 fpm avg < 10K feet
Parachute 10 ft
Peak Altitude 97,614 ft. ASL
Launch Conditions calm

 

EOSS-129

Balloon Manufacturer Kaysam
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 gram
Payload 22.3 lbs.
Free Lift % calculated at fill
Ascent Rate 1094.5 fpm average
Descent Rate 1168 fpm avg < 15K feet
Parachute 10 ft
Peak Altitude 97,144.4 Ft. ASL
Launch Conditions calm

 

Payload Configuration:

Tracking and Recovery Info:

Grid

Location X Y
Punkin Center 25 10

Test Case ( 39� 30'N,  102� 45'W)

75.5 54.7
Touchdown (see Prediction Page)

 

Tactical Callsigns

Tactical Callsign Name Notes

Alpha

WA0GEH & N0AUS

Marty and Al

Tracking and Recovery Coordinator

Bravo

KB0YRZ

Chris

ATV

Charlie

KC0RPS & N0SSW

Jim and Harlan

 

Delta

WB0DKT, KG6HXM, WB6KDF

Glenn, Sam, and Loren, Daren

 

Echo

W9CN

Mike and Miles

 

Foxtrot

N0NDM & W0CBH

Larry and Benjie

 

  KC0WJJ Brian CU Liason

 

AE0SS

Nick

Ground Station

Internet Gateway Stations:

as seen on Findu.Com

EOSS-128

For AE0SS-11

  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • KC0VJE - Louis Perley, Nunn, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Northglenn, CO
  • N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
  • K0ANI-7 - Larry Cerney, Denver CO (maybe mobile)

EOSS-129

For KC0YA-11

  • KC0VJE - Louis Perley, Nunn, CO
  • KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Northglenn, CO
  • N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO

For KoANI-11

  • K0ANI-7 - Larry Cerney, Denver CO (maybe mobile)
  • K0UT-1 - Bill Beach, Ft. Collins, CO
  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO

EOSS wishes to express our sincere appreciation to the stations above who iGated the balloon APRS telemetry onto the internet. 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.  Currently predictions are being made for 29 i-gates.

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

Student Payload Systems Page

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

Photos

Launch Site

Airborne

Ah, a nice new category! These photos were taken with a Canon A570IS Powershot camera at maximum image size of 7.1 megapixels (3072x2304) with minimum compression (superfine in Canon jargon). If you want a full resolution copy send a request with the photo filename to the webmaster.

  • Sam-Cam Photos - these are the updated photos with less compression. They look slightly better than the originals sent in via email.
  • ALL of the Sam-Cam photos for EOSS-129 stored on my FLICKR account (2 megapixel versions). No adjustments made to these photos. The ones posted on this website have been adjusted to reduce atmospheric haze (levels adjustments).

Recovery Area

EOSS-128

EOSS-129

  • by Marty Griffin, WA0GEH
  • page 1 - students
  • page 2 - recovery personnel and final descent of the payloads

Audio

Pre-Flight

Flight

Played sequentially, you will hear all the Tracking and Recovery audio. The recorder is voice activated so silences longer than 3 seconds are automatically removed.

Post-Flight

Video

Ron Schaffer WD0BDQ, has posted some videos from Deer Trail showing the prep and launch.

 

 

Data

EOSS-128 - AE0SS-11

Text

Spread Sheets

Mapping Files

EOSS-129

KC0YA-11

Text

Spread Sheets

Mapping Files

 

KOANI-11

Text

Spread Sheets

Mapping Files

Charts