Recap of EOSS-163

03/02/2012 15:50 (CDT): Larry Cerney and Darren Kalmbach's photos added

EOSS-163 Balloon Ready to Fly

by Nick Hanks, N0LP


Flight Coordinator: Doug Gentges, N0IX (n0ix@eoss.org)
 

LAUNCH DATE: April 16th, 2011 (wx delay +1 day)
LAUNCH TIME:6:50 am MDT (12:50 UTC)
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, Colorado (Click Here for directions)


Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-163 AE0SS-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

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=12.64 Y=55.57
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.87036� lat.  -103.61826� long.
Grid: X=84.0 Y=13.9
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 133 Minutes
Bearing: 120.0� True
Range: 82.2 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.92849� lat.  -103.82715� long.
Grid: X=72.8 Y=17.9
Bearing: 121.8� True
Range: 70.716 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 290.0� True
Range: 11.768 Mi.

Final Pre-Flight Prediction is available here
Prediction History is available here


EOSS Flight Day Frequencies:

Tracking and Recovery Frequencies

  • Preflight Net:
    • 147.225 MHz 8 pm MDT preceding night
    • 146.640 MHz will serve as a backup frequency
  • Tracking and Recovery Operations
    • 449.450 MHz RMRL (103.5 Hz Tone)
    • Field Simplex Frequencies
      • 446.100 MHz simplex
      • Note: Some radios insist on incorrectly placing a negative 5 MHz offset when selecting frequencies from the simplex portion of the 70 CM band. Check your radio and if this is the case. Consider programming in this simplex frequency to a memory channel as some radios have demonstrated the annoying habit of re-inserting the offset if you momentarily shift to a repeater then return to the simplex freq. Check the operation of your radio on this simplex freq to be ready for however your radio behaves.
  • Repeater Coverage Pages - Listings of all repeaters available in the expected flight areas.
    • There may be FRS operations see THIS PAGE for a list of channel numbers and their associated UHF Frequencies.

 

EOSS-163 Balloon Payload Frequencies

Beacons

  • 147.555 MHz
    • CW ID: AE0SS
  • 445.975 MHz
    • CW ID: N0IX

APRS

  • 144.340 MHz
    • 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
    • Telemetry once a minute
    • Sample Data

Video Might Be available, check http://www.eoss.tv

Various Online Live Tracking Pages


Flight Systems: 

EOSS-163

Balloon Manufacturer Totex
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 g
Neck Load 19.16 lbs.
Neck Lift 23.02 lbs.
Ascent Rate 1329 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 950 fpm estimated
Parachute 10 ft.
Peak Altitude determined after flight
Launch Conditions determined at launch

 


Payload Configuration: 


Payload Experiment Designer

CU

Experimenters are welcome to submit websites for linking or overviews which I will post on a page on the EOSS website.


Internet Gateway Stations:

as seen on Findu.Com

EOSS-163, AE0SS-11

  • KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
  • KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Ground Station
  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • KC0VJE - Louis Perley, Nunn, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
  • N0IX-12 - Doug Gentgas, Tracking and Recovery team mobile i-Gate
  • N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, 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 30 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.


Tracking and Recovery

Breakfast

  • McDonalds at Airport Rd. and I-70 (Google Map)
    • Meet at 05:00
    • Head into the field at 05:30

 

Grid

Location Grid X Grid Y
Hwy 14 & 71 West 80 65
Grid Test Point -   40�  15' N      103�   30'W 89.3 40.3

 

Tactical Call Signs

Tactical

Call sign

Name

Notes

Alpha

KB0YRZ, KB0UBZ

Chris and Ben

Tracking and Recovery Coordinator

Bravo

WA0GEH, KC0D

Marty and Mark

Tracker

Charlie

K0SCC

Steve

Tracker

Delta

W9CN, KD0JIT

Mike and Miles

Tracker

Echo KC0RPS, W0NFW Jim and George Tracker

Fox

KC0ZIE, K0JEF, KD0OGQ

Darren, Jeff, David and Tony

Tracker

Golf

KC0UUO, N0NDM Rob and Larry Tracker and Launch Operations

Hotel

KB0LP

Dave

Tracker

India

W0CBH

Benjie and Rosie

Tracker

Juliet N0IX Doub Flight Coordinator, Tracker

 


Text Recaps

none


Photos

Launch Site

Recovery Site


Audio

recorded, not posted


Video

EOSS-163 Launch

by Nick Hanks, N0LP


Data

EOSS-163, AE0SS-11

Text

 Spread Sheets

Mapping Files