Recap for EOSS-168-169-170

Recap for EOSS-168/169/170

03/02/2012 15:50 (CDT): Updates to photography

Hungry Cattle

by Mike Pappas, W9CN

Flight Coordinator: Russ Chadwick

LAUNCH DATE: Sept. 10th, 2011
LAUNCH TIMES:

  • EOSS-168 06:49 am MST (12:49 UTC)
  • EOSS-169 07:08 am MST (13:08 UTC)
  • EOSS-170 07:22 am MST (13:22 UTC)

LAUNCH SITE: Genoa, CO (Click Here for directions)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-168 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 (NO DESCENT TRACK)
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth 

Launch Site - Genoa CO
-----------------------
Launch Point: 39.27882� lat.   -103.48993� long.
Grid: X=51.01 Y=39.46
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 5589 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.17884� lat.  -103.93817� long.
Grid: X=27.1 Y=32.6
Altitude: 4900 feet
Flight Time: 114 Minutes
Bearing: 254.1� True
Range: 24.9 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.25001� lat.  -103.94877� long.
Grid: X=26.5 Y=37.5
Bearing: 265.5� True
Range: 24.611 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 353.4� True
Range: 4.949 Mi.

E0SS-169 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 (NO DESCENT TRACK)
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

E0SS-170 K0SCC-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 (NO DESCENT TRACK)
Prediction and Actual tracks made with Balloon Track
Maps by Google Earth

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

Final Pre-Flight Prediction is available here
Prediction History is unavailable for this flight

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 (100 Hz Tone) RMRL Machine
    • 147.060 MHz (103.5 Hz Tone) Genoa Repeater 
    • Field Simplex Frequencies
      • 446.050 MHz simplex for field recovery operations EOSS-168/169
      • 446.100 MHz simplex forfield recovery operations EOSS-170
        • 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.
  • Launch Site Simplex
    • 146.550 MHz

 

EOSS-168 Balloon Payload 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
        • power up at 58 seconds past the GPS minute to properly slot telemetry
      • Telemetry once a minute
      • Sample Data

EOSS-169 Balloon Payload Frequencies

  • Beacons
    • 145.600 MHz
      • CW ID: W5VSI
  • 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

EOSS-170 Balloon Payload Frequencies

  • Beacons
    • 147.420 MHz
      • 30 second beacon 30 second off with APRS burst
      • ID:K0SCC in CW
    • 445.975 MHz
      • ID: N0IX in CW
      • 30 seconds on every 2 minutes
  • APRS
    • 147.420 MHz
      • ID: K0SCC-11

 

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

Various Online Live Tracking Pages

Flight Systems:

EOSS-168

Balloon Manufacturer Totex
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 g
Neck Load 26.7 lbs.
Neck Lift 31.7 lbs.
Ascent Rate 1329 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 950 fpm estimated
Parachute 10 ft.
Peak Altitude 84,326 ft. command cutdown
Launch Conditions calm

 

EOSS-169

Balloon Manufacturer Totex
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 3000 g
Neck Load 24.1 lbs.
Neck Lift 28.7 lbs.
Ascent Rate 1329 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 950 fpm estimated
Parachute 10 ft.
Peak Altitude 99,036 ft. ASL
Launch Conditions calm

 

EOSS-170

Balloon Manufacturer Totex
Balloon Type latex
Balloon Size 2000 g
Neck Load 10.9 lbs.
Neck Lift 14 lbs.
Ascent Rate 1329 fpm estimated
Descent Rate 950 fpm estimated
Parachute 5 ft.
Peak Altitude 82,642 ft. ASL
Launch Conditions determined at launch

 

Payload Configuration: 

Payload Experiment Designer

NOAA AirCores (heavy and "lite")

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 (listed alphabetically)

EOSS-168, AE0SS-11

  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
  • N0IX-12 - Doug Gentges, Tracking and Recovery Mobile iGate
  • N0LP - Nick Hanks at the ground station
  • N0SPB - Shaun Bryant, Commerce City, CO

EOSS-169, KC0YA-11

  • KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
  • KC0D-3 - Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO
  • N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
  • N0IX-12 - Doug Gentges, Tracking and Recovery Mobile iGate
  • N0LP - Nick Hanks at the ground station
  • N0SPB - Shaun Bryant, Commerce City, CO
  • N0SPB-10 - Shaun Bryant, Commerce City, CO

EOSS-170, K0SCC-11

  • K0SCC - Steve Meer, Tracking and Recovery Mobile iGate
  • KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, Boulder, CO
  • KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Ground Station
  • N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
  • N0SPB-10 - Shaun Bryant, Commerce City, 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 in Limon Colorado
  • 5:30 am to 6 am - If you want breakfast, trackers will meet at McDonald's Limon between 05:30 and 06:00. Plan to leave for the recovery at 6:00 for a 6:50 first launch. This is a weird flight, 30 miles to the WEST!. Trackers should meet at breakfast site or in the predicted landing area. Mark and I may bypass breakfast and go directly to the predicted landing area.

Alpha News

EOSS 168, and 169 be heavy 3000 gm balloons. EOSS 170 will be a 2000 gm balloon and will launch last (thus the number scheme!) at about 7:30. Bring food and water as well as cash for gas!

We welcome back WG0E, Colin who offered to "Zulu" the EOSS 170 flight (Zulu, last flight, get it?). He will be sharing the main freqs with the other flights, but will use 446.100 for simplex to recover EOSS 170.

Nice group for these flights! Thanks for coming out on this nice weekend. NOAA really appreciates this effort.

 

Grid   

Location

Grid X

Grid Y
Punkin Center Rd (SR 94 and SR 71) 40 10
Test Coordinates   39.25� N  x  -103.25� W 64 37.4

   

 

Tactical Call Signs

Tactical Callsign Name Notes
Alpha WA0GEH, KC0D Marty, Mark Tracking and Recovery Coordinator
Bravo K0SCC Steve, Parker Trackers
Charlie W9CN, KD4JIT Mike and Miles Trackers
Delta KC0RPS Jim Trackers
Echo KC0ZIE, KG6HXM Darren Sam and Annie Trackers
Foxtrot WB0DKT, KB6OKA Glenn and Edna Trackers
Golf N0NDM Larry Launch Coord and Tracker
Hotel KB0YRZ Chris +1 Trackers
India KB0UBZ Ben Tracker
Juliet KC0UUO, N0IX Rob, Doug President and minion
Zulu WG0E Colin +1 Tracking and Recovery Coordinator for EOSS-170

 

Text Recaps

Photos

Launch Site

Recovery Site

Audio

recorded, not edited

Video

EOSS-170 Launch

by Nick Hanks, N0LP

 

Data

EOSS-168, AE0SS-11

Text

 Spread Sheets

Mapping Files

 

 

EOSS-169, KC0YA-11

Text

 Spread Sheets

Mapping Files

 

 

EOSS-170, K0SCC-11

Text

 Spread Sheets

Mapping Files