Flight Recap for EOSS-177/178

03/27/2013 13:50 (CDT): minor edits

Recap Maps | Frequencies | Flight Systems | Payload Config | I-Gates | T & R | Text Recaps | Photos | Audio | Video | Data | Charts

Flight Coordinator: Larry Cerney, K0ANI

LAUNCH DATE: June 30th, 2012
LAUNCH TIME: 

• EOSS--177 - 07:08:21 am MDT (13:08:21 UTC)
• EOSS--178 - 07:26:13 am MDT (13:26:13 UTC)

LAUNCH SITE: Deer Trail (driving directions)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-177 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 - Deer Trail
-----------------------
Launch Point: 39.61137� lat.   -104.04255� long.
Grid: X=11.18 Y=36.07
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 5205 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.49233� lat.  -103.47639� long.
Grid: X=41.4 Y=27.9
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 128 Minutes
Bearing: 105.1� True
Range: 31.2 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.51392� lat.  -103.75762� long.
Grid: X=26.4 Y=29.3
Bearing: 113.8� True
Range: 16.596 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 275.8� True
Range: 15.056 Mi.

---

E0SS-178 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

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

Launch Site - Deer Trail
-----------------------
Launch Point: 39.61137� lat. -104.04255� long.
Grid: X=11.18 Y=36.07
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 5205 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.49233� lat. -103.47639� long.
Grid: X=41.4 Y=27.9
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 128 Minutes
Bearing: 105.1� True
Range: 31.2 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 39.5116� lat. -103.74614� long.
Grid: X=27.0 Y=29.2
Bearing: 113.5� True
Range: 17.22 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 275.4� True
Range: 14.432 Mi.

---

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

EOSS Flight Day Frequencies:

NOTE: Fire Operations on all repeaters take precedence, defer to their activities

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

• Repeaters 
  • 449.450 MHz (103.5 Hz Tone) RMRL
  • 147.060 (103.5 Hz Tone) Genoa Repeater (IRLP Node: 3794)
  • 447.875 (103.5 Hz Tone) Deer Trail repeater
• Field Simplex Frequencies  
  • 446.100 MHz simplex for field recovery operations
    • 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.
  • 146.550 MHz Backup field simplex
• 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-177 Balloon Payload Frequencies

• Beacons
  • 147.420 MHz
  • CW ID: K0SCC
• 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

• 147.420 MHz

• ID: K0SCC-11

EOSS-178 Balloon Payload Frequencies

• Beacons

• 147.555 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

• Backup

• None

Flight Systems: 

EOSS-177 

EOSS-178 

Payload Configuration:

• EOSS-177-178_Payload_Plan_RevB.pdf

Payload Experiment Designer

Student Hands on Training (SHOT)

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-177, AE0SS-11

• AE0SS - Nick Hanks at the Ground Station
• K0AMP - Dale Hoffart, Ashland NE
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
• N0YXV-1 - Stanley Coleman, Grand Island, NE

EOSS-178, KC0YA-11

• AE0SS - Nick Hanks at the Ground Station
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO
• N0YXV-1 - Stanley Coleman, Grand Island, NE

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  

This is a double flight on Behalf of the Space Grant SHOT II program.  Two 3000 gm balloons.

We have permission to use the 448.450 machine, however the current fire-effort takes priority.  Most of the other wide-area repeaters in Colorado Springs are being used by the incident commanders, including the Colorado Connection.  So, as an alternative, we are considering using the Deer Trail repeater on 447.875 pl 103.5 or the Genoa repeater on 147.60 + PL 103.5.  I have email messages pending to K0GS.

Breakfast for the trackers will be at the launch site at Deer Trail.

We will not allow auto travel in open fields due to possible fire issues, so bring your walking shoes.  Bring plenty of water and some extra in case we see some fires. 

Grid

Tactical Call Signs

Text Recaps

Photos

Launch Site

Recovery Operations

Audio

not recorded

Video

Data

EOSS-177 AE0SS-11

Text

• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps
• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_kpc3_airborne.txt - Airborne only from KPC3 Log
• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_kpc3_log.txt - Onboard KPC3 Log with annotation by w5vsi.

 Spread Sheets

• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_Flight_Data.csv - airborne only Log ripped to spreadsheet format
• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_Telem_Data.csv - KPC3 Telemetry log

Mapping Files

• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• eoss-177_ae0ss-11_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight
• EOSS-177_predict_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the predicted flight path

EOSS-178, KCYOA-11

Incomplete Data, Antenna Torn Loose

Text

• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps 
• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_airborne.txt- Airborne Findu data

 Spread Sheets

• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_Flight_Data.csv - airborne only Findu data ripped to spreadsheet format

Mapping Files

• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• eoss-178_kc0ya-11_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight