Flight Recap for EOSS-181/182

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

After a nice 160 plus mile drive, students and trackers recovery the payload

Mike Pappas, W9CN

Flight Coordinator: Jim Langsted (mailto: kc0rps@eoss.org)
LAUNCH DATE: December 9TH, 2012 (wx delay +1 day)
LAUNCH TIME: 07:10 am MST (14:10 UTC)
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, CO (driving directions)

Pre-flight Prediction and Actual Tracks

E0SS-181 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

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=20.00 Y=30.00
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.70233� lat.  -102.56455� long.
Grid: X=145.4 Y=45.8
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 128 Minutes
Bearing: 82.1� True
Range: 126.7 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.7437� lat.  -101.92508� long.
Grid: X=178.8 Y=48.6
Bearing: 82.3� True
Range: 160.286 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 84.9� True
Range: 33.587 Mi.

---

E0SS-182 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

Above Map Files available in the Data Section below

Launch Site - Windsor
-----------------------
Launch Point: 40.47367� lat.   -104.96233� long.
Grid: X=20.00 Y=30.00
Ascent Rate: 1329 feet per minute
Descent Rate: 950 feet per minute
Altitude: 4931 feet
Predicted Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.70233� lat.  -102.56455� long.
Grid: X=145.4 Y=45.8
Altitude: 4500 feet
Flight Time: 128 Minutes
Bearing: 82.1� True
Range: 126.7 Mi.
Actual Landing Site
-----------------------
Landing Point: 40.74261� lat.  -102.59448� long.
Grid: X=143.8 Y=48.6
Bearing: 80.7� True
Range: 125.495 Mi.
Difference from Predicted to Actual Landing Site
--------------------------------------------------
Bearing: 330.7� True
Range: 3.192 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

• Repeaters 
  • 449.450 MHz (103.5 Hz Tone) RMRL PRIMARY
  • 145.295 MHz (100 Hz Tone) Sterling (Backup)
  • 147.500 MHz (No PL Tone) Sterling (Backup)
  • 146.955 MHz (No PL Tone) Holyoke (Backup)
  • 146.655 MHz (No PL Tone) Ovid (Backup)
  • 145.600 MHz Akron (123 Hz tone) Colorado Connection (Backup)
• Field Simplex Frequencies  
  • 446.100 MHz simplex for field recovery operations for EOSS-181
  • 446.150 MHz simplex for field recovery operations for EOSS-182
  • 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
• HF - Possible ops
  • 7.234 LSB
  • 3.810 USB (backup)

EOSS-183 Balloon Payload Frequencies  

• Beacons
  • 147.555 MHz
    • CW ID: AE0SS
  • 445.975 MHz
    • ID:N0IX-11
• 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

• 445.975 MHz

• ID:N0IX-11

Flight Systems:

Flight Systems:    

EOSS-181

EOSS-182

Payload Configuration:

• EOSS-181_Payload_Plan_Rev_D.pdf
• EOSS-182_Payload_Plan_Rev_D.pdf

Payload Experiment Designer

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-181

KC0YA-11 (primary APRS)

• AE0SS - Nick Hanks at the Ground Station
• K0ANI - Larry Cerney, Denver, CO
• KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, ??
• KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Ground Station
• KC0UUO - Rob Wright, Mobile Tracker
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0IX-13 - Doug Gentgas, Littleton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO

 K0SCC-11

• KC0D-2 Mark Patton, Foxfield, CO

EOSS-182

AE0SS-11

• KB0TVJ - Russ Chadwick, ??
• KB0TVJ-4 - Russ Chadwick, Ground Station
• K0ANI - Larry Cerney, Denver, CO
• N0IX-12 - Doug Gentgas, Littleton, CO
• N0IX-13 - Doug Gentgas, Littleton, CO
• N0EB-1 - Richard Beggs, Thornton, CO
• N0PSJ - Christopher Holmes, Arvada, CO

N0IX-11

• N0IX-12 - Doug Gentgas, Littleton, CO
• 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

NEWS From Alpha

Hi Trackers, Thanks to everyone for stepping up to this very long tracking adventure. We will be flying two 3000 gram balloons and hosting over 100 students. We have a great crew and I am sure we will be successful.

Some trackers will advance to the launch site where there will be some breakfast bagels at the launch site. Or they can stop in at Johnson�s Corner for those great cinnamon rolls. For the folks moving towards Sterling on I-76, look to meet at McDonalds in Ft. Morgan sometime about 5:30. Be sure to finish up and get on the road by 6:15 as we may have a long way to go from there. Mark and I will not be joining you at McDonalds as we are going to be booking it to the field and we will meet up with you there.

Be sure to fill up with gas Saturday night, bring warm clothes, water and munchies. Don�t forget Christmas presents for Alpha and his trusty sidekick Mark � really?

Due to the postponement, we have lost a few trackers. Please not the modified list of trackers below.

We will have some new folks on the tracking teams, please make them welcome. KB7MDF, Tim Chapman will be using his Arrow Antennas for DF adventures.

Grid

Tactical Call Signs

Trackers at post-touchdown lunch

by Marty Griffin, WA0GEH

Text Recaps

none

Photos

EOSS-181

Launch Site

• by Nick Hanks, N0LP

Recovery Site

• Mike and Miles Pappas

Audio

recorded, not posted

Video

Data

EOSS-181

KCYOA-11

Text

• eoss-181_kc0ya-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-181_kc0ya-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps 

 Spread Sheets

• eoss-181_kc0ya-11_Flight_Data.csv - airborne only Findu data ripped to spreadsheet format

Mapping Files

• eoss-181_kc0ya-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• EOSS-181_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight

K0SCC-11

Text

• eoss-181_k0scc-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-181_k0scc-11_findu_ts.txt- Findu Log with findu timestamps 

EOSS-182

AE0SS-11

Text

• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_findu_ts.txt - Findu Log with findu timestamps
• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_kpc3_airborne.txt - Airborne only from KPC3 Log
• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_kpc3_log.txt - Onboard KPC3 Log with annotation by w5vsi.

 Spread Sheets

• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_Flight_Data.xlsx - airborne only Log ripped to spreadsheet format
•  - KPC3 Telemetry log

Mapping Files

• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_recap.ptm - MapPoint file of the above recap
• eoss-182_ae0ss-11_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the flight
• EOSS-181_predict_track.kml - Google Earth Track of the predicted flight path

N0IX-11

Text

• eoss-182_n0ix-11_findu.txt - Findu Log
• eoss-182_n0ix-11_findu_ts.txt- Findu Log with findu timestamps