[GCARC] Balloon launch planned for Saturday

[Jon Pearce]

Unfortunately the weather isn't cooperating so the launch is cancelled. We're discussing future plans and will announce them when we figure them out.

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Pearce <jonathanwpearce at outlook.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2024 9:08 AM
To: Jon Pearce <jonathanwpearce at outlook.com>; gcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: RE: Balloon launch planned for Saturday

The rain is forecasted to stop between 11 and noon. The hurricane is circling around Bermuda but winds at 30,000 feet don't appear to be unusually high for those altitudes.  We'll make a launch decision when the rain stops and the clouds clear.

-----Original Message-----
From: gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Jon Pearce
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:07 PM
To: gcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GCARC] Balloon launch planned for Saturday

Saturday looks good for launching the larger balloon configuration that morning, weather permitting. We'll start working on it around 9 and should be ready to launch between 11 and noon, after which we'll be hanging out in the clubhouse watching telemetry.

This balloon is large and will need most of the clubhouse main table for inflation so please keep that table clear on Saturday morning.

This launch will use the large SBS balloon and a ZachTech tracker that incorporates super-capacitors to provide power to the computer and transmitter for short periods when the solar cells are out of direct sunlight (there are no batteries on this flight). It's our first flight with either of these configurations although Mike KG4JYA has been exhaustively ground-testing the ZachTech tracker for several weeks.  Our previous tests were not expected to circumnavigate but we hope that this balloon will rise to almost 40,000 feet, stabilize and send WSPR broadcasts for several weeks as it travels.

Here's some info for anyone interested in monitoring the balloon's flight. The location and other telemetry info (altitude, temperature and solar panel voltage) are sent by the transmitter using the WSPR protocol on 20 meters in 2 two-minute sequential broadcasts with the first starting on the sixth minute of a 10 minute cycle (10:06, 10:16, 10:26, etc.). The first broadcast sends the callsign and grid square and the second sends the telemetry information. Locations are sent as six-digit grid squares and the software will plot the location in the center of that grid square so it won't indicate the exact location of the balloon. Although we directly monitor 20 meter WSPR signals at the clubhouse we probably won't pick up the signals from our balloon; instead those signals will be relayed by dozens of WSPR receiving stations around the world. They'll be uploaded to the WSPRnet website from which they'll be transferred by a program written by Mike KG4JYA to other sites.

The first broadcast will appear on the WSPRnet website, indicating that the transmitter is functioning and providing the callsign to the telemetry decoding software. The second broadcast will provide location and other telemetry metrics on SondeHub and Traquito, so we'll first be looking at WSPRnet to see that the transmitter is working and then two minutes later at the others for the actual telemetry. The transmitter may only work in strong sunlight so there will be times when no telemetry is received, and obviously none when the balloon is in darkness.

Several websites provide info about the balloon:

WSPRNET - this will show the WSPR transmissions of any WSPR stations. Our balloon will be on 20 meters so search for the W2MMD callsign. If you have a free WSPRNET account you can go to the DATABASE page and filter on that callsign. https://www.wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/activity

SondeHub - this shows the balloons (and not other WSPR stations) along with a map showing the location and other info about the balloon. https://amateur.sondehub.org/#!mt=Mapnik&mz=9&qm=12h&mc=40.10854,-74.3486

Traquito - this shows the location of the balloon and graphs of other metrics. Replace the callsign with W2MMD and the date info with the current date. Leave the channel blank. https://traquito.github.io/search/spots/dashboard/?band=20m&channel=269&callsign=KD2KDD&limit=2000&dtGte=2023-05-08&dtLte=2023-06-01

73 de Jon WB2MNF
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