[K3PZN-List] Preparing for Next Balloon Flight

[Pat Kilroy]

Attention all licensed Amateur Radio operators!

YOU ARE INVITED to participate in the next
SimSat mission currently scheduled for sometime
next month, December 2004.

The exact launch date might not be determined
for another week or so.  The date that is
selected for launch will likely be on a weekday
with a release time of 3 P.M. EST again.  See
http://www.patkilroy.com/simsat/ for previous
mission highlights.  This next mission will
be "similar."

This mission will be a practice run for future
local "simulated satellite" experiments when
many school kids are involved.  They will look
for mentors in the local Amateur Radio community
and you will be ready to offer advice!

I am looking for a few volunteers, each to serve
as a Primary Ground Station for selected flight
activities.  You may operate from a mobile,
portable, club, school, work or home station.

Experience is NOT required.  Enthusiasm and
ingenuity however *is* required.

Help is available.

The key volunteer positions are:

1. Act as net control station (NCS) on the High
Altitude Balloon Experimenter's Net on 7204 kHz.

2. Act as NCS for the proposed flight cross-band
repeater, uplink on 440 MHz, downlink on 2m FM.

3. Capture the SimSat Amateur TV video and
audio coming down on Cable Channel 59 to VHS
tapes.  You will need a standard hi-fi VCR, a
beam antenna (or an ordinary UHF TV antenna,
mounted on its "side" if we use vertical
polarization), and a way to get the beam
headings during the flight for your location.

4. Copy and save the APRS data (on packet radio)
through the entire 4-hour mission.

5. Make a time-stamped audio recording of the
nets in progress and some of the "telemetry"
sounds.  Using the N5ACR method, you can record
to a standard 120-minute VHS tape in the "4-hour"
or "6-hour" mode using a hi-fi VCR with WWV
recorded continuously on the right track.  On
the left track, you step through the frequencies
of interest and then repeat the cycle, capturing
parts of the HF net, cross-band net, APRS data,
ATV audio, and record any "personal" notes or
observations if you wish.

6. Assist one of the Primary Ground Stations.

If you want more information as to what is
expected then please call or write any time!

Please sign up for one position or suggest
someone who I can ask directly.

Please pass this invitation on to others, at
your club meeting, on a net, forwarded e-mail,
or word of mouth.

The next mission will be exciting and a lot
of fun.  Come join us!

Sincerely,

Pat Kilroy, N8PK
SimSat Principal Investigator
http://www.patkilroy.com/simsat/

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Patrick L. Kilroy                                                WK
Integration & Test (I&T) Manager        301-286-1984 voice
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center        301-286-1673 fax
Building 5, Mail Code 568               Patrick.L.Kilroy at nasa.gov
Greenbelt, Maryland  20771              http://patkilroy.com/simsat/
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