[TNham] UX-4 Press release - launch this Saturday

[Greg Williams]

The following is a QST:

At 10 AM Eastern Time on Saturday, December 3, the University of 
Tennessee Amateur Radio Club, or UTARC, is launching a small balloon 
test project and is looking for amateurs across North America, South 
America and Europe to listen for its QRP signal.

The mission, number UX-4, contains only a 20 meter CW beacon with 
battery voltage and transmission number being transmitted via the 
beacon. The power out is about 1 1/4 watt depending on antenna ERP. The 
frequency is 14.328 MHz CW. Callsign AA4UT/B

Success of this mission is reliant on the signal reports we get back 
from listeners. The 20m CW transmitter is being tested for use on a 
future mission that will relay telemetry readings as well as produce 
reception reports from earth stations on HF bands. If successful, the 
transmitter will be used on a flight in mid-December to deliver expanded 
telemetry readings about the payload as we attempt a reception distance 
record. Recovery operations are not planned for this flight as only the 
20m beacon and battery are onboard. It will have a homemade parachute 
and ID tags on the payload in case it is recovered in a populated area.

UTARC will spot the transmitter on DXclusters and there will be QSL info 
in the beacon ID. If you would like to email your report, please send an 
email to info at utarc.org <mailto:info at utarc.org> with your Callsign, QTH, 
and signal report.