[aprssig] [amsat-bb] Party Balloon Long Duration Mission (???!)

[Bob Bruninga]

It went over my horizon (from Annapolis) at about 0300z just about perfectly
as predicted for aa 15,000' altitude and 180 miles range.  Caught me by
surprise, as I was working on plots and so did not try to decode the latest
CW until I noticed I didn't hear it anymore.  I think m y last TEMPERATURE
might have been -25C which means it is higher than expected, -OR- the
temperature is colder than the "standard Atmosphere model".

I really don't know this balloon stuff well.  SO we are flying by the seat
of our pants.

I got 0100z winds aloft for 5k, 10k and 18k feet and used that to back out
an estimated track.  Then DR'd that along.  My best guesses are posted on
the APRS-IS as objects.  And then I updated an object "W3ADO-11" balloon at
my best guess at that 0300z time at a LAT of 37.6N and 73.7W headed 120 at
60 MPH.

I hope it turns more easterly by morning.

Everywone listen early as sun rises and maybe we will get some skip?

Update soon on http://aprs.org/balloons.html

Bob, WB4aPR

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu] 
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:43 PM
To: 'Bob Bruninga'; amsat-bb at amsat.org
Cc: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Party Balloon Long Duration Mission (LAUNCHED!)

Balloon was released at 2330z (1930EDT) and is headed SE from Annapolis at 6
knots.

Rising very slowly. But it reached Freezing (0C) at 0020z so that should be
about 7500'

See http://aprs.org/balloons.html

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 4:43 PM

But We notice another Device with CW on nearly the same freq.  Our dial freq
will be 28.223 USB dial, but we hear another CW signal (Italian) down at
28.222 USB dial.</B>
<P>

Filling balloons now.

-----Original Message-----
Balloon web page is up.  Launch hopefully by sunset from Annapolis Maryland.

Start here:    http://aprs.org


-----Original Message-----
If we are lucky, we hope to launch our 6 party-balloon long duration payload
Thursday evening around sunset EST.    It has no APRS, just a 10m CW
telemetry system.  We will have to locate it by signal strength and beam
headings only.

If you have APRS you can uplink your beam heading via APRS so we can see the
DF solution maybe...

More tomorrow (again, if we are lucky).  It will only be at 15,000 feet or
so, vulnerable to weather and not so great winds...

The battery could last 10 days....

Bob, WB4APR