Hi!
If you are in the southwestern USA or northwestern Mexico, here is an opportunity to test a satellite ground station by working the cross- band repeater on this balloon. Transmit on 2m, receive on 70cm, but without the Doppler shift on the downlink signals. Maps with the approximate coverage area of the repeater at various altitudes can be seen at:
Previous balloon flights by this group have had QSOs through the repeater spanning over 600 miles/1000km. Launches are usually around 9am local time (1600 UTC), but can vary depending on weather conditions and launch team readiness. The launch sites are in central Arizona, south of Phoenix.
More information about this group is at:
http://www.ansr.org/ http://www.kd7lmo.net/ansr/ansr.html
and their e-mail list is at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ballooning/
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
(forwarded message with upcoming flight announcement is below)
Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR) is pleased to announce the flight of ANSR-35. This high altitude balloon flight will take place on Saturday, February 10th.
The launch site will be either in Maricopa or Gila Bend, AZ depending on the predicted winds aloft. Follow up announcements will designate and expand launch site information as the flight date nears. The launch time will also be identified in subsequent updates.
The balloon will be a 3000-gram weather balloon, filled with helium. The expected burst altitude will be 90,000 feet or more. The flight is anticipated to last about 2.5 hours from launch to touchdown.
In addition to the ANSR standard payloads, this flight will feature TEN payloads designed and built by Middle and High School students from across Arizona. This is "Changes in Altitudes" program funded and administrated by the Arizona Space Grant Consortium. ANSR thanks AZ Space Grant for another opportunity to fulfill our mission: Promoting Science and Education Through Amateur Radio and High Altitude Balloons.
The talk-in will be on the Sacaton Peak 447.725 MHz. During the flight most coordination will be conducted via the balloon-borne Cross band repeater. Long distance stations are welcome to make DX contacts during this flight but please give priority to the chase and recovery teams. We will use GMRS/FRS radios on channel 7 to communicate with the student chase vans.
The following is the payload frequency plan:
APRS Beacon
445.950 MHz packet at 5, 25, 35, 55 seconds UTC time via KD7LMO-11
Cross Band NB-FM Voice Repeater
Input: 145.560 MHz/162.2 Hz PL tone
Output: 445.525 MHz Linked to IRLP Node 9255
APRS when repeater not in use on 445.950 MHz at 10, 20, 40, and 50
seconds UTC time via KD7LMO-11
Landing prediction after burst at 15 and 45 seconds UTC time via
KD7LMO (no -SSID)
Pico Beacon APRS
445.950 MHz packet at 0, 30 seconds UTC time via KD7LMO-11
Our mobile cross band Digipeater will repeat the APRS data to the 144.390 MHz standard APRS frequency and thus will be I-GATED to the Internet for out of area trackers. You can track the flight using either of the following links:
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?kd7lmo-11
http://map.aprsworld.net/kd7lmo-11
Be sure to check this site for updates to this announcement prior to the flight.
Jack Crabtree, W7JLC ANSR/AZ Space Grant Liaison