This note is from Max, W0MXX. the groups.io list he refers to is stars-radio
If you can, please give Max a hand and help him blow his science fair competition away!
-Joe KM1P
******
Saturday, Sept. 25th
TENTATIVE launch location: Around Stafford, CT Target landing zone: Near Lowell, MA
Note: This will change on the morning of launch, so keep an eye out for posts! Launch prep begins at 9:30 am with a launch time at around Noon.
(If Saturday is scrubbed, we will shoot for Sunday, and if that’s scrubbed, then next weekend. We will try to keep this thread updated.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Pick and choose from...
Come to the Launch!
We start our prep at 9:30 am and aim to launch by noon.
Keep an eye on our posts on the morning of launch for an updated location.
Stream the prep and launch action for those that can’t make it using your phone. We’ve never done this before, but always been interested, since most people aren’t able to come in person. Our discord server has a Voice Hangout section that could be used for this, though we’re fine with any platform. (this is not expected if you show up haha, just a fun idea)
Track the balloon online!
https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FW0MXX-11&timerange=3600&tail=3600
This gives live updates directly from the transmitter.
This is very useful for us, because it will give a predicted landing location. As it gets close to landing, we can really benefit from people tracking it here, and letting us know where to look. You can post locations here on groups.io, or if you are tracking it live and able to talk, give us your phone number to keep in touch while we’re on the road.
Join our discord server for the most frequent updates. We’d love to have you there in general as we work on weather balloons and try to troubleshoot problems! It’s especially useful on launch day though.
Step 1 - Make a Discord account: http://discord.com/app
Step 2 - Join our server. This invite will expire in 7 days:
Watch this thread on groups.io, or better yet, track the balloon and contribute to it!
Come track the landing beacon!
Bring your 2m mag mount antenna, SDR, and laptop (with wifi access - we use our phone as a mobile hotspot), and try to pick up those final beacons just before (or after) it hits the ground (read: tree). This can really help us to pinpoint where it actually landed.
Max will post tomorrow with more details about using HDSDR and Direwolf to receive, decode, and publish the GPS data online.
Keep up to date on the predicted landing location using tracker.habhub.org (above) or just tuning into others’ posts on our Discord or groups.io. I’m not sure where people will post, but we find Discord easier for these kinds of things.
Come help us physically search for and recover it.
Keep up to date on landing location via groups.io
We’ll agree on a meeting point from which to conduct the search.
Bring some basic survival stuff
Boots, bug spray, water, etc.
Bring your handheld to maintain contact during the search!
We have a slingshot, and are trying to grab a fishing reel in time in order to try and fish it out of a tree should the cutdown system not work. If you have any other tools you think could help with that, bring em!
If you are a tree climber, bring your gear! We’ll put you to use!