Two Aussie balloons float from California

PicoBaloonFrom Amateur Radio Victoria, original post here:

The foil party-type pico balloon launcher Andy Nguyen VK3YT could not resist the opportunity during a work assignment on the USA west coast to float a few balloons.

Working for a month at San Jose, the out-of-sequence balloon PS-54 with a solar power APRS payload feeding a 25 mW transmitter, went up last Saturday to test the local environment.

In doing so, Andy VK3YT is the first to launch such balloons in both the southern and northern hemispheres.

A tracker network of stations followed one that had earlier circled the earth, and then they tracked another balloon as it did two circumnavigations.

Andy VK3YT described his debut flight as “zooming right past the San Francisco Golden Bridge at 8000m, and spent a whole day bouncing along the west coast of California, right next to some other local up and down balloon launches.

“The weather was a bit too rough. The tiny balloon took a few dives before gaining altitude again at sunset, then went silent again thought possibly due to antenna damage from the beating it took during the day.”

However, good news came when PS-54 popped up again after floating three days later. By this time it had travelled 1800 km, probably doing a loop over the Pacific Ocean out of range, then floating via Los Angeles to Arizona state to the east.

By chance it passed right above Andy while he was driving around LA – what a small world. This northern hemisphere APRS-only maiden flight was followed by another.

PS-53 was released on Sunday September 13 with a payload this time with WSPR and JT9 on HF. It was tracked during a period of good propagation by ZL, VK and local US stations (including VK4RV, VK5BC, ZL1RS, W3BH, WB7ABP, AK4AT, WX4F & K4COD).

On leaving San Jose it went north to Sacramento, then east across the border to Nevada clocking up 725 km, but seemed to have been lost in desert country due to due to envelope failure.

His exploits and expertise have captured the imaginations of many US trackers, who mainly follow latex weather-type balloons until they burst and crash to ground.

*** APRS PS-54 LAST HEARD 22 HOURS AGO AS OF THE TIME OF THIS POST ***
APRS Track here, flight info here.

PS-54 Flight*** HF WSPR PS-53 DID CRASH SEPTEMBER 14 DUE TO ENVELOPE FAILURE ***
Flight info here, WSPR data here.
PS-53 Balloon

YARRRR!! Flagpole Contest

PirateFrom Manly Warringah Radio Society, original post here:

Manly Warringah Radio Society invites you to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Amateur Radio and Flagpoles by participating in our yearly Flagpole Contest.

This is a fun and as you can see not too serious contest that will promote Amateur Radio and portable operations. So dust off your rig, get your antenna in the air and try out some new modes with friends.

When is it?

The contest runs on the Saturday closest to International Talk Like a Pirate Day, from 0000 to 2359 UTC.  The 2015 contest will therefore be on Saturday 19th September.

Why Flagpoles?

Geoff (VK2MIA, now VK2AVR) procured a Flagpole for mobile operations and tweaked the interest of the wider club when he brought it up to the clubhouse one Wednesday night. Upon inspection a group buy was in planning, with Shaun (VK2XPP) taking the lead. The club procured almost 2 dozen flagpoles (From here). Once Shaun picked up the shipment the club members get right to business, with some great results.

So with all these flagpoles ready for field operations the idea for this contest was born and the point structure was decided upon around the club fireplace with more than a few laughs.

Contest Aims

The winner of the competition will be the person who collects the most points during the day of the competition. The goal of the event is to exercise your ability to operate using a portable antenna across multiple modes and perhaps to get you out of your normal operating comfort zone.

Non-flagpole stations are welcome to participate, but will have to work a little harder to get points.  Note: The adjudicators have previously decreed that any “pole” carrying a flag is logically a “flagpole”.  Get creative!

Contest Rules

1. For the extra points, a flagpole must make up part of the antenna or antenna support.
2. The contest runs on the Saturday closest to International Talk Like a Pirate Day, from 0000 to 2359 UTC.
3. The President / Vice-Presidents of MWRS will be adjudicators.
4. This is a fun event, keep it fun and positive.
5. This event is open to all Amateur Frequencies and Modes.
6. A contact will be the exchange of Callsign, Signal Report and a quick report of your flagpole setup!
7. Log’s are to be submitted using the Competition spreadsheet. (See below)

Points

Make a contact using a non-flagpole antenna = 1 Point
Make a contact using a flagpole antenna = 2 Points
Make a flagpole to flagpole contact = 5 Points
Make a contact with D-Star = 10 Points (Maximum of 100 Points)
Make a contact with a F call = 5 Points
Email photo of your flagpole setup to contest@mwrs.org.au = 20 Points
Send a SSTV Image of your flagpole setup to MWRS on HF 14.314159 MHz = 50 Points
Flag being flown from your flagpole = 10 Points (Photo evidence req’d)
Pirate or funny flag being flown from your flagpole = 20 – 100 Points as judged by President
Pirate costume (Photo evidence req’d) = 20 – 100 Points as judged by President

Calling Frequencies

3670 kHz on 80 meters.
7045 kHz on 40 metres.
14.025 MHz on 20m (CW)
14.314159 MHz on 20 metres (SSB/SSTV frequency – 14 ‘Pi’ MHz as Pirates love Pie)
2 metre repeater 146.875 MHz FM output, 146.275 MHz input

Logs

MWRS_Logsheet – Open Office Format
MWRS_Logsheet – Excel Format

Submit your logs to contest@mwrs.org.au along with other supporting evidence
(eg photos of your flagpole station)

VK2RPM Middle Brother Repeater Update

Middle BrotherHenry VK2ZHE, Lyle VK2SMI and Arthur VK2ATM ventured to the Middle Brother Repeater site on Saturday to look at the failed VK2RPM-1 APRS Digipeater.  Its Philips FM-828 transceiver has stopped working and will be looked at during the Wednesday’s Working Bee.

The Icom repeater currently running VK2RPM on 2m 146.7Mhz was also removed during the visit for testing at the Working Bee with a view to eliminating it as a piece of the inter-mod puzzle that continues to plague the site on VHF.  In its place is Henry VK2ZHE’s Yaesu DR-1X repeater which has been set to auto receive both analog FM and C4FM digital (aka System Fusion) and to transmit in analog FM only.

Finally, the club’s new Yaesu DR-1X was installed in place of the Philips FM-815 VK2RPM 70cm 438.525MHz repeater.  This repeater is currently set to Auto/Auto so will automatically repeat in whichever mode you transmit to it – thereby enabling the operation of full digital C4FM via Middle Brother on UHF.

Current plans are to reinstall both the repaired APRS VK2RPM-1 Digipeater and the tested Icom 146.7MHz 2m repeater next week.

VK2RPM-1 Digipeater: Off-Air

VK2RPM 2m Repeater: Analog FM input, Analog FM Output
VK2RPM 2m Repeater: C4FM Digital input, Analog FM Output

VK2RPM 70cm Repeater: Analog FM input, Analog FM Output*
VK2RPM 70cm Repeater: C4FM Digital input, C4FM Digital Output

*Users should note that any packet like signals heard on 438.525 will be C4FM digital transmissions which can be decoded using a Yaesu C4FM transceiver.

 

(Unofficial) September Monthly Meeting Notes

Hello All!  Following yesterday’s monthly meeting, here are a few quick (unofficial) notes:

FAMPARCBill VK2ZCV would like to bring everyone’s attention to the excellent Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Amateur Radio Club (FAMPARC) Webpage that was mentioned during the meeting.

Richard VK2CHC is calling for volunteers for the annual Beechwood Billycart Classic on October 25th – over 10 people of 13 needed confirmed at the meeting with several others tentative (pending consultation with their social directors).  If you’re available for the morning of the 25th please let Richard know – it’s a fun morning out.

Wednesday Working Bees are cancelled for the next couple of weeks following Henry VK2ZHE’s surgery.  Get well soon Henry!

Stuart VK2FSTU will be participating in the Great Cycle Challenge fundraiser to raise money to fight kid’s cancer – Stuart writes:

Stuart Cycle ChallengeI am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge this October to fight kids’ cancer!

Because right now, cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Australia – over 600 children are diagnosed with cancer every year and sadly, 3 die every week.

Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.

So I am raising funds to help these kids and support Children’s Medical Research Institute to continue its work in developing treatments and finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Please support my challenge by making a donation through my fundraising page to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.

Thank you for your support.

Stuart

Please visit Stuart’s Great Cycle Challenge Webpage and give what you can to this very worthy cause.

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