5 Day Forecast for CNNSP-11

The current forecast landing prediction for next Saturday's flight. NWS is calling for highs in the low 60's, partly sunny, a slight chance of rain, and a northerly wind around 8 mph. 

Nearly 100 miles southeast of the launch site

Rog - KC0MWM

SSTV (Slow Scan TeleVision) Payload is functional

The Hastings, NE amateur radio club ARAN (Amateur Radio Association of Nebraska) has completed assembly and testing of their Slow Scan Television or SSTV payload. SSTV is a method of sending still images using a narrow bandwidth. A single image will take about two minutes to transmit. The payload will be sending in-flight images to a ground station every four minutes, using the Martin 1 SSTV mode on 443.500 MHz.

SSTV payload during development.
Raspberry Pi, Pi Camera, and HobbyPCB RS-UV3 Radio Shield.

Below are a couple of test images sent

Thanks Brad KD0JCP, Allen KB0ASQ, and any others that helped to design and build this payload as well as the APRS Igates that will be used the day of the launch.

-Rog

Payload Rework and Testing

We're just shy of a month away from my first launch in almost six years.
I've been busy reworking, redesigning, and testing the payloads that will be used on the upcoming flight.

The launch is in support of the Edgerton Explorit Center, in Aurora, NE.

       Location:  East side of the Edgerton Explorit Center
             Date:  Saturday, May 14, 2016
Launch Time:  9:30 AM CDT  

My friend and ARHAB mentor, Mark Conner N9XTN from NSTAR will also be launching a balloon that day.

Here's a few images of what I've been working on:

Soft-sided lunch coolers make good payload containers. I started using these back in 2005, one of the many ideas I borrowed from Mark N9XTN.

APRS tracking circuitry consisting of a UniTraq model GT-320FW(AS) GPS module and an ArgentData OpenTracker+ SMT. This payload has been fairly reliable the past couple of flights.

Alinco DJ-S11 2 meter transceiver and battery pack tucked away in foam. Top of the image is the data logger enclosure and its GPS module (upper left).

Inside the data logger enclosure. 

Had to do a few repairs to the CW beacon. 

The CW beacon has a new home, tucked inside the foam (pool noodle) on the GoPro camera payload.

Dual GoPro cameras for HD video and stills

I'm waiting for one more device to arrive. Apparently the USPS lost my newest gear somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, so a new one is being shipped and should arrive this week. I'll be trying out a Tracksoar. A new Open Source APRS tracking module. It was a KickStarter project that got funding earlier this year. 

As we get closer to launch day I'll be updating this site with the latest information as well as my Twitter account. 

- Rog KC0MWM

Data Logger Project Complete

Aside from adding some payload string tie points, the data logger payload is now complete for the upcoming launch. Data is logged every 5 seconds and includes time, latitude, longitude, speed, course, date, number of satellites in solution, horizontal dilution of position, altitude, internal temperature, external temperature, relative humidity, absolute atmospheric pressure, and power supply voltage. Special thanks to Roger Frandsen for checking my math on the A/D conversion, and correcting my error(s).

New balloon payload(s)

Working on a new payload for the upcoming balloon launch. Learning to parse GPS data strings on the PICAXE processor and add sensor data to be output to an in-flight data logger, so I don' t have to rely on the APRS telemetry.

-Rog

2016 Spring launch!

I've been corresponding the past several months with Dan Glomski from Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora, NE about doing a high altitude balloon launch as part of their Super Science Saturday program. Dan and I had a chance to sit down earlier this week and hammer out some of the details.

Saturday, May 14, 2016
9:30 am
Edgerton Explorit Center

...more to follow as the launch gets closer.

-Rog

Long overdue update

The old CNNSP website is terribly out of date and I didn't feel like learning yet another piece of web development software. I opted to save some money by doing away with my current web hosting space for that site and move nearly all of the contents over to Google's Blogger. At some time in the next few months before my hosting is up for renewal, I'll point my domain name www.cnnsp.org over to this blog, which is cnnsp.blogspot.com

For now this blog is the place to check for new information.

-Rog