PS-21 PICO balloon with HF payload

[VK2FAK]

Hi all


Another Update if ya needed it Andy...

094000 8 -20 -0.5 -105 3 * VK3YT005010 1 0
094100 7 -23 -0.5 -105 3 * -16417170462 1 0

095200 11 -20 -0.6 -105 3 * VK3YT004909 1 0
095300 8 -18 -0.4 -105 3 * -16489170502 1 0

[VK3YT]

Thanks John,
Keep it coming!
Andy

[ZL1RS]

101000 8 -11 -0.2 -266 3 * VK3YT004605 1 0
101100 6 -14 -0.2 -266 3 * -16572170564 1 0

102000 9 -14 -0.3 -266 3 * VK3YT004506 1 0
102100 7 -17 -0.1 -266 3 * -16601170600 1 0

[VK2FAK]

Hi all....

Still dropping 100m every 10mins...

UPDATE....rate of fall just increased...

103000 12 -14 -0.4 -105 3 * VK3YT004305 1 0
103100 9 -14 -0.4 -105 3 * -16629170647 1 0

Its now under 4000m(10:52pm)...problem is, if it is rain..the lower it gets the more of the rain it will see..

[VK1KW]

113000 3 -21 -0.4 -70 3 * VK3YT003310
113100 3 -22 -0.4 -70 3 * -16774170787

[VK1KW]

114000 10 -17 -0.4 -70 3 * VK3YT003208 1 0
114100 11 -17 -0.5 -70 3 * -16799170793 1 0

[VK1KW]

115200 6 -17 -0.5 -70 3 * VK3YT003007 1 0
115300 4 -22 -0.5 -70 3 * -16826170805 1 0

[VK1KW]

121000 5 -19 -0.5 -70 3 * VK3YT002707 1 0
121100 7 -19 -0.5 -70 3 * -16868170825 1 0

[VK1KW]

Previous one was the last I saw on spec display. Nothing at minutes 20 or 30. No further JT65A decodes.
Will look again tomorrow but think it only had another 50 minutes to fly.
cheers

[VK3YT]

That was the last we saw of PS-21.

Would be nice to see a few more sunrises from the balloon, but the test flight was exceeding expectation.

I'd like to say thanks to everyone in VK and ZL that assisted with collecting telemetry for the test.
It has been a huge effort, and we will aim for more streamlined automation in future HF flights.

See you at the next flight!

Andy

Here are some pics, more at picospace.net

[VK2FAK]

Hi all...

Not saying its done yet.....but looks like.......I keep remembering the Balloon that seemed to touch down on the North Island of NZ....and then was spotted in the air again.....

[ZL1RS]

Hi Andy,

The HF telemetry certainly added a big dimension to the event and it was very interesting to be able to follow it "on air" rather than watching Internet maps.

If you plan on another 'HF balloon', is the transmitter capable of 30m/10m or 30m/12m operation rather than 30m/40m? Using 10 or 12m would provide a better option for tracking during the day as well as continue using 30m at night which seemed to work well on JT65A. 10m or 12m might allow more stable propagation and higher success with Olivia? Maybe even bias the transmissions to the 10m or 12m bands during the time the balloon is illuminated by the sun (as indicated by solar panel output), and bias them to 30m at night?

Also, just a thought about WSPR ... can you arrange the TX frequency away from the "middle frequency" of the standard WSPR bandwidth? Too many stations leave the WSPR software with the default 'TX offset' at the "middle frequency" and so QRMed the 15mW from the balloon.

73,

[VK3YT]

Great feedbacks Bob, I will look at testing some of these out in future flights.

Regards,
Andy

[VK3KCX]

I'm with Bob for the daytime 10M operation and 30M by night. 10 would be preferable over 12 to me as I have a very decent antenna for 10.

Great work Andy.

- David