Shaftesbury Stratospheric Balloon Project
Teens send balloon into space, get aerial photos of Earth
POSTED BY CORY DOCTOROW, MARCH 17, 2009 11:29 PM | PERMALINK
Teen scientists at IES La Bisbal school in Catalonia sent a latex balloon 20 miles into the sky, to the edge of space, and took stunning photos of the Earth with it,
using a cheap digital camera:
Building the electronic sensor components from scratch, Gerard Marull Paretas, Sergi Saballs Vila, Marta Gasull Morcillo
and Jaume Puigmiquel Casamort managed to send their heavy duty £43 latex balloon to the edge of space and take
readings of its ascent.
Created by the four students under the guidance of teacher Jordi Fanals Oriol, the budding scientists, all aged 18-19,
followed the progress of their balloon using high tech sensors communicating with Google Earth.
Team leader Gerard Marull, 18, said: "We were overwhelmed at our results, especially the photographs, to send our
handmade craft to the edge of space is incredible."
Completing their landmark experiment on February, the Meteotek team had to account for a wide variety of variables and
rely on a lot of luck.
"The balloon we chose was inflated with helium to just over two metres and weighed just 1500 grams," said Gerard. "It
was able to carry the sensor equipment and digital Nikon camera which weighed 1.5kg.
"However, when we launched at 9.10am on that morning the critical point for the experiment was to see if the balloon
would make it past 10,000m, or 30,000ft, which is the altitude that commercial airliners fly at."
Due to the changing atmospheric pressures, the helium weather balloon carrying the meteorological equipment was
expected to inflate to a maximum of nine and a half metres as it travelled upwards at 270 metres-per-minute.
"We took readings as the balloon rose and mapped its progress using Google Earth and the onboard radio receiver," said
Gerard.
"At over 100,000ft the balloon lost its inflation and the equipment was returned to the earth.
"We travelled 10km to find the sensors and photographic card, which was still emitting its signal, even though it had been
exposed to the most extreme conditions."
The pupils' incredible school science project has already caught the attention of the University of Wyoming in the US.
Manitoba Space Academy
The Manitoba Space Academy is a branding of the six programs, or pillars, of what was originally the Win-Cube Project for
Manitoba students to design, build, test, launch and track a very small satellite, called a pico-satellite. Pico-satellites must
weigh less than one kilogram and must be the size of a 10 cm cube to fit into the launch mechanism.
As one of the first programs to involve high school students, Win-Cube has moved forward in “fits and starts,” as the
organizing committee works out the intricacies of involving high school students in “rocket science.”
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Win-Cube Project
The Win-Cube Project was the inspiration for the Manitoba
Space Academy. Win-Cube relates directly to the final activity of the program which is
the launch of a satellite with the other programs serving as the building blocks. This
program grew out of the successful Cube Sat projects start at Cal State Poly. In Canada,
this program has been vigorously pursed by the Faculty of Engineering at the University
of Toronto. Win-Cube was the first project to include high schools.
Manitoba Space Adventure
The Manitoba Space Adventure
is a one week space camp to prepare high school students for further participation in the
Win-Cube program. Students need to upgrade the high school physics to be able to
understand the vocabulary and concepts that are part of Win-Cube. Space camps occur
at the beginning of summer usually held at the School of Aerospace Studies, 17 Wing,
Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg.
Amateur Radio Licensing
Short wave radio links pico-satellites to the ground
stations that gather information from them. Acquiring an amateur radio license gives
participants the ability to operate the equipment that monitors all the satellites using the
bandwidth set aside for cube satellites. Win-Cube, in partnership with the Winnipeg
Amateur Radio Club, offers preparation courses for the qualifying examinations for the
license.
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BalloonSat
Students design and build
the balloon apparatus as well as design the experiments that the payload will do. The high
altitude balloons may reach a height of over 30 000 metres, the edge of space. The students
learn a wide variety of hands-on skills such as soldering and more advanced skills such as
programming bread boards. The balloons are launched and tracked by the use of amateur radio
equipment. At this level, the other onboard equipment are usually a camera and a GPS device so
that the balloon can be tracked.
http://www.mindset.mb.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=39&Itemid=120
Applications for Manitoba Space Academy, Sept. 2
Winnipeg, Canada - Win-Cube , a project for
Manitoba students to participate in designing, building, launching and tracking a small satellite, welcomes
students interested in a high level science, physics and engineering challenge to apply to participate in the
project for the next two years. MindSet, as a founding member of Win-Cube, provides financial and other
support. Students accepted into the program must participate in a set number of activities to receive
recognition for their participation. Among the activities available in the program are:
Manitoba Space Adventure – a space camp to bridge high school physics to space science
Amateur Radio License – a license to operate the equipment that communicates with satellites
Balloon-Sat – testing payloads launch by launching them with high altitude balloons
Space Design Course
The program is further enriched by special events from time-to-time. These have included:
SpaceBio Conference – a conference that looks at the applications of life science in space
Interview with astronauts on the International Space Station – participants spoke with astronauts on
Mission 15 of the ISS as it passed over Winnipeg
special events – these have included Win-Cube workshop with Dr. Vicky Hipkin, the lead Canadian
scientist with the Mars Phoenix Project and dinner with Dr. Marc Garneau, then President of
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Canadian Space Agency and Canada’s first astronaut
Students can join as individuals or as groups from their school.
Students, teachers and parents wanting further information about the program or to enroll in the project before
Sept. 30, 2008 should contact Norm Lee, nlee35@shaw.ca or 204-977-4017.
A balloon experiment consists of three parts. The balloon itself, a parachute to safely carry the
scientific payload back to the ground after the flight is completed, and the instrument, often called the
payload.
The balloons are made out of polyethylene that is only 0.8 mil. thick. This is about half as thick as
ordinary plastic wrap, most of which is 2 mil. thick. These balloons can carry a payload weighing as
much as 8,000 pounds (3,630 kilograms) - about the weight of three small cars. The size of the balloon
used is determined by the weight of the scientific payload. These balloons are manufactured locally by
Raven Industries, Inc., Sulphur Springs Balloon Plant, Texas. Quality control must be very strict
and currently this is the only one place in the entire world that these balloons are made!
Scientific balloons are considerably larger than weather balloons. An inflated weather balloon is only
3 feet in diameter and carries about 6 pounds.
Balloons can fly to an altitude of 26 miles (42 kilometers), with flights lasting an average of 12 to 24
hours. Special Long Duration balloon flights can last for more than two weeks. When the balloon
reaches 50,000 feet, the temperature drops to -70 degrees Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit). However, at the
balloon's highest altitude it gets somewhat warmed up by the Sun and the temperature rises to about -
40 Celsius ( -40 Fahrenheit). Even though the temperature is still extremely low, there are often more
concerns with the payload getting too hot than too cold. Since the air pressure is low (1/500ths of sea
level pressure), cooling by air works much less well at ballooning altitudes than it does on the ground.
So even though the outside air is very cold, it doesn't take heat away from the package very well, so
the usual sources of heat (Sun, or the operation of electronics, etc. inside the package) can potentially
cause the package to get very hot.
Long Trail School High Altitude Balloon (Vermont)
Video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_gSuaNtK5Q ) it goes up, the curvature of the Earth is
visible arround the 4 minute mark, then it comes back down landing in a tree.
Electronics Stuff (http://www.nearsys.com/catalog/balloonsat/easy.htm )
(http://www.ece.umanitoba.ca/umars/projects/pastproj/balloon95/index.html)
THE CROWNING MOMENT
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The high-altitude balloon experiment took place on August 20, 1995 (Sunday). The launch was made
into a clear sky by two individuals from Environment Canada, from the parking lot behind the
Environment Canada warehouse at 1514 GMT. They have donated the balloon, and covered all the
Transport Canada paperwork for us before the launch (a LOT of work).
Since the winds were high (9 to 14 knots), the two launchers had to run with the balloon and the
payload from a shelter to an open field to prevent the balloon from bursting.
THE PAYLOAD
The balloon payload included an HF beacon transmitting Morse code on 28.090, and a VHF packet
mailbox on 145.790. We intended to transmit the Global Positioning System (GPS) data every minute
on this VHF frequency.
Environment Canada also included their own radiosonde into the payload, attached on a tether 100 feet
below the UMARS payload. They were testing out an emergency weather data collection system, in
parallel with our GPS experiment and temperature and humidity sensors.
EXPERIENCE
Unfortunately for us, the movement was too much for the payload, so the GPS and HF beacon stopped
working as the launchers ran across the field. Before we could discover this and fix the problems, the
balloon was floating overhead! The last position the GPS gave us was the parking lot behind the
Environment Canada warehouse that we launched from! We did, however, have a functioning packet
mailbox, with an incredible number of hams trying to log into it. The response was overwhelming!
It was planned that we were to give updates based on our GPS data to Air Traffic Control every 15
minutes so they could divert air traffic. (Those Transport Canada people were also very supportive of
our project!). We were forced to give the best estimates we could using visual spotting and our backup
radio direction finding methods as we were not receiving GPS data. Environment Canada also called
us with a position report just over an hour after launch.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada lost their balloon signal after 62 minutes. The winds from the
west were higher than expected, so the balloon was travelling at 60 knots at 30,000 feet when the last
precise position using the Environment Canada LORAN system lost the signal, as it was obstructed by
nearby buildings.
We stayed in contact with the balloon for another 50 minutes, thanks to the efforts of VE4ABE and
VE4ARN at Balloon Central at our University club room (and a 110-watt linear amplifier and high -
gain receiver preamp on our 150 foot repeater antenna!).
The balloon continued eastward over Northwestern Ontario, and likely had reached about 75,000 feet
before popping (we used an 1100 gram Totex balloon* - it was too windy for the 90,000 cu ft. Raven).
We have not yet recovered the payload but have an estimate of where it ended up thanks to
Envonment Canada and the data they collected from their radiosonde attached to our payload. We
estimate it to have come down within 20 km of the Willard Lake and Vermillion Bay Area (nearer to
Dryden) in the heart of cottage country. We are not going to send out search parties to find it at this
time but the $100 reward still stands for any who may find it.
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Ontario Department of Natural Resources was contacted about the payload, and a bulletin was faxed to
all the helicopter pilots currently working in the areas between Kenora and Thunder Bay on the forest
fires. Local offices of the OPP, bush pilots in Kenora and Dryden, CKDR radio in Dryden, and
amateur radio operators in the area have also been alerted to be on the lookout for the payload in their
travels.
The club has decided to get another callsign for experimental projects like the balloon launches so as
not to be confusing to people logging into the digital radio mailbox on the payload. This callsign is
VE4UMX. (Note: this has now been approved by Industry Canada). Also, if a packet mailbox is sent
up in the next payload we will have it on its own frequency so that telemetry information will not be
affected and fox hunting will be made easier.
FINAL COMMENTS
Although we have not retrieved our payload yet, we have learned a lot and are already working on
new designs for the next balloon launch. I would expect the next one to be in the spring or late fall at
the earliest. We are currently working on data received from Environment Canada on the flight in
order to produce flight data profiles for the 62 minutes that information is available for. Briefly, some
of the major point are that the balloon was ascending at an average rate of only about 520 ft/min, and
that the last speed recorded was about 60 knots.
We have gone through the packet logs and have sent out QSL cards to those radio amateurs who
actually connected and those who tried to connect with the payload.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to all hams outside the project who helped us try to track the balloon by monitoring the
frequencies and offering help in a variety of different ways. Thanks also to Akjuit Aerospace
Incorporated who sponsored the aquisition of the necessary hardware and software for our balloon
projects, and to Environment Canada for arranging the paperwork and donating the balloon and time
to set up and launch. Thanks also to Linnet Geomatics International Inc., for donating electronic maps
of Manitoba for use with the tracking software, and to Bristol Aerospace Ltd., who helped us design a
payload parachute.
LAUNCHING PROCEDURE MANUAL
Given the number of steps that need to be improved, a simple listing of suggestions would not be
adequate to properly impart the whole mindset of decreasing the probability of component or
procedural failure. Therefore, a systematic approach is taken in this document, where explanations are
given under each of the major categories of design, construction, testing, administration, flight
planning, launch preparations, pre-launch checklist, tracking / telemetry, and post-flight analysis.
The purpose for these exercises remains to be for gaining experience in working with cutting - edge
GPS and communications technology, to gain insight into strategies for both the hardware and
organization useful to the amateur radio community to better meet public emergency and routine
volunteer communication needs, as well as to serve as a stimulus for interest in technology and
teamwork with other hams and students at the University.
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DESIGN
Use redundancy - separate telemetry channel from voice and digital contacts. This means that
additional frequencies and bands will be used for packet contacts, cross - band repeater use and
beacons. HF frequencies would be used for beacons, while it is li kely that a VHF - UHF crossband
combination would be used for a repeater. Telemetry should be on the 2M VHF band, as this is the
most common band for use by radio amateurs in the club.
All electronics should be chosen to be able to withstand testing that include severe temperature ranges
that mimic conditions in the air: 60 C for high, - 40 for low.
A lightweight frame should be used to mount the different balloon electronic modules . This frame
should be easily lifted out of the styrofoam box for testing and repairs. The frame material can also
serve as a ground plane if metallic.If a composite material is used, it must be as light as possible. All
modules should be mounted in lightweight boxes for strength and ease of assembly and
troubleshooting. Aluminum boxes can be used if light enough, or else plastic boxes sprayed with RF
protective coatings, such as EMI - RFI Shield from Electrosonic (stock # 10 - 4807, $9.09 / can).
Circuit boards should be coated to prevent moisture damage or shorting using an RTV, urethane or
silicone - based cover such as Hysol PC28 Spray (urethane) (stock # PC28, $12.30 / can) from
Electrosonic. All circuit boards will be shock mounted within the boxes, with rubber grommets around
the bolts. Grommets are available at WES (Cardinal Electronics) in all sizes at moderate cost. Boxes
can be purchased, made by us, or custom built (Empire Sheet Metal on Route 90 can do boxes -
minumum charge $15.00 per order).
All electronics must be in as lightweight yet as strong a configuration as possible. This means that
printed circuit boards should be made for custom designs. Copper - clad protoboards could also be
used for non - surface mount components.
Should wire-wrap construction be used, all IC's must be soldered at the power and ground pins of their
sockets to secure them in place. All crystals shall be directly soldered in place, with a rigid wire
soldered over them from the ground plane to provide extra strength and additional noise immunity.
TNC's and transmitters will be a small as possible, using single-board units and/or surface mount
technology.
No wire will run from board to board using strictly soldered connections. All connecting wires will be
at least 24 guage, stranded wire to prevent vibration breakage. Likewise, all wires will be soldered are
also polarized for proper insertion. Power wires will be 22 guage, with redundant connections on the
battery packs - ie, separate connections to each positive and negative point of 2 - 15 volt lithium
batteries in parallel. Rubber grommets will be used for all access holes where 22 guage wire leaves
packages.
Fuses will be used from each module to power. Power connectors will be in parallel, in order that each
system is independent in its power supply. This means that only one module will shut down at a time
if a fuse blows. A diagnostic routine can be programmed in to check whether any fuses have blown.
Power supply voltage will also have to be monitored to further aid in troubleshooting and keeping
track of payload power usage.
Voltage regulators should be heat sinked, with the sink bolted to the aluminum box for maximum heat
dissipation in the enclosed space. This will also aid to heat the box in the cold high altitude air. Heat
sink thermal joint compound such as Thermalcote (from Active Electronics) will be used on all metal -
metal connections conducting heat.
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A remote cut - down mechanism will be utilized and tested. There should be a way of remotely testing
to see if it worked. The preferred method is to use nichrome, or "toaster" wire, that will cut the neck of
the balloon when a potential is applied across it. This mechanism will be self - disabling after a
predetermined time to prevent heating of the element once on the ground.
Separate command and telemetry channels will be used for the payload. Telemetry will consist of a
steady stream of GPS positional data on a dedicated VHF 2M frequency, while telemetry will be
transmitted either a separate frequency of its own or with the GPS data.
An HF beacon will be used for propagation testing and locating should VHF and UHF transmitters
fail.
Ideally, each package will have either its own power supply, or have redundant, heavy duty
connections to a parallel package of two batteries.
CONSTRUCTION
All soldering will be tested by putting pressure on the connections after they have cooled. Likewise,
each connection will be tested / inspected for continuity and cold solder joints.
Antennas will be secured in place with silicone sealant in such a way that if stress is put on the antenna
(ie, on landing) the antenna will be able to bend without breaking the feed cable. Feed cables will be
coax that is securely soldered, with the entire connection protected with heat shrink tubing.
All plug and soldered wire connections will be protected with heat shrink tubing to prevent vibration
from weakening the solder connections.
Wire runs will be kept to a minimum to avoid crosstalk and resistance.
Sensors will be calibrated using U of M equipment - humidity, temperature, pressure, etc.
Environmental chambers can be found in the faculty of Agriculture, and Botany or Chemistry
departments in the Faculty of Science.
TESTING
The philosophy used in testing will be to ensure that the payload will survive the effects of vibration,
landing shock, extreme temperatures and moisture. The intention is to be able to retrieve the payload
in order that it be used again for future flights, demonstrations, field exercises and fox hunts.
As each portion of the payload is completed, it will undergo a burn - in time to ensure functionality.
This should last at least two days.
After burn - in , there will be shock and vibration testing of each component. The component must
survive a cushioned landing from a height that allows the styrofoam covering it to achieve terminal
velocity, ie. a speed of at least 25 ft/sec. Obviously, expensive components will get extra padding so
that it is the connections that are put under stress, and not the integrity of the part itself. Vibration
testing will take place by imitating the effect of a rough takeoff and landing. During the test phase, all
details of the repairs that take place and the reasons for failure will be noted. Once these tests are
finished, the unit will be tested for a further 2 days (at least) or preferably at least a week. These tests
will be in the form of fox hunts, running the device while driving around the city, bench burn - in, etc.
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ADMINISTRATION
Ensure all parties taking part in the launch have complete information. If Environment Canada is
participating in the launch, they will have to know which days we are looking at to launch, as they will
have to have equipment ready and set up beforehand. Transport Canada and Air Traffic Control (ATC)
will need prior notices, in order that NOTAMs be issued in advance of the flight. Waivers will also
have to be obtained for the flight. Media outlets need at least a week notice if they are to cover the
event.
It is very important that all launch clearances be gained before flight. This means that Transport
Canada must be contacted at least 1 month before the expected day. A helpful person in the
department is the Civil Aviation Inspector, Air Navigation System Requirements, Aerodrom Standards
& Certification. If launching in conjunction with Environment Canada, they may handle this aspect of
the flight.
The reason for the contact with Transport is so that a waiver can be obtained to do the launch in
controlled airspace (ie., the air above Canada!). It is also necessary to get the proper contacts set up
with those that are in air traffic control. Also, minimum parameters will be set up for the launch, for
example, visibility must be 5 miles up to 10,000 feet, and winds less than 15 knots on the ground.
A new callsign has been approved by Industry Canada for future UMARS experimental activities.
This will remove confusion while people are trying to log into the balloon TNC in the future. The new
callsign is VE4UMX and will be used to identify the actual experimental payload being used. Net
control stations, data reporting stations, etc. will use VE4UM, while VE4UMR will be for use
exclusively on the repeater.
FLIGHT PLANNING
Consider the objectives of each flight, and look for winds that will send the payload in the proper
direction. For example, if it is a long search - and - recover mission that is desired, it may be
preferable to launch in Saskatchewan or Western Manitoba.
No portions of the payload will be flown any less than two days testing time before flight, preferably a
week. This allows for burn - in time on electronics and testing all possible parameters for
communication - related functions.
Wind trends will be monitored for a week before launch. This includes both surface and upper air
winds. This will serve as a base indicator of whether the launch will be likely to go ahead on the
expected date.
LAUNCH PREPARATIONS
Winds must be guaged to ensure that they will not be excessive on launch day. Likewise, it is
important that they allow the payload to land beyond a safe distance of city limits - for example, at
least 20 miles out for a safety factor. Maximum launch speed will be 10 km/hour, in order that the
balloon can be walked to the launch site. This will allow a Raven balloon to be used for maximum
altitude, and thus the best data results can be obtained. Launching in a lower wind will also reduce
jostling of the payload. Upper air winds must not be more that 40 knots, otherwise we run the risk of
blowing into the U.S., Lake Winnipeg, or thick bush in Northwestern Ontario. Estimates can be
obtained from Environment Canada, through the launch contacts, or the Flight Service Centre.
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Given the nature of the terrain in this district, fox hunters and trackers must be prepared for bush and
water travel. Appropriate bush gear, canoes and/or powerboats will be needed on the expedition
should the payload land in such and area. Canoes will be necessary if there are portages through
numerous lakes.
A month prior to launch, alert the Amateur Radio community that there will be a launch on a certain
date, with a scrub date also given in the message. Repeat the message 2 weeks before, then during the
week up to launch with any updates to payload, timing, etc. Arrange to have interested people act as
chasers. Have a chaser coordinator (preferably the person who will work in the club room on launch
day) arrange to have all chasers at a central location 1 1/2 hours before launch for deployment.
Deployment will depend on the wind information obtained from Environment Canada. Launch will
not take place until chasers are in place.
PRELAUNCH CHECKLIST
1. The ground chase teams must be deployed to their locations before launch.
2. The club room chase controller must have all radios operation properly, and have established
contact with Air Traffic Control
3. Before launch, it is imperative to maintain contact with Air Traffic Control. The telephone
number for Winnipeg Ground Control (responsible for all air traffic within 5 miles of the airport )
is
__________________________,
while the number for the Area Control Centre is
__________________________.
Both must be called 2 hours prior to launch, again at 1 hour, then a 15 minutes heads - up and
finally, at the moment it is released.
4. -Ground checks will be run on each component of the payload by radio. The payload will use
power provided on the ground to preserve the batteries.
5. As the balloon is being inflated, the amount of lift must allow for an ascent rate that will not be
so slow that the balloon would be blown more than 80 miles east or north, or into the US if there
is an chance of that happening.
6. If Environment Canada is launching, they will inspect the integrity of the load. This should
also be done several days before launch, in order
7. to avoid any problems unforseen by the UMARS people when assembling the payload.
8. The integrity of the parachute attatchment and any other payloads will be tested.
9. When launching, the payload will be tethered to a 20 metre cord of sufficient strength.
This is pre-tested by weighing down the entire cord length with 5X the lift of the balloon, to take into
account any wind effects. The tether will be firmly tied to a strength point at the bottom of the
payload, such as the bottom of a nylon mesh screen. The end held to the ground will be tied onto a
loop - type handle so that it does not cause too much pressure on the holder's hand. The suggested cord
for this use is 40 lb. test fishing line, such as that used on the parachute.
Tests will be done at this point on all portions of the payload - ie, a packet contact will be tried, cross -
band repeater strength and sensitivity will be tested, and telemetry tested (everything but the cut -
down mechanism - this can be tested for continuity with a diode - protected A/D converter). It is
suggested that the restraining cord be cut when all tests are complete and all systems have passed.
Cutting the cord will prevent tangling.
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TRACKING & TELEMETRY
One club member will remain at the launch site with the Environment Canada team to serve as a
redundant tracking location in the event that positional contact is lost with the UMARS payload of the
balloon. They will plot the location and altitude of the balloon as it progresses. It would also be of
advantage to get a copy of their software if possible, in that it could be used as an additional backup
with the 150 foot tower at the UMARS club location should the Environment Canada station lose the
radiosonde signal. A scanner set up for 403 MHZ can be used for reception.
Likewise, if we can get a copy of the tracking software, it would be useful to
practice with the system by borrowing a radiosonde from Environment
Canada to ensure the system works before flight.
At least 1 hour before launch, there will be an experienced member in the
club room, running the tracking net. They will place chase teams before
launch, and direct them as the balloon progresses. There will be at least one
additional assistant in the club room to plot the balloon and chase team
progress on a large-scale aeronautical wall map. The head of the club
tracking location will also be the contact person with Area Air Traffic
Control, giving bearing, distance and altitude of the balloon from the airport.
Should the UMARS balloon equipment fail to give precise positional data,
the member with the Environment Canada tracking location will then
provide the positional reports to Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The members at the UMARS club will switch from the VHF roof antenna to
the repeater antenna once the chase teams are out of range of the UMARS
repeater. The repeater will then be run from a temporary 2 M vertical on the
roof. Using the UMARS 150 - foot tower will enable trackers to maintain
contact with the balloon for a considerably longer distance. In order to
maintain contact, a preamplifier can be used on the input, and a 100 - watt
linear amplifier on the output. Net control will then continue on the MRS
repeater system, and cellular telephones if the need arose.
Should the winds before flight suggest a possible landing in a remote
location, provisions should be made for renting an aircraft for use during the
flight. Aircraft are available at Winnipeg Flying Club, often on short notice,
for charter at about $110.00 per hour. This will enable a tracker to follow
the balloon on its decent, and determine if it is still functional on landing.
One likely possibility is to call up the CASA people, and ask if they would
like to use our balloon flight as a search and rescue exercise. Tracking a
transmitter would be like looking for an ELT, while the GPS would be like
looking for one of the new types of ELT's expected to be approved for use
in the near future. This way, we could also get a UMARS member in the air
as additional tracking redundancy.
POSTFLIGHT ANALYSIS
If possible, get the telemetry data from Environment Canada in order that it
can serve as a comparision to our data. All data collected should be
compiled in a spreadsheet, in order to get pertinent stats:
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average rate of ascent
graph of ground track
graph of telemetry data over time
graph of altitude over time
number of contacts over time
distance and locations of contacts
fox hunters and the route they took - and the time each group took, using different techniques.
HARDWARE DESCRIPTION
Our balloon team put together the balloon payload in 3 main parts:
Styrofoam enclosure
HF beacon and antenna
VHF transceiver, TNC/GPS, and flight computer
STYROFOAM ENCLOSURE
The styrofoam enclosure was 3 cm thick styrofoam, glued together with marine silicone. It was
designed to insulate the load from the extreme cold of high altitude, and provide cushioning on
landing. Given the fact that there are over 100,000 lakes in our province, the payload was also
designed with floatation and minimal water intake in mind! 3 cm of non-conductive foam was used for
additional padding in the bottom of the box as well. Silver mylar covered the box to assist in RF
shielding from the antennas, serve as a ground sink and as a radar reflector (unfortunately, the new
radar in the Winnipeg area will filter out slow - moving small objects, so it wasn't useful in this
regard). The box was built by Arne VE4ARN and Paula VE4MHZ.
The HF beacon was built from scratch by Vern VE4ABE, while the CW ID'er was build from scratch
by Tom VE4TRT. This was designed to transmit on 28.090 Mhz, from a helically - wound antenna 1.4
m wide, using horizontal polarization. The antenna was mounted at the top of the enclosure.
HF BEACON AND ANTENNA
We used the new MFJ digital 2M radio on 145.790 Mhz (APRS frequency). It was connected to a
Paccom Tiny - 2 TNC with a Trimble SVeeSix - CM3 GPS OEM board configured with NMEA
output. It also had the conics limitation turned off (so it doesn't give up at 40,000 ft altitude!).
VHF ANTENNA
The 2M antenna was an end - fed 5/8th wave monted for vertical polarization at the top of the payload.
The antennas were designed and built by Vern VE4ABE and Gord VE4GLS.
VHF TRANSCEIVER, TNC/GPS, AND FLIGHT COMPUTER
GPS data was transmitted every 59 seconds, along with telemetry data that included temperature
inside and outside the enclosure. The temperature sensors used were National LM134H-3 units, which
have good linearity right from -80 deg C to 40 deg C, the range we are interested in. Additional
telemetry gave us the battery voltage and the humidity from a sensor robbed from a canibalized Space
Data Corporation surplus radiosonde. The flight computer was a Microchip PIC16C71. The computer
12
was programmed by Craig, VE4CET, with the help of Mike, VE4MJM. Alex, VE4AIM, provided
advice on getting the PIC initially set up.
PARACHUTE
The parachute was designed as a scaled - down version of that used for payloads from the Black Brant
sounding rocket (designed and built here in Winnipeg, by the way!). It used 2 square sections of strong
nylon, 60" long by 22" wide. 40 lb. test multifilament fishing line ties the payload to the parachute in
such a way to prevent tangling - 60" of line went to 3 points of each of the 4 edges of the parachute,
and were tied to each of the 4 sides of the top of the payload, to the ends of a nylon mesh bag that
completely covered the enclosure. The parachute and nylon enclosure was put together by Andy
Minkevich (and sewn by Gail Tessier).
Misc.
* Apparently Totex is a Japanese made balloon used by Environment Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totex
* also Radiosonde From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A radiosonde (Sonde is French for probe) is a unit for use in weather balloons that measures various atmospheric
parameters and transmits them to a fixed receiver. Radiosondes may operate at a radio frequency of 403 MHz or 1680
MHz and both types may be adjusted slightly higher or lower as required.
In 1924, Colonel William Blaire in the U.S. Signal Corps did the first primitive experiments with weather measurements
from balloon, making use of the temperature dependence of radio circuits. The first true radiosonde that sent precise
encoded telemetry from weather sensors was invented in France by Robert Bureau. Bureau coined the name "radiosonde"
and flew the first instrument on January 7, 1929. Developed independently a year later, Pavel Molchanov flew a
radiosonde on January 30, 1930. Molchanov's design became a popular standard because of its simplicity and because it
converted sensor readings to Morse code, making it particularly easy to use without special equipment or training.
Working with a modified Molchanov sonde, Sergey Vernov was the first to use radiosondes to perform cosmic ray
readings at high altitude. On April 1, 1935, he took measurements up to 13.6 kilometers using a pair of geiger counters in
an anti-coincidence circuit to avoid counting secondary ray showers. This became an important technique in the field, and
Vernov flew his radiosondes on land and sea over the next few years, measuring the radiation's latitude dependence caused
by the Earth's magnetic field.
Modern radiosondes measure or calculate the following variables:
Pressure
Altitude
Geographical position (Latitude/Longitude)
Temperature
Relative humidity
Wind speed and direction
Radiosondes measuring ozone concentration are known as ozonesondes.
Earth's Atmosphere
The Earth's atmosphere (or air) is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by the Earth's gravity. It has
a mass of about five quadrillion metric tons. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen,
0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water
vapor, on average around 1%. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the
surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night.
There is no definite boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. It slowly becomes thinner and fades into space. An
altitude of 120 km (75 mi) marks the boundary where atmospheric effects become noticeable during atmospheric reentry.
The Kármán line, at 100 km (62 mi), is also frequently regarded as the boundary between atmosphere and outer space.
Three quarters of the atmosphere's mass is within 11 km (6.8 mi; 36,000 ft) of the surface.
13
Temperature and layers
The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude; the mathematical relationship between temperature and
altitude varies among five different atmospheric layers (ordered highest to lowest, the ionosphere is part of the
thermosphere):
Exosphere
From 500–1,000 km (310–620 mi; 1,600,000–3,300,000 ft) up to 10,000 km (6,200 mi; 33,000,000 ft), contain
free-moving particles that may migrate into and out of the magnetosphere or the solar wind.
Exobase
Also known as the 'critical level', it is the lower boundary of the exosphere.
Ionosphere
The part of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to 620 mi; 160,000
to 3,300,000 ft) and typically overlaps both the exosphere and the thermosphere. It plays an important part in
atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. Because of its charged particles, it has
practical importance because it influences, for example, radio propagation on the Earth. It is responsible for
auroras.
Thermopause
The boundary above the thermosphere, it varies in height from 500–1,000 km (310–620 mi; 1,600,000–
3,300,000 ft).
Thermosphere
From 80–85 km (50–53 mi; 260,000–280,000 ft) to over 640 km (400 mi; 2,100,000 ft), temperature increasing
with height. The temperature of this layer can rise to 1,500 °C (2,730 °F). The International Space Station orbits
in this layer, between 320 and 380 km (200 and 240 mi).
Mesopause
The temperature minimum at the boundary between the thermosphere and the mesosphere. It is the coldest place
on Earth, with a temperature of −100 °C (−148.0 °F; 173.1 K).
Mesosphere
From the Greek word "μέσος" meaning middle. The mesosphere extends from about 50 km (31 mi; 160,000 ft) to
the range of 80–85 km (50–53 mi; 260,000–280,000 ft). Temperature decreases with height, reaching −100 °C
(−148.0 °F; 173.1 K) in the upper mesosphere. This is also where most meteors burn up when entering the
atmosphere.
Stratopause
The boundary between the mesosphere and the stratosphere, typically 50 to 55 km (31 to 34 mi; 160,000 to
180,000 ft). The pressure here is 1/1000th sea level.
Stratosphere
From the Latin word "stratus" meaning spreading out. The stratosphere extends from the
troposphere's 7–17 km (4.3–11 mi; 23,000–56,000 ft) range to about 51 km (32 mi;
170,000 ft). Temperature increases with height. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, the
part of the Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone.
"Relatively high" means a few parts per million—much higher than the concentrations in the
lower atmosphere but still small compared to the main components of the atmosphere. It is
mainly located in the lower portion of the stratosphere from approximately 15–35 km (9.3–
22 mi; 49,000–110,000 ft) above Earth's surface, though the thickness varies seasonally and
geographically.
Ozone Layer
Though part of the Stratosphere, the ozone layer is considered as a layer of the Earth's
atmosphere in itself because its physical and chemical composition is far different from the
Stratosphere. Ozone (O3) in the Earth's stratosphere is created by ultraviolet light striking
oxygen molecules containing two oxygen atoms (O2), splitting them into individual oxygen
atoms (atomic oxygen); the atomic oxygen then combines with unbroken O2 to create O3. O3 is
14
unstable (although, in the stratosphere, long-lived) and when ultraviolet light hits ozone it
splits into a molecule of O2 and an atom of atomic oxygen, a continuing process called the
ozone-oxygen cycle. This occurs in the ozone layer, the region from about 10 to 50 km
(33,000 to 160,000 ft) above Earth's surface. About 90% of the ozone in our atmosphere is
contained in the stratosphere. Ozone concentrations are greatest between about 20 and 40 km
(66,000 and 130,000 ft), where they range from about 2 to 8 parts per million.
Tropopause
The boundary between the stratosphere and troposphere.
Troposphere
From the Greek word "τρέπω" meaning to turn or change. The troposphere is the lowest layer
of the atmosphere; it begins at the surface and extends to between 7 km (23,000 ft) at the poles
and 17 km (56,000 ft) at the equator, with some variation due to weather factors. The
troposphere has a great deal of vertical mixing because of solar heating at the area. This
heating makes air masses less dense so they rise. When an air mass rises, the pressure upon it
decreases so it expands, doing work against the opposing pressure of the surrounding air. To
do work is to expend energy, so the temperature of the air mass decreases. As the temperature
decreases, water vapor in the air mass may condense or solidify, releasing latent heat that
further uplifts the air mass. This process determines the maximum rate of decline of
temperature with height, called the adiabatic lapse rate. The troposphere contains roughly 80%
of the total mass of the atmosphere. Fifty percent of the total mass of the atmosphere is located
in the lower 5.6 km (18,000 ft) of the troposphere.
The average temperature of the atmosphere at the surface of Earth is 15 °C (59 °F; 288 K).
Kaymont Sounding Balloons
KCI KCI KCI KCI KCI KCI KCI KCI KCI
Reference
200 300 350 450 500 600 700 800 1000
Color uncolored
Average Weight (gr) 200 300 350 450 500 600 700 800 1000
Neck Diameter (cm) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Neck Length (cm) 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
Flaccid Body Length more(cm) 86 108 118 125 143 157 171 184 206
Barely Inflated Diameter
55 69 75 86 91 100 109 117 131
more(cm)
Payload (gr) 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250
Recommended Free Lift (gr) 510 560 585 635 655 870 920 970 1060
Nozzle Lift (gr) 760 810 835 885 905 1120 1170 1220 1310
Gross Lift (gr) 960 1110 1185 1335 1405 1720 1870 2020 2310
Diameter at Release (cm) 117 123 125 130 133 142 146 150 157
Volume at Release (cu. m) 0.83 0.97 1.03 1.1 1.22 1.5 1.63 1.76 2.01
Rate of Ascent (m.min) 320 320 320 320 320 320 320 320 320
Diameter at Burst (cm) 300 378 412 472 499 602 653 700 786
Bursting Altitude (km) 21.2 24.7 25.9 27.7 28.4 30.8 31.8 32.6 33.9
15
Bursting Pressure (hPa) 45.3 26.3 21.9 16.6 14.9 10.4 8.9 7.6 6.6
Reference KCI 1200 KCI 1500 KCI 2000 KCI 3000
Color uncolored/natural
Average Weight (gr) 1200 1500 2000 3000
Neck Diameter (cm) 3 3 5 5
Neck Length (cm) 12 12 18 18
Flaccid Body Length more(cm) 226 253 289 357
Barely Inflated Diameter more(cm) 144 161 184 227
Payload (gr) 1050 1050 1050 1050
Recommended Free Lift (gr) 1190 1280 1420 1670
Nozzle Lift (gr) 2240 2330 2470 2720
Gross Lift (gr) 3440 3830 4470 5720
Diameter at Release (cm) 179 185 195 212
Volume at Release (cu. m) 2.99 3.33 3.89 4.97
Rate of Ascent (m/min) 320 320 320 320
Diameter at Burst (cm) 863 944 1054 1300
Bursting Altitude (km) 33.2 34.2 35.4 37.9
Bursting Pressure (hPa) 7.3 6.3 5.3 3.7
* Mobile phone tracking
Mobile phone tracking tracks the current position of a mobile phone even on the move. To locate the
phone, it must emit at least the roaming signal to contact the next nearby antenna tower, but the
process does not require an active call. GSM localisation is then done by multilateration based on the
signal strength to nearby antenna masts.[1]
Mobile positioning, i.e. location based service that discloses the actual coordinates of a mobile phone
bearer, is a technology used by telecommunication companies to approximate where a mobile phone,
and thereby also its user (bearer), temporarily resides. The more properly applied term locating refers
to the purpose rather than a positioning process. Such service is offered as an option of the class of
location-based services (LBS)[2].
Contents
1 Technology
2 Operational purpose
3 Bearer interest
4 Privacy
5 Free Services
6 References
7 See also
8 External links
16
[edit] Technology
The technology of locating is based on measuring power levels and antenna patterns and uses the concept that a mobile phone always
communicates wirelessly with one of the closest base stations, so if you know which base station the phone communicates with, you
know that the phone is close to the respective base station.
Advanced systems determine the sector in which the mobile phone resides and roughly estimate also the distance to the base station.
Further approximation can be done by interpolating signals between adjacent antenna towers. Qualified services may achieve a precision
of down to 50 meters in urban areas where mobile traffic and density of antenna towers (base stations) is sufficiently high. Rural and
desolate areas may see miles between base stations and therefore determine locations less precisely.
[edit] Operational purpose
In order to route calls to a phone the cell towers listen for a signal sent from the phone and negotiate which tower is best able to
communicate with the phone. As the phone changes location, the antenna towers monitor the signal and the phone is roamed to an
adjacent tower as appropriate.
By comparing the relative signal strength from multiple antenna towers a general location of a phone can be roughly determined. Other
means is the antenna pattern that supports angular determination and phase dicrimination.
Newer phones may also allow the tracking of the phone even when turned on and not active in a telephone call-. This results from the
roaming procedures that perform hand over of the phone from one base station to another [3]
[edit] Bearer interest
A phone's location can be uploaded to a common web site where one's "friends and family" can view one's last reported position. Newer
phones may have built-in GPS receivers which could be used in a similar fashion, but with much higher accuracy.
[edit] Privacy
Locating or positioning touches upon delicate privacy issues, since it enables someone to check where a person is without the person's
consent. Strict ethics and security measures are strongly recommended for services that employ positioning, and the user must give an
informed, explicit consent to a service provider before the service provider can compute positioning data from the user's mobile phone.
In Europe, where most countries have a constitutional guarantee on the secrecy of correspondence, location data obtained from mobile
phone networks is usually given the same protection as the communication itself. The United States however has no explicit
constitutional guarantee on the privacy of telecommunications, so use of location data is limited by law.
With tolling systems, as in Germany, the locating of vehicles is equally sensitive to the constitutional guarantee on the secrecy of
correspondence and thus any further use of tolling information beyond deducting the road fee is prohibited. That leads to the strange
situation that even obviously criminal intent may not be interfered by such yet available technical means.
Officially, the authorities (like the police) can obtain permission to position phones in emergency cases where people (including
criminals) are missing.
The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile
phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. This works with or without locating. The technique is called a
"roving bug," and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice. [4] A judge ruled that police use of such tracking in the USA will
require a warrant showing probable cause.[5]
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is tracking some cases, including USA v. Pen Register, regarding government tracking of individuals
such as pedophiles and political activists.[6]
[edit] Free Services
It is possible in user agreements on the site offering "Free" service that one is, in fact, allowing the cellular telephone number being tracked to be added to
telemarketers' lists.
17
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http://www.shawtracking.com/pages/default.asp
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price: US $199.00 Buy It Now >
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Immediate payment required
End time: 20 hours 52 mins (05-Jun-09 08:14:44 EDT)
Shipping: To Canada -- US $49.00
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Ships to: Worldwide
Item location: Cary, Illinois, United States
Item Specifics - Item Condition
Condition: New
Type : Tracking Devices Product Type : GPS Tracker
Brand : LandAirSea
Back to home page Listed in category: Electronics > GPS Navigation > Tracking Devices
REAL TIME GSM/GPRS/GPS TRACKER / DO IT YOURSELF
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Data Logging
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19
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