PS-15 MEL-NZ

PS-15 is a last minute release from Melbourne, with predicted path to NZ.

This is a non-solar payload, and APRS only.

10mW TX, APRS on 145.175Mhz, callsign VK3YT-9
Will switchover to NZ APRS frequency 144.575Mhz when payload is close to NZ.

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Update #1, 6pm AEST

PS-15 went out of range at 4:56pm AEST.

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Prediction shows the balloon will arrive around 6:30am local time tomorrow.

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Update #1, 4:30am AEST

PS-15 arrived in NZ, first packet was received at 6:07:49am local time, 100km from the shoreline at Westport, NZ.

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Range to first iGate ZL2SUN-3 was 200km, after the balloon cleared the Kahurangi national park

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Update #2: Last packet was received at 8:24:03am local time (6:24:03 AEST) 142km from Christchurch.

Temperature was -42 degree Celsius before Sunrise, and climbed to -12 after Sunrise.

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This was the fastest PS balloon trip to NZ so far, from Melbourne to NZ in 19H.
Total travelled distance 2998km
Average speed 157kph

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PS-14 MEL-SYD-SOUTH PACIFIC

PS-14 is planned to be released on Sunday 27 July 2014 from Melbourne.
Expected path is MEL-SYDNEY then the Pacific.

Solar powered party balloon, 10mW TX
APRS on 145.175Mhz, callsign: VK3YT-11

OLIVIA 8/250 with RSID on 434.650Mhz, tracked as PS on spacenear.us

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Update #1 Dawn release (7am)

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Update #2

That was a quick trip, the balloon went out of range at 4:11pm this afternoon, 240km east of Newcastle:

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PS-13 MEL-NSW PICO balloon

PS-13 was released on Sunday 13 July 2014 at 8:25am AEST

Details:

Solar powered party balloon, 10mW TX
APRS on 145.175Mhz, callsign: VK3YT-8
THOR8 and OLIVIA 8/250 with RSID on 434.500Mhz

Prediction: MEL-SYD

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Update #1 6:16pm: Balloon passing Sydney in the evening

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Update #2: Balloon left Australia at Gold Coast at 1:51am

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Update #3: 8:30pm 21/7/2014 AEST
PS-13 made it to South America

Prediction:

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Actual:

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Total flying time so far: 8 days and 12 hours.
Total distance travelled: 16274km (and still going :))

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Last prediction shows the balloon has left Brazil coast early this morning.
Next destination: Unknown!

PS-10 MEL-SYD SSDV imaging payload

PS-10 PICO balloon release planned for 7am Saturday 21/6/2014.
Expected to travel MEL-SYD

Party balloon, solar powered, 10mW TX
Miniature Digital camera.

APRS on 145.175Mhz, callsign: VK3YT-10

SSDV imaging payload with RTTY300_8_N_1 on 434.500Mhz

SSDV frames can be received by dl-fldigi as RTTY data
http://ukhas.org.uk/guides:ssdv

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Payload at 10.6g excluding solar panels

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Update #1

The balloon went out of range 160km off Byron Bay at 1:26am

Total distance travelled was 1496km in 17.5h – average 85kph.

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PS-9 – MEL-NSW-QLD PICO balloon

PS-9 is planned to be released Monday 9th June 2014 from Melbourne.

Details:

Party foil balloon. Solar powered payload 10mW, 12g weight.

APRS 145.175Mhz, callsign VK3YT-11.

THOR16 and RTTY100_8_1_N_600Hz: 434.500Mhz with RSID, every 6 minutes, call sign is PS on spacenear.us flight PS-9

Prediction:

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Update #1: Released at 8:30am, perfect day for a launch!

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Update #2: 4:05pm 9/6/14

Balloon is still going north, currently at 8385m altitude past Griffith.
We don’t have any manual tracker in the footprint coverage, but APRS should be available until Bourke.

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Update #3: 6:00pm 9/6/14

Balloon has gone out of reception range. Updated predictions show it will be in range around tomorrow morning

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Update #4: 7:09am 10/6/14

It appears that battery was low overnight and the tracker shut itself down.
Sunrise at 6:40am, the battery was charged up and first packet was received at 7:09am

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Revised prediction based on latest position:

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Update #5: 3:40pm 10/6/14

PS-9 exited Australia via Rainbow Beach, heading East.

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Entire path so far:

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Ron VK4KLC and Doug VK4ADC recorded a WAVE file of the audio from the tracker and it was the most recent position.

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PS-8 – MEL-SA-NSW PICO flight

PS-8 is planned to be release Sunday 1st June 2014 from Melbourne, at 2pm.

Details:

Party foil balloon. Solar powered payload 10mW, 11g weight.

APRS 145.175Mhz, callsign VK3YT-11

THOR16 and RTTY100_8_1_N_600Hz: 434.500Mhz with RSID, every 6 minutes, call sign is PS on spacenear.us flight PS-8

Balloon is expected to travel west to SA first before heading north to NSW.

Aim: Comparison of THOR16 and RTTY working with TCXO

Prediction:

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Update #14:36pm

The balloon was brought down by rain shortly after release :(.

Landed in Flemington Racecourse, the payload and balloon were recovered successfully.

PastedGraphic 2Relaunch is planned for coming Friday.

Update #2 9:34pm

The payload was re-launched at 8pm with a new balloon. Looks like it was still wet up there, the balloon got to 2152m before losing altitude and landed in the bay.

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PS-7 – APRS THOR16 RSID SOLAR MEL-SYD

PS-7 is planned to be release early Sunday morning 11 May (Mother’s day!).

Details:

Party foil balloon.
Solar powered payload 10mW, 12g weight.
APRS 145.175Mhz, callsign VK3YT-10

THOR16: 434.650Mhz with RSID, every 6 minutes, call sign is PS on spacenear.us. Flight PS-7

Balloon is expected to travel north to NSW.

Aim: Testing of long range solar powered PICO payload, and manual tracking with FEC (Forward Error Correction) and RSID identification.

Update #1 8:30am AEST 11 May 2014

Balloon in the air

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Update #2 6:40pm AEST 12 May 2014

The balloon made it to Newcastle, before heading East into the Tasman sea.
The two balloons in the picture are for the same balloon, one for APRS tracker and one for THOR16 tracker.

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Total distance travelled 1111km

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Update #3 7:00am AEST 14 May 2014

The balloon got to New Zealand this morning, and appeared to have landed

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First and last packet from NZ

2014-05-14 01:37:52 EST: VK3YT-10>SV48Q6,WIDE2-1,qAR,ZL1GK:`f+7r<0x1d>FO/#1R}26,9,3,6,-45,3325,0202

2014-05-14 04:14:12 EST: VK3YT-10>SX03R4,WIDE2-1,qAR,ZL1GK:`g4vm&[O/”?G}52,6,3,6,3,4090,0201

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Total distance so far is 3083km.

Update #4 8:00am AEST 15 May 2014

Looks like the balloon decided it didn’t want to stay in NZ for too long.
It re-launched itself this morning, before NZ hams (and customs) could get to it

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A big thanks for ZL hams who all geared up to search for the balloon, even with planes!

That was 24H of rest!

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PS-6 THOR16 RSID

PS-6 was a last minute release on Thursday night 8/5 . It had THOR16 and RSID for auto tuning, in addition to APRS.

APRS callsign was VK3YT-11.

The GPS stopped working shortly after launch but APRS was working until the morning.
Last known location was near Moe:

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Battery life of the payload should last at least 180H, so we might hear from PS-6 again!