Cadets Chase High Altitude Ballon

[RADIOMAN015]

See:  http://mypixandflix.gosanangelo.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1031108
This project undertaken by the unit is what CAP should really be about, with much more emphasis on aerospace!  :clap:
RM

[HGjunkie]

See:  http://mypixandflix.gosanangelo.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1031108
This project undertaken by the unit is what CAP should really be about, with much more emphasis on aerospace!  :clap:
RM

What, chasing around balloons?

[LTC Don]

What, chasing around balloons?

That's really cool.  Seems the midwestern and western squadrons can get into this type of thing.  The air corridors in the east really make it difficult.

Did they get any pictures or video from the flight?

Cheers,

[FARRIER]

We only see the picture, they may have done the following:

1. Add a camera or movie equipment to get visual shots aloft,

2. They may have had the expertise to create and attache electronics equipment to record the meteorological data.

Setting this up before hand, launching the balloon, and deciphering the data would take alot of work from both Seniors and Cadets. Those that didn't have the knowledge in the beginning would have learned by assisting others. Also part of this preparation is coordinating with the FAA. In short, doing this would be fun.

Respectfully,

See:  http://mypixandflix.gosanangelo.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1031108
This project undertaken by the unit is what CAP should really be about, with much more emphasis on aerospace!  :clap:
RM

What, chasing around balloons?

[jeders]

See:  http://mypixandflix.gosanangelo.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1031108
This project undertaken by the unit is what CAP should really be about, with much more emphasis on aerospace!  :clap:
RM

What, chasing around balloons?

This was just down the road from here, they've been working on this for some time now.

[DC]

See:  http://mypixandflix.gosanangelo.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1031108
This project undertaken by the unit is what CAP should really be about, with much more emphasis on aerospace!  :clap:
RM

Cool project. However, AE is one of five parts of the cadet program, and I think the current system works pretty [darn] well. We all get that you have a problem with the military aspect of CAP, you don't have to remind us with every post.

[Chief2009]

I wonder what they used for the radio signal they were tracking, a ham radio Tiny-Trac? The tracking website leads me to lean in that direction.

DN

[flyboy53]

What a cool project!

Is there an after-action report somewhere? I would like to read it.

[Major Lord]

I have donated a few Micro-Trak transmitters to units planning balloon flights, but I don't think this unit came up on our screen. I would love to see what they carried for a Payload and see a detailed AA on their flight! For anyone who has not been involved in balloon launch, cadets and seniors get experience in a plethora of areas: Meteorology, Physics, Electronics, Optics, applied engineering, etc. Chasing and recovering the payload is also just plain fun too. There is software that allows you to enter your balloon parameters and it will project where your balloon will land, and with real time APRS tracking, you can see where the balloon is and its altitude on the Internet. Automatically controlled cameras are often used to take photos from the edge of space (120K Feet or so) and data recorders and telemetry can show things like temperature, baro pressure, radiation, etc.

Major Lord

AF6OF
VHS/Byonics

[yeahididthat]

I have donated a few Micro-Trak transmitters to units planning balloon flights, but I don't think this unit came up on our screen. I would love to see what they carried for a Payload and see a detailed AA on their flight! For anyone who has not been involved in balloon launch, cadets and seniors get experience in a plethora of areas: Meteorology, Physics, Electronics, Optics, applied engineering, etc. Chasing and recovering the payload is also just plain fun too. There is software that allows you to enter your balloon parameters and it will project where your balloon will land, and with real time APRS tracking, you can see where the balloon is and its altitude on the Internet. Automatically controlled cameras are often used to take photos from the edge of space (120K Feet or so) and data recorders and telemetry can show things like temperature, baro pressure, radiation, etc.

Major Lord

AF6OF
VHS/Byonics

what is the name of this software?

[Major Lord]

You can find online prediction tools here: http://www.nearspaceventures.com/ You can do (near) real-time tracking and telemetry here: www.aprs.fi


Major Lord

[yeahididthat]

thanks alot

[rpayne88]

Provided this is unique in CAP, I am one of the people who launched it. I am a member of Maryland's Ft. Mchenry Composite Squadron. The balloon was named CHASE 1, Acronym for CAP High Altitude Statosperic Experiment.  As far as max altitude goes, we lost communications with it but a ham radio opperator tracking it with us confirmed it reached at least 93K ft ASL.  We programed it to shot a 2 min video once recording was started.  It then took one picture every 10 sec until it reached 60K ft.  It then took one every 5 sec until the memory card was full after it landed.  The highlights were selected out of over 1000 pictures and are down to 72.  I know the photos are some where, I saved them on a flash drive and deleted the email with the link to the pictures.  We had a camera, altimeter, and thermometer on board as a payload.  Unfortunatly, the balloon was not equiped to store GPS, altitude, or temperature data on board.  When we lost contact, we no longer received this information.  We tracked the balloon with APRS (automatic position reporting system,) a HAM radio-like system.  If you want more info on APRS, just google it.  Also on board was a senior member's android for final location transmision.  I don't know what is plan was if it landed in a lake.  the balloon was launched from the Clear view fire house in Maryland at 0822L.  The balloon was recovered in southern PA between 11-1200L.  Here are two links to articles you may be interested in reading.:
http://mdcap.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.display&articleID=724
http://www.capvolunteernow.com/todays-features/?md_members_reach_stratosphere&show=news&newsID=12325
I will try to get the link for the pictures and post them at a latter date.  If I knew about this fourm in October when we launched it, I would have posted long ago. 

[rpayne88]

told you I'd get them.  Here they are:
http://photobucket.com/CHASE-1_best

[Extremepredjudice]

That is pretty cool...

[Major Lord]

Outstanding! A great successes right out of the gate! Wonderful photos too. Did you use one of my Micro-Trak's?

Major Lord

[coudano]

I wonder what they used for the radio signal they were tracking, a ham radio Tiny-Trac? The tracking website leads me to lean in that direction.

DN

Typically there is a gps transmitter on a ham frequency giving long lat and alt in flight
and a practice elt goes off when the balloon bursts, for final ground tracking


you can get the gps data from amazingly far away when those things get up to altitude


This is an awesome program that is everything CAP AE should be about.
From the design, construction of the experiments (payload) you launch on the balloon, to their recovery, analysis, and reporting.  That's weeks if not months of work (applied hands on aerospace) before, and after, the actual launch.

People get all tied up in the "chase team" part, and the picture standing there by the vehicle on the ground after it's flight.  That is NOT the "cool part" of NSV.

And then all of the launch and recovery options of the actual vehicle on the actual flight day.

It's not just "putting a balloon at 90,000 ft and finding where it landed" you can/should attach geiger counters, thermometers,you name it up there as well  (yes, cameras but where is the 'scientific' application there?)


East Coasties, you could still make payload modules to put on a NSV and ship them out to the  midwest to be launched and recovered, and then have them sent back to you for unwrapping and analysis of whatever data you collected on the flight (!)

[Major Lord]

[/quote]

Typically there is a gps transmitter on a ham frequency giving long lat and alt in flight
and a practice elt goes off when the balloon bursts, for final ground tracking


you can get the gps data from amazingly far away when those things get up to altitude ........[/quote]

Yes, APRS transmitters can have amazing range at altitude, even exceeding the geometrical horizon. Some Canadian gentlemen flew one of my old 300 mW ( 1/3 Watt) to 117,000 feet, and the signal was picked up directly from 500 miles away! Fortunately, there is a network of Digipeaters (Digital Repeaters) and I-Gates ( Internet Gateways) covering virtually all of North America, so the position gets forwarded to the internet where you can see the track on websites like aprs.fi, superimposed on Google Maps. You don't have to count on transmitting 500 miles!  Besides positions, the GPS provides altitude, velocity, travel bearings, and in many cases telemetry ( Temperature, voltage, etc) Having a homing transmitter in addition to the APRS transmitter is a good thing, since balloon payloads show an alarming preference for landing in places that are hard or unpleasant to get to, and if the APRS transmitter is in a deep canyon, it may not hit a digipeater and go out beyond its impact point. The good old L-per or the nearest metric equivalent is a good way of getting your payload back! I have built a few homing transmitters with an annoyingly  loud piezo screamer to help locate the payload audibly, which is also handy in rough terrain.

Major Lord