ARHAB

(AMATEUR RADIO HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONING)

RicKBRennan Stillwater Amateur Radio Association

High Altitude Ballooning

Using a weather sounding balloon to send stuff in to Near Space (65k-125k Feet)

What is ARHAB
Like Ham radio, it is many things to many people Science and Experiments Engineering Photography Fox Hunt / RDF Space Geocache Fun

Why ARHAB
Find a new activity. Attract younger people to HAM radio. Attract more people to the club.

What we found
An active outdoor HAM activity. New mode: APRS & ATV New technologies NEAR SPACE Ya, weve been there! Assisting the U of MN MNSGC U of MN students are new HAMs Heck, it is just plain fun!

The First Launch

KCUHY & KBR attended as observers
(and we were put to work)

Ground Equipment
2m Radio Mobile TNC
Hardware Software/Sound card

Laptop/PC Tracking Software (Free to $60) Antenna (Cheap works better than $$$) GPS Compass Be Prepared for everything!

A Ballooning Radio
Kenwood TH-D710A
Built in TNC Computer interface GPS interface Dual Band Dual Receive Use a single antenna

Yaesu FTM-350R ???

The TNC
Hardware type is BEST! Software Sound Card does work
AGWPE Software Requires lots of fiddling with to make it perform.

Mobile Antennas
Dont use a high dollar 5/8 wave
Lobes do not extend upward

Do use a simple wave

Vertically polarized cloud burner!

Some dual band 2m and 70cm work well.

Comet CA-2x4SR - KBR

Most important part of your ground equipment is.

TO KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT!

The Near Spacecraft

Payload
APRS TX Experiments

APRS Transponder at top and bottom of stack. Audible alarm on each APRS Transponder.

The FAA Regulations

FAR 101
Exception to FAR 101
Payload < 12lbs. and weight/size ratio < 3oz/sq.in. Payload string < 50lbs impact strength
30g X 50lbs. = 1500lbs. breaking strength

Capsule weight under 6lbs. each Total payload under 12lbs.

Does not include balloon or parachute

Its still a good idea to notify the FAA

All others must meet FAR 101 Launch and flight path away from ATC air space.

The Balloon & Airborne Equipment

Kaymont Balloons ($100-$350) Helium (~$60-$125 and going up) Parachute (~$60) APRS Transponders and TX (~$116) GPS (~$70) Antennas (homemade) Audible Siren (RS 102db $5.50) Batteries Lithium (~2.50ea x 16 or more, $40) Total (risk) = ~$800 plus experiments (~$1100) Second launch = ~$250 to $350
(If previous launch is recovered!)

The Budget Balloon

Micro-Trak 300 w/ GPS ~$175 (sold out)
or

OT1+/MX146/GPS ~$186 Built(-$14 kit) Balloon $125 Helium $60 Parachute $60 Batteries $20 Misc Hdwr $20 Total w/ 1 transponder $460

Balloon Sizes
300g (not practical for ARHAB) 1000g 1200g 1500g 3000g Size is chosen by payload weight and altitude.

Airborne Stuff to Know

Helium ~$60-$125 per tank. Two are need per launch. It takes 1+ to fill a balloon.
Popping or premature release will cost you $.

Accent rated calculated to 1000ft/min Parachute sized to descend at 2000ft/min with payload weight near the ground. Everything falls FAST at Near Space altitudes.

More Airborne Stuff to Know

Transmitter units.
Byonics ~300mw up to 35w SRB MX146 ~750mw used by SARA Others including home made and HTs Battery life (TX 300mw to 1w optimal)

GPS units
Must work above 60k feet limit
http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/GPSrcvrsvs60kft.htm

Light weight Battery life Garmin GPS 18X used by SARA (< 50ma)

Balloon Antennas
Antennas Get the signal to where you want it
Dipole Twin lead J-Pole Ground plane Others?

Omni directional RF field lobes (Chase crew is in the null?) Robust Environment (frozen, brittle, UV and can break) Tangle in lines and parachute

Batteries
Must survive cold
External capsule temperatures -70F & below Internal capsule temperatures -20F Last the duration of the flight & recovery All your $ is riding on these

SARA APRS Flight tracker life 24+ hours SARA uses new lithium batteries every flight. Experiment with rechargeable Lithium Ion

Why Flight Computers?

Record sensor data Control cameras and mirrors Control experiments Control cut downs Servo functions i.e. release glider

Flight Computers
NearSys Kits
Flight computer
BalloonSat Mini $19 BalloonSat Easy $30 BalloonSat Extreme $12 (PCB only)

Flight computer w/ APRS transmitter

NearSpace Ultralight $TBD NearSpace Easy $TBD

Others including RF controls (repeater controllers) Home built

No limits

Experiments
Temperature Photography
Still digital Video recorded Video live ATV

Geiger Counters Inferred Thermometers Long Range VHF/UHF repeaters

Experiments Cont.
Low atmosphere pressure UV Only limited by your imagination.

Audible Tracking
Audible Alarm
Assist ground team in locating down packages SARA-Pod II: audible Siren uses two Alkaline 9V batteries for 8+ hour life without freezing. Alkaline batteries freeze at low temperatures. (can increase battery life.) Scares people and wildlife when falling from the sky.

Flight Predictions
Flight Predictions
Software Balloontrack Atmospheric Surroundings data. Performed several days before and the night before the flight. Look for a good landing site. Where to look if you lose contact with the balloon capsules!

Launching
Latex Gloves Soft tarp dont pop it Hang on hard to hold down 20lbs of lift. Ground crew with duties assigned.

Landing
Have a plan for the recovery crew. Terrain
Swamp Forest Trees/Brush Lakes Farms

Audible Alarm Bright colors GPS Compass Triangulation software

Visualizing the Flight Path

Use raw packet data from aprs.fi Convert data in to Excel spread sheet
This can be very time consuming

Import the data into Google Earth Results in a pretty picture of balloon flight

Flight Track Google Earth

Club Launched ARHAB (Why?)

Fun/Educational Going in to Near Space Technical challenge You get to play w/ your radios Get outdoors Be the first Minnesota radio club to launch a ARHAB.

University of Minnesota Course

Near Space: Approaching the Final Frontier for Cheap James Flaten PhD.

The End
Questions?