EMDRC  High Altitude Balloon Initiative : May 2022

Horus 57 Imagery Flight : Scheduled for 07/05/2022 [HAB Update]

G’day Team – Hope you’ve been well.

The HORUS imagery flight scheduled for last weekend has now been rescheduled for the 7th of May 2022 at 1000 Hrs.

Spoke with VK5QI/Mark and he suggests that if the team ends up using the 1600g Hwoyee balloon it’s likely that we’ll pick up a signal here in Vic.

See the following link for details –  https://www.areg.org.au/archives/210813

Here’s the two applications you’ll need installed on the Raspberry Pi for tracking of the HORUS payload –

  1. https://github.com/projecthorus/horusdemodlib and
  2. https://github.com/projecthorus/chasemapper

If you intend to use Windows to track the HORUS payload please check out the following application –

  1. https://github.com/projecthorus/horus-gui

Receiving the WENET images is a bit more complex. Check out the details here – https://github.com/projecthorus/wenet/wiki/Wenet-RX-Instructions-(Linux-using-Docker) or use the simpler approach and check out the images captured here – https://ssdv.habhub.org/

Unrelated to the weekend launch…..those who want to track and recover radiosondes need to have the following applications installed on their Raspberry Pi –

  1. https://github.com/projecthorus/radiosonde_auto_rx  and
  2. https://github.com/projecthorus/chasemapper

But please keep in mind, you don’t want to have auto_rx (used to track radiosonde’s) and horusdemodlib (used to track HORUS payload) running at the same time.

We intend to organize a session for interested members to get together and work on building their own tracking setup (using Windows, Pi, etc.).

Please write to me directly and let me know if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see included in the upcoming hands on sessions.

Take care and happy hacking!!!!!

PN: If you do not want to be included on future HAB emails log into ‘Members Login’ and tick ‘High Altitude Balloon’

EMDRC  High Altitude Balloon Initiative : Vol 2, April 2022 

G’day Team – Hope you’ve been well

A very happy Easter to each of you and your loved ones. May you and your families be showered with good health, peace, happiness, joy and prosperity, this Easter. Here’s extending my best wishes to you and your family this Easter.

Project HORUS Launch 56 (AREG) 

The AREG’s High-Altitude Ballooning sub-group, Project Horus, is planning their next launch for Sunday the 1st of May, with a planned launch time of 10 AM. This will be the 56th ‘full-size’ high-altitude balloon launch of Project Horus, though numerous small launches have also occurred in the interim. The AREG website suggests that the launch site will be decided closer towards the launch date, but will be from either the Auburn town oval, or from the Mt Barker High School. The payloads on this flight will be a ‘Horus Binary’ telemetry tracker, and a ‘Wenet’ imaging payload (Streaming content), which will transmit live pictures through the flight.

Telemetry for this flight will be available on 434.200 Mhz and will be transmitted using the HORUS binary 4FSK data mode. Imagery on this flight will be transmitted via the Wenet downlink system (443.500Mhz), which uses 115kbit/s Frequency-Shift-Keying to send HD snapshots. Reception of the Wenet imagery requires a Linux computer, a RTLSDR, and a 70cm antenna with some gain (a 5-element Yagi is usually enough).

Tracking these balloons is fun and setting up the tracker (using a radio or an RTLSDR with a Raspberry Pi) is pretty straightforward. Am working on putting together a series of articles that will guide setup and build of such a tracking setup for your QTH, car, etc.

For additional details please head over to the AREG website

The Amateur Radio Experimenters Group (AREG) is located in Adelaide, South Australia.  The AREG was formed in July 1998. The members of the AREG come from all walks of life but we all share a common interest in Electronics and Amateur Radio.

Help launch our next payload into the stratosphere, We need you –  As you all know we are looking to grow the HAB group here at EMDRC and are on the lookout for individuals who are able to assist with the following roles:

  1. Architects – RF engineers, electronics gurus who are able to review design, perform reviews and provide input, feedback
  2. Launch Manager : Launch Prep, Logistics, Checklists, etc.
  3. Payload Design & Integration
  4. Payload testing & Validation
  5. Chase coordinator
  6. Tracker – With tracking setup within their chase car
  7. Tracker –  With tracking setup at their QTH

If any of the above interests you please reach out to me at hab@emdrc.com.au.

Build your own tracking setup : We have plans to conduct a hands-on session to help you work through the build of a tracking setup. Such a tracking setup can be used to track High Altitude Balloons (AREG, EMDRC, etc.) including Radio Sondes (launched by the Bureau of Meteorology). Please reach out to us at hab@emdrc.com.au to register interest. The focus for these sessions includes –

  1. Building your own chase car setup [RTLSDR with a Raspberry Pi or  VHF/UHF rigi, ¼ Wave Ground plane, etc.]
  2. Building your tracking setup at home [RTLSDR with a Raspberry Pi or VHF/UHF rig, ¼ Wave Ground plane, etc.]

We are working on publishing a tentative timeline of HAB activities for the rest of 2022. Stay tuned

Here’s a bunch of interesting links for those who want to learn more about HAB.

  1. UK High Altitude Balloon Society
  2. Track & retrieve HAB’s (launched here in Melbourne)
  3. Engineering Recommendations & Design Decisions
The Amateur Radio Experimenters Group (AREG), South Australia
UK High Altitude Balloon Society
Track & Retrieve HAB’s
Engineering Recommendations
& Design Decisions

EMDRC  High Altitude Balloon Initiative :  April 2022 

G’day Team – Hope you’ve been well.

Through the HAB column we hope to bring you regular updates on the High Altitude Balloon Initiative here at EMDRC. As you all know we are looking to grow the HAB group here at EMDRC and are on the lookout for individuals who are able to assist with the following roles:

  1. Architects – RF engineers, electronics gurus who are able to review design, perform reviews and provide input, feedback
  2. Launch Manager : Launch Prep, Logistics, Checklists, etc.
  3. Payload Design & Integration
  4. Payload testing & Validation
  5. Chase coordinator
  6. Tracker – With tracking setup within their chase car
  7. Tracker –  With tracking setup at their QTH

If any of the above interests you please reach out to me at hab@emdrc.com.au.

We are also going to be conducting a hands on session at the next months barbecue to help you work through the following –

  1. Building your own chase car setup [RTLSDR, Raspberry Pi, ¼ Wave Ground plane, etc.]
  2. Building your tracking setup at home [RTLSDR, Raspberry Pi, ¼ Wave Ground plane, etc.]

Please be on the lookout for further details. We are hoping to be able to launch in the coming months. Here’s a bunch of interesting links for those who want to learn more about HAB.

  1. UK High Altitude Balloon Society
  2. Track & retrieve HAB’s (launched here in Melbourne)
  3. Engineering Recommendations & Design Decisions