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Launch Announcement - Elsworth 26/04/2024

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Steve

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Apr 25, 2024, 5:06:08 AM4/25/24
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Hi Folks - all being well there should be a flight out of Elsworth
tomorrow around lunchtime.

The flight will carry two trackers:

    434.450MHz Lora Mode 7     Id: E3

    434.250MHz Horus 4FSK 100 baud     Id: Xpico

Any listener stations would be most welcome.

    Steve G8KHW





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PE2BZ

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Apr 26, 2024, 7:31:34 AM4/26/24
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Hi Steve, 
You might consider another center frequency for the LoRa (and even the 4fsk) transmitters for your next flights. 

The rounded frequencies ( 00, 25, 50, 75 ) are usually crowded, but the in betweens at 12.5 37.5 and so on give often just enough space to fit 20.7 kHz LoRa or 2.7 kHz wide 4fsk.

The attached file is the radio screen of one of our famous listeners from London :-)

Have a good flight !

Ben 

g8fjg qrmmmm.jpeg

Steve

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Nov 23, 2024, 1:29:04 PM11/23/24
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A bit of a mystery:

Way back in April I launched a balloon that had an unusual flight:

    * The balloon burst a bit lower than expected.
    * One of the trackers fell of at burst (25435m)
    * The other tracker stopped working part way through descent (last report at 18890m - about 3 mins after burst).

The tracker that fell off was recovered - but the rest went missing.

I worked out a landing area using the descent data - a brief search was conducted - but no luck.

I joined a local Facebook group and posted some pictures in the hope that someone might come across it - no luck - until the day before yesterday.

A farmer found some of the equipment in a field - he said that the field had be ploughed at the end of the season (he recalls ploughed in the dark).   No sign of the main payload.

Some of the damage doesn't seem consistent with plough damage to me.  I'd be interested in hearing other peoples thoughts.

there are some photos of the recovered items here:
   

In particular:

a) where the 4 lines attached to the main payload payload - these are neat cuts rather than tears.

b) The middle section of line (between main payload attachment and parachute confluence)   - this is 600lb breaking strain paracord - it's been under a lot of stress and the outer braiding has been torn in several places - I'm unsure of what would cause this (possibly the outer braiding has been abraded).

c) The parachute has a rip in one of the panels (not a cut).

Its worth saying that where it was found was right in the middle of the search area - and consistent with the payload descending normally under chute.

I'd be interested in folks thoughts as to what may have gone on.

Steve G8KHW


On Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 11:06:08 AM UTC+2 Steve wrote:
Hi Folks - all being well there should be a flight out of Elsworth
tomorrow around lunchtime.

The flight will carry two trackers:

    434.450MHz Lora Mode 7     Id: E3

    434.250MHz Horus 4FSK 100 baud     Id: Xpico

Any listener stations would be most welcome.

    Steve G8KHW


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Steven

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Nov 23, 2024, 1:40:21 PM11/23/24
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Looks rather ploughed to me Steve. Guessing the chute hole could be plough blade damage and the cut cords could be where somebody had to cut it free from whatever it was mangled in/by?

I’d probably try to tease more info from the farmer by explaining that as a scientific experiment you’re interested in circumstances of fact without any judgement so any light he can shed would help, and that you don’t really care if it was cut or anything. 

Steven

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Dave (G1OGY)

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Nov 23, 2024, 1:52:44 PM11/23/24
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Bear in mind, Steve, that there was likely a crop in that field.
Thus recent ploughing would have been preceded by harvesting.
What if the remnants had become caught up in the harvester (of whatever type)?
Wrapped around something, everything stops and was cut away where necessary?
Understandable.

Then it got ploughed, to boot

Dave, G1OGY


On Sat, 23 Nov 2024 at 18:29, Steve <st...@randomaerospace.com> wrote:
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John Laidler

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Nov 23, 2024, 3:37:44 PM11/23/24
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My first thought was it might have been hit by an aircraft - but not at 25Km  unless the USAF are flying something secret in that area!


Message has been deleted

stephenb...@gmail.com

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Nov 23, 2024, 5:53:18 PM11/23/24
to UKHAS
John Laidler, it might have hit, or been hit by a U2 spy plane. All we see of the flights are take off and landing. The USAF does not give out, what they do between them.  
I do not know if one was over here, at that time in April. But as the max altitude is listed as 24,000mtrs plus. Who knows?

Steve

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Nov 24, 2024, 6:11:22 AM11/24/24
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I'd sort of discount an aircraft collision on the basis of probability - we have never hit a aircraft and the first one we hit is in the almost never flown height of 83,000 ft ?

Sooo unlikely ...

If the main payload was torn off in an impact the line cuts would not be as sharp and the remaining tracker and parachute would have landed much further away.

    Steve

Steve

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Nov 24, 2024, 10:24:55 AM11/24/24
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The tracker that was still attached (the one that stopped during descent) - is in good condition - other than the antenna wires were broken off.  The battery was still in place.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/16828840@N07/54159735845/in/album-72177720322140799/

I have put in a new battery, and it works.  So I can say with almost 100% confidence the reason it stopped working was the antennas being broken off in descent - probably got wrapped around the line.

Its condition is amazing given its been out in all weathers for 6 months - just the lightest indication of weathering.

    Steve

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