[GreenKeys] off topic -- 'nuther balloon launch

Sat May 7 18:19:01 EDT 2016

Gil - Pretty amazing project -  Best of  flights  with  it
we do seem to have  had  some odd wind here in the metro area  lately.

Remember there is at  electronics design show   at the
Phx civic  center soon also  looks  like a big deal and  admin  is  free 
and 
I think they are  validating parking as  well.

Ed# 

In a message dated 5/7/2016 2:41:31 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
gil at baudot.net writes:

Gentlemen:

An off-topic FYI:

It has been a couple of years since I sent up a balloon, and I am itching  
to do it one more time.  Would like to break 100,000 feet this  time.  

Will be flying three mobius video cameras:  one facing sideways, one  
facing down, and one facing up (just to catch balloon burst).

Will have APRS on the main .390 channel every two minutes for those of  you 
who may want to watch it live on _aprs.fi_ (http://aprs.fi/) ,  and for 
those of you in AZ who may  want to join us for launch and/or recovery, we will 
have aprs on a quiet .920  (probably) freq for the chase cars.  We will 
have a 2m beacon so you  should be able to point youor yagi up and find the 
location (or help us rdf it  on the ground, if needed).

Will be flying the usual suspects of pressure and temperature sensors,  the 
geiger counter and particulate counter we flew last time, and a new ozone  
sensor.  May also try new 433 MHz or 915  MHz transceivers, if I have time 
to get those running.

I have been burning the candle at both ends for a few weeks getting ready  
for this launch, tentatively scheduled for May 21st (winds permitting).   It 
will be mission SB-1 (surlee-byonics-1).  I will be documenting it on  my 
newly-rebooted _surlee.com_ (http://surlee.com/)  site.  I finally was 
referred to the divi  wordpress theme, and for the first time in my life can 
easily create a  decent-looking website.  I have removed all traces of wordpress' 
 blog/registration/comment/trackback/pingback/spam crap, to just have a 
clean  site with lots of whitespace.  Later, I will add woocommerce for a  
store.

Attached are docs of my new Balloon System One board set (which I need to  
cut into the 4 boards on my bandsaw), which went to fab at 3 this  morning.  
I should have them late next week or so to build up.  I  plan to sell this, 
and publish the schematic/assembly/copper-layers, but will  stop short of 
calling it open-hardware (as I will never release cad files and  the library 
that took me years to build, which the open-hardware folks  expect).  I also 
will not publish my pic code.

The system is comprised of a main logger board, a sensor-bay board which  
mounts outside the payload, an rf-hub controller hub board (powered by  
independent battery) which drives the byonics pri/sec aprs pages, and a  
camera-hub controller board for the mobius cameras.

The main board provides:
  - 5V buck switcher and 3.3V LDO (driven from a 6xAA lith batt  pack)

- PIC18F46K22 microcontroller
  - TMP100 internal temperature sensor

- MS5607 barometric pressure sensor (new)

- Adafruit Ultimate GPS module
  - Linx RXM-GPS-FM alternate GPS module (new, if time to write  driver)
  - micro-SD card slot
  - connections for various I/O, including 3.3V I2C, 5V I2C, 5V  digital 
in, analog, I/O expansion port
  - port for geiger counter module

- APRS port for connecting backup MF-15 APRS transmitter (with  logger's 
gps)
  - 433 MHz or 915 MHz eRIC transceiver modules from LPRS (a new  test)

The Sensor Bay board mounts in an enclosure made from black foamcore  
covered in foil, to provide airflow over sensors on the left side of the  board, 
but minimize solar radiant heating.  There is a main power slide  switch, 
and the right side of the board is exposed for access to serial port  monitor, 
leds, an audible beeper (if loud enough), and expansion ports for  
additional I2C or analog sensors.  Built-in sensors include:
  - DS18B20 external temperature sensor (new)

- TMP100 external temperature sensor
  - DHT22 relative humidity sensor
  - Particulate sensor

- MICS-2614 ozone sensor (new)

The Radio Power/Control Hub board has a little PIC12F1840 for connecting  
the main MT-1000 APRS transmitter (with built-in gps, but hub has ports for  
external gps), and power for an MF-15 beacon.  This will be powered from  a 
separate 6xAA lith batt pack and has a 5V buck switcher.  The external  
sensor bay power switch turns this on at the same time as the  logger.

The Camera Control Hub has a little PIC12F1840 for connecting up to four  
mobius cameras.  It will be powered by a tiny lipo batt (each camera has  
it's own battery).  I will be using timed control to cycle cameras on and  off.

Whew.  Yes, I have been busy.  It is all coming together  nicely.  I want 
to make the payload pretty light and try to break 100,000  ft this time.

I am also thinking of sending up a second balloon at the same time.   I 
have enough helium, I believe.  I could mount the old MT-400 in the  mini-me 
payload box from last time, and have one that goes even higher.   Still 
mulling that over.

thx, gil

gil smith, AF7EZ
greenkeys moderator
_gil at baudot.net_ (mailto:gil at baudot.net) 

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