[BLT] NTBP #11 - This Weekend!!

[Keng, Charles]

I have not heard any news, therefore I take it No meeting.
See you next month.

Charlie=20

-----Original Message-----
From: MacAllister, Andrew [EPM/HOU]
[mailto:Andrew.MacAllister@EmersonProcess.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 12:14 AM
To: 'blt@stevens.com'
Cc: 'hats@stevens.com'
Subject: [BLT] NTBP #11 - This Weekend!!


"The Spirit of Columbia"=20

NTBP #11=20
The North Texas Balloon Project flight #11 is planned for launch about=20
8:30 am on March 13, 2004 from the municipal airport in Hillsboro,=20
Texas, just south of Fort Worth and Dallas. This mission is dedicated to=20
the memory of the astronauts lost a year ago in the Shuttle Columbia=20
tragedy.=20

The weather balloon carrying amateur radio experiments is expected to=20
reach nearly 100,000 feet in about 90 minutes and return via parachute=20
in about 30 minutes. Mobile recovery teams will use position reports=20
from the onboard APRS on 144.390 MHz and RDF (fox hunting) to recover=20
the payloads.=20

Set up will begin at 7:00 am with the HF Launch Net on 7260 +/- 10 kHz=20
LSB starting at 8:00 am. The cross band repeater uses an uplink at=20
445.800 MHz and downlink at 147.560 MHz. Video from onboard cameras is=20
transmitted at 1255.000 MHz for reception by anyone with FM ATV capability.=
=20
The public is invited to come out to the Hillsboro Municipal Airport,=20
located at Exit 3 on Interstate Highway 35W, to watch the launch, flight=20
status, and downlink video. In the event of unfavorable weather or jet=20
stream conditions, the launch will occur at a later date. For the latest=20
information check NTBP's Website.=20
http://www.qsl.net/w5sjz/NTXBalloonproj.htm=20

Handheld VHF radios and scanners can receive the downlink easily. At the=20
peak altitude ham radio operators from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,=20
Louisiana, and Kansas can contact each other using the cross band repeater.=
=20
The radios used normally have a range of about 25 miles, but that range=20
will be extended to about 500 miles at the peak altitude. Two video=20
cameras are used to alternately show the balloon and the horizon. At the=20
peak altitude, the curvature of the earth is visible.=20

NTBP's Doug Howard said, "This is being done mostly for fun. It involves=20
many different facets of amateur radio and thus a project that many=20
types of amateur radio operators can enjoy together. There is also an=20
educational component utilized by scouting groups, because it involves=20
orienteering and can be counted toward several different merit badges,=20
as well as by teachers for science experiments." According to Howard,=20
Boy Scout troops from Fort Worth and Benbrook will participate.=20

NTBP is a group of amateur (HAM) radio operators from Fort Worth and=20
Dallas and has launched balloons from Cleburn, Clifton, and Hillsboro=20
airports since 1991. This is the second launch during the last year and=20
is funded by the amateur radio operators associated with the NTBP.=20

Please send an email to kd5day@ev1.net for further information=20



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