Project Stratohab

PocketFinder Highlight

2012-08-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Pocketfinder is one of the GPS tracking devices we used in our payload. They will hopefully highlight our story on their blog about the project. Here's a excerpt from it.

How did you decide that you wanted to do this? Did you have some more time to devote to this because you are off for summer?

As an avid maker and hobbyist, I support the open source initiative,
which attempts to make the world a more free and open place. When I
decided to start this project 6 months ago, I dreamed of reaching
space on a high school student's budget and to make space more
available, approachable, and real to the average American. I have
always loved to build things, even from my childhood years building
spaceships with LEGO™. Normally I work on projects in tandem with my
school work. However, since this project required greater than 100
hours of research and development, I decided to spend the summer
before my senior year of high school working on it.

What has been the hardest part throughout the duration of this project?

The hardest part of the project, besides launching it, was the hours
spent on research and development when no one was watching. Without a
boss or corporate deadlines, self-motivation is one of the greatest
transferable life skills you can learn.

Did you do this by yourself or with a team?

When the project started to require more effort, I asked one of my
great friends to help out. He and I worked on research and
development. We definitely had great support from everyone around us.

Tell me about the recovery - is that when the PocketFinder was the most helpful?
Of course, when we were looking for the package we needed to get as
accurate of a reading that we could. The PocketFinder's GPS did not
work above a certain altitude. However, when the balloon was on the
ground, the PocketFinder worked flawlessly. It located the balloon
within 10 feet of where it was. This confirmation was very important
because we could be certain that the balloon had landed.

PocketFinder Experience

2012-08-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

As you know from previous blog posts, we chose the PocketFinder as our secondary backup GPS. Our primary GPS was the Microtrak, and the PocketFinder would be a redundancy in case the MicroTrak didn't work. But since both worked, we're happy! The Pocket Finder's location was a little bit more accurate than the MicroTrak ~ 10 feet from where it actually was. You can clearly see the screen shot from my iPhone on the location of the payload in a 60 foot tall tree. It worked perfectly! It used about 60% of its battery life on the way up, and still had a charge after 4 hours in a tree! I highly recommend the Pocket Finder if you are doing any kind of near space flight or need something to track things.

Final Launch Video

2012-08-20T19:22:00.003-07:00

Here's our video we compiled from the footage we gathered check it out and share it!

Stratohab Space Balloon Launch!! Photos of Space! 08/19/2012 from Kyle Ryan on Vimeo.

Launch Success!!!

2012-08-20T07:24:00.001-07:00

On August 19th, 2012 at 12:52pm, We launched a weather balloon and successfully took pictures at 65,000 feet!! Research and development took 6 months, and it culminated in a 2 hour trip traveling over 90 miles taking beautiful pictures of southern Connecticut. In some of the pictures, you can even see the ENTIRE length of Long Island and the curvature of earth.
Our facebook page with ALL photos: https://www.facebook.com/
StratohabBalloonLaunch
Visit our blog: stratohab.blogspot.com — at Brookfield High School.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.264350300343129.53912.264349533676539&type=1

Crunch Time

2012-08-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

After researching helium stores, we settled with East Hartford Unlimited Part & and Rental Center on 52 Oakland Avenue. THE WORST PEOPLE ON EARTH

After calling the rental center and specifically asking to make sure that they would be there at 1PM, my friend showed up, and no one was there! An awkward building without a soul to be found. He then proceeded to call the fine owners after 1 hour of waiting around, and they said that they were on the road! Be in mind that this rental center is > 50 miles from where we live. After another few hours (total 3 hours) they showed up. "Do you have our helium?" "Sorry, we don't have any!" (total 4 hours)

All large endeavors are likely to have problems, as we can see here. And we must do our very best to overcome these problems and persevere in order to succeed. Our team is meeting tomorrow to discuss flight procedures, and gauge on whether or not we are going to launch on Sunday. If we can find a helium store by tomorrow morning and go to it by the end of the day, we should be fine.

Balloon is Here

2012-08-08T17:24:00.002-07:00

We ordered the 600g weather balloon a few days ago from Amazon. We chose the smaller balloon just because of the cheaper price. That just means that we'll have to put more helium in, but that's not a problem because we'll probably get a tank that is about 250cf. There is only a $1 fee per day on the tank, so we will be able to use it for an extended period of time.

The MicroTrak is getting repaired right now and should get here this weekend. Once we get that, all we need to do is pick up the tank and go launch.

Flight Parameters

2012-08-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Assuming everything goes well this week with the MicroTrak problem, this time gives you a summary of all the things that are going to happen on this launch.

MicroTrak Problems...

2012-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of toying around with the MicroTrak AIO and getting a new antenna, it still has not worked the way I would like. It is now in the shop for repair. If the nice man at MicroTrak can fix it in time, we still might be able to launch on August 11. This is all depending (once again) on the guys over at MicroTrak. After exchanging about eleven e-mails, a really helpful person (Allen) worked with me.

We expect that the amplifier is not "amplifying" the signal since the range on the device is absolutely terrible. We should be hitting i-gates that are at least 30 miles away. However, the only thing we've been able to hit is a tower that is 1 mile away.

Our launch date should still be August 11th, but that is all dependent on how this week plays out.

Weather on August 11

2012-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, we want to keep as close of an eye on the weather as we can. We can't launch in 50% cloud cover. Only a 10% chance on rain, but it's more likely for the evening. High humidity means that the craft will slow down better when it contacts thicker atmosphere.

I'm trying to be as scientific as I can, hence the overly detailed chart in my last blog post. We will use that chart during the flight for vertical tracking of the craft and its ultimate impact time.

Horizontal and Vertical Tracking

2012-08-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

August 11, 2012 Here We Come

2012-08-01T13:09:00.002-07:00

Since the MicroTrak was not working as expected, I went through and ordered a better antenna that is made especially for high altitude ballooning. This is version 6 of microtrak's antennas. Our rubber duck antenna was not giving us a very strong signal, so I decided to go with this one.

Our 600g weather balloon from Project Aether should be arriving soon also. If I can get the antenna working, our launch date is surely going to be August 11. I will have to call the FAA and file a Notice of Airmen (NOTAM) so they are aware of our giant balloon. Although the payload is under 4 pounds, we still want to take all of the precautions that we can. The only other thing we need is the helium, and we'll probably pick the tank up a few days before launch.

This is Happening

2012-07-30T20:09:00.002-07:00

I've never been so excited about a project. But more about that later...

The MicroTrak has been giving me a little bit of trouble. As usual, I e-mailed a bunch of people to try and get some answers. The consensus is that our "rubber duck" antenna is failing us. Byonics sells a specific antenna for high altitude balloons, so I'm probably going to get that.

The 600g balloon has been ordered from project Aether and it should get here by the end of the week. The only other thing we need is the helium, which is a quick pick up. I'll probably run to Home Depot this week to get a hose and some fittings for the tank. Hopefully we can get a 2 week-ish rental from the rental company. This will give me time to find a good hose.

We've never been closer to launching.

MircoTrak AIO is here!

2012-07-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Our fancy new MicroTrak AIO arrived yesterday. I have only had a little time to work with, and therefore have not gotten a signal yet on Google Maps APRS. I talked to the guys at MicroTrak, and they recommended that I get closer to a digipeter, so it can recognize the signal.

We're looking forward to our launch on either August 4th or the weekend after.

Flight Predictions

2012-07-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

We do not have an official launch site yet because I want to call the FAA to make sure we are not in restricted air space. So, I can only guess at where we're going to launch. I placed a random point within about 20 miles of out launch site in New Fairfield, CT. As you can see from the launch prediction software, it tells us that the balloon will land north of Hamden. This takes into account, the wind direction, ascent rate, descent rate, and cruising altitude.

I'll run the prediction again on the day of launch to make sure that the balloon won't land in the Long Island Sound, and we will really see how accurate it is.

The MircroTrak will get here tomorrow, and the weather balloon will be ordered shortly. We are also looking for a cheap place to rent helium. I am going to call a few places today and see what quotes I can get.

MicroTrak AIO Arriving in 2 Days

2012-07-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Purchasing the MicroTrak radio from Byonics has been a little confusing. They told me to give them my call sign, which I did, but they never confirmed it. Therefore, all I can assume is that they've received my callsign and programmed the MicroTrak with it. It is supposed to be preloaded with my callsign so I can plug and play. We'll see when it gets here. Fingers crossed!

Ordered MicroTrak AIO

2012-07-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the University of California - San Diego Near Space Program, I ordered the MicroTrak AIO radio. The Micro-Trak AIO (All In One) is a complete, self-contained, rugger, water resistant, portable, 10-watt APRS tracker, including a frequency agile 2-meter transmitter, a TinyTrak3 controller chip, a Byonics GPS3 GPS receiver, and an SMA antenna.

The MT-AIO was designed for ease of use. It operates using 8 conventional AA batteries or a 12V power supply, and comes pre-configured with your callsign, so it is ready to go. Simply connect the antenna, and add batteries, and you are on the air! The MT-AIO has been confirmed to run nearly 8 days when used with typical AA alkaline batteries, transmitting every 2 minutes. While SmartBeaconing is an option, it is not recommended, since that setting requires the GPS to be constantly powered, and battery usage will be limited to only a day or two.

Tiny Update - July 23

2012-07-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the Home Depot today and picked up 12 lithium batteries. I hope I don't lose them, because they're worth their weight in gold. They were over $20 for the twelve batteries. We only need ten, but I figured that we should have two extra in case they decide to stop working.

I also picked up Basil and Zinia seeds for our experiment. Along time ago, I talked about seeing whether seed placed inside our payload would still grow even after being exposed to cosmic radiation. Will they grow? We'll have to find out.

Got Hand Warmers

2012-07-20T19:47:00.002-07:00

You'd be surprised at how hard it is to find hand warmers at a store in the middle of the summer. Luckily, a small store in upstate New York had a plethora of hand warmers to choose from. I figured the price would be about comparable to amazon, so I got them. If you remember, these hand warmers will keep the batteries warm as our balloon is exposed to the outer reaches of the stratosphere.

By the way, I am going to order the microtrak aio as soon as I can, which will probably be this week.

Got Call sign - Ordering MicroTrak Soon

2012-07-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

When I took my HAM test, they said that my license would take about a week to show up in the system. For clarification, I took the test on Saturday July 14th, and my call sign showed up in the system on Tuesday July 17th. This is about three days. Surprise!

I can now order the Microtrak AIO from byonics. Since I never pay for shipping, it will probably arrive about 1 week from when I order it. When I order it, I will certainly write another blog post. I've been getting used to blogger, and it has been a pretty solid system for getting the word out and documenting my adventure. Thanks you everyone who is following the project!

Photo courtesy: Makezine.com

Passed HAM Test

2012-07-16T07:41:00.001-07:00

As you've read in earlier blog posts, I needed to get my HAM radio license in order to operate the MicroTrak AIO. This is a very accurate GPS device that uses ham radio and a GPS receiver to transmit the coordinates to digipeters which are giant antennas placed on mountains and other high places. These signals are received and then placed online at Google APRS.

On my mission to get my HAM radio license I ran into a group of hams in Stamford, CT. They administered the test, and I (of course) passed the exam by only getting five questions wrong. As I left they shook my hand and said, "welcome to the club." Although I had no intentions of being a HAM, it was cool to say that I was apart of a club.

As I was saying, my HAM radio call sign has not shown up online yet, and they said that this could take up to a week. I was really expecting that my call sign would be available within about 6 hours. No, sorry Kyle.

Since nothing can go my way, the laziness of the FCC will delay my project about 10 days, since I need my call sign to order the MicroTrak AIO. Delays!

But since the Pocket Finder arrived, I can do some general testing. Beyond that, we just need to wait for the FCC and I can order the MicroTrak AIO, helium, and weather balloon.

Pocketfinder is here!

2012-07-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

Amidst this long weekend, the pocket finder GPS arrived via UPS on my doorstep. While I opened the package and eventually charged the device, it was not locating. I was very confused on why it was not working. I even drove the device around town to see if it could locate a signal. Nope.

Eventually, I had the moxie to e-mail Pocketfinder since their call center is only open on weekdays. I e-mailed them, and they responded 4 hours later:

Thank you for being a PocketFinder customer. Our server indicated that the AT&T SIM activation was delayed causing the problem. Please log in from the app or web and you will see it now working. Over the next 24 hours you will see your locator become more and more accurate as it gets used to the satellites in your area and downloads the latest updates.

Ok, so now it worked! I have found the PF website pretty user friendly. However, you cannot locate the device on the spot, it has to be moving to get out of hibernation mode. Sure, this saves battery but it would be cool to see the device wherever it was whenever I wanted to know.

Since this update was delayed a few days, I'm going to publish another blog post about my HAM radio adventure.

Pocket Finder Ordered - Arriving next weekend

2012-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

As you know from one of my earlier posts, I received a very encouraging e-mail from a teacher at a middle school located in central Minnesota who launched a near-space ballon with a group of students. I asked him about the Pocket Finder. He said that the PF has saved all 3 of their balloons from being lost and the battery has no problem dealing with the cold.

Since I have not gotten any similar reviews from the SPOT or the Garmin GTU, I decided to go with the PF. It's is our secondary devices, so I wasn't as worried about its functionality since we are using a very reliable MicroTrak AIO.

I am studying from my HAM radio amateur license test this Thursday, and intend to study and pass. As the weekend of July 21st comes closer, things will begin to be very exciting.

New Update

2012-07-05T09:05:00.001-07:00

I have created a calendar and we have decided on a launch date of July 21. I have planned to make sure that all of the components arrive here on time for that date. I think we have come to a conclusion on the GPS devices. Our primary tracker will be the MicroTrak AIO and the secondary tracker will probably be the pocket finder. I recently got an email from someone who used the pocket finder, and it saved their ballon three times. The price is not as extreme as the SPOT or the Garmin, so I think it will be the right choice. While I was typing this, safari decided to quit on me. Thank you iOS 6. I am very happy at how this project has come together and I thank everyone who has contributed. Hopefully these components will arrive I one for the launch date. Once we get these two components, all we will have left is the balloon and the helium. Stay tuned for more updates.

Super Progress!

2012-06-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Mostly Everything on the balloon apparatus is finished. We are currently looking into the two GPS devices. But besides that, all we need is the balloon and the helium. We are very very close. I am going to be taking my HAM radio license test on July 12th so I can get a call sign so we can get the MicroTrak AIO, which seems to be the best option for tracking. Beyond that, I also want to have a backup GPS device. More updates soon!

Update: Launching Soon

2012-06-26T11:52:00.001-07:00

Things are about to get very exciting. We are very close to launch. The parachute from Project Aether has just arrived.

The only items we haven't gotten are the primary secondary GPS devices, balloon, and helium. Of course, these are the major items, but there are many components to the launch. We believe that we have narrowed down the GPS devices we are going to use. The MicroTrak AIO seems to be a great choice for the primary flight tracker. However, since it uses HAM radio, I will need to get my technician class license. This of course, just creates more delays because the next license exam in my area is on July 14th, 2012.

Since our payload is getting bigger, we might opt for the 1200g balloon. This is a larger balloon, but we do not want our project to become a "floater" and drift out of our zone. I'd like to have about 2lbs of net lift. I contacted a balloon company in the area, and they can supply use with 250cf of helium for about $150. I am not sure if this is expensive or not, but I am going to shop around some more to see if I can get a better price.