Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR) is pleased to announce the flight of ANSR-66. This high altitude balloon flight will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 9:00 A.M. The launch site will be at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, 2520 East 32nd Street, Yuma, Arizona. GPS coordinates are 32.671 North, 114.591 West. Upper winds may cause a change in launch site (the Quartzsite option), so watch for updates to this notice especially Friday evening.
This flight is sponsored by the Yuma Hamfest and ARRL Southwest Division Convention being held on February 17-18, 2012. A pre-flight briefing and ballooning presentation will be held at 3:40 PM (MST) in the fairgrounds Fine Arts building on Friday, February 17. A ground station and display will be set up at the Hamfest for live monitoring of the balloon flight progress. For more information about the hamfest and convention, see http://www.yumahamfest.org.
The balloon will carry three student built payloads from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Western Arizona University. The payloads will contain a variety of scientific apparatus including temperature and pressure sensors, cameras, and a Geiger Counter. Other payloads will include two APRS beacons, a SSTV package, a Fast Scan ATV transmitter and a cross-band repeater.
The ANSR Cross-Band Repeater will operate with an input frequency of 145.56 MHz with a 162.2 Hz tone, and an output of 445.525 MHz. While contacts (especially DX) are welcome, please give priority to chase team members. After burst, leave long pauses on the repeater to allow more prediction packets.
Additional ANSR-66 Payloads and Beacons:
ANSR Beacon KA7NSR-11 on 445. 950 MHz, Predictions after burst: KA7NSR (no ssid) 445.950 MHz (GATE, WIDE 2-1
Special ARRL APRS Beacon W1AW-7 144.34 MHz (GATE, WIDE 2-1)
K7GGG SSTV Experiment: Frequency 432.950 MHz, Emission type FM , SSTV Mode Scottie 2, 1 watt, vertical polarized
KC7DUU FSTV Experiment: Frequency 434.00 MHz., ATV mode is FM, 2 watts vertically polarized
Mobile cross band Digipeaters will repeat the 445.950 and 144.34 data to the 144.390 MHz standard APRS frequency locally only (to reduce inference) and subsequently will be I-GATED to the Internet for out-of-area trackers. Use Call sign information above for following on www.aprs.fi and www.findu.com
The balloon will be a 2000 gram weather balloon, filled with helium. The expected burst altitude will be 90,000 feet or more. The flight is anticipated to last about 2.5 hours from launch to touchdown.
Note: FAA may restrict total payload weight to less than 12 lbs.
Launch support, display, chase teams and pre-deployment Digipeaters teams have been organized but let us know at the Hamfest if you would like to help out or chase (with APRS).
Be sure to check http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ballooning for updates to this announcement prior to the flight.
Jack Crabtree, W7JLC
ANSR President and Yuma Hamfest Flight Coordinator
