On Saturday, March 7th Skip Chraft and I (David Voit) will be sending up a small balloon carrying a solar powered APRS transmitter. If all goes well, the balloon will ascend to about 40,000 feet and stay at that level. With luck it will circle the earth more than once. The small transmitter will operate during the day sending out gps reports to the APRS system. The balloon is not recoverable and we are using known equipment as our first launch should not be experimental. We want the experience of launching without too many unknowns. If all goes well, future launches will be customized and even more fun.
A link to the same balloon being lauched and with a different transmitter is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8XgT2lk1U4
The launch will be at Craig Thompsons ranch. The field a bit south of the field day location is our choice. We will be shooting for 8:15 to 8:30 A.M. If the day is windy, we will try the next Saturday but the weather forecast so far looks great. To get to the launch site, go on Davis road to just a bit south of 20695 Davis. Before you get there and beside a house with a number I did not find is a road headed east. On a telephone pole is an old disc blade rusting away saying “keep out”. This is Craigs and it is ok. Go .3 miles down this path to the open field. Navigate to 38.170979, -121.328954 (just paste into Google address line and hit enter). Notice the entrance is exactly 1/4 mile South of entrance to Craig’s farmhouse make sure you get to this road as the map might send you into the ranch and tell you to walk South.