[aprssig] Bad news on todays 2 Balloons from Alabama

[Jason Winningham]

On Dec 18, 2004, at 9:27 PM, rwf wrote:

> GPS gave out on WB8ELK-11 near Gaffney SC and balloon was still at 
> 90000+ ft.

I got to attend the launch yesterday.  I received a message from WB8ELK 
just a little while ago that packets were received from WB8ELK-11 by 
digipeaters in Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada.  No 
position data, GPS having failed earlier in the flight.

> I think the APRS payload did have enough battery to make it.

Based on telemetry, the batteries probably froze on N4TXI-11.  Testing 
indicated he should have 18 hours or better life.

Using a D7 and the arrow 2m handheld yagi, I heard the 30mW FM voice 
beacon from the WB8ELK balloon and decoded packets heard directly from 
the N4TXI balloon from about 300 miles distance (east of Greenville, NC 
to Decatur, AL).  It's amazing what a clear line sight does for 
communications.

-Jason
kg4wsv