[aprssig] UAH ballooning report (long)

[Jason Winningham]

On Apr 11, 2005, at 8:04 AM, Robert Bruninga wrote:

>>>> jdw at eng.uah.edu 4/10/05 6:36:15 PM >>>
>> One thing that hasn't worked is connected mode
>> communications with a KPC-3 on the balloon.
>
> Any attempt at connected mode will fail at altitude
> unless the command uplink channel is not on 144.39.
> Could that be it?


Sorry, should have reported a little more detail.  The last flight we 
used 144.990 for the uplink.  Possible causes of failure were low TX 
power (D7 at 5W) and antenna pattern nulls - we caught up with the 
balloon and wound up almost directly under it trying to talk to it.  
That balloon had a roll-up J pole antenna and the mobile uplink station 
had the D7 and a Diamond 770 1/2 wave.

-Jason
kg4wsv