[aprssig] Balloon WIDE1-1

[Keith VE7GDH]

Bob WB4APR wrote...

> WIDE2-2 is the recommended path for Balloons!

In this case, it was a TT3. If it had been an OT, it could have done
profile switching based on altitude. That way, the path and beacon rate
could be customized based on the altitude with it using just WIDE2-1
e.g. when it gets above 30,000 feet and switch to a longer path and a
faster beacon rate a few thousand feet below that altitude.

PS - does it float? Anything to declare to Canadian customs? It looks
like this was the final position that was gated before splashdown. It
was descending at about 1250 feet per minute until it was below 10,000
feet and then slowed to about 1000 feet per minute. At that rate, it 
would appear that a parachute was successfully employed. I presume the 
descent would slower as the air became denser.
 W9YJ-11>APT311,WIDE1-1,qAO,VE3TEJ:!4232.72N/08101.92WO346/024/A=001525

> It is amazing that something as simple as telling every Balloon
> to use WIDE2-2, seems impossible to get through to them...

That's OK... I saw a 747 go over a few days ago. ON4BBQ-3 was using a
path of RELAY,TRACE3-3... last seen descending over Seattle WA 2 or 3
days ago. It  may cause lots of QRM (at least where there are any
obsolete RELAY digis) but it wouldn't hang around for very long. Of
course, in areas where there are no RELAY digis it would keep the noise
down a bit. It looks like he's on the ground in Seattle now but using a
different SSID and a more reasonable path.
<www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?ON4BBQ*>
Actually, considering the elevation, he didn't make much noise at all.
www.db0anf.de/app/aprs/stations/digiusage-ON4BBQ-3?sort=lastheard-d

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"