SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS003   
   ARLS003 Middle School Students to Launch Near-Space Balloon   
      
   ZCZC AS03     
   QST de W1AW     
   Space Bulletin 003  ARLS003   
   From ARRL Headquarters     
   Newington, CT  March 9, 2011   
   To all radio amateurs   
      
   SB SPACE ARL ARLS003   
   ARLS003 Middle School Students to Launch Near-Space Balloon   
      
   A group of students from Olde Towne Middle School (OTMS) in   
   Ridgeland, Mississippi is preparing for a trip to space -- or as   
   close as they can get. The OTMS Radio and Technology Club, along   
   with the school's Science Team, are planning a near-space balloon   
   launch at 9 AM (CDT) on March 26 (the date and time are subject to   
   change depending on weather). The balloon -- nicknamed Titans in   
   Space -- will use the call sign KC5NXD and is expected to reach an   
   altitude of 94,825 feet.   
      
   The project is led by Bill Richardson, N5VEI, a past participant in   
   the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, a professional   
   development program that is part of ARRL's donor-funded Education &   
   Technology Program. The school has also received several grants of   
   Amateur Radio station equipment from this program. Richardson is the   
   sponsor of the school's Radio and Technology Club.   
      
   The balloon will be equipped with instruments to track its exact   
   location and a camera that will take snapshots every 15 seconds. The   
   students will stay on the ground and analyze the data as it is   
   transmitted back to them from the balloon. "As far as I can   
   research, we are the first elementary, middle or high school to   
   launch a near-space balloon in our state," Richardson told the ARRL.   
   The balloon will launch from the Madison County Career and   
   Technology Center in Gluckstadt. Preflight will begin at 90 minutes   
   before the scheduled launch. The preflight and launch will be   
   stream-cast live on the Internet at,   
   http://www.ustream.tv/user/kc5nxd.  You can also follow along on   
   Twitter.   
      
   "Our students are busy with assembly and payload testing right now,   
   preparing for launch day," said OTMS Principal Allen Lawrence. "This   
   is really a great science experiment and they are all excited."   
      
   Richardson is encouraging radio amateurs to follow the balloon via   
   APRS on 144.39 MHz, on http://aprs.fi with the call sign kc5nxd-11   
   and via a 2 meter voice beacon on 146.565 MHz. A 20 meter beacon at   
   14.079-14.080.5 MHz will offer telemetry in four modes: Domino-ex16,   
   CW, RTTY and Hellschreiber.   
      
   According to Richardson, the group will be using a special   
   balloon-modified version of FLdigi, called dl-FLdigi. Ground   
   stations receive the balloon's telemetry via the program's soundcard   
   decoding software (available as a free download from   
   http://www.w1hkj.com). "In essence, you are creating your own HF or   
   VHF APRS-style network on the fly," he explained. "When a valid   
   frame is received by a ground station, it is then sent via dl-FLdigi   
   to a server that then plots the position onto a website dedicated to   
   high altitude ballooning."  The website can be found at,   
   http://spacenear.us/tracker.   
      
   Richardson said that the students need help to grab data packets or   
   use the FLdigi to relay to packets to the network: "With the new   
   telemetry system, we will have a better data set for a final landing   
   spot, as well as research data."   
      
   The launch is in partnership with the Mississippi State University's   
   Bagley College of Engineering's aeronautical engineering program,   
   which has provided support and supplies to the students' efforts.   
   The project has already received national attention from The Sally   
   Ride Foundation, named after the first American woman to fly in   
   space. The foundation -- dedicated to supporting girls' and boys'   
   interests in science, math and technology -- sent the students a   
   letter of support and congratulations in advance of the launch. All   
   funding for the project has come from donations and fundraisers. The   
   project has received support from the local community, including the   
   Jackson (Mississippi) Amateur Radio Club.   
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
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   Gentlemens' agreements ratified by IARU regions 1 and 2 have   
   designated a global "center of activity" frequency  in  each   
   of  the  international  hf  bands.  THese are similar to the   
   concept for weak signal calling and other center of activity   
   frequencies.  Three of these have been ratified worldwide.   
      
   THese  center of activity frequencies are where stations can   
   go to render or obtain emergency assistance.   
      
   WHen casually operating or  contesting  on  hf  please  make   
   yourself  aware  of  these  frequencies,  and give them some   
   space. Remember that often stations with emergency needs are   
   not  those  utilizing  high  gain antennas and maximum legal   
   power.   
      
   TO find out more, visit 14300.net or IARU web resources.   
      
      
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    * Origin: RRN BBS: Your fidonet ham radio connection! (1:116/901)