iHAB-9 - [Saturday - February 16, 2013]
Mission Recap:
What a COLD day! The coldest launch in iHAB history. The iHAB-9 launch didn't go without problems, but was successfully launched at 9AM CST with a crowd of 100+ watching. Cold temperatures plagued batteries, and caused the camera (iPhone5) used for the webcast to shut down due to the cold temperatures.
At 8:30AM the iHAB-9 payload was powered up, and we experienced GPS failure immediately. The GPS was unable to acquire a GPS lock. The team originally thought that maybe the 1.2Ghz Live Camera was causing the problem, but after shutting it down, the GPS was still unable to acquire a lock. Both the iHAB Team and Rockwell engineers decided to move forward with launching despite NOT having telemetry. Under normal circumstances most (if not all) people wouldn’t have launched knowing the technical failures, and risk of not being able to recover the balloon and its payload, BUT since when has the iHAB Team not been up for a challenge?
The iHAB-9 launch was beautiful, with a 600g balloon filling with 176cu/ft of helium. 8 minutes after launch, at 9:08AM, we did receive the only valid telemetry from iHAB-9 at 13,275ft just east of the Cedar Rapids Airport. The calculated ascent rate was around 1500ft/min.
iHAB-9 was last heard at 10:40AM by a ground iGATE station in SE Iowa. Gregg Lind [KCØSKM] & Joe Spinks [AAØKW] were positioned at the predicted landing site NW of Monmouth, IL, and was able to acquire a 10-15sec long video feed from iHAB-9 during its descent.
Location of Chase Team KCØSKM & Joe Spinks AAØKW- HERE
Until 2PM CST, the iHAB Team, and several other hams KDØHF, WA6GFD, WØHKR , zigzagged across the area NW of Monmouth, IL north to Aledo, IL. Unfortunately, no one was able to hear the VHF APRS or 1.2Ghz video transmission. It is our hopes that the payload will be found by a local in the area.
The iHAB Team would like to thank CVARC, CARC, Rockwell Collins Inc, and all the other hams who supported this launch! We look forward to working with them again to launch another iHAB Balloon!
Only Valid APRS telemtry - T+8min @ 13,275ft @ 1565ft/min
2013-02-16 09:08:56 CST:
W0OTM-11>APOTC1,WIDE1-1,qAR,N0GUD-1
Coldest Payload Temp - T+97min-12C or 10.4F
2013-02-16 10:37:12 CST:
W0OTM-11>APOTC1,WIDE1-1,qAR,KD0PCP
Last Heard
2013-02-16 10:40:58 CST:
W0OTM-11>APOTC1,WB0VHB-3,WIDE1*,qAR,WB0VHB-1
!2618.49N/11501.28WONO FIX 11.1V-08C
iHAB-9 - Mission Goals
Demonstrate a High Altitude Balloon Launch in conjunction with Engineers Week 2013.- Fly 1.2Ghz Wireless Video for live downlink onboard video.
- Fly a new 20M mico HF beacon. Designed and built by Dave Cripe NM0S.
- Fly a new HF antenna OCF DiPole design.
- Fly HD Video equipment (GoPro Hero 2).
| = Successfull |
 = Successfull with error(s) |
 = Failed |
iHAB-9 - Flight Prediction
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Launch:
- Call: W0OTM-11
- Sunrise: 7:02a.m.
- Sunset: 17:41p.m.
- Launch: 15:00:00
- On: 2013-02-16
- Lat: 42.031400
- Lon: -91.647900
- Base Elev: 853 ft.
- Using GFS from CID*
- Requested --
- Ascent: 1004.5 ft/m
- Max Altitude: 82703 feet
- Descending: 1500 ft/m
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Burst:
- At: (41.21246, -91.00586)
- Max Alt.: 82640 feet
- Radio Horizon: 354 miles
- Flight Time T+: 82 minutes.
- Down Range: 66 miles.
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Touchdown:
- At: (40.9414, -90.82537)
- Total Time T+: 108 minutes.
- Bearing: 150.2 deg
- Down Range: 87 miles.
Launch Video
Video provided by: Jon (W0JMK)
GoPro HD Video Camera
Launch @ 14:10
iHAB-9 - Photos
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Photos provided by: Sondermann Photography |
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| Photos provided by: WBØAOV | |
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Recovery |
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20M Beacon Signal Reports - QRPSpots
32 reports from 16 different states, 1 Canadian station
14.323.750 W0OTM Balloon beacon is heard in Atlanta now WA6LTV/4
14.323.75 W0OTM 559 in NJ W2LJ
14.323.650 W0OTM Weak but distinct in Las Vegas KF2T
14.323.75 W0OTM Weak but readable in NE Texas WD5ABC
14.323.37 W0OTM Weak but I hear it from Conyers, Ga near Atlanta N4OLN
14.323.5 W0OTM 539 in Massachusetts, but bad SSB QRM AA1VX
14.323.750 W0OTM Loud in Atlanta, 589 WA6LTV/4
14.324 W0OTM 30 over on inverted l WA0VUS
14.323.7 W0OTM finally coming in clear in franklin, ia KC0TDJ
14.322.7 W0OTM S-9 on 3 el SteppIR. NE of Ottumwa, IA K0JGH
14.323 W0OTM Good signal in Oregon about S5 AA7VW
14.323.75 W0OTM QSB s9 to +20db @ 1528Z in Marion, Ia. K8OM
14.324.00 W0OTM S9 BY CID AIRPORT KC0AKY
14.323.4 W0OTM Now 569 in Massachusetts w/SSB QRM AA1VX
14.323.449 W0OTM S9 solid at the Radio Farm, Wabeek, IA N0MA
14.322.9 W0OTM S9 Plus Near Olin, Iowa KG1X
14.323.55 W0OTM s9 to a inverted Vee in Anamosa,Ia NN0L
14.323.415 W0ITM s1 barely readable il/in line WA9EIC
14.323.7 W0OTM Barely s1 but readable at times in Lincoln, NE K0NEB
14.323.35 W0OTM S5 with some QSB in Conyers, Ga N4OLN
14.323.4 W0OTM 599 on tribander in SE IA WA0ITP
14.323.7 W0OTM RST 329, weak with heavy SSB qrm at times. VE5DC
14.323.34 W0OTM iHAB-9 Q5 in Des Moines via line-of-sight W0RPK
14.323.349 W0OTM sigs now 20dB over S9 Radio Farm IA N0MA
14.323 W0OTM iHAB-9 Balloon beacon K9JKM
14.323.430 W0OTM Still good copy in Atlanta, some QSB, s3 - s7 WA6LTV/4
14.3234 W0OTM S5 in Oklahoma City N5JKY
14.323.5 W0OTM Caught a few seconds barely audible but it was there KC0PMH
14.323.68 W0OTM Steady S1 in Lincoln, NE using TH3 beam K0NEB
14.323.67 W0OTM Stll S9 in Muscatine Iowa WA0VUS
14.323.5 W0OTM Steady sig S2/3 in Vermont with OCF Dipole at 80\' W1SFR
14.323.5 W0OTM 539 near Wilmington, NC W5GI antenna 32ft up W2KJ
14.323.330 W0OTM 329 now at il/in line WA9EIC
14.323.95 W0OTM steady 57 into North Liberty, IA - receive is an indoor dipole - some freq drift observed KD0JHW
14.323.7 W0OTM Starting to FM and jump in frequency (1555Z) in Marion, Ia K8OM
14.32330 W0OTM iHAB-9 beacon started chirping at ~1553z W0RPK
14.323.35 W0OTM Chirpy signal now in Massachusetts AA1VX
14.323.5 W0OTM nice load chirpy signal here in eastern IA N2AM
14.323.372 W0O +10 but chirp and quick frequency jumps N0MA
14.323.63 W0OTM S1 and drifting and some chirp K0NEB
14.323.400 W0OTM Chirping, but still good copy, S5 in Atlanta WA6LTV/4
14.323 W0OTM Good copy KD0LMB
14.323 W0OTM Do not hear hear the beacon anymore in Conyers, Ga N4OLN
14.323.3 W0OTM very raspy but S9 signal into Eastern Iowa N2AM
143.23.400 W0OTM No more copy in Atlanta, Lilburn. Was fun. WA6LTV/4
14.323.95 W0OTM Over last 15 mins, beacon signal went from good copy and tone to very raspy tone, poor copy. I am in North Liberty, IA. KD0JHW
14.323 W0OTM iHAB-9 beacon now very wide keyed noise W0RPK
14.323 W0OTM iHAB beacon no longer heard W0RPK
14.323.3 W0OTM Just lost beacon in noise floor - Burlington NC KJ4UBM
14.323.95 W0OTM Beacon appears to have died, no more signal in North Liberty, IA. KD0JHW
14.323 W0OTM beacon suddenly dropped out from S9 WA0VUS
14.323 W0OTM 569 here in Williamson, NY W2BPI
14.322 W0OTM No signal at Ottumwa,IA K0JGH
14.323 W0OTM Tuned in late. Couold you guys launch another? he he he N4QA
14.323.7 W0OTM NO SIGNAL HERE - DO80 VE5DC
14.323 W0OTM lost it between 16:10 & 16:20 after developing strange sound NY0O
Media
Media Relations
QRZ Listing:
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?378809-iHAB-9-Launch-Announcement
Media Contact:
Charles Snodgrass (KCØCD)
cwsnodgr@rockwellcollins.com
(319)-651-7524
Marshall Dias (WØOTM)
w0otm 
w0otm.com
641-455-0092
