NSB01102017 Meeting Notes

Near Space Balloon Meeting Minutes for January 10th 2017

• Get all vehicles transmitting APRS
• We need multiple tracking stations
  • Pair people up as Drivers and Navigators / Trackers
• Tracking practice run
• Isolated tracking system
• Power bus
• Set deadlines for testing, but not for actual launch
• Test checklist
  • What kinds of tests to run?
• Weston interested in using a Pi Zero for the main computer
• Weston is interested in building a USB hub that can switch power on/off per port
• Eclipse
  • Take lots of photos
  • Camera with filter that can photograph the sun
  • Jeffrey wants to know what kind of high frame rate cameras were used in the video linked below.
  • RF Scanner to record radio interference from the sun
  • Have a camera always pointing at the sun with HD
    • Ben has a Gimbel
  • Aug 21, 11:21AM is the maximum period (Monday)
  • Find another airstrip at the edge of the sun path
    • Clif suggested Pineville as a possibility with better ones forthcoming.
  • Research eclipse for more ideas
  • Solar panel? - Dileep's sensor board
• Shut down all systems other than periodic transmission to help conserve power for emergency location
• An earlier launch to practice and test before the eclipse
  • June 3 target
  • May 1 - deadline for first test
• January 24 next meeting

Links:

• Nearspace youtube video Rick showed at the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-NvrtKhXAc
• Possible RDF transmitters:
  • http://www.instructables.com/id/433-MHz-UHF-lost-model-radio-beacon/
  • http://www.radiotracking.com
• Full Interactive Eclipse Map: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

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-- Main.ClifCox - 11 Jan 2017