general:beginners_guide_to_high_altitude_ballooning
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| general:beginners_guide_to_high_altitude_ballooning [2010/01/21 12:31] – bogaurd | general:beginners_guide_to_high_altitude_ballooning [2022/09/30 11:59] (current) – upu | ||
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| ====== A Beginners Guide to High Altitude Ballooning ====== | ====== A Beginners Guide to High Altitude Ballooning ====== | ||
| + | [[http:// | ||
| ===== How to get involved ===== | ===== How to get involved ===== | ||
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| * First steps are: | * First steps are: | ||
| * have a browse of this wiki | * have a browse of this wiki | ||
| - | * read up on some of the projects | + | * read up on some of the [[frontpage: |
| * join the [[http:// | * join the [[http:// | ||
| - | * get on to # | + | * get on to [[https:// |
| * Feel free to ask questions, if people don't know they' | * Feel free to ask questions, if people don't know they' | ||
| * Come along to a launch - best ask first if you can come, nearly always the answer will be yes, be prepared to be roped in - need all the help we can get! | * Come along to a launch - best ask first if you can come, nearly always the answer will be yes, be prepared to be roped in - need all the help we can get! | ||
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| * Do some data processing, mosaic some images, help with the flight prediction, write some software to help with the flight. | * Do some data processing, mosaic some images, help with the flight prediction, write some software to help with the flight. | ||
| * Work on the wiki, write a new articles, update existing pages and correct spelilng msitakes. | * Work on the wiki, write a new articles, update existing pages and correct spelilng msitakes. | ||
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| ===== Balloon Flight Theory ===== | ===== Balloon Flight Theory ===== | ||
| * The general theory is: | * The general theory is: | ||
| * a payload (an insulated box containing some electronics such as a GPS and a radio to allow you to follow progress) is attached to a balloon which is filled with helium (He). | * a payload (an insulated box containing some electronics such as a GPS and a radio to allow you to follow progress) is attached to a balloon which is filled with helium (He). | ||
| - | * The balloon is released and as He is lighter | + | * The balloon is released and, as He is lighter |
| * As the balloon rises the outside pressure decreases which leads to the helium inside the balloon expanding (imagine like its expanding to fill the gap as the outside pressure decreases), this causes the balloon to stretch. | * As the balloon rises the outside pressure decreases which leads to the helium inside the balloon expanding (imagine like its expanding to fill the gap as the outside pressure decreases), this causes the balloon to stretch. | ||
| * The balloon is made of a form of latex and is incredibly stretchy however it gets to a point where it can't stretch any more and bursts. | * The balloon is made of a form of latex and is incredibly stretchy however it gets to a point where it can't stretch any more and bursts. | ||
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| * Throughout the flight the GPS module in the payload box is providing information on its position, this information is passed through a microcontroller which reads the info and converts it into another protocol and in most payloads transmits the data over a radio link to the ground station. As a backup sometimes there is also a mobile phone which sends the data as a SMS as well (however this will only work near to the ground as mobile phones don't get signal at high altitudes). | * Throughout the flight the GPS module in the payload box is providing information on its position, this information is passed through a microcontroller which reads the info and converts it into another protocol and in most payloads transmits the data over a radio link to the ground station. As a backup sometimes there is also a mobile phone which sends the data as a SMS as well (however this will only work near to the ground as mobile phones don't get signal at high altitudes). | ||
| * Therefore if you want to fly a HAB mission you need to construct a payload box with a tracking device (e.g. GPS module, microcontoller and then a radio/ | * Therefore if you want to fly a HAB mission you need to construct a payload box with a tracking device (e.g. GPS module, microcontoller and then a radio/ | ||
| - | * Permission comes from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), | + | * Permission |
| * Getting a system that works is harder then it sounds, HAB payloads are difficult to test in advance so there is a failure rate that unfortunately affects us all. The better planned a payload/ | * Getting a system that works is harder then it sounds, HAB payloads are difficult to test in advance so there is a failure rate that unfortunately affects us all. The better planned a payload/ | ||
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| * We have permission from the CAA to launch payloads attached to meterological balloons, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is issued and we contact the ATC (Air Traffic Control) just before we launch. (They often ask us to wait 10mins to allow a plane to pass over!) | * We have permission from the CAA to launch payloads attached to meterological balloons, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is issued and we contact the ATC (Air Traffic Control) just before we launch. (They often ask us to wait 10mins to allow a plane to pass over!) | ||
| * All payloads fly with a parachute attached, these are usually pre-deployed to reduce the risk of something going wrong and will slow the payloads descent after the balloon has burst. | * All payloads fly with a parachute attached, these are usually pre-deployed to reduce the risk of something going wrong and will slow the payloads descent after the balloon has burst. | ||
| - | * Careful planning goes into a balloon launch and we have increasingly sophisticated prediction software (check out CUSF's [[http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~cuspaceflight/ | + | * Careful planning goes into a balloon launch and we have increasingly sophisticated prediction software (check out CUSF's [[http://predict.habhub.org/ |
| * There are other important safety points to make: | * There are other important safety points to make: | ||
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| * Polystyrene is quite hard to cut so often is cut/melted with a hot wire cutter - again this can give off fumes so ventilate well. | * Polystyrene is quite hard to cut so often is cut/melted with a hot wire cutter - again this can give off fumes so ventilate well. | ||
| * High powered radios (something not often used in HAB) when transmitting can give very nasty RF burns - don't hold on to the antenna when transmitting. | * High powered radios (something not often used in HAB) when transmitting can give very nasty RF burns - don't hold on to the antenna when transmitting. | ||
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| === General === | === General === | ||
| * Whats the point? | * Whats the point? | ||
| - | * [[http:// | ||
| * High Altitude Ballooning is a multi-skilled hobby in which you get to explore a region of the earth "Near Space" without the need for enormous budgets and national departments or agencies. It tests your abilities to plan, design and construct electronics, | * High Altitude Ballooning is a multi-skilled hobby in which you get to explore a region of the earth "Near Space" without the need for enormous budgets and national departments or agencies. It tests your abilities to plan, design and construct electronics, | ||
| * Oh and its a lot of fun. | * Oh and its a lot of fun. | ||
| * Is it expensive? | * Is it expensive? | ||
| - | * It doesn' | + | * It doesn' |
| === Flight/ | === Flight/ | ||
| - | * Why don't you use Hydrogen rather then Helium? | + | * Why don't you use [[guides: |
| * Hydrogen in some senses is better then Helium; it has more lift, doesn' | * Hydrogen in some senses is better then Helium; it has more lift, doesn' | ||
| * Can any batteries be used? | * Can any batteries be used? | ||
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| * What radios do you use? | * What radios do you use? | ||
| * In the air the main workhorse on the payloads are Radiometrix NTX2 434.075Mhz 10mW modules. These modules are licence exempt and so can be used by anyone and have been allowed by Ofcom to be used in the air as well as on land. | * In the air the main workhorse on the payloads are Radiometrix NTX2 434.075Mhz 10mW modules. These modules are licence exempt and so can be used by anyone and have been allowed by Ofcom to be used in the air as well as on land. | ||
| - | * To listen to the payloads transmissions the receiving radio need to be able to listen to 70cm band (430-440Mhz) and be able to receive SSB. There are many radios available - Amateur radios are often more sensitive then scanners and so are preferable. For many years the Yaesu FT-790r radio was the key receiver however these days more advanced radios are used including the Yaesu FT-817 and the Icom IC-7000. Antenna wise when near to the balloon a whip will suffice however as the balloon drifts away it might be necessary to use a Yagi as this antenna is more directional. | + | * To listen to the payloads transmissions the receiving radio need to be able to listen to 70cm band (430-440Mhz) and be able to receive SSB. There are many radios available - Amateur radios are often more sensitive then scanners and so are preferable. For many years the Yaesu FT-790r radio was the key receiver however these days more advanced radios are used including the Yaesu FT-817 and the Icom IC-7000. Antenna wise when near to the balloon a whip will suffice however as the balloon drifts away it might be necessary to use a Yagi as this antenna is more directional. |
| * 10mW of power from a radio is rubbish - the datasheet quote a couple of hundred metres range! Explain? | * 10mW of power from a radio is rubbish - the datasheet quote a couple of hundred metres range! Explain? | ||
| * The datasheet of these radio modules quote the range of the modules when using them on the ground where there is a poor line of sight (LOS) and using the matching receiver. When we fly these modules on our payloads we get excellent uninterrupted LOS and we use far more sensitive radios to listen in coupled with good antennas. This increases the range massively - enough to get a couple of hundred miles range! | * The datasheet of these radio modules quote the range of the modules when using them on the ground where there is a poor line of sight (LOS) and using the matching receiver. When we fly these modules on our payloads we get excellent uninterrupted LOS and we use far more sensitive radios to listen in coupled with good antennas. This increases the range massively - enough to get a couple of hundred miles range! | ||
| * While this is all good when the payload is in the air when it nears the ground the range reduces as we lose LOS and the range is similar to what is quoted. It is therefore important to either have a GSM communication system that sends you a SMS with the final location or chase the payload so that you are close by when it lands. | * While this is all good when the payload is in the air when it nears the ground the range reduces as we lose LOS and the range is similar to what is quoted. It is therefore important to either have a GSM communication system that sends you a SMS with the final location or chase the payload so that you are close by when it lands. | ||
| * Can I use amateur radio on my payloads? | * Can I use amateur radio on my payloads? | ||
| - | * Unfortunately | + | * If you're in the UK unfortunately |
| + | * An example schematic from Project Hollands Hoogte has been updated here : | ||
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| + | {{: | ||
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| + | ([[http:// | ||
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| + | ====== Dependency Chart ====== | ||
| + | Here you can see which parts are all required for launching a balloon. | ||
| + | {{: | ||
general/beginners_guide_to_high_altitude_ballooning.1264077104.txt.gz · Last modified: 2010/01/21 12:31 by bogaurd