guides:chasing_your_flight
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| guides:chasing_your_flight [2013/06/28 20:54] – created daveake | guides:chasing_your_flight [2013/07/22 09:20] (current) – [Chasing] daveake | ||
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| * Construct the radio aerial so that it can't fall apart and that it's protected from being broken when landing. | * Construct the radio aerial so that it can't fall apart and that it's protected from being broken when landing. | ||
| * Make sure that payload is going to be easy to spot. Bright colours perhaps contrasting are good. Same goes for the parachute. | * Make sure that payload is going to be easy to spot. Bright colours perhaps contrasting are good. Same goes for the parachute. | ||
| + | * Think about including a buzzer. Especially useful for tree landings and field landings in the Summer when crops are high. Sometimes you can be meters away yet it takes a long time to find the payload. | ||
| - | ==== Setting Up Your Chase Car ==== | + | == Other Tips == |
| - | A well stocked chase car will make the chase a lot less stressful. | + | * For a first launch, consider borrowing a known-good tracker from someone else, and adding it to your payload train (i.e. attach it in the line, a few metres above or below your tracker). |
| + | * Or make a simple low-power radio beacon (one that just switches on and off every second or so) and attach that - even if your main tracker fails completely you could use direction-finding techniques to locate your flight. | ||
| + | * Hone your tracking skills by tracking other people' | ||
| + | ===== Setting Up Your Chase Car ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | A well stocked chase car will make the chase a lot less stressful. | ||
| * Make sure you have a working 3G setup. | * Make sure you have a working 3G setup. | ||
| - | * Consider having the 3D dongle on the car roof, or using a 3G magmount aerial, for a better signal and fewer dropouts. | + | * Consider having the 3G dongle on the car roof, or using a 3G magmount aerial, for a better signal and fewer dropouts. |
| * If you use a phone for tethering, make sure you have a car phone charger and/or a spare fully charged battery. | * If you use a phone for tethering, make sure you have a car phone charger and/or a spare fully charged battery. | ||
| * This may sound obvious, but take a suitable SSB UHF radio with you. If you don't you might as well stay at home. | * This may sound obvious, but take a suitable SSB UHF radio with you. If you don't you might as well stay at home. | ||
| - | * Also take a magmount aerial for the roof and a yagi. Check that the radio will have enough battery power for the preparation and chase, and if not take spare batteries and/or a car charger. | + | * Also take a magmount aerial for the roof and a yagi. Check that the radio will have enough battery power for the preparation and chase, and if not take spare batteries and/or a car charger |
| * Take a laptop or netbook or tablet set up with the latest dl-fldigi for decoding, plus audio lead. if this isn't the same kit you tested with then test it first! | * Take a laptop or netbook or tablet set up with the latest dl-fldigi for decoding, plus audio lead. if this isn't the same kit you tested with then test it first! | ||
| * Make sure you have an IRC client installed and set up so you can keep in touch with the tracking network. | * Make sure you have an IRC client installed and set up so you can keep in touch with the tracking network. | ||
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| - | ==== Launching ==== | + | ===== Launching |
| * Remember to attach waterproof labels with your phone number and maybe email and postal addresses. | * Remember to attach waterproof labels with your phone number and maybe email and postal addresses. | ||
| * If you have a camera in the payload, make the first photograph one of your label! | * If you have a camera in the payload, make the first photograph one of your label! | ||
| - | * Get that fill right! | + | * Get that fill right! |
| * Check that the aerial is properly attached to the payload. | * Check that the aerial is properly attached to the payload. | ||
| * Get online and check that your payload has appeared on the map. | * Get online and check that your payload has appeared on the map. | ||
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| * Get on the IRC chatroom and tell people when you're going to launch, and what dial frequency you have, so they can get tuned in and help with the tracking. | * Get on the IRC chatroom and tell people when you're going to launch, and what dial frequency you have, so they can get tuned in and help with the tracking. | ||
| * If it might be dark before you get to the payload, put some hi-viz reflective tape on each surface. | * If it might be dark before you get to the payload, put some hi-viz reflective tape on each surface. | ||
| - | + | ===== Chasing | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ==== Chasing ==== | + | |
| * Unless you're lucky enough to have a landing spot within a few miles of the launch site, you will need to get packed up quickly. | * Unless you're lucky enough to have a landing spot within a few miles of the launch site, you will need to get packed up quickly. | ||
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| * Once you can hear the signal, try to get it decoded. | * Once you can hear the signal, try to get it decoded. | ||
| * When you have that final position, tap it into your Sat Nav and follow that. Or use mapping on your PC. | * When you have that final position, tap it into your Sat Nav and follow that. Or use mapping on your PC. | ||
| - | * Get as close as you can by road. If you can't see the payload use a handheld | + | * Get as close as you can by road. If you can't see the payload use a handheld |
| + | * Note that the predictor does not know the ground height. Predictions will tend to be a few 100m further along than the actual landing. Never rely on a prediction to find the exact payload location, its easy enough to walk past a payload when you know where it is, knowing the location to 100m is as good as lost without a radio | ||
guides/chasing_your_flight.1372452892.txt.gz · Last modified: 2013/06/28 20:54 by daveake