[W6YRA] rocket & balloon tracking

[Ryan Caron]

W6YRA, Rockets, BSpacers, etc.

Been thinking about the new projects coming up, and their radio needs. 
Please forward this along to anyone I missed.

Balloon beacon
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I'm really liking the Tracksoar for the balloon. It is very light, and 
low output power (300mW), which is fine for balloon's link path and 
ideal for minimizing battery weight & long run times. It also uses a 
longer VHF antenna, which is easy for a balloon to accommodate.
https://www.tracksoar.com/product/tracksoar-ready-to-fly/


Rocket beacon
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The tracksoar is tempting for rockets. Its lower frequency and 
relatively high output power is tempting, given that they can be so hard 
to recover. However, you just can't fit a descent VHF antenna inside the 
nosecone, and sticking out of the airframe, or dangling on the chute 
lines presents its own challenges. But it has been done before and I can 
help you work through these challenges if you want.

However, you've traditionally opted for UHF transmitters housed within 
fiberglass/plastic sections, and you do still have the purple Arrow 
yagis. While Tracksoar technically offers UHF variants as their 
"international" option, they are extremely low power (10mW). If you 
decide to stick with UHF you'd be better off with another 100mW 70cm 
BeeLine GPS 
http://www.bigredbee.com/zc139/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=207


Other telemetry
-----------------
The rocket payload, and maybe the balloon, may want to send down other 
data. The tracksoar has some expandability options, but probably limited 
to what can fit within an APRS frame. For more stuff, I think the 
RFM22/69 or new LoRa modules provide the needed functionality. But, 
given their high bandwidth and low power levels, they'll only work while 
the vehicle is in the air.


Backup foxhunt beacon
-----------------------
Both balloon and rocket may also be well served by having a simple 
beacon (no GPS, just tones) as a backup - I liked the UHF Kit we tried 
on the rocket in April http://fmtv.us/rf_beacon.html

Aerial digipeter
-----------------
No transmitter does particularly well when just a couple inches from the 
ground though. We did discuss the idea of having a lofted balloon 
digipeat the position of a landed rocket. I think this is probably best 
done with a small 2m/70cm HT (UV-3R), a Mobilinkd, and possibly an 
Android phone (Samsung Galaxy Centura) if the Mobilinkd can't digipeat 
standalone. I already have all the pieces to put this together.

As shown at the rocket competition this summer, this can be readily done 
by a balloon. However, it doesn't have to be, and I think there is merit 
doing this from a quadcopter, since they're easier to recover, and you 
shouldn't only need a few minutes in the air to receive the position of 
the landed rocket. If you don't get it, you go in the general direction 
of the rocket until you do.

Even though UAS are limited to visual range and 400' AGL I think this 
still quite the perch to hear from. Depending on the nature of the FAA 
waiver at the launch site even higher may be possible - but I think 
visual range is still required.

73,
NX1U

-- 
Sincerely,
Ryan Caron
Associate Development Engineer
UCLA - Institute of Geophysics & Planetary Physics
Tel 310-267-0696   |   Cell 603-801-8233