TABEL-3
Status: Complete
Launch Date: 2006-07-01
Recovery Date: 2006-07-01

Posted: 2006-4-24

Here are the statistics for the TABEL-3 mission.

Launch time: 1145 CDT Touchdown Time: 1301 CDT Payload Weight: 6.5 lbs. Free Lift: 2.5 lbs.

Launch to Touchdown: 8.69 Miles / 14KM Predicted vs. Actual touchdown: 6.87 Miles / 11.1KM

Highest altitude: 096255 ft. We were in position to watch the final descent and were able to recover everything within 30 minutes. 

Mission objectives:

    1. Achieve max altitude >110,000 feet
Failed - 096255 ft.
    2. Test DTMF triggered cutdown mechanism
Partial success
    3. "Fly" a model of Space Shuttle to be released at ~10,000 feet 
Failed - RF into release servo. Could not keep payload attached.
    4. Track shuttle using 10m beacon
Failed - No Shuttle flight
    5. Capture video of shuttle package release
Partial Success - Flight video captured
    6. Retrieve all flight packages
Success

While the Holux GPS did report altitude above 60,000 ft. it does not seem to be
a reliable GPS for High Altitude Ballooning.


Launch site: Outside Lebanon,TN in George Currey's (KG4OZL) back yard.  

         Decimal Degrees:  36.15429N    86.24234W
         Degrees/Decimal Minutes:  36 09.257N  086 14.540W
         Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds:  36 09 15.4N 086 14 32.4W
         Universal Transverse Mercator:  16S  0568153  4001328
         Military Grid Reference System:  16S EF 68153    01327
         Maidenhead Grid Locator:  EM66vd

Predicted Landing: South of the Cedars of Lebanon State Park, 
Northeast of the community of Walterhill, TN

          Decimal Degrees:  35.98183N    86.34033W
          Degrees/Decimal Minutes:  35 58.910N  086 20.420W
          Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds:  35 58 54.5N 086 20 25.1W
          Universal Transverse Mercator:  16S  0559468  3982135
          Military Grid Reference System:  16S EE 59468    82134
          Maidenhead Grid Locator:  EM65tx
Posted: 2006-05-10

Mission objectives:

  1. Achieve max altitude >110,000 feet
  2. Test DTMF triggered cutdown mechanism
  3. "Fly" a model of Space Shuttle to be released at ~60,000 feet
  4. Track shuttle using 10m beacon
  5. Start 10m beacon at release of shuttle
  6. Capture video of shuttle package release
  7. Retrieve all flight packages

Mission packages:

  1. Kaymont (formerly Kaysam) KCI TX1200 or KCI TX2000 Cold Weather (TX) Balloons
    A special latex compound w/other chemicals which permits balloon to reach the Tropopause where temperatures are lower than -75 degrees celcius and altitudes exceed 10 hPA.
  2. 12 oz, 48" Parachute
  3. 50mW 2m (146.565MHz) FM/morse code ID Beacon
  4. Main Tracker: 12v battery pack, OT1x, & Maxon DM-0515 in the bottom with the Garmin 18 LVC wedged into the top of the container with the dipole antenna. Container is a discarded shipping box with styrofoam inner container used for shipping glass bottles of chemicals.
  5. Experiment Support: 9v & 6v battery packs, HTX-200, OT1v4, Holux GPS, Basic Stamp flight computer, Digital camera, cutdown mechanism.
  6. Main Experiment: 18" Styrofoam model of the Space Shuttle, 10m CW beacon

I recently found some information on radar reflectors and may include one in the chain near the 50mW beacon.

Hope to have a Design review and Prelaunch planning meeting one week prior to launch.

Current launch date: 1 July 2006

Launch site: Outside Mt. Juliet in Robin Midgett's (K4IDC) back yard.

                 Decimal Degrees: 36.19677N 86.45620W
         Degrees/Decimal Minutes: 36 11.806N 086 27.372W
    Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds: 36 11 48.4N 086 27 22.3W
   Universal Transverse Mercator: 16S 0548890 4005910
  Military Grid Reference System: 16S EF 48890 05909
         Maidenhead Grid Locator: EM66se

Robin Lives on Beckwith Road near East Division Street. This is about
halfway between Mt. Juliet Road and Highway 109.

Due to changes in prevailing winds the launch site will probably move to somewhere West of the Nashville Airport (BNA). Current candidates are Vanderbilt Univ. or Warner Park Model Aircraft Field.