TABEL-4
Status: Complete
Launch Date: 2006-07-23
Recovery Date: 2006-07-23

Mission objectives:

    1. Flight computer activation of vertical and horizontal cameras (SUCCESSFUL)
    2. DTMF triggered activation of cameras (SUCCESSFUL)
    3. Qualify Holux GR-213 GPS Receiver for over 18Km flight (FAILURE)
    4. Retrieve all flight packages (SUCCESSFUL)

Mission packages:

    1. Kaymont KCI 1500 
    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 dipole antenna. Container is a discarded shipping box with 
       styrofoam inner container used for shipping glass bottles of chemicals.
    5. Main Payload: 2-9v & 2-6v battery packs, HTX-200, OT1v4, 
       Holux GR-213 GPS, Basic Stamp flight computer, Alinco DJ-41 
       for command reception and confirmation, Sony DSC-P50 2.1 megapixel
       digital camera pointing down and recording .mpg video, Olympus D-510 
       2.1 megapixel digital camera pointing out the side recording still
       pictures every 45seconds.

Launch date: 23 July 2006

Launch site: Outside Mt. Juliet,TN in Bruce Martin's (KQ4TV) back yard. 

Launch was at 1422 20070723, @
               Decimal Degrees:  36.23315N    86.47052W
       Degrees/Decimal Minutes:  36 13.989N  086 28.231W
  Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds:  36 13 59.3N 086 28 13.9W
 Universal Transverse Mercator:  16S  0547580  4009939
Military Grid Reference System:  16S EF 47580    09938
       Maidenhead Grid Locator:  EM66sf


Predicted Landing: 
               Decimal Degrees:  36.14617N    86.15300W
       Degrees/Decimal Minutes:  36 08.770N  086 09.180W
  Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds:  36 08 46.2N 086 09 10.8W
 Universal Transverse Mercator:  16S  0576198  4000493
Military Grid Reference System:  16S EF 76198    00492
       Maidenhead Grid Locator:  EM66wd

Actual landing was at 1644 20070723, @
                Decimal Degrees:  36.16350N    86.27883W
        Degrees/Decimal Minutes:  36 09.810N  086 16.730W
   Degrees/Minutes/Dec. Seconds:  36 09 48.6N 086 16 43.7W
 Universal Transverse Mercator:  16S  0564863  4002324
Military Grid Reference System:  16S EF 64863    02323
        Maidenhead Grid Locator:  EM66ud
On Sunday afternoon (7/23/06) TABEL-4 launched during a brief lull in some 10 knot gusts. Launch was at 1422 and landed at 1644. It was very difficult to measure the lift as the surface gusts where pretty stout. It was all we could do to hang on to the balloon and filler assembly. Looks like we had 2.5 lbs of free lift as desired. Landing was in a 60ft tree. Once we had the recovery tools it only took us about 30 minutes to get it out of the tree and we wre on our way home in about an hour. The in-flight video captured the landing in the tree.
  • TABEL-4: 
    • 
For the record:
GROUP: Tennessee Balloon Group, NT4BG
CONTACT: Bruce Martin, KQ4TV
Program WEB PAGE URL: http://www.groovin.net/ke4pjw/balloon/
FLIGHT ID: TABEL-4
DATE and TIME of release: 2007-07-23 1422
ENVELOPE model: Kaymont KCI 1500 
PAYLOAD WEIGHT and CAPABILITIES:

14 oz. 
48" Parachute

4oz.
50mW 2m (146.565MHz) FM/morse code ID Beacon

1lb 13oz. 
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 dipole antenna. 

4lbs 5oz
 Main Payload: 2-9v & 2-6v battery packs, HTX-200, OT1v4,  
Holux GR-213 GPS, Basic Stamp flight computer, Alinco DJ-41 for command reception and confirmation, Sony DSC-P50 2.1 megapixel digital camera 
pointing down and recording .mpg video, Olympus D-510 2.1 megapixel 
digital camera pointing out the side recording still pictures every 45seconds.

FREE LIFT: estimated at 2.5 lbs
ASCENT RATE:  1100ft./min.
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE ASL: 95,587ft.
GROUND TRACK DISTANCE: 11.7 miles
PREDICTED LANDING to ACTUAL LANDING DISTANCE: 7.1 miles