Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Jun 20 2013

Live Video Streaming from UKHAS Conference

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon - Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon – Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

The 3rd UK High Altitude Society (UKHAS) conference which takes place in London at Greenwich University on Saturday, September 7, 2013 is planned to be streamed live to the Internet.

The conference is open to anyone, you don’t have to have flown a High-Altitude Balloon, you’ll probably get more out of it as a total beginner as there will be a huge wealth of experience in the room you can speak to.

Further information is available at https://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/19/ukhas-conference-sept-7/

Videos of the presentations given at previous conferences are at http://ukhas.org.uk/general:ukhasconference

You can subscribe to the UKHAS Mailing List by sending a blank email to this address:
ukhas+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Jun 19 2013

CubeSat Demo Flight Tests Technologies

CubeSats prior to sub-orbital launch 2013-06-15

A quartet of small satellites, better known as CubeSats, flew high above California’s Mojave Desert on June 15, 2013 on a demonstration mission to study the launch environment all the way from liftoff to landing.

The spacecraft are being developed to help simplify and lower the cost of small-satellite missions that could fly on smaller, dedicated rockets. Although the rocket’s parachute deployed prematurely and the vehicle tumbled to a hard landing, the flight is considered a success and a valuable learning opportunity. Teams now are retrieving their data and gearing up for another flight in the coming months.

Watch CubeSat Demo Flight Tests Technologies

Among the CubeSats was StangSat built by students from Merritt Island High School (MIHS). This pre-launch video briefly describes the CubeSats to be launched as well as the new light-weight CubeSat Deployer.  There is also an interview with Roland Coelho WH7BE.

Watch CubeSats and Launcher to Test Satellite Innovations

Small Satellites Soar in High-Altitude Demonstration http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130618172614.htm

Merritt Island High School Students Build CubeSat https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/11/merritt-island-high-students-cubesat/

MIHS CubeSat on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/MIHS-CubeSat/110920062311996

Jun 19 2013

Open access to latest research output from Surrey Space Centre

Surrey Space Centre University of Surrey, Guildford

Surrey Space Centre
University of Surrey, Guildford

The Surrey Space Centre (SSC) Research blog is dedicated to improving access to the cutting edge research output of the Surrey Space Centre. The standard process for disseminating research output through conference and journal publication is a lengthy and cumbersome process.

The blog aims to provide open access to SSC research output by sharing pre-print copies of  publications. Each article is presented in its own, individual post, and SSC encourage visitors to comment and provide feedback on their work. This two-way process of sharing will provide their research staff with robust feedback on the work, complimenting reviewer feedback. In return, visitors are able to access our latest research accomplishments,  many months before becoming accessible through journals or conference proceedings.

Situated in Guildford, UK, the Surrey Space Centre is a forms part of the Department of Electronics Engineering at the University of Surrey. Research is focused on many areas of space technology, including antenna and RF systems, astrodynamics, autonomy and AI, control systems, on-board data handling, environments and instrumentation, propulsion and robotics. Their website can be found here for further details.

Surrey Space Centre Research blog http://surreyspacecentre.wordpress.com/

Jun 19 2013

UK High Altitude Society (UKHAS) Conference Sept 7

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon - Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon – Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

The 3rd UKHAS conference will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2013 in London. This year the venue will be at Greenwich University on the banks of the river Thames and just down the hill from the Royal Observatory and the (dreaded to HAB) meridian line (the venue is 51.48381, -0.0050) http://goo.gl/maps/KeOyc

The conference is open to all, you don’t have to have flown a High Altitude Balloon, you’ll probably get more out of it as a total beginner as there will be a huge wealth of experience in the room you can speak to.

A lecture theatre and adjacent classroom are being hired so will have a lot more space than last time. Lunch will be included as before.

The day plan will be most likely lectures in the morning and then in the afternoon workshops, demos and more informal talks. Provisional talks include:

James Coxon M6JCX – Pico Balloons (3 years on)
Ed Moore M0TEK – How GPS works
John Graham-Cumming – Debugging HABs (Part 2)
Ara Kourchian – US Ballooning
Dave Akerman M6RPI – Pi in the sky + Afternoon workshop

James Coxon M6JCX launching a PICO balloon on 434.301 MHz USB

James Coxon M6JCX launching a PICO balloon on 434.301 MHz USB

If you would like to do a talk or organise a workshop please contact James Coxon M6JCX directly. Email jacoxon at gmail.com

The conference will start at 0930 and finish 1700, afterwards there will be the traditional pub trip this time into Greenwich.

Greenwich University is easy to get to, it is on the DLR, lots of bus routes, mainline trains, Thames clipper river boat and not too far from the Jubilee line. There is some on street parking in the area but most will be pay and display.

Tickets will be £30 per person but we will offer a reduced price for students of £15, this enables the hire of the lecture theatre, classroom and also provides lunch. Tickets are on sale from HAB supplies.
http://ava.upuaut.net/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=74

The UKHAS conference is open to anyone, videos of previous conferences can be seen at http://ukhas.org.uk/general:ukhasconference

You can subscribe to the UKHAS Mailing List by sending a blank email to this address:
ukhas+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Jun 18 2013

ICSEDS 2012/13 video showcases Rocket and Balloon Achievements

UKSEDS & ICSEDS Project Officer, TeeJay Taiwo, prepares his rockets for his license assesment. Photo credit: Kishan, ICSEDS

UKSEDS & ICSEDS Project Officer, TeeJay Taiwo, prepares his rockets for his license assesment. Photo credit: Kishan, ICSEDS

This video is the Imperial College Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (ICSEDS) entry to the RBS ESSA bronze awards. It showcases their projects and events throughout the 2012/13 year.

In the video are interviews with Engine Design Group member Madeleine Alexander, High Powered Rocketry Member Zoe Edwards, High Altitude Ballooning member Oscar Woolnough and ISEDS Vice Chair Joseph Dudley.

ICSEDS thank Imperial College London Chemical Engineering Department for their support in our High Altitude Balloon (HAB) Project (434 MHz). Also thanks to Alex Cherney at http://www.terrastro.com and David Peterson for giving permission to use the two spectacular clips in the introduction, of the video.

More information on ICSEDS can be found at: http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/guilds/icseds
Follow ICSEDS on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ICSEDS
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ICSEDS

Watch ICSEDS 2012/13 – Imperial College Students for the Exploration and Development of Space

Jun 17 2013

Google Project Loon using 2400 and 5800 MHz

Google Project Loon Antenna

Google Project Loon Antenna

Project Loon is a research and development project being developed by Google with the mission of providing Internet access to rural and remote areas using High-Altitude Balloons (HAB) placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 20 km to create an aerial wireless network with up to 3G-like speeds.

The solar powered balloons are expected to stay aloft for over 100 days at a time and support not only air-to-ground Internet communications but also balloon-to-balloon communications enabling the signal to be relayed, if required, by several balloons to a ground-based station connected to an ISP, then onto the global Internet.

Google plans to sending up 300 balloons transmitting on 2400 MHz and 5800 MHz around the world at the southern fortieth parallel that would provide coverage to New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and Argentina. The company hopes to eventually have thousands of balloons flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20 km.

The first 30 balloons are being launched from New Zealand see http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10890750

Among those involved in the project is Erin King AK4JG, a student at MIT. She was winner of the 2012 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award. See a video of her earlier balloon project while still at high school and a video of her presentation ‘Launching Radios and Other Cool Stuff into the Stratosphere’ at https://amsat-uk.org/2012/07/03/arnewsline-ham-of-the-year-erin-king-ak4jg/

Google Project Loon http://www.google.com/loon/

Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Loon

Google Project Loon Balloon

Google Project Loon Balloon