Category Archives: APRS

Newly Licensed Club Member Flies High Altitude Balloon

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Professor Adria Updike (Roger Williams University), newly licensed NCRC member KC1LOK, and her student Jenna Lowe, constructed a high altitude balloon and launched it near Pittsfield MA yesterday.  The balloon included a APRS transmitter so that they could track it.

Path of Adria and Jenna’s Balloon from Pittsfield MA to Stonington CT

Adria said “We flew the balloon yesterday – launched it from Pittsfield MA, and it landed a bit further south than we anticipated, in the water just a few feet from land in Stonington CT. We managed to retrieve it from the last APRS position it sent out before landing in the water (upside down!”.

University members have a tradition of including their namesake Roger Williams in photographs taken in unusual locations, so the balloon flight would not be complete without a photo of Roger Williams taken at about 68,000 feet altitude!

Roger Williams admires the view from 68,000 feet up!

Fantastic application of Ham Radio — Congratulations to Adria and Jenna!

N1ASA – All Saints Academy 1st ISS Contact!

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At 21:16:47 UTC (5:17 PM) today, N1ASA from All Saints Academy (ASA) was copied by several hams making a round trip Packet contact with the Packet Robot, RS0ISS, aboard the International Space Station (ISS).  The following packet was logged by a Canadian ham:

20160407211647 : N1ASA]APRSAT,RS0ISS*,qAR,VE2GQF-2::EMAIL :abrouse@allsaintsacademy.org Note thru ISS

Since ASA was sending position data as well, their packets were were forwarded via outer space to the APRS system which allowed them to be recorded on the following map:

N1ASA on Map

Congratulations to All Saints Academy for their first contact with the ISS (and proof that their gear is working fine for upcoming ARISS contact in early May).