Comment by Greg Fletcher on July 30, 2012 at 6:32pm

Earl, Use the macro function on your camera to get close in focus. Have one of the kids show you how. It's usually a little flower symbol button. I wan't to see clearly what your building ;)

I love your project. I know it's legal to launch a HAB, but do you need a permit to fly in a restricted box or something?

Also you should look at how the IMU sensors are affected by large temperature changes to the span and null offsets. You can't boot up the APM at altitude to get accel offsets at very cold temps. Maybe you have it in a temperature controlled box. With a little pid loop and data temp data from the MPU6000 you could control a little heater made from resistors and a mosfet driven by an extra APM line. If only you could get access to a enviromental  chamber at the university you could do some testing on APM as well as servos. Metal gear servos might have some grease that might get real thick at those temperatures. You just don't want to find out the hard way.

You are reaching for a known but alien environment. As with all space flight (well pretty close) 99% of equipment testing occurs before the first flight. That's what's needed to make the last test a success. I solute you in your bold attempt to go where no APM2 has never gone before, to collect data of the highest order.

I can't wait to see video of a controlled decent.

Good luck, Earl !

Comment by Carl La France on July 30, 2012 at 6:58pm

Good luck, Earl !

Comment by Greg Fletcher on July 30, 2012 at 7:22pm

You Have a 2.5 all ready? I am still waiting for my 2.0 and the 2.5 wasn't out yet when I ordered.

Comment by Earl on July 30, 2012 at 8:39pm

My 2.5 will be here this week. I have flown APM2.0 on 5 other flights to 100,000 ft along with the 3DR 400mhz radios. Heve only lost one radio on flight 5.
The 5 watt ATV Tx takes care of heating along with the 10 watt APRS unit. In fact, I worry about cooling !
Have an external temp sensor on glider to see how cold it really gets at high altitude. APRS on one flight reported -50 F and -21 F on another flight, but that was inside temps without ATV TX.
Earl

Comment by Frank on July 31, 2012 at 2:39pm

Hi Earl,

I am a ham too. I see you are using a Byonics GPS. Is it the Byonics GPS4 or GPS2? Are you using the TinyTrak for APRS or other equipment? 

 

I am waiting the results on Friday! Can we follow on APRS.fi? Good luck!

 

Frank

Comment by Earl on August 2, 2012 at 10:03am

Yes , You can track our flight Friday 8-3-12 via APRS.Fi using callsigns ke5vsh-1 ke5vsh-2 and ke5vsh-3.

-3 is on plane, 1 and 2 are on balloon.

We use Byonics APRS built for HAB flights.

Here are some close up pics of our release system.

1st system is "bomb" drop unit with our own 3d printed white piece because the bomb drop piece was too flexible.Ours is much sturdier.

Other release is our own design by heating a nichrome wire to cut the rope. Cuts in less than a second. Has its own 2000mw 7.2 volt battery.

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