APM2 Flies to 100k Ft.for 7 1/2 hours 300 miles !

On 4/14/12 we flew an APM2 ardupilot in a balloon to over 100000 feet for 7 1/2 hour 300 mile + flight !

The flight originated near Albuquerque NM and landed near Trinchera ,CO. The flight was over 300 miles and lasted far longer than we planned. The flight was so long the 5 on board cameras ran out of memory and battery before the flight ended.

The chase crew went 225 miles before giving up because there was no data from the Digi M10 Satellite modem. The crew was almost back into Albuquerque when all of the sudden three phones got e-mails from the Digie modem at the same time.

ET CALLED HOME !!!

It gave us the Lat, long, and altitude of where it was. Several emails later we realized the package landed. We quickly put the coordinates into google maps and could not believe where it was ! It was in Colorado! And it landed 7 1/2 hours after launch !

I will download the data from the APM2 SD card and see the flight.

Here are some pictures.

Could have landed here in Colorado

But it landed 10 miles further 50 feet from the edge of a farm road !

Some of the equipment flown...

I will post more pics and some videos later when I get back to Albuquerque. My car motor seized up out in the boonies right after retrieving the package. Got to get rental car and find way to get new motor in 2006 Saturn Vue.

Earl

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Earl April 21, 2012 at 12:25pm

Being a ham radio operator (N8TV) I have several 433mhz amps around. 100mw in 1 watt out. That should do it with the 10w 144mhz APRS unit and 1w 439.25 video tx. Need lots of batteries for this power tho.Li-po's are light. 6000mah 11.7vdc on each should work.

Earl
Moderator

Gary Mortimer April 20, 2012 at 11:10pm

Could'nt you use the downward acceleration as your cue to cut away the balloon?
Earl April 20, 2012 at 10:56pm

My 3DR 433 Mhz radios are on the way. Shipped 4/20/12

Earl
Earl April 20, 2012 at 9:28pm

ArduLoon

Recorded data on data logging card for >6 hours:

Latitude

Longitude

Altitude in feet or meters/km

Time

Temp inside/outside

Rate of Climb/Descend feet/min or meters/second

Ground Speed 0 to 800 mph or meters per second

Compass heading/bearing

Distance to Launch point in miles or km

Use of 9 degrees of freedom to keep camera pointed at horizon.

Program-ability of camera servos direction (10 sec horizon 10 sec up 10 sec down)

Cut loose function based on time / alt / command

use of APRS to track balloon in real time.

live video tx of 1 watt on 439.25 mhz (cable ch. 60)

Anyone want to add any other functions ??

Earl
Earl April 20, 2012 at 5:28pm

HUD is from baro.

Earl
Earl April 20, 2012 at 4:18pm

I think the GPS is from the gps unit and the hud is from the ardupilot based on the pressure sensor ??

I think the pressure sensor data was recorded. I will go back and look at the data

Earl

yea....arduloon !!!!
Evie Alani April 19, 2012 at 10:48pm

I love adventure stories like this. Bravo gents!
Alain April 19, 2012 at 11:58am

Hi Earl,

Congrats for your flight!

You stated in an earlier post, that you managed to get connection with Xbee 2.4 at 23 miles? With a rubber duck antenna o/b the balloon and a 23dbi circular on the ground? Would you be so kind as to give me a link where I could find such antennas?

Thanks a lot

Kind Regards

Alain
Moderator

Gary Mortimer April 19, 2012 at 11:29am

10 watts! APRS I flew to 30k in a manned balloon and used 500mw and we were heard more than 500km away. You will be heard across America with 10 watts!
Earl April 19, 2012 at 9:35am

Here is the graph of HUD altitude and GPS altitude. Why the difference ?

Earl

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