In article , Leo
writes:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 23:45:23 -0500, Mike Coslo
wrote:
N2EY wrote:
In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:
(N2EY) wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:
snip
I suppose Leo would call it more mutual admiration, but that's how I
see it (does Leo hate it when people aren't arguing?)
Actually, Leo would prefer that you and Jim end the mutual admiration
and compliment exchange phase of the project, and go do it!
Heh heh heh. Leo, my thoughts exactly on this "project."
There's a LOT of "need" of hearty congratulations on a job well
done BEFORE a project is even STARTED! :-)
Nonsense. Anyone needing all that demonstrated request for
emotional sustenance prior to beginning indicates - usually -
that they really aren't in this for the long (and expensive) haul.
I certainly don't prefer arguing - civil discourse would be nice
indeed - but....you may well note that your always-supportive pal Jim
has been using the last few rounds of these exchanges to promote his
own agenda (ie demonstrate how incorrect his nemesis Len is) - your
project, or most any topic on this group, always takes a back seat to
this goal. In fact, you seem to be following the example of your
mentor here a bit, joining him in the return fire. Are you trying to
keep the arguement alive, or are you really interested in ballooning?
As I've written in here, free ballooning has been going on in
North America for over two centuries. It isn't "rocket science"
since lots and lots of folks have already done it...most without
any need for amateur radio whatevers.
The "arguments" against me MUST LIVE since the "long livers"
are nearly all PCTAs and I'm against the morse code test for any
radio license by any nations' administration. That tenuous thread,
plus the rabid intensity of the PCTA to maintain the code test that
They had to take is the life-force spark to damn any comments by
me totally divorced from any ballooning discussion. :-)
Some required managerial basics on free ballooning: Know the
environment (the atmosphere) from long-published data on air
pressure, density, and temperature to high altitudes, at least in
general (finer data can be obtained when solidifying requirements);
have some ball-park ideas of costs of balloons, their required
sizes (derived from atmospheric data) versus expected payloads
and support structures plus co$t; get some ball-park figures on
lifting gas cost, suppliers, filling apparatus, and transport to the
balloon launch area; check into all appropriate government
agencies for permissions, possible insurance requirements for a
group (especially if flammable lifting gas is used), interference
concerns on radio, both incoming and outgoing, that might affect
operations of balloon telemetry and "science" payload needs. The
latter includes some reasonably-accurate way to skin-track the
balloon flight by government organizations in some areas for
reasons of safety-of-flight for other air craft...as well as a way to
truly prove an altitude figure achieved (for both payload needs and
later bragging rights).
All those needs certainly seem apparent for a group effort in this
very non-amateur environment of our thin atmosphere layer. That
will be found to be true when the co$ts are looked into and found
to be a bit more than gasoline cost of driving to-from a launch site.
One could expect that a single launch, even a test flight could go
beyond $100 (all-total) a flight minimum. There's NO guarantee
that all balloons are recoverable and reuseable, despite all the
little glued-on "return address" tags.
And, what would you like from us? - encouragement, ideas, assistance -
or just phony and gratuitous praise and accolades? You posted this
here for a reason - please advise.
My opinion is that "gratuitous praise and accolades" are THE
thing desired. Especially all the kudos for "a job well done" even
before the first steps are taken! :-)
If "others" have done it, then all those who Want to do it MUST
ALREADY be successful, even without doing so themselves! :-)
Known: Others have already DONE this. Project "managers" NEED
to go to them and get acquainted with what they will need, how-to-do-
it advice taken in, find out what their costs are, and a myriad of
data involved in such ballooning apart from the radio payload
details. All that radio "science" is useless without the transport up
into those higher altitudes to perform all that "science."
Perhaps you're thread is being hijacked......? 
It's all a CONSPIRACY of the NCTA infidels and fedayeen hijacking
all the enthusiasm and all-one-needs-is-emotional-outlook to get it
done!!! [damn the practical details, not needed in fantasyland]
Anyone against a PCTA dreaming up something is "obviously" in
"hatred of all amateur radio" or the equivalent and must be a kid,
a lid, or a space cadet!!! :-)
[aside: all astronauts not yet in space must be 'space cadets?']
Like Brian Kelly, "I'm outa this thread!" :-)