Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

On Dec 1, 6:43 pm, Steve wrote:
On Dec 1, 6:31 pm, dxAce wrote:





msg wrote:
msg wrote:

dxAce wrote:

Steve wrote:

Anyone else following this?

http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/launch.html

This site seems to have problems; the 'status' page does not
have any data and the other pages have little useful information
and don't display well on NS 7.2 or in limited color resolutions.

Please seehttp://www.utarc.org/wiki/index.php/Icarus_X
instead.

I caught the balloon's position report in CW earlier this afternoon on
10125 lsb.

Caught them at 2205 on 10125. Interesting.

Now barely copying (seems about 10wpm, down in the mud), here in No. MN.
at 17:05 CST.

As per data on the above 'wiki', the payload transmits CW at five-past
the hour amongst other times (which I did not know when I heard the signal).
Been quiet here since 17:05 CST

Heard here at 2315 UTC.

dxAce
Michigan
USA- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I heard them at 2335 (actually, it was at 2337 utc, assuming my
computer is keeping the correct time).

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Doh! Turns out it was my computer's clock that was fast. I just
checked it against the official us time on the web.

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

Steve wrote:

On Dec 1, 6:43 pm, Steve wrote:
On Dec 1, 6:31 pm, dxAce wrote:





msg wrote:
msg wrote:

dxAce wrote:

Steve wrote:

Anyone else following this?

http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/launch.html

This site seems to have problems; the 'status' page does not
have any data and the other pages have little useful information
and don't display well on NS 7.2 or in limited color resolutions.

Please seehttp://www.utarc.org/wiki/index.php/Icarus_X
instead.

I caught the balloon's position report in CW earlier this afternoon on
10125 lsb.

Caught them at 2205 on 10125. Interesting.

Now barely copying (seems about 10wpm, down in the mud), here in No. MN.
at 17:05 CST.

As per data on the above 'wiki', the payload transmits CW at five-past
the hour amongst other times (which I did not know when I heard the signal).
Been quiet here since 17:05 CST

Heard here at 2315 UTC.

dxAce
Michigan
USA- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I heard them at 2335 (actually, it was at 2337 utc, assuming my
computer is keeping the correct time).

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Doh! Turns out it was my computer's clock that was fast. I just
checked it against the official us time on the web.

Heard here at 0005, 2 Dec. I'll check my tape in a few after dinner!

dxAce
Michigan (where the snow is a fallen!)
USA

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

Steve wrote:

Anyone else following this?

http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/launch.html

I caught the balloon's position report in CW earlier this afternoon on
10125 lsb.

Still heard here at 0035 on 10125.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

On Dec 1, 7:35 pm, dxAce wrote:
Steve wrote:
Anyone else following this?

http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/launch.html

I caught the balloon's position report in CW earlier this afternoon on
10125 lsb.

Still heard here at 0035 on 10125.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Still hearing it here as well. I'll probably take a break though so I
can check into the local VHF traffic net in just a bit.

Steve

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

Steve wrote:
Doh! Turns out it was my computer's clock that was fast. I just
checked it against the official us time on the web.

Uh Steve, let me respectfully suggest you get with the program... the
program called "Dimension 4". Go to:

http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

and download the program. It is free (or donation). I've been using it
for years and it works great -- no excuse for an incorrect computer
clock ever again. From a blurb on their web site:

Dimension 4 will monitor your Internet connection and automatically
adjust your PC's clock when you're online at an interval you specify.

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

On Dec 1, 8:15 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Steve wrote:
Doh! Turns out it was my computer's clock that was fast. I just
checked it against the official us time on the web.

Uh Steve, let me respectfully suggest you get with the program... the
program called "Dimension 4". Go to:

http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

and download the program. It is free (or donation). I've been using it
for years and it works great -- no excuse for an incorrect computer
clock ever again. From a blurb on their web site:



Dimension 4 will monitor your Internet connection and automatically
adjust your PC's clock when you're online at an interval you specify.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Interesting. Thanks.

Steve

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

Steve wrote:
Anyone else following this?

Yup. Copying on RTTY and CW. 0200Z sigs were around 459; 0230 sigs
dropped to around 339. Also QSB and some precipitation static from the
rain/sleet/snow we are getting (a dark and stormy night!) Copied
Sequence 966 and 979. Looks like they are losing quite a bit of
altitude...down to around 607 meters. Hope they can dump more ballast
before they start scraping the wave tops.

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

On Dec 1, 9:50 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Steve wrote:
Anyone else following this?

Yup. Copying on RTTY and CW. 0200Z sigs were around 459; 0230 sigs
dropped to around 339. Also QSB and some precipitation static from the
rain/sleet/snow we are getting (a dark and stormy night!) Copied
Sequence 966 and 979. Looks like they are losing quite a bit of
altitude...down to around 607 meters. Hope they can dump more ballast
before they start scraping the wave tops.

Saw this on the "News" section of their website:

02:44 UTC: Balloon is probably in the water. There is a possibility
that the balloon may continue to transmit from the surface. Anyone who
can copy the CW at 10.123+/-, please post it to our webpage at www.utarc.org!

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

On Dec 1, 9:50 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Steve wrote:
Anyone else following this?

Yup. Copying on RTTY and CW. 0200Z sigs were around 459; 0230 sigs
dropped to around 339. Also QSB and some precipitation static from the
rain/sleet/snow we are getting (a dark and stormy night!) Copied
Sequence 966 and 979. Looks like they are losing quite a bit of
altitude...down to around 607 meters. Hope they can dump more ballast
before they start scraping the wave tops.

It's still transmitting and audible here as of 0305 utc, though it's
very weak. I fear the end is near.

Steve

Spirit of Knoxville transatlantic balloon flight
 

Billy Burpelson wrote:

Steve wrote:

Anyone else following this?


Yup. Copying on RTTY and CW. 0200Z sigs were around 459; 0230 sigs
dropped to around 339. Also QSB and some precipitation static from the
rain/sleet/snow we are getting (a dark and stormy night!) Copied
Sequence 966 and 979. Looks like they are losing quite a bit of
altitude...down to around 607 meters. Hope they can dump more ballast
before they start scraping the wave tops.

What's your QTH? Here in No. MN, 30M is dead after about 2300 UTC
these days; WWV 10Mhz is unreadable until about 1300 UTC. I could
only catch a little from the balloon at 2205 UTC before QSB sent
the signal into the mud and I never heard it again. I hope conditions
improve for me in the morning ;-)

Michael