Author Archives: Martin Rothfield W6MRR

Kazu has released the PCB design suitable for production with JLCPCB (or your favorite PCB source). The famous FOSS LightAPRS-W-2.0 code has been ported to the AG6NS tracker. The goal for the tracker is to support STEM/STEAM education and provide a fun way to introduce amateur radio to another generation. The tracker is an ongoingContinue reading “Kazu’s AG6NS RP2040 Tracker Board and Software Released”

A group of balloonists are working on sending video down for the eclipse. They have designed and built an amazing stabilized camera platform. Follow their progress here.

SBS-13 Balloon in air for 767+ days

Some serious balloonist will be flying a telescope from a high altitude balloon for observe the April 8 2024 total solar eclipse.

We are looking forward to a HAB flight in the future and would to send down in-flight images. Some of the systems we are looking at: Packet Compressed Sensing Imaging Gene Swiech WB9COY’s 9600 bps distributed receiver system YouTube video Gene’s RS41 (US weather service radiosonde) Camera Gene’s Radiosonde Ground Receiver Gene’s HAB Web Server Mark Jessop VK5QI’s 115Continue reading “Getting Images Down From a HAB”

Hi long duration ballooners, This may be of interest to some of you. I launched a buoy last week 430 miles SW of San Diego. It sends two WSPR signals on 20 meters every 10 minutes just like the balloons do. The payload board was made by Kazu, AG6NS. Kazu and I worked together toContinue reading “Randy’s New Buoy”

AG6NS-14 was launched 47 days ago and has sent reports every day since. Sadly one of it’s two balloons developed a leak and it came down in Lake Mono area – DM08MB. I decided to scope put the area and was surprised by how windy it was. There was a surprising lack of trees, especiallyContinue reading “Zombie Hunting at Mono Lake – Part 1”

We will have a table set up from Oct 20 – Oct 22. Martin W6MRR will be presenting on Sunday Oct 22nd at 3:30 pm. Maker Faire

On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse is set to occur. HamSCI is organizing a Solar Eclipse QSO Party to study the effects of the eclipse on the ionosphere before, during and after the event. The QSO Party will generate traffic for later analysis. Chabot Space and Science Center will be arranging telescope setupsContinue reading “Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) – October 14, 2023 at Chabot Space & Science Center”

All of our recent flights have been testing new hardware and software. Kazu designed a new tracker based on the Raspberry Pi Pico board and the GPS/transmitter used on our ATMega328 based tracker. Tracker details. Work is underway to add new features but will take time. It will eventually be released as FOSS HW/SW. TheContinue reading “Kazu’s AG6NS Raspberry Pi RP2040 based tracker in beta test”