Hi Fraser - that looks good - I like the off-setting of the elements to make it simpler to create the driven element. One question for my understanding (this is all about education after all!): The power level limit is defined as +23dBm (200mW) EIRP, so includes the antenna gain.Therefore should I add the power output of the Heltec unit (21 ± 1 dBm) to the antenna gain, less the feeder loss to get the actual transmitted power output? If so, does using a Yagi mean you have to reduce the output power of the Heltec unit (assuming that is possible - I haven’t got that far yet) in order to comply with the maximum limit?
Happily my boards arrived today, so I am now going through the process of getting the software loaded. I shall attempt to do it without using VSCode, as I use Linux and do not enjoy using Microsoft products on principle (I don’t mind if others do - I am not on a campaign mission!). If all else fails, I may have to reach for VSCode later on!
I do have a fibreglass tube which I might be able to press into use as a beam for a yagi antenna, but as time is limited I may end up using the supplied antenna, or perhaps a simple whip. From the forecast track above, as it passes more or less over our house, I guess at the closest point the antenna type is not significant!
Which is the open source part of vs code without the Microsoft flavours (spyware) on top. However, the open source version of vscode is still a product of Microsoft so maybe you still don’t want to use it.
Also I wonder how you’re getting the code when it’s hosted on GitHub? Given it’s a subsidiary of Microsoft
Well, that went smoothly, thanks to the instructions and comments. Linux was easier as there was no faffing around with identifying the com ports !
I used vscodium, as recommended above and it worked fine with the platform.io IDE.
I haven’t built an antenna, and as it is now 10pm, I don’t think that will happen. It came with the little spring antenna, and I don’t think I have any IPEX 1.0 to SMA cables in my parts bin, so connecting something different isn’t going to happen before 10:00 GMT tomorrow.
I will probably order a case & battery from the SOTA shop so I can use the board following the launch tomorrow.
I can’t find confirmation anywhere that GB1HAB will also be transmitting RTTY today. Can anyone clarify the situation, and if it does has RTTY, which 70cm(?) frequency will it be on?
Not going to be out witha tracker today, so i have reconfigured the Walney Island Igate to receive on 433.850 and beacon on 439.850.. so lets see if I can be heard! WAHEY!
On video the Hi-Impact team said they had a couple of back-up trackers, but you’d expect that as it seems to be their job to recover the payload, and they’ve put a “360 camera” above the RSGB payload, so I expect they want it back. They mentioned one phone-based tracker (very old-school!) and one other (presumably more modern). Nothing obviously connected has appeared on SondeHub, sadly.
Stations directly heard by GB1HAB during the latest 1 day(s).
Station Number of packets Latest heard Longest distance
Symbol 2E0VIO 4 09/20/2025 11:43:46 AM+01:00 74.05 miles
Symbol M0DQW-7 5 09/20/2025 11:43:24 AM+01:00 114.23 miles
Symbol G5XV-7 3 09/20/2025 11:43:13 AM+01:00 121.2 miles
Symbol G0TQM-5 3 09/20/2025 11:42:53 AM+01:00 56.18 miles
Symbol G1YBJ-7 1 09/20/2025 11:42:47 AM+01:00 106.2 miles
Symbol MW3MBL-4 18 09/20/2025 11:42:33 AM+01:00 15.05 miles
Symbol 2E0LSJ-7 9 09/20/2025 11:42:14 AM+01:00 31.52 miles
Symbol M7SDO-1 4 09/20/2025 11:42:07 AM+01:00 20.69 miles
Symbol G4DJB-7 1 09/20/2025 11:41:56 AM+01:00 141.55 miles
Symbol G4NOY-2 8 09/20/2025 11:41:41 AM+01:00 48.32 miles
Symbol G6GEV-7 7 09/20/2025 11:41:02 AM+01:00 117.24 miles
Symbol G0HIK-7 4 09/20/2025 11:40:42 AM+01:00 100.54 miles
Symbol G7ATJ-7 5 09/20/2025 11:40:01 AM+01:00 170.37 miles
Symbol G4OMJ-7 1 09/20/2025 11:39:51 AM+01:00 74.09 miles
Symbol G4VSS-7 2 09/20/2025 11:39:29 AM+01:00 46.89 miles
Symbol M0MJX-6 2 09/20/2025 11:39:23 AM+01:00 103.7 miles
Symbol G4JUW-7 2 09/20/2025 11:37:55 AM+01:00 12.79 miles
Symbol G7SKR-8 2 09/20/2025 11:36:50 AM+01:00 54.76 miles
Symbol G1EHX-7 3 09/20/2025 11:36:00 AM+01:00 67.63 miles
Symbol G0TQM-13 6 09/20/2025 11:35:16 AM+01:00 56.34 miles
Symbol G4AOJ-7 2 09/20/2025 11:34:56 AM+01:00 64.18 miles
Symbol G4TNX-7 1 09/20/2025 11:32:34 AM+01:00 126.2 miles
Symbol MW0PJE-14 2 09/20/2025 11:32:20 AM+01:00 23.59 miles
Symbol M1FEV-8 2 09/20/2025 11:31:58 AM+01:00 13.95 miles
Symbol M7JRA-7 6 09/20/2025 11:31:16 AM+01:00 61.83 miles
Symbol G6WRW-10 2 09/20/2025 11:28:40 AM+01:00 40.38 miles
Symbol G4WVR-3 1 09/20/2025 11:26:41 AM+01:00 97.57 miles
Symbol M0XIC-7 1 09/20/2025 11:26:13 AM+01:00 37.02 miles
Symbol G8ZBJ-3 1 09/20/2025 11:26:04 AM+01:00 45.36 miles
Symbol G8SNR 1 09/20/2025 11:25:14 AM+01:00 76.39 miles
Symbol G7SKR-7 5 09/20/2025 11:23:44 AM+01:00 55.75 miles
Symbol M0JVW-10 3 09/20/2025 11:22:46 AM+01:00 60 miles
Symbol 2E0YRT-6 1 09/20/2025 11:18:53 AM+01:00 32.4 miles
Symbol M0KYL-7 1 09/20/2025 11:17:29 AM+01:00 104.95 miles
Symbol G4DPZ-3 1 09/20/2025 11:16:26 AM+01:00 48.24 miles
Well short of the 90,000 ft they were talking about, but the burst location’s not far off the prediction. I wonder whether the altitude reported by the APRS tracker was a bit off, and the real altitude was quite a bit higher.
Looks to have landed a little distance from any convenient roads…
New award scheme though - Sota Balloon Darts - try to land as close to an activation zone as possible.
Good effort though all round. Shame it burst early, but knowing nothing about the properties of high altitude balloons, I’m sure the report will explain the whole trip in detail. Hopefully will be some good photos despite the weather.
A big hand to those involved, and a special mention for Dave who managed the shortest repeater hit at 15 yards
!
