hobby #2 · 3 days
Stratospheric Balloon Telemetry
Launching high-altitude balloons with custom payloads that transmit position and sensor data via APRS. Combines radio tracking, electronics assembly, and flight planning with the thrill of recovering your payload after it falls from near-space.
Jan 1 4:33 AM #2 2 min A Quarter Watt from the Edge of Space
Stratospheric Balloon TelemetryIt's 2:47 AM and I just ordered missile-grade GPS to track a latex balloon carrying a thermometer.
Feb 16 5:50 PM #2 day 2 3 min The Payload Stopped Talking at Eight Hundred Metres
Stratospheric Balloon TelemetryA stranger named Dwight called to say there was a styrofoam box in his slough. He was remarkably calm about it.
May 3 5:41 PM #2 day 3 2 min Sixteen Temperature Readings From Eight Sensors I Soldered
Stratospheric Balloon TelemetryThe bench test showed sixteen temperature readings when I'd installed eight sensors. Turns out every solder joint was measuring something.
code-a-day tied to this hobby
- Catching Data from the Edge of Space Ring Buffers
- Parity Bites Back at Thirty Kilometres Checksums and CRCs
- Fountain Codes for When Half Your Packets Vanish Rateless Erasure Codes