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Loudoun Amateur Radio Group
In lieu of its regular October meeting, LARG launched, tracked and recovered a weather balloon which bore an instrument package transmitting the club call sign, battery status, barometric pressure, and inside and outside temperatures.
At least 28 club members and family or friends were involved in preparation of the package and/or the event itself. Congratulations and thanks to all who participated!
Balloon Committee Chairperson - Tom Dawson, WB3AKD (chief engineer, designer, tester) some parts contributed by John Steinberger and programming expertise by Paulson McIntyre.
Mission Control (at home qth of Craig Saverine, N4OHE)
-- Tom; Craig; Jacob Dawson, KF4VLQ; and John Unger, W4AU.
Launch team (lift-off was about 0935 south of Rt. 50 and east of the VA/WV line)
-- team captain Norm Styer, AI2C; Bill Tincher, WB4ACC; Bob Oliphant, KF4VBM;
and Mary Oliphant, KF4UUY.
Tracking team (beginning at several points along the expected balloon track with a projected landing near Purcellville, VA) - team captain Denny Boehler, KF4TJI, assisted by Carol Boehler, KF4TJJ; from fixed locales were: -- Ray Houff, K4AJA; Shirley, KF4VBZ, & Bob, W4POF, Bee; Wes Boxwell, WA4TSC; and Charles Preston, K4LJH; beginning as trackers and then becoming part of the recovery effort were: -- Angi, KG4AVR, & Tom, NA4MA, Garasic; Mark Gillam, N3GMW, (with one son and a son's friend); Larry McCaig, KC1YC and John Donovan, KG4HYH; Chester Kmak, WA9LAZ; and Tom Carney, WB9RXJ; also joined by Norm, AI2C.
Recovery team captain Gary Quinn, NC4S, assisted with communications from his home qth in the final tracking stage as members zeroed in on the balloon signal south of Burtonsville, MD, just east of Rt. 29. Tom, NA4MA, retrieved the payload from its treetop resting place at around 1600 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol L. Boehler, NNNN |