[amsat-bb] [AMRAD_SimSAT] [AMSAT-CT, AMRAD] HAM Balloon launched, still looking for it

["Antonio Sergio Sena" <ct2gpw@xxxxxxxxx>]

This message is being sent to AMSAT organizations of:
UK, France, Spain, Belgium, and North America.

The AMSAT organizations from New Zeland, Venezuela, Sweden, 

Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Sri Lanka, Italia, India, 
Germany, Chile and Australia are being informed, to know 
the status of the operation 

Apologies for any country missing. That result on 
inexistent webpage, or webpage not in english.


---------------------------------

[Calling for help]

Greetings to all,

as part of the group of AMSAT-CT and AMRAD PT, please alow 
me  to introduce us to the AMSAT organizations that don't 
know us yet.

Please take a wee time to check our webpage (in 
Portuguese), as it has info on the organization, and also 
on the balloon launch.

http://www.amrad.pt/ - main
http://www.amrad.pt/amsatct.php

Balloon launch - 
http://www.amrad.pt/lancamento_cinelsat2.php



AMRAD's balloon was lauched last Friday, 24th October, 
around 5:30pm GMT.

The payload consisted on a Video Camera, ATV 1260MHz, GPS 
receiver, APRS tracking device transmitting on VHF 
145.850MHz.
Four balloons pulled it up, and a parachute went together.
(first picture shows the setup)
It has inside the payload, a plastic wrapped paper with ID, 

contacts and emails.

The balloon was tracked for more than 10h with the precious 

help of CT1FAK, and other collegues, using their powerfull 
receiving stations, equiped with the latest radio 
technology.

The last received packet from the ballon, at CT1FAK's 
station, has the timestamp of +-3:30am GMT 25th October.
We lost contact with the balloon after that.

We received logs from our friends in the NorthWest Spain, 
Galiza, with timestamps of 7:49am Zulu same day.
They had the last contact with the running balloon.

The balloon climbed up to 27xxx feet only. Bad weather and 
heavy clouds didn't allow it any further up.

According to wind charts, forecasts and local Meteo office, 

we had East winds that would push the balloon into middle 
Atalntic Ocean, and later north.
Is this correct ??  Theres no way to know this. The balloon 

is already electrically "dead".


Hence our contact to the countries around the Atlantic 
Ocean.
As the payload is pulled by four balloons, we presume it is 

still floating around somewhere, if it hadnt burst because 
of the heavy cloud ceiling, that didn't allow it any 
further up.


We take the opportunity to ask for help (and some advise), 
if by any chance the balloon falls in your country, is 
picked up in the ocean by boats/fishermen, or picked at the 

sea shore.


On behalf of AMRAD's board and associates, we thank you 
all. For reading, for spreading the news to your associates 

and collegues, and for, who knows, catching the payload :)

73 de CT2GPW

AMRAD and AMSAT-CT
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