http://www.wx5law.com Information and updates from the Lawton Independent Repeater Alliance en-us Copyright 2010 LIRA. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:19:38 -0400 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:19:38 -0400 http://www.wx5law.com/rss webmaster@wx5law.com webmaster@wx5law http://wx5law.com/index.php?page=news&id=84 Bennie Row The following was emailed to us via our online submission form on our website: The next mission number 18, has not been named, will be held by the North Texas Balloon Project (NTEXBP) is planned for launch about 8:30 am on August 7, 2010 from the municipal airport in Hillsboro, Texas, just south of Fort Worth and Dallas. Back up date is August 14, 2010. Two payload packages containing sensors and amateur radios will be carried to nearly 100,000 feet in about 90 minutes by a helium balloon and return via parachute in about 50 minutes. Mobile recovery teams will use position reports from the onboard GPS and APRS transmitter on 144.390 MHz and radio direction finding techniques to recover the payloads. Pre-launch activities will begin about 7:00 am with the HF Launch Net on 7260 +/- 5 kHz, LSB beginning around 8:00 am. A cross band repeater will be activated soon after launch. Uplink is 445.800 MHz and downlink is 147.560 MHz. Handheld VHF radios and scanners can receive the downlink easily. At the peak altitude ham radio operators from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kansas can contact each other using the cross band repeater. Follow us on HF radio or on Twitter@NTEXBP . The radios used normally have a range of about 5 to 10 miles, but that range will be extended to about 500 miles at the peak altitude. At the peak altitude, the curvature of the earth is visible. Digital video is recorded for later playback. APRS packets transmit the balloon's location about once a minute. NTEXBP's Tommy Davis said, "In past operations we did the launches for fun and the enjoyment of flight. It involves many different facets of amateur radio and thus a project that many types of amateur radio operators can enjoy together." There is also an educational component utilized by scouting groups, because it involves orienteering and can be counted toward several different merit badges, as well as by teachers for science experiments. Davis said, "Area boy scout troops and school classes are invited along with all that are interested." In the event of unfavorable weather or poor jet stream conditions, the launch will occur at a later date. Be sure to check www.ntexbp.org or www.w5sjz.net and other Ham Radio forums and news sources for later information. The public is invited to come out to the Hillsboro Municipal Airport, located at Exit 3 on Interstate Highway 35W, to watch the launch. North Texas Balloon Project is a group of amateur (HAM) radio operators from Fort Worth and Dallas and has launched balloons from Cleburne, Clifton, and Hillsboro airports since 1991. This is the first launch during this year and is funded by the amateur radio operators associated with the North Texas Balloon Project. Operator's and Technical Data to follow at www.ntexbp.org or www.w5sjz.net. Reports, questions, APRS and other data may be sent to NTEXBP by emailing webmaster@ntexbp.org . Please forward to interested Hams and ham communities. I would also appreciate any announcement that could be made on local repeaters during allotted calls for announcements. Thanks in advance for help with our project Larry Westmoreland K5PHD 73's Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:02:40 -0400 http://wx5law.com/rss/news_84 http://wx5law.com/index.php?page=news&id=83 Bennie Row A new packed digipeater has been placed on the air in Lawton. It is located on the Great Plains Technology Center campus at the Comanche County EOC. It is utilizing one of the Kenwood TM-D700A radios that we already had in place. It is transmitting at 50 watts and uses one of the antennas located on top of the tower at 180'. It supports the standard AX.25 protocol and its speed is 1200 baud. The frequency is 145.010 MHz. Here is an example on how to set your UNPROTO command do be repeated through the digi: UNPROTO YOURNAME VIA CCEOC CCEOC was the alias chosen for the digi due to its location, and one should use this for digipeating through it. Also, the callsign is WX5LAW-1. No mailbox is active on the digi, but may be activated at a further date if a need is found for it to be utilized. Also, one of the radios in the HAM operating room has been configured so that it can be on the air on packet in just a few seconds. All it needs is a serial cable and a laptop. With just a few keystrokes on the face of the radio, it is on the air and ready. It is programmed with the callsign WX5LAW, and also has 'HAM' as a generic user name. It is of course programmed to be repeated through the digi. Many of you may think that packet is dead is a thing of the past. I can say that there is already 4 users on this digi, just within the few days that it has been on the air. I'm sure there are more to come, as I hear of others dusting off their old TNC's and radios that have been stored in the closet. Also, it seems that packet radio is making somewhat of a comeback, and is to this day being implemented in hospitals, EOC's and such in a sense that a 'hard copy' can be produced from it. With the evolution of this new digi, the same could be happening soon within Comanche County and the surrounding area. Let's all get back into practice and enjoy it until then! Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:59:39 -0400 http://wx5law.com/rss/news_83 http://wx5law.com/index.php?page=news&id=81 Matt Walker Go look on the video page. We have tornado video shot by me Matt Walker near Wynnewood, OK on 5-19-10! Thu, 20 May 2010 14:21:42 -0400 http://wx5law.com/rss/news_81 http://wx5law.com/index.php?page=news&id=80 Bill Reichardt One new Tech and one upgrade At 11:30 this morning, Daniel Martinez passed the Tech test. About 15 minutes later Spencer Terry, KF5FHU passed his General test. Congratulations to both of them. Thu, 20 May 2010 14:22:00 -0400 http://wx5law.com/rss/news_80 http://wx5law.com/index.php?page=news&id=79 Matt Walker New Video in the video section! Go check it out! Matt Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:25:40 -0400 http://wx5law.com/rss/news_79