U3S

Live tracking
29-May-2020 update
20-May-2020 update
15-May-2020 update
13-May-2020 update
03-May-2020 update
26-Apr-2020 update
Day 1 update: 24-Mar-2020
Launch photos
Transmitter

This is the fourth test flight of the new U4B tracker. For details see below.

U4B-2 was launched by Dave VE3KCL on 24-Mar-2020 from Toronto, Canada


Live tracking


29-May-2020 Update


20-May-2020 Update

U4B-4 was awake again today. The balloon glyph of U4B-4 was copied by TA4/G0UPL in KM46


15-May-2020 Update

U4B-4 woke up again today over Southern Spain. The screenshot below shows Andy G0FTD's screenshot of the balloon glyph


13-May-2020 Update

U4B-4 is still flying, just not very talkative... it switched on today. The screenshot below shows Vernon VE1VDM's hat-trick, he copied U4B-4, U4B-6 and U4B-8 glyphs all at the same time!


03-May-2020 Update

U4B-4 continues to fly, and manages to switch on from time to time. One of those days was May 3rd! 

Laurence KL7L in Alaska US, copied U4B-4 very strongly as it passed by South of him, see below photos including the Balloon Glyph which was first introduced in U4B-4. The YouTube video below shows even the CW Ident audible. 


26-Apr-2020 Update

U4B-4 has some kind of tracker problems, probably relating to the locking up early in the morning when solar panel power generation is still low. U4B-4 is showing up occasionally here and there, from time to time. On 26-th April, it showed up near the Kamchatka peninsula (Russia), North of Japan. The below NOAA projection shows it likely to move only at low speed around the area. 


Day 1 update: 24-Mar-2020


Launch photos

Pending


Transmitter

This is the third test flight of the new U4B tracker. U4B-3 was assembled by Dave VE3KCL. This YouTube video explains the features of the U4B tracker. 

BASIC program

This is the BASIC program being run on the U4B-4 flight computer:

5 LET C = 33
10 PRINT BT
11 IF BT < 3200
12 SLEEP 10 1
13 GOTO 10
14 ENDIF
15 LET FR = 26999980
20 OUT 9 0
25 GPS 300 "$PSIMNAV,W,3*3A"
26 OUT 9 CL
28 SLEEP 10 1
30 PRINT BT
32 IF BT > 3800
33 LET I = 1
34 GOTO 40
38 ENDIF
39 LET I = 0
40 CW 0 14097260 12 0 "_VE3OCL"
42 CW 0 14096960 5 0 "*01IFLCNAP8Q7R6R5S0S0S5R6R7Q8PANCLFI*"
43 CW 2 14097260 3 6 "*130*"
55 TELE
60 GOTO 15

Photos