Category Archives: VI25AREG

Horus 60 Flight Report

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Horus 60 was launched on the 20th of August 2023 as part of AREG’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, and featured our popular SSTV imagery payload along with a new high-quality Wenet imagery payload and other experimental payloads.

On this launch we had Geordie VK3CLR along for the chase, who put together a great video of the day’s activities, and tells the tale better than I could write it up here!

Thanks again to Geordie for producing this!

A dashboard showing telemetry from the flight is available here, and the main statistics from the flight are shown in the following table:

Horus 60 Flight Statistics

Launch Date: 2023-08-20T00:22:27.000000Z
Landing Date: 2023-08-20T02:35:26.000000Z
Launch Site: -35.07586, 138.85677
Landing Site: -35.34007, 139.67903
Distance Travelled: 80 km
Maximum Altitude: 35407 m

Horus 60 Flight Path

SSTV Payload Results

The SSTV payload produced excellent imagery throughout the flight, though unfortunately we had a GPS fault again (likely due to interference from an adjacent payload), so no position/altitude overlays were shown on the images.

Images were received from many people around the Central SA area, with submissions for the SSTV reception certificate from: VK5KVA, VK5KX, VK5ST, VK5ZBI, VK5AV, VK5MA, VK5CLD, VK3FUR/5 and VK5ZM. If you received imagery from the flight, please email us at vi25areg@areg.org.au to get your certificate!

Horus 60 SSTV Reception Certificate Sample

Wenet HQ Imagery Payload

Horus 60 also had the first flight of a new Wenet imagery payload, this time utilising a PiCamera HQ and a large lens, promising much higher quality imagery than we’ve captured previously.

While previous attempts at using higher quality optics have had issues with defocusing in cold temperatures, on this flight the camera performed perfectly, with some of the best quality imagery we’ve seen from a Horus launch in a very long time!

As per tradition, just before packing up the Wenet payload, the chase team took a group photo near the landing site:

The chase team: Mark VK5QI, Drew VK5CLD, Will VK5AHV, Michaela VK3FUR and Geordie VK3CLR

Thanks to all that helped receive the Wenet imagery:

VK3TNUpi4-1: 94460 packets (23.06 MB)
VK5CLD-9: 106422 packets (25.98 MB)
VK5KX-9: 165174 packets (40.33 MB)
VK5IS: 102056 packets (24.92 MB)
VK5QI-9: 113723 packets (27.76 MB)

The more receivers we have during a flight, the higher chance we have of obtaining clear imagery for live display on ssdv.habhub.org!

Primary Telemetry Reception – VI25AREG

For this flight, the primary telemetry payload used the VI25AREG callsign, and performed flawlessly (as we always hope it will!). We had many receivers on this flight, with statistics on who received how many packets in the following table:

CallsignReceived PacketsPercentage of Flight ReceivedFirst-Received Altitude (m)Last-Received Altitude (m)
BARC-RRR177795.8%664255
VK3APJ27014.6%114956738
VK3BKQ36219.5%2602227416
VK3IRV613.3%3186834503
VK3TNU71438.5%83549180
VK5ALG144678.0%8646738
VK5AMH169391.3%1731964
VK5APR159085.8%12406700
VK5ARG176094.9%477911
VK5BD137173.9%55186738
VK5CLD23512.7%239934005
VK5CLD-9151681.8%34222
VK5DJ66235.7%978424529
VK5DSP-hab62433.7%257436700
VK5IS168290.7%7233247
VK5KX158085.2%124022
VK5KX-9143777.5%895570
VK5LN110259.4%116837329
VK5NEX152982.5%9646738
VK5QI-9134872.7%33916031
VK5RK107858.1%166129780
VK5RR-VK5FO43523.5%147636700
VK5ST-4146679.1%31466816
VK5TRM159786.1%15871018
VK5ZBI158585.5%12206777
VK5ZQV79743.0%156016777
vk5mhz54629.4%376124970

Thanks to all that received!

Radiation Sensor Payload – HORUSRADMON

This payload was added on somewhat last-minute, and included a photo-diode-based radiation sensor, with the aim of investigating gamma ray levels throughout the flight, similar to what has been performed on previous flights.

Horus 60 Radiation Sensor Results

As expected, the radiation count increased throughout the ascent, before falling again above 20km altitude due the Regener-Pfotzer Maximum effect. Some noise was observed on the sensor just after burst, likely due to the turbulence from the initial fast descent.

Thanks to everyone that received telemetry from this payload, even with the short notice of it’s inclusion in the flight!

CallsignReceived PacketsPercentage of Flight ReceivedFirst-Received Altitude (m)Last-Received Altitude (m)
BARC-RRR89991.7%609189
VK3BKQ40.4%3480635038
VK5ALG66367.7%10926727
VK5ALG-942843.7%844976
VK5APR79180.7%12186804
VK5ARG86288.0%5071209
VK5CLD-970772.1%34716
VK5DJ32032.7%277846727
VK5DSP-hab31432.0%262166727
VK5KX-971573.0%901276
VK5QI-967669.0%34616113
VK5RK28429.0%301316644
VK5ST-478880.4%28462375
VK5TRM76578.1%17621264
vk5mhz191.9%28043471

Helium Tracker Payload

This flight also saw a new LoRaWAN payload from Liam VK5ALG, which was received via the Helium Network using the 923 MHz ISM band. On this flight the furthest reception report was from a station in Peterborough, at approximately 250km range. Future flights of this will use a higher gain antenna, and we hope to see even higher reception ranges.

We hope to have positions from this payload showing up on the SondeHub-Amateur tracker on future launches!

Conclusion

A big thanks to everyone that participated in this launch, from those that came along to the launch site, chased, or received telemetry and imagery from home!

We hope to perform a few more flights later this year, including the return of a cross-band repeater payload!

 

VI25AREG Special QSL Card – PREVIEW

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Our VI25AREG Special Event QSL Card is now off to the printers. QSL cards will be available for ordering via our QSL Manager, Charles M0OXO.

The callsign still has 12 days to run and will conclude on 31st August 2023!

 

Cards can be requested using the Online QSL Request Service (OQRS) which offers options for both direct QSLs as well as via the Bureau. Note: We will only distribute cards via the M0OXO OQRS service. You can access the service via the following link:

(CLICK HERE)

 

VI25AREG Picnic, ARDF & WWFF Activation Lunch!

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As part of the VI25AREG celebrations, AREG will be holding a picnic lunch at the Para-Wirra Conservation Park, starting around 12PM on Sunday the 30th of July. We’ve booked the ‘Bush Oval’ site, which can be found at this Google maps link. We’re planning on running a BBQ for lunch, and there’s even some talk of 25th anniversary cake!

We’re planning on activating the conservation park (VKFF-1739) on a few HF bands with some members portable HF setups – if you have a portable setup you want to try out, bring it along, there’s plenty of space.

There will also be a short Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) course setup around the area, with plenty of spare receiving equipment available for anyone that wants to have a go.

Please note that Para Wirra Conservation Park does have a vehicle entry fee, which can be paid online here.

Hope to see you there!

73 Mark VK5QI

VI25AREG – AREG’s 25th Anniversary! Come find us on HF, VHF/UHF, DSTAR, DMR, Satellites, and more!

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The 27th of July is the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group’s 25th Anniversary!  As a celebration of this event, we will be activating the VI25AREG special-event callsign between the 1st of July and the 31st of August. The aim is to have the call active on as many bands and modes as possible, reflecting the huge diversity of interests of AREG’s members across the whole spectrum of amateur radio activities.

Special Event QSO Award

AREG has always sought to promote experimentation in amateur radio as a pathway to learning. To celebrate this, we are offering  a special award available for any station who contacts VI25AREG using a minimum of three different transmission modes. The aim being to encourage people to experiment with different modes. You will find the call in use in some unlikely places as a result, including PSK, Olivia, FreeDV, DMR, FUSION, FM, AM, HF, VHF, UHF and more. Work us on three modes and you will qualify for our award!

 

 

To apply for the certificate, just send an email to vi25areg (at) areg.org.au with your ADIF log extract showing the three qualifying QSOs. If your QSOs are found in our log, you should receive your digital certificate within a few days!

Special Event QSL Card

Click to request QSL Card

A special 4 sided QSL card is being designed by the members of AREG for this event. The card design will be completed by August 31st (aligned with the close of the celebrations). Requests for a copy of the card can be submitted via our QSL Manager, Charles M0OXO. You can also see whether you are in the log via Clublog!

Clublog Log Access

 

On Air Celebrations: Where to find VI25AREG

 

Look out for VI25AREG on the following bands and modes over the next few weeks, and check back on our website often for specific activity announcements!

  • HF – Regular activations on many HF bands, check dxheat.com/dxc/ and ClubLog to see where VI25AREG was last heard! The following specific activations are planned:
    • VI25AREG Picnic at Para-Wirra Conservation Park, starting ~12PM on Sunday the 30th of July.
  • 6M – VI25AREG is planned to be used on 6M at the following times:
    • As part of the weekly 6m FM net, on the VK5RSB 6m repeater, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11AM ACST.
    • Sunday mornings, 10:30 AM ACST on 53.100 AM, and 10:45 on 52.100 SSB.
  • Repeaters – We plan to run a net on the Central VK5 Linked Repeater Network at 10AM ACST on the following dates:
    • 8th July
    • 22nd July
    • 5th August
    • 19th August
  • Satellites – the following satellites passes are planned to have VI25AREG activations:
    • TBD!
  • Digital Voice Modes – activity is planned on each of the following networks
    • DMR: Tuesday 25th July, 0900Z, on VKDMR Talk-Group 505.
    • DSTAR:
    • FUSION:
  • High-Altitude Balloon Launch
    • We are planning a High-Altitude Balloon launch making use of the VI25AREG callsign in mid-to-late August. Tentative launch dates are either the 13th of 20th of August.

We are hoping to get many of our members on air operating the callsign.

AREG History

Formed back in July 1998, AREG started out with 7 members focused on amateur radio and electronics experimentation. There were early projects driven by interests in high altitude balloons and repeaters and the group started some early fund raising efforts to support these.

Over time the group continued to slowly grow through until ~2010 when larger activities were attempted, including efforts in various contests and operating on air using special event call VI5MCP (100th anniversary of Morialta Conservation Park). Around this time, the group moved from meeting at members homes to the Reedbeds Community Centre in Fulham too, and the groups focus began to broaden and look to engage more actively with the wider amateur radio community. In the last ~15 years, the group has gone from strength to strength, partnering with the Project Horus high altitude balloon team, being very active in radio contesting, began providing community service communications for the River Paddling Marathon in the Riverland and establishing many new services for members, growing the club’s reach through its internet presence in the process.

VK5CLD’s portable setup
A typical HF spectrograph from May 5th 2023
The happy hunters

From our original 7 members, the group has now grown in size to well over 100 people located across 6 states. With that base, AREG continues to seek opportunities to make a positive contribution to the amateur service in Australia. We therefore are now celebrating the past 25 years and are looking forward to the next 25!

We look forward to working you from VI25AREG!