cheers, justin
On Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:45:29 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi, > > Here are minutes of our meeting on Thursday -- please just reply with > (or let me know) any corrections -- thanks!: > > Attendees: Arnold Gaertner (NRC), Yorke Brown (Dartmouth), Cordell Grant > and Houman Hakima (UTIAS-SFL), and Susana Deustua (STScI) > > Yorke and Cynthia are watching the skies for decent weather, and also > working on finishing their latest diffused-LED-based light source. > Besides that, and a few minor but needed software updates Yorke is > making, things are ready to go there if good weather can be found before > the snow sets in. For a backup tracking system, Yorke and I just ordered > a SPOT Trace: http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=128 , which > uses the Globalstar network of satellites (an Iridium competitor) to > find the location of one's small SPOT Trace device nearly worldwide. > (Throughout North America and the majority of South America, for example > -- although currently the Globalstar satellites do not cover Hawaii. > http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=108 ) It costs less than > current competitor products (e.g. Iridium, Inmarsat, Globalstar, etc > have had satellite modems available for a decade or so, but they've > previously always been too expensive for us, which is why we so far > haven't used them): a SPOT Trace is just $119 for the device and $99 per > year for the service. We'll see if this SPOT Trace works for us. If it > works very well for us, it might conceivably eliminate the need for a > back-up telemetry card with a second DNT transceiver. > > Houman and Cordell are progressing well with the 3-D modelling of the > nanosat payload, and of the multicolour laser module. Houman has some > new solid-model renderings, and now is working on the thermal radiator > for the satellite, and a light-tight shroud to go around the light path > between the laser and the integrating sphere. Houman is interested in > getting some info from Keith V. regarding the design of microwave > polarimetry calibration sources, and I'll interface with Keith regarding > that. > > Susana gave an update on how the JHU senior undergraduate engineering > design students who are working with her and Nathan are doing. They have > produced a beautiful over-50-page engineering design document on details > of their design, with a motor-based cutdown system, return-to-home > function, etc, and are making excellent progress. Very soon they'll be > able to start doing some more outdoor tests -- already they found that a > tank of helium purchased at a party store did not provide sufficient > lift. When they're ready, they'll let us see their design document to > get a few external comments. The SPOT Trace device mentioned above might > potentially be of some use for them as well -- it will be good for us to > get some initial experience in New Hampshire with its usability. > > The folks at Buoyant Aircraft Systems / Peerless Garment in Winnipeg are > working on our test superpressure balloon -- they have begun strength > tests of the polyethylene material and of the heat seals they make > between gores. Their heat seals test out to be nearly as strong as the > material itself, which is a very good initial sign. They will interface > with the engineers at Raven-Aerostar (Mike Smith and Kurt Sehnert) to > see if their materials tests are consistent with what Raven-Aerostar > gets from its own polyethylene-based film. If not, they will consider > buying a roll of Raven-Aerostar's film (but doing the cutting, sealing, > and assembly in Winnipeg). > > Significant progress continues to be made on the study of photon > scattering in a diffusive medium (a few plots at > https://particle.phys.uvic.ca/~jalbert/photontoymc.pdf ) and I'll be > sending more very soon on this, as well as on analytic photon scattering > calculation results, and comparison between the two methods. And > regarding the concept for very long-range (up to 100 km and beyond) > optical transceiver communication with the balloon in nighttime flight, > we decided to hold off with Ericsson, primarily so that we could test > out the idea in December in Hanover, where essentially all the equipment > needed for a long-range ground-based test of the idea is present. > Assuming that test works, we'll certainly include the construction of > such a system in a Google proposal which is due in April of this coming > year. > > That's all I remember, please send things that I forgot. Next telecon in > two weeks, on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 pm Eastern time. > > cheers, thanks all! > justin > > On Thu, 06 Nov 2014 01:09:41 GMT, Justin Albert wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Telecon tomorrow (Nov. 6) at the usual time: 1:30 pm Eastern (10:30 am > > Pacific, 19.30 European). Discussion items include: upcoming flights and > > weather, light source modelling, goniometric and pre- and post-flight > > calibration, nanosat and new laser module design, computing/website, > > grant applications, and recap of schedules. A reminder of the CSA > > project timeline is attached. > > > > Here's how to connect: > > 1) Open Skype on your computer (note that of course, you should first install Skype, http://www.skype.com , on your machine if you haven't already). > > 2) In the "Contacts" menu, add me ( jalbertuvic ) as a contact, if you haven't already. > > 3) Just wait for me to call you at the usual time (1:30 pm Eastern, 10:30 am Pacific). > > 4) If there is any trouble, or if you don't get a call for some reason and would like to join, just send me an e-mail (jalbert@uvic.ca). > > > > Here's the tentative agenda: > > I) Progress toward next flight > > II) Light source studies and modelling, pre- and post-flight calibration, and goniometric calibrations > > III) Nanosat, new integrating spheres, and multicolour laser module designs > > IV) Computing/website > > V) Grant applications > > VI) AOB > > > > Talk to you all tomorrow, thanks! > > justin > > > > Attachments: > > http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2012/11/12/18.02-43361-Schedule-20120702_hqp.pdf > > >