Upcoming launches: Horus 6 Horus 7
This week is set to be a busy one - after the successful launch and recovery of Horus 5/SARP on Tuesday, we'll be launching Horus 6 on Saturday the 28th, and Horus 7 on Sunday the 29th of August! 
Horus 6 will be flying Adrian VK5ZSN's simplex repeater payload - we'd like to invite everybody to try and make contacts through the repeater - it will be listening on 145.275MHz, requiring a CTCSS tone of 107.2Hz to activate. The repeater is able to record 60 seconds of audio - please keep in mind that it's a simplex parrot repeater, so you will hear yourself rebroadcast after ending your transmission.
Predictions for Horus 6 on Saturday the 28th are looking good:
On Sunday we will be launching Horus 7, a photographic payload. Predictions are also looking good for Sunday:
Horus 7 predicted flight path
As usual, Adrian VK5ZSN, myself (VK5VZI) and any other chase cars will be contactable via radio on the VK5RSB, VK5RAD or VK5RMB repeaters.
Both Horus 6 and Horus 7 will be broadcasting telemetry data (300b RTTY) on 434.650MHz USB - if you would like to assist in tracking, please refer to the tracking guide for instructions.
August 27th, 2010 - 18:27
Good luck with the launch tomorrow. You guys have motivated me into putting the 15 element back up. With the expected altitude I hope to have reasonable chance of logging a call or two from PF89kk Roxby Downs.
August 28th, 2010 - 16:13
Well done today guys- I was able to activate the repeater from my QTH in Forest Hill (SE Suburbs of Melbourne) with a VHF 1/4 wave antenna on the guttering of the shed! I struggled to recieve the device well with this temporary antenna setup, but I believe I was getting into the device OK. RX became possible from above 28000m (approx), although it was never at full quietening here.
Good job!
Perrin VK3XPT
August 28th, 2010 - 16:17
Better results than expected. Almost 35 kilometers high! Congratulations to the entire team.
August 29th, 2010 - 10:33
Fantastic!!
That was a lot of fun, extremelyt interesting stuff.
I only stumbled on the whole thing Saturday am, but thanks to your easy to follow instructions for setting up to receive telemetry, I was able to receive, decode and upload the entire flight, down to about 10,000m before landing. With only a 1/4 wave (on 2m) vertical used to receive the 70cm transmission.
Would like to get involved more, now I know you guys are around.
thanks
August 29th, 2010 - 19:52
I had a fantastic time following the balloon launch via the parrot repeater, well done guys!! Gotta get me a 70cm SSB set to decode the telemetry
Michael
VK5ZEA
August 30th, 2010 - 18:07
The Horus flight 7 was simply excellent. To chase it from Mannum to its final destination near 20kms or so from Paruna was great fun. To watch it land in a paddock not more than 150m from where we stood simply awe inspiring. To have it take a photo of the cars and people on the ground, wow what a memory ! I cant wait for the next flight to do it all again, now to get mobile internet in the car so we can upload the telemetry and get the prediction thing happening.
Great job Terry & team
Matthew
VK5ZM