Anyone within a 100 mile radius of Byron CA and not shielded by mountains should be able to get a QSO regardless of propagation. Email me at
af6im@arrl.net if you'd like to try an AM QSO on 10M.
From our website
www.parachutemobile.com:
Mission 22 will be here soon! This latest Parachute Mobile mission will coincide with ARRL’s Pacific Division Ham Radio Convention, PACIFICON,
www.pacificon.org. We will have a Pacificon information table located in the outer hallway of the San Ramon Marriott where you can learn all about what Parachute Mobile is and what we’ve been doing behind the scenes to make these events fun. We will also have monitors where you can view live streaming video from the Drop Zone, located at the Byron Airport, as well as 5 GHz ATV air to ground video from Jumper 2.
We hope to have our first jump underway somewhere around 10:00 A.M and further jumps every 60 to 90 minutes thereafter. Unfortunately, we have no control over the aircraft and sometimes there are shutdown delays when minimum jumper count has not been met for a load. On occasion, Mother Nature plays her hand, and if winds are too high we may have to scrub the mission. Watch our website for updates.
On the day of the event, announcements and status reports will be made on the W6CX repeater located on Mount Diablo at 146.070 + 100. If you are at Pacificon, come by the table and check the updates on the ETJ (Estimated Time of Jump) board.
Just prior to each jump you will want to switch over to 146.430 MHz simplex to make your QSO. The Jumpers exit the King Air 90 jumpship at 13,500 feet, freefall for a few seconds to get a stable position for canopy deployment , then open their parachutes so that they can get the longest hang-time possible for QSOs during descent. There will be HF jumps for this mission. Expect at least one jump to have comms on 10 meters at 28.425 MHZ USB. On subsequent jumps we may move to another HF band so listen and check our website for updates.
As mentioned earlier, we will have live streaming video. You can view this by logging into:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mfwrighthttp://m.ustream.tv/channel/mfwright (for mobile devices)
When possible, depending on payload profiles, the jumpers will be equipped with APRS.
For Jumper 1, Mark Meltzer, search: AF6IM
For jumper 2, Michael Gregg, search: KF6WRW
What’s cool about our APRS data is that you will see biotelemetry. The jumper’s heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) will be displayed.
As always, make a QSO with a jumper and receive a one-of-a-kind QSL card. Since our jumpers have no practical way of manually logging their calls during their descent, we rely on audio recordings taken during each jump. Unfortunately, we still get busted calls. If you make a contact let us know by emailing
kc6tyd@gmail.com.
If you happened to be in or around the Byron Airport on the day of the mission, feel free to come by and we’ll show you all that happens to safely conduct our missions. Directions can be found here:
www.bayareaskydiving.comTo find out how Parachute Mobile got started, click on the About Parachute Mobile tab at the top of the webpage.
Pics showing radio gear mounting details on AF6IM.
https://parachutemobile.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/all-marks-gear.jpghttps://parachutemobile.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/dsc_0125.jpgair to air flyby video, AF6IM in chute with yellow center color.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npYiZYnkPQAlanding video, AF6IM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiiHs_OtGJAJet jump AF6IM (DC 9-21) pic
http://images.classmates.com/pho225/c/q/s/5/139345097_display.jpgKF6WRW working a QSO in flight
https://parachutemobile.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0159.jpgIn the air-On the air, PARACHUTE MOBILE.
