HacDC Wiki - User contributions [en]

HacDC Spaceblimp 7

2018-04-17T17:08:34Z

Nick b: added flight path image

[[Image: Sb7_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb7_flight_path.jpg | 750px ]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, April 14, 2018
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 11:08
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 14:30
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| ~17:15
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 3:22:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Manchester MD, (39 40'33.6"N 76 44'03.9"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 98.3 mi, (158.2 km)
|-
!align="right"| Balloon type:
| 1500 g Kaymont
|-
!align="right"| Payload weight:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Balloon lift:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Net lift:
| TBD
|}
----

'''Project Description & Status'''
Spaceblimp is an educational and exploratory stratospheric balloon project that lofts various payloads to near-space (about 100,000ft). The sixth launch, Spaceblimp 6, reached 104,000ft. Spaceblimp 7 is being done in collaboration with Rockville Makerspace [http://rockvillesciencecenter.org/programs/studio-i-makerspace/] and Unallocated Space [https://www.unallocatedspace.org/].

The March 3-4, 2018 launch was scrubbed due to high winds. The launch took place on Saturday April 14, 2018, at Strasburg VA. The next subsequent launch is expected in late April as part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge where our team name is Hackers SLS (Space Lunch System).

The project has Technical, logistical and Educational goals which are described below. Spaceblimp 7 looks to add new components that weren’t part of HacDC’s previous six Spaceblimp launches. By forming a partnership with several other area makerspaces, volunteers, hackers and educators we are expanding our team and pooling resources. By expanding the project we aim to increase its visibility and benefit all the organizations involved as well as and increase fund-raising opportunities to help sustain all the partners/organizations and the project Spaceblimp in the long-term. This will also expose high school students to educational and technical resources outside of the school environment as well as giving all the participants the opportunity to share skills and interests to work together and learn from one another to achieve shared goals. Local area hackers and space enthusiasts will also benefit by being able to actively participate and develop skills in the design and launch of the payloads. So come and join us!

'''Project Goals'''
Baseline '''technical goals''' are the safe and successful launch, tracking and recovery of a stratospheric balloon and its payloads. These goals involve exploration of concepts of buoyancy, basic electronics and energy storage, triangulation and timekeeping, radio propagation, weather prediction, FAA regulations and stratospheric environment conditions. In addition to these baseline goals, the project will welcome additional technical goals from volunteers and students primarily in the form of payload experiments suggested, designed and built by them. Spaceblimp will encourage use of CubeSat geometry payloads to give students experience with the CubeSat design constraints and to foster discussion with future other CubeSat missions.

The '''educational objective''' is primarily to provide an engaging, multi-day hands-on educational experience for students and volunteers heavily focused on STEM. Students will be engaged in a hands-on lesson by disassembling, reassembling and testing the basic tracking module components (GPS, radios) and other payloads. The nature of the balloon flight will naturally lead to discussion of scientific subjects like buoyancy, atmospheric composition and density, radio propagation, weather prediction and technical topics like power consumption and energy storage. Students will have first-hand exposure to a team working environment with delegation of responsibilities and the necessary communication and coordination. Critically, students will be allowed to suggest, design and build their own balloon payloads to be launched into near-space. This kind of self-directed educational approach uses students own natural curiosity and motivation to increase engagement and their sense of ownership of the resulting project.

'''Logistics'''
Project logistics include those necessary to achieve the technical goals, but also networking of area makerspaces and volunteers, outreach to local governments, funding sources and potential sponsors, coordination of project documentation and public exhibition of the project. This may include informational booths at relevant area events, compilation of video and publication of a project wiki. All new partners (including students) will be able to add or edit our project plan and proposed new topics for the meeting’s agenda.

Points of Contact:
HacDC: Enrique C, Technical Manager and Funding POC, enrique@hacdc.org
HacDC: Nancy W, Project, Logistics and Student Outreach Manager
Rockville RSC: Sam C, Technical Manager
Rockville RSC: David D, Logistics and Outreach Manager
Unallocated Space: Buddy, Technical and Logistics Manager

'''Useful Links'''
Working documents on Google Drive: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lw55HiaDk5GbLUFwuXcTWeM44eYJ7sq1]

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb7 flight path.jpg

2018-04-17T17:05:29Z

Nick b:

HacDC Spaceblimp 7

2018-04-16T22:35:54Z

Nick b: added basic flight info

[[Image: Sb7_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, April 14, 2018
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 11:08
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 14:30
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| ~17:15
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 3:22:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Manchester MD, (39 40'33.6"N 76 44'03.9"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 98.3 mi, (158.2 km)
|-
!align="right"| Balloon type:
| 1500 g Kaymont
|-
!align="right"| Payload weight:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Balloon lift:
| TBD
|-
!align="right"| Net lift:
| TBD
|}
----

'''Project Description & Status'''
Spaceblimp is an educational and exploratory stratospheric balloon project that lofts various payloads to near-space (about 100,000ft). The sixth launch, Spaceblimp 6, reached 104,000ft. Spaceblimp 7 is being done in collaboration with Rockville Makerspace [http://rockvillesciencecenter.org/programs/studio-i-makerspace/] and Unallocated Space [https://www.unallocatedspace.org/].

The March 3-4, 2018 launch was scrubbed due to high winds. The launch took place on Saturday April 14, 2018, at Strasburg VA. The next subsequent launch is expected in late April as part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge where our team name is Hackers SLS (Space Lunch System).

The project has Technical, logistical and Educational goals which are described below. Spaceblimp 7 looks to add new components that weren’t part of HacDC’s previous six Spaceblimp launches. By forming a partnership with several other area makerspaces, volunteers, hackers and educators we are expanding our team and pooling resources. By expanding the project we aim to increase its visibility and benefit all the organizations involved as well as and increase fund-raising opportunities to help sustain all the partners/organizations and the project Spaceblimp in the long-term. This will also expose high school students to educational and technical resources outside of the school environment as well as giving all the participants the opportunity to share skills and interests to work together and learn from one another to achieve shared goals. Local area hackers and space enthusiasts will also benefit by being able to actively participate and develop skills in the design and launch of the payloads. So come and join us!

'''Project Goals'''
Baseline '''technical goals''' are the safe and successful launch, tracking and recovery of a stratospheric balloon and its payloads. These goals involve exploration of concepts of buoyancy, basic electronics and energy storage, triangulation and timekeeping, radio propagation, weather prediction, FAA regulations and stratospheric environment conditions. In addition to these baseline goals, the project will welcome additional technical goals from volunteers and students primarily in the form of payload experiments suggested, designed and built by them. Spaceblimp will encourage use of CubeSat geometry payloads to give students experience with the CubeSat design constraints and to foster discussion with future other CubeSat missions.

The '''educational objective''' is primarily to provide an engaging, multi-day hands-on educational experience for students and volunteers heavily focused on STEM. Students will be engaged in a hands-on lesson by disassembling, reassembling and testing the basic tracking module components (GPS, radios) and other payloads. The nature of the balloon flight will naturally lead to discussion of scientific subjects like buoyancy, atmospheric composition and density, radio propagation, weather prediction and technical topics like power consumption and energy storage. Students will have first-hand exposure to a team working environment with delegation of responsibilities and the necessary communication and coordination. Critically, students will be allowed to suggest, design and build their own balloon payloads to be launched into near-space. This kind of self-directed educational approach uses students own natural curiosity and motivation to increase engagement and their sense of ownership of the resulting project.

'''Logistics'''
Project logistics include those necessary to achieve the technical goals, but also networking of area makerspaces and volunteers, outreach to local governments, funding sources and potential sponsors, coordination of project documentation and public exhibition of the project. This may include informational booths at relevant area events, compilation of video and publication of a project wiki. All new partners (including students) will be able to add or edit our project plan and proposed new topics for the meeting’s agenda.

Points of Contact:
HacDC: Enrique C, Technical Manager and Funding POC, enrique@hacdc.org
HacDC: Nancy W, Project, Logistics and Student Outreach Manager
Rockville RSC: Sam C, Technical Manager
Rockville RSC: David D, Logistics and Outreach Manager
Unallocated Space: Buddy, Technical and Logistics Manager

'''Useful Links'''
Working documents on Google Drive: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lw55HiaDk5GbLUFwuXcTWeM44eYJ7sq1]

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb7 peak.jpg

2018-04-16T22:14:13Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb7 peak.jpg"

HacDC Spaceblimp 7

2018-04-16T22:11:18Z

Nick b: added photo from peak altitude

[[Image: Sb7_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

'''Project Description & Status'''
Spaceblimp is an educational and exploratory stratospheric balloon project that lofts various payloads to near-space (about 100,000ft). The sixth launch, Spaceblimp 6, reached 104,000ft. Spaceblimp 7 is being done in collaboration with Rockville Makerspace [http://rockvillesciencecenter.org/programs/studio-i-makerspace/] and Unallocated Space [https://www.unallocatedspace.org/].

The March 3-4, 2018 launch was scrubbed due to high winds. The new launch date is TBD, probably mid-late March or early April 2018. Launch site is currently Strasburg, VA but subject to change based on weather predictions (the predicted flight path cannot interfere with Dulles Airport or the DC No-Fly Zone). The next subsequent launch is expected in late April as part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge where our team name is Hackers SLS (Space Lunch System).

The project has Technical, logistical and Educational goals which are described below. Spaceblimp 7 looks to add new components that weren’t part of HacDC’s previous six Spaceblimp launches. By forming a partnership with several other area makerspaces, volunteers, hackers and educators we are expanding our team and pooling resources. By expanding the project we aim to increase its visibility and benefit all the organizations involved as well as and increase fund-raising opportunities to help sustain all the partners/organizations and the project Spaceblimp in the long-term. This will also expose high school students to educational and technical resources outside of the school environment as well as giving all the participants the opportunity to share skills and interests to work together and learn from one another to achieve shared goals. Local area hackers and space enthusiasts will also benefit by being able to actively participate and develop skills in the design and launch of the payloads. So come and join us!

'''Project Goals'''
Baseline '''technical goals''' are the safe and successful launch, tracking and recovery of a stratospheric balloon and its payloads. These goals involve exploration of concepts of buoyancy, basic electronics and energy storage, triangulation and timekeeping, radio propagation, weather prediction, FAA regulations and stratospheric environment conditions. In addition to these baseline goals, the project will welcome additional technical goals from volunteers and students primarily in the form of payload experiments suggested, designed and built by them. Spaceblimp will encourage use of CubeSat geometry payloads to give students experience with the CubeSat design constraints and to foster discussion with future other CubeSat missions.

The '''educational objective''' is primarily to provide an engaging, multi-day hands-on educational experience for students and volunteers heavily focused on STEM. Students will be engaged in a hands-on lesson by disassembling, reassembling and testing the basic tracking module components (GPS, radios) and other payloads. The nature of the balloon flight will naturally lead to discussion of scientific subjects like buoyancy, atmospheric composition and density, radio propagation, weather prediction and technical topics like power consumption and energy storage. Students will have first-hand exposure to a team working environment with delegation of responsibilities and the necessary communication and coordination. Critically, students will be allowed to suggest, design and build their own balloon payloads to be launched into near-space. This kind of self-directed educational approach uses students own natural curiosity and motivation to increase engagement and their sense of ownership of the resulting project.

'''Logistics'''
Project logistics include those necessary to achieve the technical goals, but also networking of area makerspaces and volunteers, outreach to local governments, funding sources and potential sponsors, coordination of project documentation and public exhibition of the project. This may include informational booths at relevant area events, compilation of video and publication of a project wiki. All new partners (including students) will be able to add or edit our project plan and proposed new topics for the meeting’s agenda.

Points of Contact:
HacDC: Enrique C, Technical Manager and Funding POC, enrique@hacdc.org
HacDC: Nancy W, Project, Logistics and Student Outreach Manager
Rockville RSC: Sam C, Technical Manager
Rockville RSC: David D, Logistics and Outreach Manager
Unallocated Space: Buddy, Technical and Logistics Manager

'''Useful Links'''
Working documents on Google Drive: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lw55HiaDk5GbLUFwuXcTWeM44eYJ7sq1]

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb7 peak.jpg

2018-04-16T22:09:53Z

Nick b:

HacDC Spaceblimp 7

2018-04-16T22:03:44Z

Nick b: added spaceblimp template at bottom of page

'''Project Description & Status'''
Spaceblimp is an educational and exploratory stratospheric balloon project that lofts various payloads to near-space (about 100,000ft). The sixth launch, Spaceblimp 6, reached 104,000ft. Spaceblimp 7 is being done in collaboration with Rockville Makerspace [http://rockvillesciencecenter.org/programs/studio-i-makerspace/] and Unallocated Space [https://www.unallocatedspace.org/].

The March 3-4, 2018 launch was scrubbed due to high winds. The new launch date is TBD, probably mid-late March or early April 2018. Launch site is currently Strasburg, VA but subject to change based on weather predictions (the predicted flight path cannot interfere with Dulles Airport or the DC No-Fly Zone). The next subsequent launch is expected in late April as part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge where our team name is Hackers SLS (Space Lunch System).

The project has Technical, logistical and Educational goals which are described below. Spaceblimp 7 looks to add new components that weren’t part of HacDC’s previous six Spaceblimp launches. By forming a partnership with several other area makerspaces, volunteers, hackers and educators we are expanding our team and pooling resources. By expanding the project we aim to increase its visibility and benefit all the organizations involved as well as and increase fund-raising opportunities to help sustain all the partners/organizations and the project Spaceblimp in the long-term. This will also expose high school students to educational and technical resources outside of the school environment as well as giving all the participants the opportunity to share skills and interests to work together and learn from one another to achieve shared goals. Local area hackers and space enthusiasts will also benefit by being able to actively participate and develop skills in the design and launch of the payloads. So come and join us!

'''Project Goals'''
Baseline '''technical goals''' are the safe and successful launch, tracking and recovery of a stratospheric balloon and its payloads. These goals involve exploration of concepts of buoyancy, basic electronics and energy storage, triangulation and timekeeping, radio propagation, weather prediction, FAA regulations and stratospheric environment conditions. In addition to these baseline goals, the project will welcome additional technical goals from volunteers and students primarily in the form of payload experiments suggested, designed and built by them. Spaceblimp will encourage use of CubeSat geometry payloads to give students experience with the CubeSat design constraints and to foster discussion with future other CubeSat missions.

The '''educational objective''' is primarily to provide an engaging, multi-day hands-on educational experience for students and volunteers heavily focused on STEM. Students will be engaged in a hands-on lesson by disassembling, reassembling and testing the basic tracking module components (GPS, radios) and other payloads. The nature of the balloon flight will naturally lead to discussion of scientific subjects like buoyancy, atmospheric composition and density, radio propagation, weather prediction and technical topics like power consumption and energy storage. Students will have first-hand exposure to a team working environment with delegation of responsibilities and the necessary communication and coordination. Critically, students will be allowed to suggest, design and build their own balloon payloads to be launched into near-space. This kind of self-directed educational approach uses students own natural curiosity and motivation to increase engagement and their sense of ownership of the resulting project.

'''Logistics'''
Project logistics include those necessary to achieve the technical goals, but also networking of area makerspaces and volunteers, outreach to local governments, funding sources and potential sponsors, coordination of project documentation and public exhibition of the project. This may include informational booths at relevant area events, compilation of video and publication of a project wiki. All new partners (including students) will be able to add or edit our project plan and proposed new topics for the meeting’s agenda.

Points of Contact:
HacDC: Enrique C, Technical Manager and Funding POC, enrique@hacdc.org
HacDC: Nancy W, Project, Logistics and Student Outreach Manager
Rockville RSC: Sam C, Technical Manager
Rockville RSC: David D, Logistics and Outreach Manager
Unallocated Space: Buddy, Technical and Logistics Manager

'''Useful Links'''
Working documents on Google Drive: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lw55HiaDk5GbLUFwuXcTWeM44eYJ7sq1]

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

Template:Spaceblimp

2018-04-16T22:00:57Z

Nick b: added link for sb7 to template

[[Category:Spaceblimp]]

{| border="1" align="center"
|+ HacDC Spaceblimp Project:
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp|Main Page]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp Press|Press Page]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 1|First Launch (Found)]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 2|Second Launch (Successful)]]
|-
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 3|Third Launch (Successful)]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 4|Fourth Launch (Successful)]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 5|Fifth Launch (3% short of goal)]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6|Sixth Launch (Successful)]]
| [[HacDC Spaceblimp 7|Seventh Launch (Successful)]]
|}

{| border="1" align="center"
|+ HacDC Spaceblimp Team Contact Info:
| style="text-align:center;" | [mailto:spaceblimp@hacdc.org spaceblimp@hacdc.org]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [https://groups.google.com/a/hacdc.org/group/Spaceblimp Subscribe to the Spaceblimp email list]
|}

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-20T17:17:39Z

Nick b: Added balloon lift stat

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|-
!align="right"| Balloon type:
| 1500 g Kaymont
|-
!align="right"| Payload weight:
| 2200 g
|-
!align="right"| Balloon lift:
| 3300 g
|-
!align="right"| Net lift:
| 1100 g
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude is 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude. Assuming the balloon is a sphere with a 1 meter radius at launch, its starting volume is 4.19 m3. This means the balloon's volume at burst is 169.03 m3, an expansion to 40.34 times the launch volume.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]

===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-20T03:46:14Z

Nick b: Added balloon type

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|-
!align="right"| Balloon type:
| Kaymont 1500 g
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude is 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude. Assuming the balloon is a sphere with a 1 meter radius at launch, its starting volume is 4.19 m3. This means the balloon's volume at burst is 169.03 m3, an expansion to 40.34 times the launch volume.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]

===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T21:52:25Z

Nick b: Minor rephrasing

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude is 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude. Assuming the balloon is a sphere with a 1 meter radius at launch, its starting volume is 4.19 m3. This means the balloon's volume at burst is 169.03 m3, an expansion to 40.34 times the launch volume.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]

===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T21:51:16Z

Nick b: Minor rephrasing

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude is 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude. Assuming the balloon is a sphere with a 1 meter radius at launch, its starting volume is 4.19 m3. This means the balloon's volume at burst is 169.03 m3, an expansion of 40.34 times the launch volume.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]

===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T21:44:57Z

Nick b: Added volume expansion numbers

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude is 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude. Assuming the balloon is a sphere with a 1 meter radius at launch, its starting volume would then be 4.19 m3. This means the balloon's volume at the burst altitude is 169.03 m3, an expansion of 40.34 times the launch volume.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]

===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T13:06:37Z

Nick b: Corrected summary

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 2:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude was 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]
===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T13:03:46Z

Nick b: Correcting summary

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 02:14:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude was 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]
===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T12:54:50Z

Nick b: Changed page formatting

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
[[Image: Sb6_flight_path.jpg]]
{| {{Prettytable|width=557px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 02:08:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
----

=Upward Facing Camera=
This flight's payload featured an upward facing camera to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the balloon, rigging, and parachute during the flight.

===== Balloon Expansion =====
The balloon's diameter at the burst altitude was 3.43 times its diameter at the launch altitude.
----
[[Image: Sb6_balloon_size_comparison.jpg|720px]]
===== Balloon Burst =====
----
[[Image: Sb6_burst.gif]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T12:53:14Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb6 flight path.jpg": Reverted to version as of 12:50, 18 October 2016

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T12:52:28Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb6 flight path.jpg"

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T12:50:03Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb6 flight path.jpg"

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T12:49:37Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb6 flight path.jpg": Reverted to version as of 11:35, 18 October 2016

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T12:48:27Z

Nick b: Nick b uploaded a new version of "File:Sb6 flight path.jpg"

File:Balloon size comparison.jpg

2016-10-18T12:07:03Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Balloon size comparison.jpg to File:Sb6 balloon size comparison.jpg: more specific filename

#REDIRECT [[File:Sb6 balloon size comparison.jpg]]

File:Sb6 balloon size comparison.jpg

2016-10-18T12:07:03Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Balloon size comparison.jpg to File:Sb6 balloon size comparison.jpg: more specific filename

File:Flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T11:57:01Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Flight path.jpg to File:Sb6 flight path.jpg: more specific filename

#REDIRECT [[File:Sb6 flight path.jpg]]

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T11:57:01Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Flight path.jpg to File:Sb6 flight path.jpg: more specific filename

File:Burst.gif

2016-10-18T11:54:31Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Burst.gif to File:Sb6 burst.gif: more specific filename

#REDIRECT [[File:Sb6 burst.gif]]

File:Sb6 burst.gif

2016-10-18T11:54:31Z

Nick b: Nick b moved page File:Burst.gif to File:Sb6 burst.gif: more specific filename

File:Sb6 burst.gif

2016-10-18T11:52:31Z

Nick b:

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T11:51:28Z

Nick b: correcting formatting

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
{| {{Prettytable|width=600px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 02:08:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}
[[Image: Flight_path.jpg | 400 px]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T11:42:45Z

Nick b: Added flight path image

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

[[File:Flight_path.jpg|left]]
=Flight Summary=
{| {{Prettytable|width=600px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 02:08:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb6 flight path.jpg

2016-10-18T11:35:05Z

Nick b:

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T11:32:16Z

Nick b: Added flight summary table

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Flight Summary=
{| {{Prettytable|width=600px}}
!align="right"| Date of launch:
| Saturday, October 15, 2016
|-
!align="right"| Time of launch:
| 10:55
|-
!align="right"| Time of landing:
| 13:09
|-
!align="right"| Time of recovery:
| 13:28
|-
!align="right"| Flight duration:
| 02:08:00
|-
!align="right"| Peak recorded altitude:
| 104,023ft, (31706.2m)
|-
!align="right"| Location of launch:
| Strasburg VA, (38 59'48.77"N 78 21'03.27"W)
|-
!align="right"| Location of landing:
| Amissville VA, (38 40'51.56"N 77 55'58.29"W)
|-
!align="right"| Distance (launch to landing):
| 31.36 mi, (50.47 km)
|}

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

HacDC Spaceblimp 6

2016-10-18T10:32:50Z

Nick b: Added video frame from peak altitude.

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Header}}
[[Image: Sb6_peak.jpg | 800px ]]

=Current Mission=
Since [https://www.balloonchallenge.org Global Space Balloon Challenge 2016 (GSBC)] just ended, there is no better time than now to start [[HacDC Spaceblimp 6/Projects|planning]] for participation in, but not limited to, the GSBC 2017 challenge. HacDC has had some preliminary discussions with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) regarding some of their STEM initiatives which align well with our Spaceblimp project. This presents a great opportunity for HacDC to collaborate with the NRL and local area schools to assist students in preparing for the next GSBC or other balloon events. Besides helping young minds grow, we could also expand in to other STEAM initiatives and work side-by-side with distinguished researchers and scientists from the NRL.

Supplies and equipment are not an issue. Hands on help is. We need embedded hardware, software, FPGA, and RF engineers, licensed amateur radio operators, project developers, crafts people, decorators, coordinators, outreach specialists and educators. However, no one with helping hands or a willingness to learn will be turned away.

=[[HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects|Current Projects]]=

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Projects}}

{{:HacDC_Spaceblimp_6/Footer}}

<noinclude>
{{Template:Spaceblimp}}
</noinclude>

File:Sb6 balloon size comparison.jpg

2016-10-18T10:17:03Z

Nick b:

File:Sb6 peak.jpg

2016-10-18T10:14:40Z

Nick b:

Linux on Wyse Winterm S10 Thin Clients

2011-12-08T04:56:38Z

Nick b:

The Wyse Winterm SX0 S10 features:

* AMD Geode processor 333MHz
* 32MB internal flash memory ([http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/129712/SAMSUNG/K9F5608U0D-XIB0.html]) behind an ATA/IDE disk controller ([http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/171066/SST/SST55LD019A-45-C-BWE.html])
* 64MB RAM (4 x [http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/2413/MOSEL/V58C2128164S.html])
* BIOS capable of booting from USB flash drives

This allows for small Linux distributions to be installed on the internal flash memory in place of the very limited original OS. Distributions too large to fit into the 32MB internal flash drive can still be booted and run from an external USB flash drive, though boot time may take a while.

----

====Step 1: Configuring the BIOS to boot from a USB drive====

This part is very simple. Before inserting the power cable, connect a USB keyboard, and VGA monitor to the terminal. Then, hold down the del key and plug in the power cable. After a moment you should hear a beep, and the terminal will boot to a green BIOS screen.

First, you will be prompted to enter a password, which by default should be "Fireport". Then, you will be able to rearrange the boot order to attempt USB boot first.

The BIOS also provides options to set the date/time, change the amount of memory allocated for video use (the minimum being 4MB), and select whether or not the terminal can be shut down while power is connected.

Save your configuration and exit the BIOS.

----

====Step 2: Creating a bootable Linux USB drive====

Linux on Wyse Winterm S10 Thin Clients

2011-12-08T04:51:39Z

Nick b:

Linux on Wyse Winterm S10 Thin Clients

2011-12-08T04:14:49Z

Nick b:

Linux on Wyse Winterm S10 Thin Clients

2011-12-08T04:13:58Z

Nick b: Created page with "= Linux on Wyse Winterm SX0 S10 Thin Clients = The Wyse Winterm SX0 S10 features: * AMD Geode processor 333MHz * 32MB internal flash memory ([http://www.alldatasheet.com/datash..."

= Linux on Wyse Winterm SX0 S10 Thin Clients =

The Wyse Winterm SX0 S10 features:

* AMD Geode processor 333MHz
* 32MB internal flash memory ([http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/129712/SAMSUNG/K9F5608U0D-XIB0.html]) behind an ATA/IDE disk controller ([http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/171066/SST/SST55LD019A-45-C-BWE.html])
* 64MB RAM (4 x [http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/2413/MOSEL/V58C2128164S.html])
* BIOS capable of booting from USB flash drives

This allows for small Linux distributions to be installed on the internal flash memory in place of the original Windows CE based OS.

CNC Mill

2011-11-22T05:59:03Z

Nick b: /* Turning on the Mill */

=== Terms ===

* Computer Numerical Control (CNC) - The ability to control a machine using mathematical commands
* Computer Aided Design (CAD) - Software which generates a model which a machine can translate into tooling commands for manufacturing.
* Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) - The actual process of production from file to finished product.
* Tooling/tools - The bits used in a mill to actually
* Milling - The use of a spinning piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media, normally via an X / Y / Z axis.
* Manual Data Input (MDI) - A method for doing manual milling with precise control commands.
* Lathing - The use of a "static" piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media which is in (usually) a circular motion.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org EMC2] - The software used to translate G Code into electrical pulses which can be used by a mill.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org/docview/html/gui_axis.html Axis] - The most commonly used graphical user interface with the program EMC2

=== Getting Started ===

To initially get started with the CNC mill, it's helpful to have a basic grasp of G Code. How better to get started with this than to begin playing.

==== Turning on the Mill ====
When turning on the mill there are three primary "light switch" style switches which should be turned on. The first is on the back of the black box labeled "MicroProto Systems, MicroMill DSLS 3000". This switch is located on the back to the right side (imagine reaching around on the rear right). Flipping the switch "up" should turn this on.

Next, turn on the main control to the spindle. This is achieved via the light switch on the M3/M5 box. Turn this to the "on" position (flicking it towards the label M3/M5).

Finally, turn on the spindle on the actual mill. This is in a blue enameled box residing on the Z axis. Flip this switch "up". If the spindle immediately starts spinning, this is because someone didn't send the control command to stop it. This isn't a problem, but we will want to stop it sooner than later. We will cover this in the next section.

To avoid unexpectedly turning on the spindle motor when powering on the machine, wait to flip the power switch to the on position until after EMC2 is running. This will ensure that the parallel port is in the appropriate state according to the configuration file to keep all motors off by default.

==== Starting EMC2 ====
To start, you'll want to fire up EMC2 with the proper configuration file. This can be done by using the icon on the desktop or by clicking the corresponding link on the quick launch bar on the top of the screen.

If the mill has been turned on and the right configuration file is used, you will hear the spindle briefly spin up.

Once in EMC2 you'll need to enable machine control of the mill. Begin by clicking the large red "X" button on the button toolbar within AXIS. After this button has been pressed, the power button directly beside it should become available to click. Upon pressing this "power" button, EMC2 / AXIS can be used to send commands to the mill.

==== Making our first motions ====

===== Beginning Manual Control =====
To start, we're going to use the "jog" functions to move the milling cutter around and get a feel for what is "positive" and "negative" on the X, Y, & Z axis.

Especially, when starting out, limit motion to the X and Y axis as this has the least potential for damaging our tooling (aka, breaking a bit). As you get a feel for what's positive and negative, we will start using larger motions.

To start, hit "F3" on the keyboard to enter fully manual control. This will present us with a radio button to choose the axis, followed by a "+" and "-" sign to show where our milling cutter will move.

To start, select the "X" axis and press the positive button. Next, select the "Y" axis and press the positive button. As you were moving the milling cutter around, you'll notice that the coordinates are displayed in the preview window. This is where you can quickly survey where your tooling is located. Using these tools, move the mill to the following positions (x,y) - (0,0), (0,1), (1,1).

Next, lets raise the tool a little bit to give ourselves more clearance to put in something to be milled. Select the Z axis and press the "+" button. Move the Z axis all the way to "1".

At this point, adding our Z axis, our tooling should be located at (1,1,1).

===== Advanced Manual Control - MDI (Manual Data Input) =====
In AXIS press "F5" and go to the MDI Section. Within this section we can type in actual G Code to move our tooling around. To start, we're going to use simple "go to" commands. This will rapidly move the tool to the position that we tell it to. Note, at any time, we can stop the execution of these commands by hitting the "esc" key on the keyboard. The first command we will use is "rapid go to" or "g0"

To make our first motion, let's move the X axis to position 0.5. To do this, enter the command:

g0 x0.5

The X axis should begin moving.

Additionally, we can give multiple coordinates at once. Now try the command:

g0 x0 y0

This should send our tool back to the starting position. This can make things go much, much faster for resetting back to the position that you started with the mill at.

To have more fine grained control we can use the command "g1". There is nothing that G0 does which G1 cannot. The only difference in syntax is that we specify the feed rate of the motion as the first option. By default the mill is set to operate in inches per minute. Thus, unless you change this (via g code) it should be assumed that this will be the unit of measure for your commands.

Lets slowly drop our Z axis back to zero:

g1 f2 z0

Note, since we were at a position approx 1 inch up and told the mill to return to zero at a rate of F2 or 2 inches per minute, it will take approximately 30 seconds for this command to complete. Slow movement of the tool (especially when 'plunging' the z axis is a good idea as it allows for time to hit the "esc" key if things start going horribly wrong).

Now, let's build on some of these together:

g1 f10 x1 y1 z1

Whoops, back to zero:

g1 f5 x0 y0 z0

When moving back to zero you will see that the mill is moving half of the original speed (5 inches per minute rather than 10 inches per minute).

Let's really open this thing up and see what it can do. While watching this command move notice the "vel: " or Velocity property in the preview window. This will allow you to see the actual speed of the tool.

g1 f50 x1 y1 z1

Hmm, apparently our steppers max out at ~10.39 inches per minute. Thus, no matter how much faster we tell them to go, they will never go faster than this.

Linear motion is great and all, but how about we dwell outside the euclidean space for a minute. The next commands that we are going to learn are G2/G3. G2 will make a clockwise arc while G3 will make a counterclockwise arc. The command syntax is as follows:

*G2 - Command
*Fx - Feedrate at X inches per minute
*Xv - Destination X coordinate (in this case end at v)
*Yw - Destination Y coordinate (in this case end at w)
*Ix - X axis center point offset
*Jy - Y axis center point offset
*Za - Interpolated Z axis coordinate (optional)

To start, lets make a circle:

g2 f5 x1 y0 i-0.5 j0

Annnnd we fail. This is because we've given junk data to the mill. Lets try that again making a circle. Of course, to make a circle, we will want our beginning (1,1,1) to be the same as our destination (1,1,1) only changing the X axis center point offset.

g2 f5 x1 y1 i-0.5 j0

Fun math bits... run that command again and note the "distance to go" or "DTG" in the preview area. Note the distance at the immediate start of plotting our 1 inch diameter circle (2 * 0.5 X offset). This should be a predictable [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi result]

=== When you're done ===
Be a dear and reset the mill back where you started. Go into MDI mode and run:

g0 x0y0z0

Finally, turn off all three power switches noted above.

Thanks

=== GCode Tips ===

Jogging the mill is a pain in the ass. One of the most helpful GCode commands you can use is "go to coordinate". To go to an X coordinate "zero" one would use "g0 x0", similarly to go to y0 one would use "g0 y0". This is especially helpful for moving the tooling out of the way to add a new piece to be milled or to make an adjustment. Subsequently, the tooling can be reset with "g0 x0" "g0 y0" "g0 z0"

=== Config File ===

Redbeard made some changes to the config file including resetting the initial home positions to "0 0 0 0" so that when the application starts up, it will leave the tool exactly where it is placed. While this isn't the behaviour we want long term, it's perfect for our current lack of limit switches. Additionally, the directive "no_force_homing=1" was added to get rid of pesky error messages (again, since we don't have limit switches for homing the device.)

CNC Mill

2011-11-22T05:58:46Z

Nick b: /* Turning on the Mill */

=== Terms ===

* Computer Numerical Control (CNC) - The ability to control a machine using mathematical commands
* Computer Aided Design (CAD) - Software which generates a model which a machine can translate into tooling commands for manufacturing.
* Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) - The actual process of production from file to finished product.
* Tooling/tools - The bits used in a mill to actually
* Milling - The use of a spinning piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media, normally via an X / Y / Z axis.
* Manual Data Input (MDI) - A method for doing manual milling with precise control commands.
* Lathing - The use of a "static" piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media which is in (usually) a circular motion.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org EMC2] - The software used to translate G Code into electrical pulses which can be used by a mill.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org/docview/html/gui_axis.html Axis] - The most commonly used graphical user interface with the program EMC2

=== Getting Started ===

To initially get started with the CNC mill, it's helpful to have a basic grasp of G Code. How better to get started with this than to begin playing.

==== Turning on the Mill ====
When turning on the mill there are three primary "light switch" style switches which should be turned on. The first is on the back of the black box labeled "MicroProto Systems, MicroMill DSLS 3000". This switch is located on the back to the right side (imagine reaching around on the rear right). Flipping the switch "up" should turn this on.

Next, turn on the main control to the spindle. This is achieved via the light switch on the M3/M5 box. Turn this to the "on" position (flicking it towards the label M3/M5).

Finally, turn on the spindle on the actual mill. This is in a blue enameled box residing on the Z axis. Flip this switch "up". If the spindle immediately starts spinning, this is because someone didn't send the control command to stop it. This isn't a problem, but we will want to stop it sooner than later. We will cover this in the next section.

\*To avoid unexpectedly turning on the spindle motor when powering on the machine, wait to flip the power switch to the on position until after EMC2 is running. This will ensure that the parallel port is in the appropriate state according to the configuration file to keep all motors off by default.

==== Starting EMC2 ====
To start, you'll want to fire up EMC2 with the proper configuration file. This can be done by using the icon on the desktop or by clicking the corresponding link on the quick launch bar on the top of the screen.

If the mill has been turned on and the right configuration file is used, you will hear the spindle briefly spin up.

Once in EMC2 you'll need to enable machine control of the mill. Begin by clicking the large red "X" button on the button toolbar within AXIS. After this button has been pressed, the power button directly beside it should become available to click. Upon pressing this "power" button, EMC2 / AXIS can be used to send commands to the mill.

==== Making our first motions ====

===== Beginning Manual Control =====
To start, we're going to use the "jog" functions to move the milling cutter around and get a feel for what is "positive" and "negative" on the X, Y, & Z axis.

Especially, when starting out, limit motion to the X and Y axis as this has the least potential for damaging our tooling (aka, breaking a bit). As you get a feel for what's positive and negative, we will start using larger motions.

To start, hit "F3" on the keyboard to enter fully manual control. This will present us with a radio button to choose the axis, followed by a "+" and "-" sign to show where our milling cutter will move.

To start, select the "X" axis and press the positive button. Next, select the "Y" axis and press the positive button. As you were moving the milling cutter around, you'll notice that the coordinates are displayed in the preview window. This is where you can quickly survey where your tooling is located. Using these tools, move the mill to the following positions (x,y) - (0,0), (0,1), (1,1).

Next, lets raise the tool a little bit to give ourselves more clearance to put in something to be milled. Select the Z axis and press the "+" button. Move the Z axis all the way to "1".

At this point, adding our Z axis, our tooling should be located at (1,1,1).

===== Advanced Manual Control - MDI (Manual Data Input) =====
In AXIS press "F5" and go to the MDI Section. Within this section we can type in actual G Code to move our tooling around. To start, we're going to use simple "go to" commands. This will rapidly move the tool to the position that we tell it to. Note, at any time, we can stop the execution of these commands by hitting the "esc" key on the keyboard. The first command we will use is "rapid go to" or "g0"

To make our first motion, let's move the X axis to position 0.5. To do this, enter the command:

g0 x0.5

The X axis should begin moving.

Additionally, we can give multiple coordinates at once. Now try the command:

g0 x0 y0

This should send our tool back to the starting position. This can make things go much, much faster for resetting back to the position that you started with the mill at.

To have more fine grained control we can use the command "g1". There is nothing that G0 does which G1 cannot. The only difference in syntax is that we specify the feed rate of the motion as the first option. By default the mill is set to operate in inches per minute. Thus, unless you change this (via g code) it should be assumed that this will be the unit of measure for your commands.

Lets slowly drop our Z axis back to zero:

g1 f2 z0

Note, since we were at a position approx 1 inch up and told the mill to return to zero at a rate of F2 or 2 inches per minute, it will take approximately 30 seconds for this command to complete. Slow movement of the tool (especially when 'plunging' the z axis is a good idea as it allows for time to hit the "esc" key if things start going horribly wrong).

Now, let's build on some of these together:

g1 f10 x1 y1 z1

Whoops, back to zero:

g1 f5 x0 y0 z0

When moving back to zero you will see that the mill is moving half of the original speed (5 inches per minute rather than 10 inches per minute).

Let's really open this thing up and see what it can do. While watching this command move notice the "vel: " or Velocity property in the preview window. This will allow you to see the actual speed of the tool.

g1 f50 x1 y1 z1

Hmm, apparently our steppers max out at ~10.39 inches per minute. Thus, no matter how much faster we tell them to go, they will never go faster than this.

Linear motion is great and all, but how about we dwell outside the euclidean space for a minute. The next commands that we are going to learn are G2/G3. G2 will make a clockwise arc while G3 will make a counterclockwise arc. The command syntax is as follows:

*G2 - Command
*Fx - Feedrate at X inches per minute
*Xv - Destination X coordinate (in this case end at v)
*Yw - Destination Y coordinate (in this case end at w)
*Ix - X axis center point offset
*Jy - Y axis center point offset
*Za - Interpolated Z axis coordinate (optional)

To start, lets make a circle:

g2 f5 x1 y0 i-0.5 j0

Annnnd we fail. This is because we've given junk data to the mill. Lets try that again making a circle. Of course, to make a circle, we will want our beginning (1,1,1) to be the same as our destination (1,1,1) only changing the X axis center point offset.

g2 f5 x1 y1 i-0.5 j0

Fun math bits... run that command again and note the "distance to go" or "DTG" in the preview area. Note the distance at the immediate start of plotting our 1 inch diameter circle (2 * 0.5 X offset). This should be a predictable [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi result]

=== When you're done ===
Be a dear and reset the mill back where you started. Go into MDI mode and run:

g0 x0y0z0

Finally, turn off all three power switches noted above.

Thanks

=== GCode Tips ===

Jogging the mill is a pain in the ass. One of the most helpful GCode commands you can use is "go to coordinate". To go to an X coordinate "zero" one would use "g0 x0", similarly to go to y0 one would use "g0 y0". This is especially helpful for moving the tooling out of the way to add a new piece to be milled or to make an adjustment. Subsequently, the tooling can be reset with "g0 x0" "g0 y0" "g0 z0"

=== Config File ===

Redbeard made some changes to the config file including resetting the initial home positions to "0 0 0 0" so that when the application starts up, it will leave the tool exactly where it is placed. While this isn't the behaviour we want long term, it's perfect for our current lack of limit switches. Additionally, the directive "no_force_homing=1" was added to get rid of pesky error messages (again, since we don't have limit switches for homing the device.)

CNC Mill

2011-11-22T05:58:08Z

Nick b:

=== Terms ===

* Computer Numerical Control (CNC) - The ability to control a machine using mathematical commands
* Computer Aided Design (CAD) - Software which generates a model which a machine can translate into tooling commands for manufacturing.
* Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) - The actual process of production from file to finished product.
* Tooling/tools - The bits used in a mill to actually
* Milling - The use of a spinning piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media, normally via an X / Y / Z axis.
* Manual Data Input (MDI) - A method for doing manual milling with precise control commands.
* Lathing - The use of a "static" piece of metal to shape an object through calculated removal of a media which is in (usually) a circular motion.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org EMC2] - The software used to translate G Code into electrical pulses which can be used by a mill.
* [http://www.linuxcnc.org/docview/html/gui_axis.html Axis] - The most commonly used graphical user interface with the program EMC2

=== Getting Started ===

To initially get started with the CNC mill, it's helpful to have a basic grasp of G Code. How better to get started with this than to begin playing.

==== Turning on the Mill ====
When turning on the mill there are three primary "light switch" style switches which should be turned on. The first is on the back of the black box labeled "MicroProto Systems, MicroMill DSLS 3000". This switch is located on the back to the right side (imagine reaching around on the rear right). Flipping the switch "up" should turn this on.

Next, turn on the main control to the spindle. This is achieved via the light switch on the M3/M5 box. Turn this to the "on" position (flicking it towards the label M3/M5).

Finally, turn on the spindle on the actual mill. This is in a blue enameled box residing on the Z axis. Flip this switch "up". If the spindle immediately starts spinning, this is because someone didn't send the control command to stop it. This isn't a problem, but we will want to stop it sooner than later. We will cover this in the next section.

*To avoid unexpectedly turning on the spindle motor when powering on the machine, wait to flip the power switch to the on position until after EMC2 is running. This will ensure that the parallel port is in the appropriate state according to the configuration file to keep all motors off by default.

==== Starting EMC2 ====
To start, you'll want to fire up EMC2 with the proper configuration file. This can be done by using the icon on the desktop or by clicking the corresponding link on the quick launch bar on the top of the screen.

If the mill has been turned on and the right configuration file is used, you will hear the spindle briefly spin up.

Once in EMC2 you'll need to enable machine control of the mill. Begin by clicking the large red "X" button on the button toolbar within AXIS. After this button has been pressed, the power button directly beside it should become available to click. Upon pressing this "power" button, EMC2 / AXIS can be used to send commands to the mill.

==== Making our first motions ====

===== Beginning Manual Control =====
To start, we're going to use the "jog" functions to move the milling cutter around and get a feel for what is "positive" and "negative" on the X, Y, & Z axis.

Especially, when starting out, limit motion to the X and Y axis as this has the least potential for damaging our tooling (aka, breaking a bit). As you get a feel for what's positive and negative, we will start using larger motions.

To start, hit "F3" on the keyboard to enter fully manual control. This will present us with a radio button to choose the axis, followed by a "+" and "-" sign to show where our milling cutter will move.

To start, select the "X" axis and press the positive button. Next, select the "Y" axis and press the positive button. As you were moving the milling cutter around, you'll notice that the coordinates are displayed in the preview window. This is where you can quickly survey where your tooling is located. Using these tools, move the mill to the following positions (x,y) - (0,0), (0,1), (1,1).

Next, lets raise the tool a little bit to give ourselves more clearance to put in something to be milled. Select the Z axis and press the "+" button. Move the Z axis all the way to "1".

At this point, adding our Z axis, our tooling should be located at (1,1,1).

===== Advanced Manual Control - MDI (Manual Data Input) =====
In AXIS press "F5" and go to the MDI Section. Within this section we can type in actual G Code to move our tooling around. To start, we're going to use simple "go to" commands. This will rapidly move the tool to the position that we tell it to. Note, at any time, we can stop the execution of these commands by hitting the "esc" key on the keyboard. The first command we will use is "rapid go to" or "g0"

To make our first motion, let's move the X axis to position 0.5. To do this, enter the command:

g0 x0.5

The X axis should begin moving.

Additionally, we can give multiple coordinates at once. Now try the command:

g0 x0 y0

This should send our tool back to the starting position. This can make things go much, much faster for resetting back to the position that you started with the mill at.

To have more fine grained control we can use the command "g1". There is nothing that G0 does which G1 cannot. The only difference in syntax is that we specify the feed rate of the motion as the first option. By default the mill is set to operate in inches per minute. Thus, unless you change this (via g code) it should be assumed that this will be the unit of measure for your commands.

Lets slowly drop our Z axis back to zero:

g1 f2 z0

Note, since we were at a position approx 1 inch up and told the mill to return to zero at a rate of F2 or 2 inches per minute, it will take approximately 30 seconds for this command to complete. Slow movement of the tool (especially when 'plunging' the z axis is a good idea as it allows for time to hit the "esc" key if things start going horribly wrong).

Now, let's build on some of these together:

g1 f10 x1 y1 z1

Whoops, back to zero:

g1 f5 x0 y0 z0

When moving back to zero you will see that the mill is moving half of the original speed (5 inches per minute rather than 10 inches per minute).

Let's really open this thing up and see what it can do. While watching this command move notice the "vel: " or Velocity property in the preview window. This will allow you to see the actual speed of the tool.

g1 f50 x1 y1 z1

Hmm, apparently our steppers max out at ~10.39 inches per minute. Thus, no matter how much faster we tell them to go, they will never go faster than this.

Linear motion is great and all, but how about we dwell outside the euclidean space for a minute. The next commands that we are going to learn are G2/G3. G2 will make a clockwise arc while G3 will make a counterclockwise arc. The command syntax is as follows:

*G2 - Command
*Fx - Feedrate at X inches per minute
*Xv - Destination X coordinate (in this case end at v)
*Yw - Destination Y coordinate (in this case end at w)
*Ix - X axis center point offset
*Jy - Y axis center point offset
*Za - Interpolated Z axis coordinate (optional)

To start, lets make a circle:

g2 f5 x1 y0 i-0.5 j0

Annnnd we fail. This is because we've given junk data to the mill. Lets try that again making a circle. Of course, to make a circle, we will want our beginning (1,1,1) to be the same as our destination (1,1,1) only changing the X axis center point offset.

g2 f5 x1 y1 i-0.5 j0

Fun math bits... run that command again and note the "distance to go" or "DTG" in the preview area. Note the distance at the immediate start of plotting our 1 inch diameter circle (2 * 0.5 X offset). This should be a predictable [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi result]

=== When you're done ===
Be a dear and reset the mill back where you started. Go into MDI mode and run:

g0 x0y0z0

Finally, turn off all three power switches noted above.

Thanks

=== GCode Tips ===

Jogging the mill is a pain in the ass. One of the most helpful GCode commands you can use is "go to coordinate". To go to an X coordinate "zero" one would use "g0 x0", similarly to go to y0 one would use "g0 y0". This is especially helpful for moving the tooling out of the way to add a new piece to be milled or to make an adjustment. Subsequently, the tooling can be reset with "g0 x0" "g0 y0" "g0 z0"

=== Config File ===

Redbeard made some changes to the config file including resetting the initial home positions to "0 0 0 0" so that when the application starts up, it will leave the tool exactly where it is placed. While this isn't the behaviour we want long term, it's perfect for our current lack of limit switches. Additionally, the directive "no_force_homing=1" was added to get rid of pesky error messages (again, since we don't have limit switches for homing the device.)