F.A.Q.
Q. Is LightAPRS-W 2.0 upgraded version of LightAPRS-W 1.0?
A. Exactly. Basic differences between LightAPRS-W 1.0 and LightAPRS-W 2.0 are:
- LightAPRS-W 2.0 is lighter and smaller. (~5 grams lighter than LightAPRS-W 1.0)
- LightAPRS-W 2.0 has a faster CPU and Flash/Ram doubled
- LightAPRS-W 2.0 does not need CH3G0G driver for USB serial port.
- LightAPRS-W 2.0 does not need to configure Board Manager (such as MightyCore) for Arduino.
- LightAPRS-W 2.0 has a better regulator (wider input voltage range)
Q. Can you share dimensioning for the mounting holes?
Q. What is Pico Balloon?
A. A pico balloon is a small beacon tied to a relatively normal balloon filled with helium or hydrogen. The beacon is very light and can contain various sensors measuring basic atmospheric variables – there are no limits to your creativity. The data is obtained by radio transmission using unlicensed or licensed bands. When inflated correctly, the balloon can rise up to 10 kilometers (with party balloons), where it floats and drifts with the air streams. A pico balloon presents a very interesting challenge for makers – be it working with the limited weight, limited power options or radio communication. Join https://groups.io/g/picoballoon mail group to learn more about the pico balloon hobby.
Q. Do I need a permission to launch a pico balloon?
A. No you don't. Since pico balloons are very small and light, you are FAA 101 exempt. Please check out this page for detailed info.
Q. For tracking a pico ballon around the world, using amateur radio frequencies is not the only option ?
A. Not anymore. Thanks to public LoRaWAN networks such as TTN (The Things Network) and Helium.com and our LoRa Tracker https://github.com/lightaprs/LightTracker-1.0
Q. Is LightAPRS-W 2.0 frequency agile like LightAPRS-W 1.0?
A. Yes it's. LightAPRS-W 2.0's VHF (APRS) radio module supports 144 to 146 MHz and software (open source) automatically change APRS region settings based on GPS location.
Q. What about power consumption? Lower then LightAPRS-W 1.0?
A. Yes, in fact much lower. Our VHF radio module draw very little current even transmitting (~100mA) So a small (5 V, 50 mA) solar panel and two serial connected super caps (3V, 3.3F) enough to power it.
Q. I'm interested in pico balloon flights but I have no experience. What kind of balloon, solar panel, capacitor, etc. should I use?
A. Please check out our wiki page Tips & Tricks for Pico Balloons: https://github.com/lightaprs/LightAPRS-W-2.0/wiki/Tips-&-Tricks-for-Pico-Balloons
Q. I don't want to use HF (WSPR), can I disable it?
A. Yes you can disable the WSPR setting following variable to a higher value than the input voltage:
float WsprBattMin=4.0;//min Volts for HF (WSPR) radio module to transmit (TX) ~10 mW
For example if you set it as 10 Volts as follows, and your power supply is lower than 10 Volts, WSPR is always disabled.
float WsprBattMin=10.0;//min Volts for HF (WSPR) radio module to transmit (TX) ~10 mW
Q. What kind of antenna do i need to use on LightAPRS-W 2.0?
A. You can use any type. For airborne projects (such as pico balloons) we suggest quarter wave monopole antenna for VHF (2m APRS) because this makes your payload lighter. So just cut a light 50 cm. wire and solder it to antenna footprint (VHF) Since your payload is airborne and wavelength is 2 meters, you don't need an extra wire for ground if HF antenna and its ground wire already connected. (If you disable HF and not connect any antenna wire for HF, you should connect 50 cm. wire to HF ground.)
But for HF length the antenna depends on your band chosen for WSPR. For example if it is 20 meters, you need 5m for TX RF output and 5m for ground. Tie one end to the balloon and solder the other end to the ground plane of the PCB. Then solder another 5m of wire to the TX RF output on the PCB, and let it hang below.
During 20m WSPR tests on a pico balloon, we experienced LightAPRS-W 2.0 beacons heard from 7.000 km. away as follows:
Q. How can I track my balloon?
Tracker: https://amateur.sondehub.org/
Predictor: https://predict.sondehub.org/
Burst Calculator: https://sondehub.org/calc/
If you have any questions or need supoort, please contact [email protected]