Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Amateur Radio Parachute Mobile Planned in California

Skydiving radio amateurs will jump from 14,000 feet and once they have deployed their parachutes will make contacts with as many ground-bound hams as possible on March 26 over Byron, CA.

The dropzone (DZ) will be at Byron Airport where radio-jumpers have had "great success in the past," according to a posting on the Southgate Amateur Radio Club website. It's their seventh mission.  A Net Control will be set up on Mount Diablo to assist with the event.

According to event coordinators:

Time: Parachute Control will be setup at the DZ at approximately 1100 hrs.
Jump Times: The first jump is scheduled for approximately 1200 hrs and approximately each hour thereafter. We don’t have control over the aircraft so times may change. Listen for updates. We hope to make at least 4 jumps.
Jumper Contact Frequency: 146.460 MHz simplex

“Jumper 1” Mark Meltzer, AF6IM, and “Jumper 2” Michael Gregg, KF6WRW, will be fitted with APRS gear that will transmit location and altitude as well as physio data which includes SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) and heart rate. Click here to look for them at jump time, or on  or your favorite APRS web site.

QSTs and updates will be made on the W6CX Repeater (Mount Diablo), 147.060+, 100Hz. If you know of other repeaters that can be used to make announcements and can be reached from Mount Diablo, let the team know.

Event specific QSL cards will be available. Join the action, make a QSO! For more information contact Rob at < KC6TYD@arrl.net >.

-TNX to Southgate ARC