phooka-hab: April 2011

Saturday 23 April 2011

How simple can it be?

GPS SMS responder on O2
Backup GPS SMS responder on Orange/T-Mobile
NTX2 Beeper/Tracker
Down camera Canon A560 7.1 MP
Horizontal camera Canon A570 IS 7.1 MP
CHDK camera hacks for time lapse
Rocket parachute
Balloon
No on-board computer
No tracking during flight
Case warm and waterproof
Weight TBA

Friday 15 April 2011

Phooka HAB

This is a blog to document my attempts to build and launch a high altitude balloon. The idea is to make Phooka-1 as simple as possible. Is there any such thing with HAB?

Why Phooka?

Phooka (a real word) is an Irish Goblin with a variety of rough beast-like forms. He appears sometimes as a dog or a horse, or even a bull, but is generally jet-black with blazing eyes. As seemingly friendly, shaggy, sway-backed pony Phooka offers the unwary traveller a welcome lift; but once astride he is taken for a wild and terrifying gallop across the wettest and most thorny country, eventually to be dumped headlong into the mire or deposited in a ditch. The chuckle is that of the Phooka as he gallops away. Seems appropriate!