RF13 09/17/19
Take off: 0830 local

Landed:  1400 local
Drops requested: 29
Drops deployed: 30
Issues: 1
Drop 29 had an IR issue at launch and no launch detect and
no more comms! Just disappeared into the ether. . .
0836 Launcher temps:
Air Temp: 37.06 C
PCB Temp: 36.0 C
RH: 28%
Spare 1: 27.3
Spare 2: 27.0
Delayed drop 2 per Dave's request
Dave has requested to call next several drops on his command.
4:48PM UTC 
Spare 1: 0.3
Spare 2: 5.3
4:49PM UTC turned on launcher heaters
Spare 1: 2.3
Spare 2: 5.3
Heaters are working
4:54PM
Spare 1: 14.8
Spare 2: 8.8
5:09PM UTC turned heaters off when spare 1 reached 30 C
Spare 1: 28.5
Spare 2: 18.8
6:01PM UTC turned heaters on again when spare 1 reached 0 C
6:24PM UTC turned heaters off
There was an IR error with sonde 29, it left the plane 
but no more comms. No data for drop 29.
7:16PM UTC turned on heaters
7:24PM UTC turned off heaters before landing


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2 Comments

  1. Holger Voemel

    I checked the failed sonde # 29. This sonde died 60 s before the launch command without any apparent user intervention. Since the sonde had already stopped working, the launcher generated two errors:

    Serial Read TIMEOUT from GV LAUNCHER CARD (control) card after command LLDS on COM 35
    AVAPS - Remote Command Processor - LAUNCH Command Error: Launch Dropsonde command: LLDS failed!

    and proceeded to launch this sonde anyway.

    The engineering data do not indicate any sign of distress. The only indication is that the signal strength went from normal to no signal at all (-92 to -130 dbm) from one scan to the next, i.e. the transmitter stopped transmitting data. This failure mode is consistent with the short through the via under the PTU module, but it is not clear why this would be triggered without any mechanical shock.

  2. Laura Tudor AUTHOR

    Thanks for sorting through the minute data details Holger.