From Above

Kitsune · 01-25-2004, 08:49 PM

What happens when you give me a tank of helium, a cheap digital camera, and some timing components? I do really stupid stuff.

After three days of work on some simple circuitry and design, I was able to get a digital camera in the air and taking pictures every sixteen seconds. Had the afternoon not been so breezy, we might have gotten it higher up. Still, it was a lot of fun!

The Sub Orbital Camera Kit -- or "SOCK"

SOCK finally takes flight after using an amazing thirteen balloons to achieve positive buoyancy. It beeps every time it takes a picture, making it a mysterious sputnik over campus.

Higher!

A second attach point on top and a third flight allowed us to grab some side-views. Sadly, most of them were blinded by the sun.

The problem with cheap digitals -- bright light means dead spots.

Scopulus Argentarius · 01-25-2004, 09:02 PM

An opto isolator,some form of timer (555 perhaps) with rc. Looks like you did a good job. Nice pics too

Kitsune · 01-25-2004, 09:11 PM

Yep -- a 555 timer, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than I thought, and a solid state relay. Just soldered the leads onto the shutter switch. It was not as easy as I had envisioned (timing, duty cycle adjustment, etc), and getting the thing into the air proved to be quite a trick. I'll post ground photos of the event and some of the snags we encountered in a bit.

wolf · 01-25-2004, 09:14 PM

So how do you make sure you get your camera back? Is it tethered or do you just have to chase it and hope?

Kitsune · 01-25-2004, 09:27 PM

We had it attached to some 50lb test monofilament line. Had the line snapped, tangled in a tree, or the link come undone I would have lost it. A chase might have ensued, and someone even suggested we bring an emergency bb gun, but we opted to just hope everything went okay. The line held very well, even in the mild wind that had an magnified effect on the setup.

Nothing But Net · 01-25-2004, 11:05 PM

That's not stupid. It's cool. Nice job.

Have you thought about trying it with a camcorder?

Kitsune · 01-25-2004, 11:10 PM

Camcorder? Dear god! For this tiny camera that runs on 2 AAAs batteries, I made a poor estimate of 5-7 balloons. It ended up being neutral at ten, rising at thirteen, and did well with fifteen.

While I'd love to do a camcorder and I know where to order weather balloons from, I can't afford the helium!

e unibus plurum · 01-26-2004, 11:42 AM

what about lashing the weather balloons to an aluminum lawn chair and...

http://www.markbarry.com/lawnchairman.html

SteveDallas · 01-26-2004, 12:15 PM

Truly, an American hero.

Kitsune · 01-26-2004, 12:57 PM

The infamous American Science and Surplus might make future launches a lot more interesting!

wolf · 01-26-2004, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by e unibus plurum
what about lashing the weather balloons to an aluminum lawn chair and...

http://www.markbarry.com/lawnchairman.html

I saw that on mythbusters back in November. Thought it was neat, but definitely scary to someone who can't mount a stepladder without getting a case of the cold sweats.

xoxoxoBruce · 01-26-2004, 01:27 PM

This is weird. I've seen someone do something similar on a website, long ago and far away. I swear the buildings in picture 4 were the same ones.

Griff · 01-26-2004, 01:39 PM

One of those big rc zepellins might be just the thing... of course that's $

Kitsune · 01-26-2004, 01:56 PM

This is weird. I've seen someone do something similar on a website, long ago and far away.

Perhaps you are thinking of this article on Cockeyed?

I did a little research on this before attempting and found the article on viewing over an acre. It was helpful -- I knew after reading his stuff that I could expect to use a lot of helium.

I have no idea what he was thinking by having the cord connected, though. That's where all the weight comes from.

blue · 01-26-2004, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf

I saw that on mythbusters back in November. Thought it was neat, but definitely scary to someone who can't mount a stepladder without getting a case of the cold sweats.

Oooooohhh, you too?! I built a barn that had a peak of 12', I finished it, even shingled it, but my wife had to help me down each time. I have a weathervane for the garage (not that much higher) that's been in a box for 6 years.

I've been to the top of the World Trade Center even, but anything over 10 feet freaks me out.

Oh, and oh yeah, last time I was on a ladder I fell out of a tree with a running chain saw. I have many more falling\electrical\fire stories.

01-25-2004, 08:49 PM	#1
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	From Above What happens when you give me a tank of helium, a cheap digital camera, and some timing components? I do really stupid stuff. After three days of work on some simple circuitry and design, I was able to get a digital camera in the air and taking pictures every sixteen seconds. Had the afternoon not been so breezy, we might have gotten it higher up. Still, it was a lot of fun! The Sub Orbital Camera Kit -- or "SOCK" SOCK finally takes flight after using an amazing thirteen balloons to achieve positive buoyancy. It beeps every time it takes a picture, making it a mysterious sputnik over campus. Higher! A second attach point on top and a third flight allowed us to grab some side-views. Sadly, most of them were blinded by the sun. The problem with cheap digitals -- bright light means dead spots.

01-25-2004, 09:14 PM	#4
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	So how do you make sure you get your camera back? Is it tethered or do you just have to chase it and hope? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-26-2004, 11:42 AM	#8
e unibus plurum garbage in, refuse out Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 98	what about lashing the weather balloons to an aluminum lawn chair and... http://www.markbarry.com/lawnchairman.html __________________ //VTR.FT10F001 DD DATA

01-26-2004, 01:27 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	This is weird. I've seen someone do something similar on a website, long ago and far away. I swear the buildings in picture 4 were the same ones. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-26-2004, 01:39 PM	#13
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	One of those big rc zepellins might be just the thing... of course that's $ __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

01-25-2004, 09:02 PM	#2
Scopulus Argentarius Your current user title is: Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: BTR Posts: 301	An opto isolator,some form of timer (555 perhaps) with rc. Looks like you did a good job. Nice pics too

01-25-2004, 09:11 PM	#3
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Yep -- a 555 timer, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than I thought, and a solid state relay. Just soldered the leads onto the shutter switch. It was not as easy as I had envisioned (timing, duty cycle adjustment, etc), and getting the thing into the air proved to be quite a trick. I'll post ground photos of the event and some of the snags we encountered in a bit.

01-25-2004, 09:27 PM	#5
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	We had it attached to some 50lb test monofilament line. Had the line snapped, tangled in a tree, or the link come undone I would have lost it. A chase might have ensued, and someone even suggested we bring an emergency bb gun, but we opted to just hope everything went okay. The line held very well, even in the mild wind that had an magnified effect on the setup.

01-25-2004, 11:05 PM	#6
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	That's not stupid. It's cool. Nice job. Have you thought about trying it with a camcorder?

01-25-2004, 11:10 PM	#7
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Camcorder? Dear god! For this tiny camera that runs on 2 AAAs batteries, I made a poor estimate of 5-7 balloons. It ended up being neutral at ten, rising at thirteen, and did well with fifteen. While I'd love to do a camcorder and I know where to order weather balloons from, I can't afford the helium!

01-26-2004, 12:15 PM	#9
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Truly, an American hero.

01-26-2004, 12:57 PM	#10
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	The infamous American Science and Surplus might make future launches a lot more interesting!

01-26-2004, 01:56 PM	#14
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	This is weird. I've seen someone do something similar on a website, long ago and far away. Perhaps you are thinking of this article on Cockeyed? I did a little research on this before attempting and found the article on viewing over an acre. It was helpful -- I knew after reading his stuff that I could expect to use a lot of helium. I have no idea what he was thinking by having the cord connected, though. That's where all the weight comes from.

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