Avionics: Tracking

Once our HAB has been released, we will have no control over where it goes nor can we visually track it. So, if we ever want to see our payload again there needs to be a way of finding out where it has landed. Thats where the tracking component of our avionics come in.

Several different methods have been employed by other teams which vary in complexity, starting from a device which sends texts of its GPS position all the way up to RF modems that provide a constant stream of GPS data back to a base station.

Our solution is a Windows Mobile device running GPS tracking software. The software on the phone gets its location from the inbuilt GPSOne Qualcomm chipset which then sends this data over GPRS to a server. The server translates the data and displays the real time position on Google Maps/Earth.

We don't expect a signal above 3000 feet but we are really more interested in its position once it lands.

Andy tested the device on Thursday by taking the unit on a trip into the countryside. His test proved that even if it loses a GSM signal for a prolonged period - once it regains it the device resumes returning positional data.