Weather Balloon Foxhunt Beacon

This weather balloon foxhunt beacon utilized K4RY design for a normal foxhunt scenario.

https://wiki.eng.auburn.edu/k4ry/doku.php?id=fox_hunt_transmitter

Frequencies for Transmitter:

Parts List:

• • Arduino nano(2x)

  • Baofeng HT

  • Audio jack 3/32”

  • 3s 11.1v lipo battery for arduino nano

  • 2s 7.4v lipo battery for Baofeng

  • 6FT latex balloon

  • BMP180 pressure and temp scensor

  • 12v to 5v converter (car usb charger modified)

  • LMR-174

Note- we are not utilizing D4 "found switch" for our beacon

Arduino program slightly modified from K4RY https://wiki.eng.auburn.edu/k4ry/doku.php?id=fox_hunt_transmitter

/* Foxhunt Beacon SOURCE K4RY Morse blinker/sounder */ // Global variables boolean done = false; // initialize a Boolean flag if we don't want to endlessly loop #define PTT_Low 2 // Transmitter PTT. If PTT goes LOW, use PIN 2 #define PTT_High 3 // Transmitter PTT. If PTT goes HIGH, use PIN 3 #define FOUND 4 // This is the IM FOUND button. Keep LOW for off. Switch HIGH for FOUND Tone Activation. #define LED 13 #define SPEAKER 6 // Audio out to radio #define TONE 600.0 // Tone of CWID #define USESPEAKER true #define intracharacter 3 // delay between characters #define dot 1 // length of a dit -- 1 unit #define dash 3 // length of a dah #define eow 7 // length at end of word #define fiveWPM 240 // milliseconds for 5 wpm (based on sending PARIS 5 times for a total of 250 units) #define wpm 15 // *** SET THIS TO YOUR DESIRED SPEED *** #define speed fiveWPM / (wpm / 5) // multiplier to apply to 5 wpm rate. 2 = 10wpm, 2.5 = 15wmp, etc. // CHANGE THESE SETTINGS // CHANGE THESE SETTINGS char send[] = "W8UPD WEATHER BALLOON FOXHUNT BEACON"; // SET THIS TO THE CW STRING YOU WANT TO SEND -- MUST BE UPPRCASE *** char sendFound[] = "W8UPD WEATHER BALLOON FOXHUNT BEACON"; // SET THIS TO THE CW STRING YOU WANT TO SEND -- MUST BE UPPRCASE *** int timer = 3; // Set the time between transmissions in SECONDS char PTT_Setting = LOW; // Set how your radio transmits. Low = PTT goes LOW. High = PTT goes HIGH // CHANGE THESE SETTINGS // CHANGE THESE SETTINGS int tx_hold = timer*1000; // Morse code tokens. 0 = dit, 1 = dah any other character will generate 8 dit error. // NOTE: These need to be in ASCII code sequence to work char tokens [][7] = { "110011","100001", // ,,- "010101","10010", // .,/ "11111","01111","00111","00011","00001","00000", // 0,1,2,3,4,5 "10000","11000","11100","11110", // 6,7,8,9 "111000","10101","<", // :,;,<"=",">","001100", // =,>,? "@", // @, "01","1000","1010", // A,B,C "100","0","0010", // D,E,F "110","0000","00", // G,H,I "0111","101","0100", // J,K,L "11","10","111", // M,N,O "0110","1101","010", // P,Q,R "000","1","001", // S,T,U "0001","011","1001", // V,W,X "1011","1100"}; // Y,Z } ; // Arduino setup routine void setup() { pinMode(SPEAKER,OUTPUT); pinMode(PTT_Low, OUTPUT); pinMode(PTT_High, OUTPUT); pinMode(FOUND, INPUT); digitalWrite(PTT_Low, HIGH); // Sets the PTT to OFF when its not supposed to TX digitalWrite(PTT_High, LOW); // Sets the PTT to OFF when its not supposed to TX } // Routine to output a dit void dit() { if (USESPEAKER) { tone(SPEAKER,TONE, dot * speed); delay(dot * speed); } else { digitalWrite(LED, HIGH); // set the LED on delay(dot * speed); // wait for a dot's worth digitalWrite(LED, LOW); // set the LED off } delay(speed); } // Routine to output a dah void dah() { if (USESPEAKER) { tone(SPEAKER,TONE, dash * speed); delay(dash * speed); } else { digitalWrite(LED, HIGH); // set the LED on delay(dash * speed); // wait for a dah's worth digitalWrite(LED, LOW); // set the LED off } delay(speed); } // Intracharacter delay void ic() { digitalWrite(LED, LOW); // set the LED off delay (intracharacter * speed); // wait for a half second } // a space is 7 units of off based on speed void spaceCharacter() { digitalWrite(LED, LOW); // set the LED off delay((eow * speed) + (intracharacter * speed)); // wait for 7 units } // Send a CW error for unknown characters void error() { for (int i = 0; i <8; i++) { dit(); } ic(); } // Look up a character in the tokens array and send it void send_element(int c) { char token_to_send[7]; // allocate space for the token strcpy(token_to_send,tokens[c]); // copy the token from the table into our variable int len = strlen(token_to_send); // figure out how many dit dahs are in it for (int i = 0; i <len; i++) // for each item in the token { if (token_to_send[i] == '0') // if its a 0 { dit(); // send a dit } else if (token_to_send[i] == '1') { dah(); // otherwise we send a dah } else { error(); // we don't have a valid morse token } } ic(); // after each character there is an intercharacter delay } // The main send routine. Pull each character apart and determine its corresponding token. void send_code() { int len = strlen(send); // get the length of the string to send int c; for (int i = 0; i <len; i++) // loop thru each character in the string to send { c = send[i]; // get the ASCII integer value of the character if (c == ' ') // see if we are between words { spaceCharacter(); // send a space } else { c -= ','; // offset it by the lowest ASCII character in the tokens table (a comma) send_element(c); // send that element from the token array } } } void startup_tones() { tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(1000); tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,880,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(1000); tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,880,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(1000); tone(SPEAKER,988,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,880,250); delay(400); tone(SPEAKER,784,1000); delay(1000); tone(SPEAKER,880,1000); delay(1000); }; void found_tones() { tone(SPEAKER,400,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,600,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,800,500); delay(800); tone(SPEAKER,400,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,600,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,800,500); delay(800); tone(SPEAKER,400,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,600,500); delay(130); tone(SPEAKER,800,500); delay(3000); }; // The Arduino main run loop void loop() { if (!done) // see if we are done the loop { digitalWrite(PTT_Low, LOW); // Enable PTT for "Low" type radios digitalWrite(PTT_High, HIGH); // Enable PTT for "High" type radios delay(2000); // Wait 2 seconds to allow radio to Key Up startup_tones(); // Play the startup tones delay(3000); // Wait 3 seconds if (digitalRead(FOUND) == HIGH) { found_tones(); }; // Check to see if FOUND button was pressed, if YES, then play tones send_code(); // send the string spaceCharacter(); // make sure we have a space if we loop around to the beginning delay(1000); // Wait 1 second to allow radio to UnKey digitalWrite(PTT_Low, HIGH); // Disable PTT for "Low" type radios digitalWrite(PTT_High, LOW); // Disable PTT for "High" type radios // Multiple delays are used below, since the code doesnt like to run long delays. Use multiples for more time. delay(tx_hold); // Delay between transmissions, set above in config area delay(tx_hold); // Delay between transmissions, set above in config area //delay(tx_hold); // Delay between transmissions, set above in config area //delay(tx_hold); // Delay between transmissions, set above in config area //delay(tx_hold); // Delay between transmissions, set above in config area done = false; // Uncomment to set our flag to finish sending } }

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