D - 1 to launch

Weather cooperation

Weather conditions are looking good for a launch of Team Near Space Circus' #NSC01 on Tuesday April 21st. Assuming sufficient visibility (FAA requirement), we will launch at sunrise or slightly after.

Launch site

Our launch site will be in Mocksville, about 15 minutes west of Winston-Salem, in North Carolina, USA. Specifically, from 3577 US-158 (Raylen vineyards)

Tracking

On twitter, track us with #NSC01 and on 2M band, our transmitter is using the call sign N4CAP-11. We also invite you to bookmark this website and come back first thing in the morning (launch is around 6:45 EDT (that's 3:45 AM in California...), very convenient for European readers. We'll have the link to track our HAB journey.

See also: http://near-space-circus.herokuapp.com

PYPTUG Project night - Team Near Space Circus Last meeting before launch

To Space And Back - April 15th

This will be our last project night where we will focus on our HAB project: Sending a technical payload into space, and back, as part of the 2015 Global Space Balloon Challenge (http://balloonchallenge.org/). The project will include a payload that will pay homage to the first NASA balloon flights in 1969 designed to take large area photographs of the earth from a very high altitude.

The payload will include a computer with operating system, many python scripts and various hardware including sensors, transmitters and other tech gear.

You might think, the project is almost done. Nothing left to do. Not true! We need volunteers to help on launch day, so please RSVP and come by if you can:

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG/events/221293787/

This meeting will be on Wednesday, Apr. 15 at 6pm in the Dash room at Inmar:

Inmar

635 Vine St,
Room 1130H "Dash"
Winston-Salem, NC

This will be at the Inmar building in downtown Winston Salem.­

Weather and mission planning is ongoing on the PYPTUG mailing list:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/pyptug

And look for the Near Space Technical Payload Official Thread (should be at the top)

Keep an eye on this site for progress reports. At launch, you will be able to track the actual balloon through a web page. We've been running simulations from a Flask python web app for the past few days, and will continue until launch.

Tentative launch date will be determined on the 15th, but it looks at this time like the 20th at sunrise.

PYPTUG Project night - Team Near Space Circus

To Space And Back

Another project night where we will focus on our HAB project: Sending a technical payload into space, and back, as part of the 2015 Global Space Balloon Challenge (http://http://balloonchallenge.org/). The project will include a payload that will pay homage to the first NASA balloon flights in 1969 designed to take large area photographs of the earth from a very high altitude.

The payload will include a computer with operating system, many python scripts and various hardware including sensors, transmitters and other tech gear.

The monthly project nights until April will focus on building a high altitude balloon to send into near space. There is something to do for everyone, from art, to programming, to mechanical and electrical engineering, to finding stuff, reading regulations, making recovery plans, buying stuff, coming up with a team name, what experiments should be included in the payload etc. Don't wait for a direct invitation, sign up on our meetup group:

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG/events/220377127/

This meeting will be on Wednesday, Mar. 18 at 6pm in the Dash room at Inmar:

Inmar

635 Vine St,
Room 1130H "Dash"
Winston-Salem, NC

This will be at the Inmar building in downtown Winston Salem.­

Some preliminary work has already started and discussion is ongoing on the PYPTUG mailing list:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/pyptug

And look for the Near Space Technical Payload Official Thread (should be at the top)

Keep an eye on this site for progress reports. At launch, you will be able to track the actual balloon through a web page.

Note: this is tomorrow Wednesday the 18th. Come by and learn how to network multiple Raspberry Pi model A+ without ethernet...

To Space And Back

January 15 2015,

PYPTUG is announcing today the official start of a project involving the local community: Sending a technical payload into space, and back, as part of the 2015 Global Space Balloon Challenge (http://http://balloonchallenge.org/). The project will include a payload that will pay homage to the first NASA balloon flights in 1969 designed to take large area photographs of the earth from a very high altitude.

The payload will include a computer with operating system, many python scripts and various hardware including sensors, transmitters, servos and other tech gear.

The monthly project nights until April will focus on building a high altitude balloon to send into near space. This coming Wednesday is the first official meeting in person. We will have several students joining us from various schools and universities. The HPU Physics department will provide some insight on their 2013 build and launch. We expect students from HPU, Forsyth Tech, Atkins High School and other schools, colleges and universities from the Triad area, along with regular PYPTUG members and Inmar employees.

There is something to do for everyone, from art, to programming, to mechanical and electrical engineering, to finding stuff, reading regulations, making recovery plans, buying stuff, coming up with a team name, what experiments should be included in the payload etc. Don't wait for a direct invitation, sign up on our meetup group:

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG/events/219089371/

As previously announced, the first meeting will be on Wednesday, January 21 at 6pm in the Dash room at Inmar:

Inmar

635 Vine St,
Room 1130H "Dash"
Winston-Salem, NC

This will be at the Inmar building in downtown Winston Salem.­

Some preliminary work has already started and discussion is ongoing on the PYPTUG mailing list:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/pyptug

And look for the Near Space Technical Payload Official Thread (should be at the top)

Keep an eye on this site for progress reports. At launch, you will be able to track the actual balloon through a web page.

PYPTUG meeting - July 22nd

 

PYthon Piedmont Triad User Group meeting

Come join PYPTUG at out next meeting (July 22nd 2013) to learn more about the Python programming language, modules and tools. Python is the perfect language to learn if you've never programmed before, and at the other end, it is also the perfect tool that no expert would do without.

What

Meeting will start at 5:30pm.

We will open on an Intro to PYPTUG and on how to get started with Python, PYPTUG activities and members projects, then on to News from the community. After that, on to our main talk.

Main talk: Using Python to explore physics in video games

by Dr. Aaron Titus of High Point University

In 2012, Dr. Titus created a physics course for nonscience majors at High Point University called "Physics for Video Games." The course combines physics experiments, physics theory, and video game development using VPython.

Physics content includes a subset of topics in classical mechanics, such as kinematics, reference frames and relative motion, Newton's laws, inelastic and elastic collisions, and conservation of momentum. For each topic, there is an experiment and programming activity. Many of the resulting programs resemble classic arcade-style games like Pong, Space Invaders, Lunar Lander, Tank Wars, and Asteroids, for example. An outline of physics topics and examples of programming activities will be presented.

Hands On: Raspbian alternative on Raspberry Pi Part Deux

There will be a quick hands on session with Pidora (with Bluetooth) and a TOR Project access point.

Lightning talks!

After the main talk, we will have some time for extemporaneous "lightning talks" of 5-10 minute duration. If you'd like to do one, some suggestions of talks were provided here, if you are looking for inspiration. Or talk about a project you are working on.




Already committed:

• HTTP and Requests by Don Jennings
• No processing required: PyFirmata + Arduinos by Francois Dion

 

When

Monday, July 22nd 2013
Meeting starts at 5:30PM

 

Where

We continue to have the meetings at Wake Forest University, close to Polo Rd and University Parkway:

Manchester Hall
room: Manchester 241 

Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109

 Map this

See also this campus map (PDF) and also the Parking Map (PDF) (Manchester hall is #20A on the parking map)

And speaking of parking:  Parking after 5pm is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The official parking policy is:

"Visitors can park in any general parking lot on campus. Visitors should avoid reserved spaces, faculty/staff lots, fire lanes or other restricted area on campus. Frequent visitors should contact Parking and Transportation to register for a parking permit."

 

Mailing List

Dont forget to sign up to our user group mailing list:

https://groups.google.com/d/forum/pyptug?hl=en

It is the only step required to become a PYPTUG member.