GPS DriftCast (GPS Drift 2.0) Vastly improved landing location prediction based on winds aloft forecasts

[dvdsnyd]

I'm not sure what is causing the issue kjh is experiencing.
I was able to get the error a couple times.
Although, I don't understand why.
All the GetElevation method is doing is going to a url like this:

https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=" & LAT & "," & LON

Distilling that down, just putting numbers in for Lat/Lon
you get something like this for the Tripoli MN site.

https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=45.546058,-92.92464

Clicking on that link should provide you with something like this(I think you need some sort of JSON viewer)


The method then extracts the elevation out of the given result.
All I can think is that there was some sort of glitch that I can't easily duplicate.

One thing I should say, the user doesn't need to continually get the launch site elevation.
As long as the elevation is correct in the elevation column for each site, you are good to go.

I did delete the V2.27 from the previous post and uploaded the 2.28 version here.
I didn't realize I was updating my "play/experimental" version of 2.27, where I was goofing around with something in the UI.
Version 2.28 below for those that want it.
Back to your regular scheduled programming.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[kjhambrick]

One thing I should say, the user doesn't need to continually get the launch site elevation.
As long as the elevation is correct in the elevation column for each site, you are good to go.

Thanks for that info, Dave.

I only pressed [Get Elevation] the other day because Jim gave me the actual waiver (lat,lon) and radius last week.

I never used it before because I entered all the pad elevations from my little database and I always set the waiver centers the same as the pad.

I tried the direct link above, but changed the (lat.lon) to the pad at Hutto: https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=30.61416667,-97.49750000

This is the output when I clicked [Pretty Print] in chromium ungoogled on my laptop:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "latitude": 30.614167,
      "longitude": -97.4975,
      "elevation": 199
    }
  ]
}

It worked every time ... ( dang it ) ... but I wonder what an error would look like ?

I will be testing with HEDLEY on an AT F67W and T'Pring's P'Toy on another AT H128W at Hearne this week as the forecasts start to converge and I'll post updates.

Thanks for GPS DC, Dave !

-- kjh

EDIT: p.s. I tried to enter a boghus lattitude: https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=3000.61416667,-97.49750000

All it did was report Elevation = 0 but maybe I was in an ocean somewhere ?

{
  "results": [
    {
      "latitude": 3000.614167,
      "longitude": -97.4975,
      "elevation": 0
    }
  ]
}

I also tried non-numeric lat,lon:https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=lat,long

In that case, I did get a nekkid error ( i.e. no json results ):

500 Internal Server Error

Maybe that provides a clue ???

 

[Rocketclar]

We had a launch yesterday. I ran DriftCast the night before. While it was hot, it was a good flying day with low winds and mostly clear skies. I had looked at NOAA's Ready winds aloft beforehand and their projections were winds also towards the E. However, during the day we observed shifting winds probably due to the thermals developing over the field. Attached is a copy of the spreadsheet along with a screen shot of the DriftCast projections with my actual landing spot which ended up about 1000' to the SW of predicted. I've now been recording my various drogue and main speeds so I can enter better data. While the predicted landing spots were into planted corn (which is now about 7' or so high) we didn't have that many flights that ended in the corn thankfully due to the wind shifts.

 

[dvdsnyd]

Thanks for that info, Dave.

I only pressed [Get Elevation] the other day because Jim gave me the actual waiver (lat,lon) and radius last week.

I never used it before because I entered all the pad elevations from my little database and I always set the waiver centers the same as the pad.

I tried the direct link above, but changed the (lat.lon) to the pad at Hutto: https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=30.61416667,-97.49750000

This is the output when I clicked [Pretty Print] in chromium ungoogled on my laptop:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "latitude": 30.614167,
      "longitude": -97.4975,
      "elevation": 199
    }
  ]
}

It worked every time ... ( dang it ) ... but I wonder what an error would look like ?

I will be testing with HEDLEY on an AT F67W and T'Pring's P'Toy on another AT H128W at Hearne this week as the forecasts start to converge and I'll post updates.

Thanks for GPS DC, Dave !

-- kjh

EDIT: p.s. I tried to enter a boghus lattitude: https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=3000.61416667,-97.49750000

All it did was report Elevation = 0 but maybe I was in an ocean somewhere ?

{
  "results": [
    {
      "latitude": 3000.614167,
      "longitude": -97.4975,
      "elevation": 0
    }
  ]
}

I also tried non-numeric lat,lon:https://api.open-elevation.com/api/v1/lookup?locations=lat,long

In that case, I did get a nekkid error ( i.e. no json results ):

500 Internal Server Error

Maybe that provides a clue ???

Sorry, didn't mean to leave this thread sit for so long.

Have you been having any other issues with GPS locations and the elevation?
One sure fire way is to just use Google Earth Pro to get the elevations if the elevation API is being a turd.

I tried your "bogus" lat/lon in GPS Earth Pro, and it said that the location couldn't be understood. So it's a little unfortunate that the elevation API provides an elevation of 0 rather than throwing an error there.

Guess you get what you pay for

 

[dvdsnyd]

We had a launch yesterday. I ran DriftCast the night before. While it was hot, it was a good flying day with low winds and mostly clear skies. I had looked at NOAA's Ready winds aloft beforehand and their projections were winds also towards the E. However, during the day we observed shifting winds probably due to the thermals developing over the field. Attached is a copy of the spreadsheet along with a screen shot of the DriftCast projections with my actual landing spot which ended up about 1000' to the SW of predicted. I've now been recording my various drogue and main speeds so I can enter better data. While the predicted landing spots were into planted corn (which is now about 7' or so high) we didn't have that many flights that ended in the corn thankfully due to the wind shifts.

Thanks for the report!
Wow, the prediction was quite a bit off there!
Were the rockets drifting more towards the predictions before the wind shift?
Corn is no joke to hunt rockets in! We have both corn and soybeans at our field. Both swallow rockets more than you would think.
Look forward to when you report back with more of your data!

 

[kjhambrick]

Dave --

I have not suffered the Elevation Bug lately but I've not flown nor have I messed with GPS-DC since Aug 3.

There is an AARG launch next Sat, Sep 7.

If the weather holds, I will fly another AT RMS 38/480 I211W in T'Pring's P'Toy to about Mach 0.9 to check whether she is capable of supersonic flight or if the coning she suffered at TXSO is an inherent design problem.

See TRF > A Spectacularly Ugly Flight on an AT I211W

She flew beautifully to 3000 ft on an H128 on Aug 3 ( landed about 20-yards from the pad -- about what GPS-DC predicted ( EDITED )).

Winds for Sep 7 at the AARG Hutto, TX site are very favorable for now ( blowing away from the impenetrable thicket ):


Here is hoping the coning on the I211W was a fluke and not an inherent aerodynamic problem !

-- kjh

 

[Rocketclar]

Thanks for the report!
Wow, the prediction was quite a bit off there!
Were the rockets drifting more towards the predictions before the wind shift?
Corn is no joke to hunt rockets in! We have both corn and soybeans at our field. Both swallow rockets more than you would think.
Look forward to when you report back with more of your data!

No, fortunately the rockets were not drifting that much towards the corn....so only a couple were lost to it. We did have one cert flight hit the 6K waiver and drifted over the near corn field, across a road, and into another corn field....but on a line similar to projected. He had a tracker so he was able to recover and was successful in his cert.
I'll keep collecting data and report back. We have a 2 day launch later this month.

 

[kjhambrick]

Hmmm ...

I am having 2nd thoughts about flying an I211W to 6,500 ft on Saturday ...( shucks )...

Today's forecast for upper level winds has changed since yesterday and there is a stately manor about 3,000 ft SE of the pad along today's predicted drift path:



Maybe another H128W to about 3,000 ft with around1,300 ft drift would be a wiser choice:





My final decision is still up in the air ... Central TX weather is famously fickle

-- kjh

 

[kjhambrick]

@dvdsnyd --

The AARG launch was canceled due to the wind and then the last straw was that the farmer sprayed his fields yesterday with ag chems.

Scrubbing the launch was a good call -- the wind out on the prarie will likely exceed the limit for safe launch conditions all day.

And even if the wind speed diminshes to allowable magnitudes, the direction puts the landowner's home in play ( see below )



I have to add the following as an enthusiastic endorsement for GPS DC:

@JimJarvis50 has been hand-calculating landing scatter plots just about every month for as long as I've been flying with AARG.

His landing maps have been spot-on for me !

Jim's plots this month included the GFS and the European models and he plotted the two landing tracks for a 5,000 ft dual deployment flight.

See: Groups.io > AARG > AARG Launch Announcement for this Saturday (the 7th) at the Hutto Field > Post #3574

Jim's model predicts a landing 'line' rather than a single point and he does not factor in weathercocking.

But one can eyeball the effects of weathercocking on his maps to find a likely landing area.

Besides, Jim flys his VOS system so his rockets don't weathercock -- his rockets reach apogee where he wants them to reach apogee

Check this out if you've never seen it: TRF > I could use just a little guidance -- WoW ( see below ) !

Anyhow ...

This is what GPS DC produced for the same 5,000 ft flight with weathercocking disabled -- drogue at 80 ft/sec, main at 500 ft and descending at 20 ft/sec:



You'll have to visit the link above to see Jim's plot but the punch line is that the GPS DC sim falls nicely in line with Jim's predictions.

I am hoping the 5 -to- 7 mph SE -to- ESE wind forecast for Hearne on Sat Sep 14 remains about the same or even becomes more southerly this week and also that the moderate chance of rain diminishes for the upcoming Tripoli Houston launch !

Stay tuned ... we shall see ... but if not, the WTSV launch is Sep 21 near San Angelo !

Thanks to Jim for all he does for AARG and for the entire community, and thanks for GPS DC, @dvdsnyd, it has provided hours of fun, even when I cannot actually launch any rockets

-- kjh

(*) - Jim has designed and is already building a new system with ailerons on the fins instead of canards on the airframe ahead of the CG.

Check it out: TRF > I could use just a little guidance > Post #952 -- WoW !

 

[kjhambrick]

It is a little early for a good forecast, especially with Francine down on the coast but here goes anyway ...

Here is this morning's most recent GPS DC screen shot for a 3,000 ft flight for TP on an H128 at the Tripoli Houston Hearne Site.


I DO like the moderate southwesterly winds being forecast so far ( but southeasterly would be better and due southerly would be best ) ...

So what do all those numbers mean ?

This is the Hearne Site in GoogleEarth with TP's landing scatterplot.


The four concentric circles mark the distances from the pad to the eastern, western and southern fences around the airport and also the distance to the Hearne Muni Airport OCC.

Since I can't account for YEET and YOINK of the rocket on the way up, I really have no idea where the rocket will reach apogee so the general direction of the wind and the 800 -to- 1,000 ft landing scatterplot seems a tad iffy to me for Hearne ...

In addition, given the general wind direction, it wouldn't be impossible to land 1,900 ft out at the OCC where there are a few cars and people not participating in the launch ...

TP will weigh 825 grams / 29 oz coming down and it would be 'annoying' if she were to land on a person or thing at 22 ft/sec ...

So, I've also run Hedley's numbers on an F67W to about 1000 ft in GPS DC for her maiden voyage with HED via a Tinder Piranha Line Cutter in case I chicken out on the 3000 ft flight for TP:


I do like Hedley's landing area MUCH better than the forecast for T'Pring's P'Toy !

But I am trying to decide if it is wise to try out a line cutter for the first time with all that unforgiving asphalt around the pad ...

Now, if I can only get my granddaughters to attend so they can see 'their' rocket fly her maiden voyage -- that-a-way they could at least see her drogueless crash

Four going on five year old Evie loves to see rockets crash

Or being Texas, the wind forecast WILL change this week and I will feel OK flying TP, so we shall see !

Thanks for all the fun, @dvdsnyd, I do love the Walter Mitty exercises !

-- kjh

 

[Finicky]

Since I can't account for YEET and YOINK of the rocket on the way up

Ok so that made me smile.

Sorry for the distraction and aside, but henceforth I have decided that the purpose of my VOC systems is to eliminate the YEET and YOINK of the rocket on the way up. That sounds way cooler than tilt control.

As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, I think DriftCast is AWESOME ! I've always had reasonable expectations for such tools, but DriftCast still leaves me amazed. It makes my life easier since I don't need to play 4D chess with windy.com on the day of my flights.

 

[kjhambrick]

Ok so that made me smile.

Sorry for the distraction and aside, but henceforth I have decided that the purpose of my VOC systems is to eliminate the YEET and YOINK of the rocket on the way up. That sounds way cooler than tilt control.

As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, I think DriftCast is AWESOME ! I've always had reasonable expectations for such tools, but DriftCast still leaves me amazed. It makes my life easier since I don't need to play 4D chess with windy.com on the day of my flights.

No worries, @Finicky

I believe many of my posts are already distractions from the subjects at hand

But I can't take credit for those two terms ... they were first explained to me last year by @Rschub in his great TRF thread Minnie-Magg drag mods for Level 2?

I still mix the two terms up but I've bookmarked his post so I can look them up for proper usage as needed

And I am mildly envious of you and @JimJarvis50 for your VOC and Jim's VOS ... sigh ... maybe someday, but I've got so many missions in mind !

Yes, GPS DC is AWESOME, isn't it !

I've had good luck with it myself and as you said, it sure takes the drudgery out of manually looking up all those winds aloft !

Thanks for the reply and thanks to @dvdsnyd for sharing the tool !

-- kjh

 

[Finicky]

FWIW, I use the weathercocking feature of DriftCast for my VOC test flights, but I truth I'm using it backwards. For most test flights, I'm launching at maybe 10 degrees rod angle, and I'm launching into the wind. Why ? To force the VOC system to exert "maximum effort" in straightening the flight. (I mean that is what test flights are all about, right ?) So my flights start tilted, but end up vertical at apogee. Hence backwards weathercocking.

I have to guess how far upwind the apogee will occur and then enter that number into DriftCast. For most of my flights at URRG, that is between 500 and 1000 feet.

 

[kjhambrick]

I have to guess how far upwind the apogee will occur and then ...<<anip>>...

And those horizontal distances are even more elusive for those of us without 'A New Spin On Vertical Orientation Control' for 'a Little Guidance'

-- kjh

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

Here's a challenge for y'all, if you can somehow borrow a SODAR vertical wind profiler: in the field, feed the wind profile data into a laptop and do on-the-spot, up-to-the-minute simulations that tell you exactly how to angle the launch rod.

 

[DavidBellhorn]

The waiver radius fix was only applied to Landing Scatter. Circles are still drawn too small for Flight Scatter.

WaiverRadiusKm = WaiverRadius_NM * 1.852
versus
WaiverRadiusKm = WaiverRadius_NM * 0.539957

 

[kjhambrick]

Good catch, @DavidBellhorn !

+1 for finding the specific code !!

-- kjh

 

[kjhambrick]

So the Tripoli Houston launch was a bust for T'Pring's P'Toy but I had a blast with my granddaughters on the trip and at the site anyway.

But !

I did run GPS DC the morning of the launch and it forcast very well what I saw when other fliers sent their HPR rockets.

This was my final GPS DC forecast for TP on an H128W to 3000 ft, drogue at 67 ft/sec and main at 400 ft at 22 ft/sec:



Almost all the rockets I saw landed out there between the Pad-to-12pm / Pad-to-1pm track ( that's when we were there ).

And I saw a couple flights cross the east fence along the landing scatter lines.

Even the girl's modrocs landed within that same general cone but much closer to the pad

I decided not to fly, especially after we recovered Evie's Taser about 50-yards out in the tall weeds east of the runway / north of the taxiway.

The weeds were chest high on her in spots and there is no way I could have recovered a rocket without leaving them alone at the truck in the 100F heat at the site.

I had a blast anyway -- I get a kick out of their reaction to the sights and sounds of HPR launches

And they do love flying their own rockets !!

Next week is the WTSV launch near San Anglelo.

I believe Ellie has a birthday party next weekend for a friend at school but we shall see

It is pretty early for a good forecast for next Saturday, but this is TP to about 7,000 ft on that I211W at the WTSV site:





I'll check with @kitchw8436, later in the week about the condition of the fields at the Eggemeyer Field / Wall, TX site.

Last year the fields among the asphalt runways and taxiways was planted in cotton.

I imagine it's getting tall if the farmers planted the same this year ...

-- kjh

 

[dvdsnyd]

The waiver radius fix was only applied to Landing Scatter. Circles are still drawn too small for Flight Scatter.

WaiverRadiusKm = WaiverRadius_NM * 1.852
versus
WaiverRadiusKm = WaiverRadius_NM * 0.539957

View attachment 666732

Oh snap!
Nice find!

I'll take a look and update the code.....what's one more revision

 

[dvdsnyd]

Ok so that made me smile.

Sorry for the distraction and aside, but henceforth I have decided that the purpose of my VOC systems is to eliminate the YEET and YOINK of the rocket on the way up. That sounds way cooler than tilt control.

As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, I think DriftCast is AWESOME ! I've always had reasonable expectations for such tools, but DriftCast still leaves me amazed. It makes my life easier since I don't need to play 4D chess with windy.com on the day of my flights.

Really great to hear!
How have the predictions been for you? Close, way off, sometimes good, sometimes off?

I really want to try your VOC system. It really looks revolutionary! To be able to help control the flight is really something!

Calling it an inspiration is an understatement!

Dave

 

[dvdsnyd]

So the Tripoli Houston launch was a bust for T'Pring's P'Toy but I had a blast with my granddaughters on the trip and at the site anyway.

But !

I did run GPS DC the morning of the launch and it forcast very well what I saw when other fliers sent their HPR rockets.

This was my final GPS DC forecast for TP on an H128W to 3000 ft, drogue at 67 ft/sec and main at 400 ft at 22 ft/sec:

View attachment 666802

Almost all the rockets I saw landed out there between the Pad-to-12pm / Pad-to-1pm track ( that's when we were there ).

And I saw a couple flights cross the east fence along the landing scatter lines.

Even the girl's modrocs landed within that same general cone but much closer to the pad

I decided not to fly, especially after we recovered Evie's Taser about 50-yards out in the tall weeds east of the runway / north of the taxiway.

The weeds were chest high on her in spots and there is no way I could have recovered a rocket without leaving them alone at the truck in the 100F heat at the site.

I had a blast anyway -- I get a kick out of their reaction to the sights and sounds of HPR launches

And they do love flying their own rockets !!

Next week is the WTSV launch near San Anglelo.

I believe Ellie has a birthday party next weekend for a friend at school but we shall see

It is pretty early for a good forecast for next Saturday, but this is TP to about 7,000 ft on that I211W at the WTSV site:

View attachment 666804

View attachment 666805

I'll check with @kitchw8436, later in the week about the condition of the fields at the Eggemeyer Field / Wall, TX site.

Last year the fields among the asphalt runways and taxiways was planted in cotton.

I imagine it's getting tall if the farmers planted the same this year ...

-- kjh

Still living vicariously through your posts kjh!
Appreciate all the detail and fun tidbits you put in your posts! Looking forward to seeing more!
Dave

 

[dvdsnyd]

@dvdsnyd --

The AARG launch was canceled due to the wind and then the last straw was that the farmer sprayed his fields yesterday with ag chems.

Scrubbing the launch was a good call -- the wind out on the prarie will likely exceed the limit for safe launch conditions all day.

And even if the wind speed diminshes to allowable magnitudes, the direction puts the landowner's home in play ( see below )

View attachment 665282

I have to add the following as an enthusiastic endorsement for GPS DC:

@JimJarvis50 has been hand-calculating landing scatter plots just about every month for as long as I've been flying with AARG.

His landing maps have been spot-on for me !

Jim's plots this month included the GFS and the European models and he plotted the two landing tracks for a 5,000 ft dual deployment flight.

See: Groups.io > AARG > AARG Launch Announcement for this Saturday (the 7th) at the Hutto Field > Post #3574

Jim's model predicts a landing 'line' rather than a single point and he does not factor in weathercocking.

But one can eyeball the effects of weathercocking on his maps to find a likely landing area.

Besides, Jim flys his VOS system so his rockets don't weathercock -- his rockets reach apogee where he wants them to reach apogee

Check this out if you've never seen it: TRF > I could use just a little guidance -- WoW ( see below ) !

Anyhow ...

This is what GPS DC produced for the same 5,000 ft flight with weathercocking disabled -- drogue at 80 ft/sec, main at 500 ft and descending at 20 ft/sec:

View attachment 665284

You'll have to visit the link above to see Jim's plot but the punch line is that the GPS DC sim falls nicely in line with Jim's predictions.

I am hoping the 5 -to- 7 mph SE -to- ESE wind forecast for Hearne on Sat Sep 14 remains about the same or even becomes more southerly this week and also that the moderate chance of rain diminishes for the upcoming Tripoli Houston launch !

Stay tuned ... we shall see ... but if not, the WTSV launch is Sep 21 near San Angelo !

Thanks to Jim for all he does for AARG and for the entire community, and thanks for GPS DC, @dvdsnyd, it has provided hours of fun, even when I cannot actually launch any rockets

-- kjh

(*) - Jim has designed and is already building a new system with ailerons on the fins instead of canards on the airframe ahead of the CG.

Check it out: TRF > I could use just a little guidance > Post #952 -- WoW !

Thanks kjh!
You are too kind!

That's awesome that Jim's calcs and mine converged.
I went to the site, but couldn't see his plot. Wonder if you have to sign up to see them?
Looks like some other guys in your club use DC too. Curious of Taylor was able to get the latest version. Mentioned only being able to find Version 2.2...

One of the downfalls of posting all these revs here. I should have the mod go through and clean it up again.

Dave

 

[Finicky]

Really great to hear!
How have the predictions been for you? Close, way off, sometimes good, sometimes off?

I really want to try your VOC system. It really looks revolutionary! To be able to help control the flight is really something!

Calling it an inspiration is an understatement!

Dave

I'll be running DriftCast this Saturday morning before launching a two stage VOC flight in a 2.6" diameter airframe. It's the "smallest" two stage VOC I've ever flown. I'll be doing a "bank shot" to keep it in the big part of the field at URRG. DriftCast will help me decide which direction to tilt the rail.

Eight ball in the corner pocket ..........................................

I guess since it's a two stage it would technically be a combo shot

 

[kjhambrick]

Thanks kjh!
You are too kind!

That's awesome that Jim's calcs and mine converged.
I went to the site, but couldn't see his plot. Wonder if you have to sign up to see them?
Looks like some other guys in your club use DC too. Curious of Taylor was able to get the latest version. Mentioned only being able to find Version 2.2...

One of the downfalls of posting all these revs here. I should have the mod go through and clean it up again.

Dave

Yes, you may have to become a member of Groups.io to get at 'the juicy stuff'.

I was already signed up to follow some software development discussions so all I had to do was subscribe to the rocketry forums that I found.

There are quite a few rocketry-related groups -- most of the TX Clubs have a mailing list for launch announcements, etc.

-- kjh

EDIT: yes, it is hard to find 'the latest' unless you start at the end and work your way back but it is do-able

 

[dvdsnyd]

Thanks @DavidBellhorn for letting me know about the waiver radius for flight scatter plots!
Should be fixed in the release below.
Dave

 

[kjhambrick]

@dvdsynd -and- @DavidBellhorn --

I copied the TX sites from Release 2.28 into 2.29 and ran a session for for Sat, Sep 21 at the WTSV Wall Site ( ala San Angelo ).

The only thing I see off-hand is that the version did not change on the main screen ( still says 2.28 -- I double checked Tab[ 3 ] - About and it show's David's entry for the F.S. Waiver Radius fix ).

This is today's screenshot via new release 2.29 for T'Pring's P'Toy on an I211W ( note the version Label on Row[ 2 ] ) :


And this is the google earth landing scatter screen shot:


The two orange circles are hazards that I know about at the WTSV site.

I don't usually plot the Flight Scatter Plot but here it is rotated to show a little detail.

It now shows the corrected one nm Waiver Radius ( thank you @DavidBellhorn ! ):

Thanks Dave and David !

-- kjh

This s yesterday's session on version 2.28 -- the winds are looking better today ...



... Especially because I am not sure whether there are northern security fences out at 0.5 miles from the pad !

Thanks again Dave and David !

 

[dvdsnyd]

@dvdsynd -and- @DavidBellhorn --

I copied the TX sites from Release 2.28 into 2.29 and ran a session for for Sat, Sep 21 at the WTSV Wall Site ( ala San Angelo ).

The only thing I see off-hand is that the version did not change on the main screen ( still says 2.28 -- I double checked Tab[ 3 ] - About and it show's David's entry for the F.S. Waiver Radius fix ).

This is today's screenshot via new release 2.29 for T'Pring's P'Toy on an I211W ( note the version Label on Row[ 2 ] ) :
View attachment 667500

And this is the google earth landing scatter screen shot:
View attachment 667501

The two orange circles are hazards that I know about at the WTSV site.

I don't usually plot the Flight Scatter Plot but here it is rotated to show a little detail.

It now shows the corrected one nm Waiver Radius ( thank you @DavidBellhorn ! ):
View attachment 667502
Thanks Dave and David !

-- kjh

This s yesterday's session on version 2.28 -- the winds are looking better today ...
View attachment 667504
View attachment 667503

... Especially because I am not sure whether there are northern security fences out at 0.5 miles from the pad !

Thanks again Dave and David !

Thanks for verifying!

In my haste I forgot to update the main screen… damnit!!

I’ll wait until I need to do another rev probably.

Dave

 

[kjhambrick]

Thanks for verifying!

In my haste I forgot to update the main screen… damnit!!

I’ll wait until I need to do another rev probably.

Dave

You're welcome and THANK YOU, Dave.

No worries -- I edited the version in row[ 2 ] my copy

-- kjh

 

[kjhambrick]

So ...

@kitchw8436 has posted a 'go for launch' and his predictions and restrictions for the WTSV "We're Back in School Sport Rocketry Launch" on Groups.io > WTSV and on the Facebook > WEST TEXAS SPACE VAQUERES Events page.

This is Bill's post on Groups.io:

We’re go for Saturday. Current prediction:
- Winds from south 12-15 mph.
- Cloud cover ~25% early, 15% by afternoon. Could have low ceiling < 2000 ft early in the day.
- Temps low 80s early going up to low 90s
- Crops should be only a major issue. Cotton just north of launch site came in thin—no problem. Field NE of launch site has fully maturing cotton, could be an issue for finding small rockets, but most won’t get there. High fliers might want trackers.

Winds and ceiling issues will probably limit altitudes to 5000’.

I am still not 100% sure that I can attend but if I do, I will dial back my altitude from 7,000 ft on an I211W to no more than about 4,000 ft or so.

So I am thinking if I can attend, I will fly T'Pring's P'Toy in DD mode with another H128W to about 3,100 ft to get a second set of Blue Raven data for TP on the H128W.

So this is the latest GPS DC version 2.29 screen shot ... winds have changed a tad since earlier this morning:


And this is the Landing Scatter on GoogleEarth:


I surely do like the landing area for the 3,000 ft DD flight than the 7,000 ft flight !

-- kjh

 

[kjhambrick]

@dvdsnyd --

Here is one ...

I have not tried to debug the data but I imagine there was a bad data set returned by 'Winds Aloft'

This is the same-ole T'Pring's P'Toy flying to about 3100 ft on an H128W at the Tripoli Houston South Site ( Alvin, TX ) this coming Saturday, Sep 28.

My GPS DC version 2.29 .xlsm is attached.

This is a screen shot of GPS DC after I clicked [Run GPS] showing an error message:


I was able to see the Wind Data in the [E7]..[M12] region populate row-by-row until the error box popped up.

Hope this is helpful !

I'll try again later ... maybe Helene is making a mess of the wind forecasts this morning ?

-- kjh

p.s. This is a run from Wed afternoon ... everything looked good, especially for the TX coastal plains !




I've never been to the TH South site so I am unsure of the Pad location but that's what is listed on the TH Website.