Distributed Tracking and Relay Client

This software is designed to allow you to track long duration amateur radio balloon flights. You will become a remote RTTY telemetry receiver for balloon flights, connecting your radio to UTARC through the internet. The DTRC is a RTTY decoder program that automatically forwards received data to UTARC. It is being developed to be a robust versatile application for future missions of all balloon groups. We are interested in partering with other groups wishing to make use of this software/server setup. Please contact UTARC at contact@spiritofknoxville.com regarding future collaboration.

Download DTRC

Download Current DTRC Version 0.0.1.4

System Requirements:

• HF radio and antenna covering one of the bands specified for the current balloon mission, available at the DTRC Status page.
• Audio link between Radio output and computer soundcard input
• Internet connection (dialup or high speed)
• Windows 98 or newer Compatibility with pre-NT/2000 versions of Windows is yet to be determined. -Mike KJ4Z
  • (Mac and Linux users- let us know if you'd like to write a DTRC client for Mac or Linux!)

Install Instructions:

• 1. Download DTRC
• 2. Open the zip file, drag UTARC DTRC YOURCALLSIGN folder to your desktop or programs folder. Do not run the program from inside the zip file!
• 3. Launches will be announced 48 hours in advance via email, please sign up for alerts at http://spiritofknoxville.com
  

Operating Instructions:

• Starting and Testing:
  • Run the DTRC.exe file from the UTARC DTRC YOURCALLSIGN folder on your computer.
  • The DTRC Status web page will open - leave it open while you run DTRC so you can see important updates about frequencies and flight status.
  • Use the ARRL week-nightly bulletins to test the reception of RTTY data.
  • Adjust until you hear the warbling RTTY signal, and then click on the audio spectrum to center the two vertical yellow lines on the two mountain peaks in the signal spectrum.
• 1/2 Hour Before Launch:
  • Tune your radio to the frequency and settings listed on the DTRC Status web page, using the widest audio filter you have
  • Listen for high power mission beacon marker. This signal will occur 2 hours before launch every 15 minutes until launch, using a standard HF Transmitter at 100w from near the launch site. This transmission will allow you to tune to the exact frequency of the balloon and prepare for weak signal reception.
• During flight:
  • Periodically listen to your radio and check the DTRC Status page to adjust for frequency drift. You should not normally need to adjust any settings other than the frequency unless you're familiar with how to optimize the MMTTY engine settings.
  • Log on to the DTRC Live Chat to see how the other DTRC listeners are doing, and occasionally chat with SNOX crew
  • Go to http://spiritofknoxville.com to Live Status to see a map and decoded telemetry from the balloon. Once the balloon is in flight, click on the Erata link on the SNOX Tracking Dashboard for details on how the DTRC network runs.
• After Flight:
  • Mission control servers will accept telemetry until the batteries on the payload are predicted to die. This is often 48-72 hours after launch. The DTRC Status page will indicate when we no longer need further participants' DTRC data. Keep the setup running as long as you can or until the web page indicates to shut down. Sometimes the propagation improves the day after landing and allows you to get the critical telemetry report on the final position.
  • Contact UTARC at contact@spiritofknoxville.com with your comments on how things worked (or didn't) and we'll let you know more about how the mission went.

Problems?

• Try getting on the DTRC Live Chat first, and see if any other DTRC users know how to help. We are usually pretty busy during a mission, but we will try to respond as fast as possible to emails at contact@spiritofknoxville.com. Please include your name, location and callsign.