Differences

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--- guides:how_to_lose_your_flight [2015/06/23 12:42] – daveake
+++ guides:how_to_lose_your_flight [2016/05/10 07:10] (current) – daveake
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
   * Choose a good colour for the payload box.  For example, duct-tape grey in winter, or bright yellow if you're hoping to land in a rapeseed field in the summer.
   * Use an RP-SMA plug on the aerial, and an SMA socket on the tracker.  This is advanced failure mode, and everything will look OK before launch, but you will notice (with delight) that your tracker's signal disappears within seconds of the launch.
-  * Use cheap batteries rather than Lithium Energizers.
+  * Use cheap batteries rather than Lithium Energizers.  This includes Duracells Alkaline or anything else that is not a Lithium primary cell.  2 recent flights used this option, on the same day, with 1 successfully lost and the other only found because it had a backup radio tracker using Energizer Lithiums.
+  * Don't build the tracker on a PCB or Veroboard, as these are solid and reliable.  Instead, use a breadboard, and pretend your taking things seriously by using cardboard and/or duct tape to stop the components from falling out.
 == Before The Launch ==
@@ Line 42: / Line 43: @@
   * If you tracker has a "Remove this before launch" tag, forget to actually remove it.  This is much easier if you ...
   * Don't have a pre-flight checklist, or if you do then don't have someone whose job is to make sure the items are confirmed and checked off.
+  * Don't check that you can receive, decode **and upload** telemetry from your tracker to the internet.
 ===== Launch Fails =====
@@ Line 50: / Line 52: @@
   * ... you don't tell them.  Sneaky huh?
   * Or, you could tell people about the flight, but not bother to create a payload document.  That makes it more difficult for others to tracker, especially as they won't know the frequency to listen to.  Hey, these guys do this as a hobby, why make it easy for them?
-  * Don't check that you can receive, decode **and upload** telemetry from your tracker to the internet.
+  * Celebrate your flight before you even launch, by inviting your team to a nearby pub for a drink or 3.  This relaxes all of those pre-flight nerves.
+  * Forget to take weighing scales, so that the amount of gas in the balloon is a complete guess.  This will hone your chasing skills as you won't have a clue where it's going to land, if it ever does.
+  * Use nice dark materials for the payload container and, especially, the parachute as that is usually the easiest thing to spot after landing.  If you can manage to land in a rape seed field then yellow is ideal, but if not then just opt for black and try to land at night.  Perfect!
 ===== Chasing =====