Abstract

The aim of this project was to create a Pan/Tilt Ground Station that would provide a robust frame capable of accommodating the future needs of the BOREALIS program. This goal was accomplished through the incorporation of: stepper motors, increased rigidity, increased accuracy, increased torque, built in solar sight, 3600 rotation capability, and an ability to easily swap out components. The implementation of a gear system into the design increased both the torque from the motor and the overall resolution provided to the system. Robust metal fabrication and bearings provided a significant increase in rigidity as compared to the previous design. A permanently mounted solar sight reduced set-up time and eliminated possible human error involved in the set-up process. Stepper motors were chosen due to their high degree of accuracy when using a tic 36v4 motor driver. Through the use of stepper motor’s, motor drivers, and an 8:1 gear ratio, this ground station has a resolution of 0.001°. These drivers were run by an arduino through I2C sending position data to control the motors as well as running a GPS. This arduino was connected to a laptop and controlled by a C# program using sun tables and GPS coordinates to track the balloons position throughout the duration of the flight.

Keywords: Antenna, GPS, Tracking

How to Cite:

Brandstetter, L. D., Wulfing, A. & Dunbar, C., (2022) “Ground Based Tracking System for High Altitude Weather Balloons”, Academic High Altitude Conference 2020(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ahac.11654