Amateur Radio Parachute Mobile

Operating Amateur Radio while skydiving is an aspect of the hobby that has been attracting interest as this YouTube video shows.

The YouTube description reads:

This is an edited video from Skydive Monterey Bay at Marina Airport in Marina, CA. These are "parachute mobile" jumps which skydivers are amateur radio (ham) operators that make radio contacts while under canopy (this is impractical in freefall, at 120 mph airspeed noise is extremely loud and duration of jump is too short for numerous contacts*). These jumps are hop and pops at exit altitude to provide maximum canopy hang time to make radio calls. The annual ham RadioFest event was held at Seaside nearby, it was a perfect opportunity to involve many hams for QSOs, and the weather was great for jumping.

This video begins with clips from Radiofest where Ray describes systems used during the jumps. Next shown are clips of Mark getting an equipment check, Rob following his safety checklist and an upjumper, Tracy Williams inspects the rig as well. In addition, Michael Gregg does a gear check on Mark before he boards the jumpship. Of primary concern is assuring that the radio comm and APRS telemetry gear will not interfere with the parachute gear, especially the main canopy cutaway and reserve canopy deployment systems.

Not shown is the full QSO footage (too long for Youtube). Concludes with Mark describing the jump, radio contacts, and square parachutes compared to round parachutes.

I had to leave before Michael Gregg, Jumper #2, made his parachute mobile jump but I included this clip of Michael landing from an earlier freefall jump (he did a two-way with another skydiver sporting a "Skydivers Over Sixty" patch).

* They actually have freefall communications radios for AFF students that use full face helmets and noise canceling mics and headphones.

Team Members:
Mark Meltzer, AF6IM, Jumper #1
Michael Gregg, KF6WRW, Jumper #2
Jon Gefaell, K6OJ, Mission Control Crew Chief
Dan Curtis, N6WN, Mission Control
Rita Derbas, KI6SSQ, Mission Control
Ray Rogoway, W6RAR, Ground Control
Bernhard Hailer, AE6YN, Comms assist
Rob Fenn, KC6TYD, EMT, Tac Ops and Safety
Michael Pechner, NE3RD, APRS and GPS telemetry systems
Scott Miller, N1VG, Argent Data Systems, APRS bio telemetry

Watch Parachute Mobile at Skydive Monterey Bay Marina Airport along with RadioFest in Seaside, CA

"RadioFest was a Success" [with photos]
https://parachutemobile.org/forums/vi...

Log sheet from Rita,
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0...

Parachute Mobile main website
http://www.parachutemobile.org

RadioFest in Seaside (Monterey, CA)
http://www.radiofest.org

Monterey Bay Skydiving in Marina, CA
http://www.skydivemontereybay.com

Argent Data Systems
http://www.argentdata.com

Intent for this team is to do a HAHO parachute mobile and some challenges they face can be seen here at Skydiving from 30,000 Feet
http://www.mfwright.com/30Kjumps.html

Mark Meltzer's webpage at http://boeing377.googlepages.com

Michael Pechner's APRS data captured off his Kantraonics to create a KML file for display on google earth positions of Mark's canopy ride.
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7gV...

This image provides perspective of Marina airport in relation to Seaside (mission control at RadioFest) and the Monterey Bay area. And yes the view is spectacular (in real life) from the air ***outside*** an airplane.