Class Lessons 2024

Week 1

Satellite observations

• Students used gPredict and the apps Night Sky and Satellite Tracker Pro for the iPhone. I mirrored my iPhone to my Mac and presented to the class.
• The students learnt about NOAA-15 – speed, orbital height, and calculated how long it would take NOAA-15 to complete one circuit of Earth (approx 1.5 hours)
• NOAA-15 follows what is known as a sun synchronous orbit. NOAA sometime passes Melborune from the North and sometimes from the South.
• We used gPredict to find out the next Pass for NOAA. We also used Satellite Tracker Pro – and compared the two results.
• Then I played video showing how to track NOAA-15 at night with my Yagi antenna.
• Link is here. Me and my daughter. Listen for the characteristic Tick-Tok sound of the satellite data feed.
• https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5z6ghdh5p0j0h6numfxux/NOAA-15-Video-29-Jan-2024-IMG_6787.MOV?rlkey=rf16i925151qdby62xjpoutuo&dl=0

Mars Habitat

• First we studied temperature differences on Earth, the Moon, Mars and briefly discussed Venus and Mercury. Which is hotter – Venus or Mercury
• The students have been challenged to build a Mars Habitat. They will need to design and laser cut their module.
• Carlin took the students outside to an upper balcony at the Tech School where their Mars modules will be subject to external conditions – mainly temperature changes
• Students will work in groups of 3-4 and have to build a close to air tight sealed 40cm cubed structure.
• Edmond will provide temperature sensors for the Mars habitat.
• Thermal performance of the individual modules will be logged and published using Dweet.
• Students will be encouraged to monitor the performance of their Mars Module during the week.
• A challenge will be set every 1-2 weeks and the winning team will receive a bag of lollies (Snakes or other sweets – suggestions welcome)

Week 2

• Designed small 10cm cubed boxes using Boxes.py
• Optimised the Burn parameter
• Not enough wood of correct dimensions to make larger boxes

Week 3

• Set up tiny house experiment.
• One house with insulation, one house without insulation
• Set up LoRa WAN router at Tech School
• Two Pycom temperature sensors
• Temperature data sent using Dweet.
• Showed students how to post and retrieve data using Dweet
• Installed Dweepy
• Will monitor temperature data during the week
• https://dweet.io/get/latest/dweet/for/MPPS-Tiny-House-8-bundoora
• https://dweet.io/get/latest/dweet/for/SMC-Tiny-House-10-bundoora

Week 4

• Set up greenhouse
• Analaysis of Tiny House data (no insulation and insulation)
• Set up Tiny House with 2L of Thermal Mass

Week 5

Use Baofeng UV-5R to track NOAA-15

• Students will be trained up on using the Baofeng-UV-5R radio transceiver. I will modify the radios so that they cannot transmit. Students will only be using the radios to listed to satellite passes (NOAA-15 initially).
• Students will need to use Satellite Tracker Pro to help work out when
• Students can also use the following web site to find out when NOAA-15 will pass next over Melbourne – www.n2yo.com
• Students will be trained up at the Tech School for this activity.
• I only have 6 radios – so some students will need to share or share from week to week.
• To help with their observations students can use the iphone app Satellite Tracker Pro.
• If you would like to watch a Youtube video to summarise the activity see the following - https://youtu.be/icADyjm3PBE - How To Get Live Satellite Images Directly From Space. Students only need to listen to satellites on their radio – nothing more.

Thermal Mass experiment with Tiny House

• Review data from previous week
• Add 2kg of thermal mass to Tiny House