Mar 25, 2020 12:15 PM
Rob Fenn, Team Leader, Parachutes On the Air
Parachutes on the Air

Rob Fenn is a team leader for Parachutes on the Air. This volunteer group jumps out of perfectly good airplanes to see how many contacts they can make on their radios before having to put away their gear and pop the chute. Rob should have some video of this amazing hobby, a niche of HAM radio. Parachute Mobile is a unique combination of ham radio and skydiving. Over the last nine years, the volunteers have completed 35 missions providing a fun and exciting new way to experiment with ham radio and other technical projects. The concept is simple: the skydiver opens his canopy as soon as he exits the plane and uses the altitude to his advantage and conducts simplex contacts. Starting off at approximately 13,000 feet in the air has been quite beneficial so that their listening audience can live vicariously through following each skydiver via APRS and through live streaming video. The group conducts 2 meter and 20-meter jumps.  They are always trying to find new projects and ideas they can incorporate within the small payload they have available. This should be fun to find out about...