Since I didn’t everything done that I wanted to yesterday, the workload for today was a lot bigger. However it was still attainable. When I got home, the first course of action taken was testing the parachute shape. This was done by just running up and down the garden with it trailing behind me. The parachute passed, meaning that the second phase of testing had the go-ahead.
The next item on the list was to get the box built. I had two small polystyrene boxes, approximately 150mm x 300mm x 100mm. The idea was to cut a hole in the side of the box which was big enough for the camera lens to see through. However the camera also needed to be cushioned. This is where the mattress foam came into play. I placed a layer on the bottom, then placed the camera inside and put the lens against the side wall. I then drew around it and proceeded to start cutting out a hole. Once that was completed, I cut a hole in a piece of foam which was slightly smaller than the lens, which I would attach to the wall of the Polystyrene, so that the camera had something soft to press against. However, when I tried to put the lid on the box, I found that the camera was too big, and the lid couldn’t close. This meant that I would have to remove the foam on the bottom, but I had already cut the hole, so I had move onto the backup box. This time I made sure that I measured everything beforehand and that everything was perfect before rushing into it.
This time I placed the camera facing the smaller wall of the box, as it just fitted better. Once I had cut the hole in the Polystyrene and the foam, it was time to glue the two together. Knowing that contact glue works the best, I applied it to both the foam and the wall of the Polystyrene, only to find out that that specific glue reacts with Polystyrene and eats right through it…
This was highly problematic, as I how had a box with a hole in it and another one with an eaten through wall. The only plan I could come up with was to duct-tape the hole closed on the first box and then use that one. This proved a better option, as the duct tape worked as a reinforcement for the Polystyrene.
Once the two holes were cut (yet again), I made sure that the foam was a tight fit, so that no glue would be necessary. This worked fine, so it was time to place the camera inside and come up with a way to stabilize it. This was achieved by placing a wall of foam behind it, which was made by gluing small strips of foam together and building it up with layers. I then duct-taped around it, just for extra strength. When I tried to turn the camera on, it couldn’t because I forgot to factor in the distance the lens extends when it powers up. I moved the foam layer wall back a bit to counter this and then it worked. However I knew that the camera would most likely turn off during the decent, which meant the lens would retract and make the camera unstable. To counter this I cut small strips of the foam and placed them lengthways against the wall of the box and the camera. This allowed for the camera to be held in place without the lens sitting against the wall, as it was the back face of the camera that was being supported.
Happy with the results of the box, I moved on to making the support straps that would hold the box. My dad suggested I use the Polyester strips I bought from Rope World that were never used. He cut two strips for me and glued them together with contact glue. I then sewed them up, just for extra support. Once this was done it was getting late, so I headed upstairs to do a little journal writing while I waited for my parents to come back from a parents meeting.
When they came back, my dad and I started working on the tracker UI and software. He made it so that the software would be able to run on any Windows computer from a USB stick, so that meant that there wasn’t anything to install, just a click and run application. The UI was mostly finished, all that needed to be done was make sure that the script was reading the correct DAT file and displaying it properly.
After a few hours of staying up working on the Tracker, it was time for bed, as we both needed to be properly rested for the next day. There were still things that were uncompleted, such as the testing of the software on other PCs and testing the parachute, but those will have to happen tomorrow.
After the mess up with the cameras yesterday, I knew I would have to buy another one, and try and sell the two that I had. I found an ad for a Canon PowerShot G15, which was going for R1500 on Gumtree. Seeing as this was 2-3 times cheaper than any other price I had found on the internet for this camera, I gave the seller and call and asked if it was still available. He said it was and that we could meet on Saturday in Town. This worked for me, so I set up a meeting with him then.
All in all a good day, but the stress of the launch is starting to me and I still have a lot to do before T-0.
