Tracking Pico Balloons Using Ham Radio [pdf]

Whenever I see things like this in light of the various threats to amateur radio (usually from various interests who would like to get the frequencies sold at FCC auction for commercial use), I'm reminded of the tremendous value this hobby adds to engineering education. So many of the engineers I know who work with radio got started by tinkering with amateur gear.

The tracker is very cool: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;habhub.org&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;habhub.org&#x2F;</a><p>It’s a crowdsourced set of antennas around the world that upload data to central server (think Flightradar24 for high altitude balloons). It’s been running for 15 years or so.<p>Various bits of more reading if you’re interested in this stuff: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;picospace.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;picospace.net&#x2F;</a> <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;ukhas.org.uk&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;ukhas.org.uk&#x2F;</a>

Wow, that&#x27;s amazing. 22 laps around the world over the course of one year. And HF data rx in Australia from this tiny circuit board attached to a tiny balloon over the mid-atlantic. Worth a read. Also bonus Windows XP points.<p>Btw how are they flying a circuit board in the raw without damaging environmental effect from water? I&#x27;m new to this part of the hobby.

As fascinating as the electronics tech is, I&#x27;m perhaps more interested in the balloon tech.<p>Perhaps more reading will help me know the answer, but it doesn&#x27;t seem like these are just off the shelf Mylar party balloons. Nor do they seem to be sized such that they can expand a lot as they rise.<p>The below linked article is kind of interesting in this area: it&#x27;s about how Death Valley is littered with Mylar party balloons. According to the article...<p>&quot;Mylar balloons do not go higher than about 3,000 feet to 7,000 feet before they either explode or lose their “lift.” This is because of their inability to expand to any great extent.&quot;<p>Read more here: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sanluisobispo.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;weather&#x2F;weather-watch&#x2F;article39489087.html#storylink=cpy" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sanluisobispo.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;weather&#x2F;weather-watch&#x2F;art...</a> <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sanluisobispo.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;weather&#x2F;weather-watch&#x2F;article39489087.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sanluisobispo.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;weather&#x2F;weather-watch&#x2F;art...</a>

Why is the UK (in the unusual company of Yemen and North Korea) an important &quot;do not transmit zone&quot;?

This is the coolest thing I have seen this year. I think I always wanted to do such a thing, circle the earth with a balloon — had no idea it was within reach. I love all the ways in which they shaved weight on the payload.<p>I suppose having heard about the gas-powered model plane that crossed the Atlantic decades ago started my obsession. Then learning about the Japanese fire balloons that crossed the Pacific in WWII....

How are these ballons flights managed, in relation to airspace? Given the increasing restrictions on drone flight, I’m surprised such balloons are allowed to wander and descend Without any control.

Can this frequency&#x2F;protocol be used from sea level? I have some boats offshore that I would like to track. We currently use a combination of AIS and SPOT trackers.

Do these balloons transmit any weather data along with their telemetry? Or at the altitude they fly, maybe there&#x27;s not much weather to report?

<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;leobodnar.com&#x2F;balloons&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;leobodnar.com&#x2F;balloons&#x2F;</a><p>more reading

What&#x27;s the purpose of that capacitor?

This kind of reminds me of CubeSats. I love the simple little design with the side solar panel wings.