Current Flights, our History, and Navigating our website
We started our small group on June 9th 2021, and celebrated our first long flight lasting 19 days with Pico Balloon KD9ORR for Elizabeth Ziemer pictured below in red. Our Earlier Flights including Pico Balloon KD9ORR. Current flight tracking and launch pictures are on our Locate and Track page
Below pictured is our first meeting, June 9th 2021
By November of 2022, we had three Pico Balloons circumnavigate the globe at least 3 times, Pico Balloon AA6DY, for Michael Seedman; Pico Balloon KD9UQB for Jim Janiak (now NE9JJ); and Pico Balloon K9YO for Ken Daniel.
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, picture taken October 8th 2022
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, picture taken April 13th 2024, from Willow Hill Golf Course, Northbrook, Illinois
(not pictured, Ken Daniel K9YO and John Walsh W9BLN)
Below is the slideshow from our launch on April 13th 2024
Cal KD9WNU and his Mom Janet KD9WVO 
Kyli and Gordie Mulley 
Leeloo, Kyli, Gordie, Cal and Kelsi hanging out 
The Chicago Skyline view from Willow Hill Golf Course in Northbrook, Illinois 
Tracker packages, radio equipment and supplies for launch 
Securing the package to the Yokohama Balloon with a nylon washer and Kapton tape 
Cal preparing to launch his balloon 
Cal preparing to release his balloon 
Michael Seedman, and Stewart Spies, preparing the balloon 
Michael, and Stewart unrolling the antenna, and monofilament line, Doug holding the tracker and lower antenna 
Janet preparing to launch her balloon, assisted by Jim with Gordie and Cal in the background 
Cal releasing the balloon, Doug holding the tracker ready for release 
The balloon is released 
Janet releasing the balloon 
Nice easy lift 
Balloon and tracker released 
Balloon and Tracker Launched
Also with the Northern Illinois Bolltlecap Balloon Brigade, pictured below on the right, John Walsh, W9BLN
April 15rh 2023
Our two newest members are Calvin Knowles, KD9WNU and his Mom, Janet KD9WVO also pictured in a supporting role is Dad, Alex
We are now in our third year and preparing to launch 4 new Pico Balloons
In the slideshow below is the new Wheel Spoke, solar panel design by Doug Mulley, KD9TPM for Pico Balloons KE9LSI for Kelsi Mulley and KD9TVR for Gordon Mulley. The September 10th 2023 launch was delayed due to a technical issue. Ken has pre-streched balloons for our upcoming launches.
Ken Daniel K9YO with Gordie Mulley KD9TVR 
Ken Daniel K9YO with Kelsi Mulley KE9LSI 
Wheel spoke Solar Panel package design by Doug Mulley KD9TPM 
Tracker, Solar Panel package and Antenna Package ready for flight 
GordieMulley, KD9TVR, Kelsi Mulley KE9LSI, Doug Mulley KD9TPM, Cary Willis KD9ITO and Ken Daniel K9YO
Kelsi and Gordie have their trackers and solar panels built and tested and are looking forward to launch in November of 2023.
We use several programs to track our balloons current locations and forward trajectories. Below are the links for the WSPR Spot database for Pico Balloon KE9LSI and Pico Balloon KD9TVR
On October 14th and 28th 2023, we had a build session for Cal and Janet Knowles to prepare for their launch. While waiting for our new trackers to be built and tested we’re using the Zachtek trackers and Polyfilm Solar Panels for these two launches.
Below is a slideshow from the October 14th 2023 session; Programming the tracker, attaching the solar panels and building the antenna package.
Connecting the Zachetek Tracker for programming 
WSPR Configuration for programming the Zachtek Tracker 
Jim Janiak, NE9JJ assiting Cal Knowles, KD9WNU and Janet Knowles KD9WVO 
Janet KD9WVO soldering assisted by Cal KD9WNU and Jim NE9JJ 
Cal, KD9WNU preparing the solar panel 
The top of the solar panel to the tracker 
Cal soldering the top of the solar panel to the tracker 
Ken K9YO teaching Cal KD9WNU how to measure the upper antenna and monofilament line 
Cal, KD9WNU measuring the 17′ monofilament line that attaches the tracker to the balloon 
From Left, Janet Knowles KD9WVO, Cal Knowles, KD9WNU, Cary Willis KD9ITO, Jim Janiak NE9JJ, and Ken Daniel K9YO with the Zachtek trackers, solar panets and upper antennas and monofilment lines
Our second session on October 28th, soldering the antennas, weighing the package and testing the trackers
Cal, KD9WNU preparing to solder an antenna 
Janet KD9WVO soldering an antenna with Cal KD9WNU taking pictures 
Janet Knowles KD9WVO, Cal Knowles KD9WNU, Jim Janiak NE9JJ and Ken Daniel K9YO 
Cal and Ken waiting for the sun to power the solar panels and capture a GPS lock and transmission of signal 
Cal waiting for 2 flashes on the LED to capture a GPS lock 
Cal looking for 6 flashes of the LED to show his call sign was sent 
Cal is waiting patiently for the LED flashes. The upper antenna and monofilament line are wrapped around a cardboard tube. The lower antenna is wrapped around a cardboard flap. Each antenna is 16 1/2 feet long, the monofilament line is 17 feet long 
Waiting for the sun, Janet is holding her tracker and antennas with support from her son Cal and Ken Daniel
With only a short period of sun, we were only able to test Cal’s tracker using Ken’s radio on the 2nd floor of his house. We’ll be tracking Cal’s launch on the WSPR Spot database at Pico Balloon KD9WNU and Janet at Pico Balloon KD9WVO
Mikaela Streicher, KD9VIW is away at college, we hope to launch her balloon when she returns from winter break.
While the kids are in school, we’re waiting for a sunny, mild day on a weekend or a holiday for their launches.
Now to the history and navigating our website
Since our first launch we have flown 25 balloons (actually a little more, we kept some flights to ourselves). Six ended up in trees (we found a fix for that). Six balloons never said hello (we think we have a fix for that). We had eight balloons that traveled the United States. We had nine balloons that left the United States. We had three balloons that almost made it around the world.
We had three balloons fly multiple times around the world. Pico Balloon AA6DY made it around the world three times in 83 days. Pico Balloon K9YO made it around the world seven times around the world and after 123 days of flight went missing in action. Our last multi circumnavigation flight was Pico Balloon KD9UQB part of a special project launched from Antarctica flew for 100 days and seven times around the world.
On our menu you will find our “Blog” which tracks all of our flights from the most current to tidbits, build sessions and anything that we may have found interesting about our hobby.
The “Earlier Flights” cover from our first launch on September 25th 2021 through our 11th launch on January 26th 2022.
“Locate and Track” will provide current launch information, including projected direction, Jetstream and tracking other Pico Balloons around the world.
Our “Technical Page” is continually updated, providing the “How To” information on how you can build and fly a Pico Balloon.
If you like what you see, we hope that you will become a follower and receive posts when published on our Blog. You can become a follower right here on our website by clicking the WordPress link and creating a username and password, or you can reach me on QRZ 73, Cary KD9ITO
We started out in June of 2021 as the Bottlecap Balloon Battalion (Named after the movie “UP” the Ellie Badge, Bottlecap Merit Badge) there were 10 of us to start, aged 11 years old and up, kids, their parents and friends, some licensed in Amateur Radio some having an interest in science and engineering. We met monthly to research and report and had our first launch on September 25th 2021.
Pico Ballooning is a part of Amateur Radio also known as Ham Radio or Hams. We’re licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowing us to communicate to other Hams throughout the World. Pico meaning small, we send a small transmitter, with GPS tracking and antenna on a balloon filled with Hydrogen, rising to 47,000 feet, and travelling with the speed of the Jetstream. As we travel, our GPS is able to locate our current location, and other information is gathered depending on what chips we have on our transmitter while using other programs to gather other inflight information.
Other Hams can receive our signal and are reported on a computer using WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporting) from anywhere through the internet. Our total package of transmitter, antenna, and balloon weigh less than an ounce, that is really small.
As the interest in Pico Ballooning has peaked with every launch, we have become Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade or NIBBB. The NIBBB is a part of a larger Pico Balloon Community, we learn and share from others in our community.
September 3rd 2022 Launch, our 24th Launch. We launched 2 balloons, AA6DY and KD9UQB and only heard from AA6DY. Our Pico Balloons can be tracked on our website tab, “Locate and Track“.
This is a slideshow on preparing for Pico Balloon AA6DY Launch September 3rd 2022
Tracker, Solar Panel, Dipole Antenna ready for the balloon 
Michael AA6DY with our package, hidden Jim KD9UQB with the Yokohama Balloon 
Doug KD9TPM, Gordie KD9TVR, Stewart KB9LM Preparing to lift the balloon 
Kelsi KE9LSI ready to lift the 30 ft. pole for launch 
Doug and Gordie on the Pole, in the background Bob KD9RDU and Noah KD9RDT 
Getting ready to lift the balloon and tracker package 
Counting Down 10 seconds to release 
Getting ready to release 
September 10th 2022 How to Build the Solar Panel Package taught by Jim Janiak, KD9UQB
Jim NE9JJ, Gordie KD9TVR, Doug, KD9TPM, Kelsi KE9LSI, and Mikaela KD9VIW During our Build the Solar Panel Package 
Gordie KD9TVR and Mikaela KD9VIW working on their respective packages 
Noah KD9RDT soldering his solar panel, Cary KD9ITO in the background 
Mikaela KD9VIW, testing the voltage assisted by Doug KD9TPM 
Gordie Mulley KD9TVR, showing off the built Solar Panel Package 
Kelsi KE9LSI, Doug KD9TPM and Gordie KD9TVR testing the Solar Panel Package
Please click Contact us for comments and click on the Blog tab to see our launches starting with the most recent.
Federated States of Micronesia after 19 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes of flight
Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade 