After a few days of silence, K9YO reported on December 19th at 01:30 UTC at Grid PN64HA near Vladivostok, Russia, at an altitude of 11,900 meters, 39,032 feet. K9YO is now at 69 days and 11 hours of flight time. The NOAA Hysplit model shows K9YO heading east then northwest over 84 hours. The Sondehub Float shows K9YO heading east. We should see another reading tomorrow and will update our Locate and Track page
K9YO at Grid PN64HA altitdue 39,032 feet
Pico Balloon KD9UQB has been close to the Day/Night Change Line with longer wake times. Reporting below at Grid NC21LV at 14:14 UTC December 19th 2022. Pico Balloon KD9UQB is flying at an altitude of 10,600 meters, 34,768 feet, for 25 days and 8 hours of total flight time.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB Best Guess location on December 23rd, 00:00 UTC Grid OC88aa
KD9UQB Best Guess December 23rd Grid OC88aa
Tracking our balloons on one page using APRS for December 19th
K9YO near Sea of Japan, KD9UQB Antarctica, (AA6DY missing since November 24th)
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for Pico Balloons K9YO and KD9UQB for APRS, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, Sondehub for tracking Float direction and other Pico Balloons around the world.
It may be a few days between posts, the Locate and Track page will be updated as new information is received. We encourage you to check this page and the links available for tracking all our balloons.
Pico Balloon K9YO woke on December 14th over Russia and then went north into darkness and silent.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB launched from Neumayer Station III, Antarctica is reporting on December 17th at Grid LC99EH over the Southern Ocean at 01:32 UTC with plenty of sunlight ahead. KD9UQB was within the Day/Night Change Line and getting some sleep.
The 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model shows the general direction will be east and then south for longer reporting times. The Sondehub Float below shows a continued direction east.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB is flying at an altitude of 10,540 meters 34,571 feet
KD9UQB at Grid LC99EH altitude 34,571 feet
Our Best Guess for KD9UQB on December 20th 2022 based on the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit Model
Best Guess December 20th Grid NB08MA 12:00 UTC
The Sondehub link from our Locate and Track page under Pico Balloon KD9UQB, the Float track longer than 84 hours.
At the top of our Locate and Track page, the Sondehub link is currently showing 41 Pico Balloons in flight around the world.
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for Pico Balloon KD9UQB. Information of this flight has been moved to the top of the Locate and Track page including a picture of the solar panel package Jim, KD9UQB built for this launch.
The Ventusky link shows KD9UQB in a slow moving system for the next few days. The WSPR Spot Database updates automatically showing the reporting station and their distance to the balloon.
Station VE6JY from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was received at 01:32 UTC, 19,112 Km, 11,876 miles away.
Please bookmark our Locate and Track page for continued updates between posts.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB, launched on November 24th 2022 from Neumayer Station III, Antarctica, completed the 2nd Circumnavigation on December 14th after 20 days and 4 hours of flight. KD9UQB is flying at an altitude of 10,720 meters, 35,162 feet.
KD9UQB 2nd Circumnavigation December 14th 2022
Best Guess, KD9UQB December 17th 2022
Best Guess KD9UQB December 17th 2022
Pico Balloon K9YO last reported on December 6th, making a 4th circumnavigation over Quebec Canada. We believed that K9YO stayed north of the Day/Night Change Line, traveling around the North Pole, we were waiting for K9YO to travel south. K9YO reported on December 14th at 02:10 UTC at Grid PN78XK near Khabarovsk, Russia at an altitude of 11,720 meters, 38,422 feet.
We believe K9YO will travel northwest on December 17th 2022
Best Guess KD9UQB December 17th 2022
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for KD9UQB for 84 hour NOAA Hysplit, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, APRS and Sondehub.
Pico Balloon K9YO had circumnavigated the world a 4th time on December 6th 2022. The NOAA Hysplit model showed K9YO traveling northwest, north of Alaska around December 10th. Another NOAA model was taken and showed K9YO traveling east around the North Pole. If that direction and location is correct, we won’t be hearing from Pico Balloon K9YO until it heads back south. Until then, we’re calling K9YO, Missing in Action.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB which was launched from Neumayer Station III, Antarctica had been traveling east, made a detour southwest to the South Pole and northwest towards the Southern Ocean.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB is south of the Day/Night Change Line and still transmitting. Below is from December 11th 2022 Grid HB62SS at 21:32 UTC flying for 17 days and 14 hours at an altitude of 10,600 meters, 34,768 feet.
We’re expecting Pico Balloon KD9UQB will make a 2nd Circumnavigation around December 13th.
Best Guess for KD9UQB on December 15th, 06:00 UTC
Best Guess for KD9UQB, December 15th 2022
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit Model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, APRS and Sonehub for Pico Balloon KD9UQB and all Pico Balloons in flight around the world.
We will report when we hear from Pico Balloon K9YO or AA6DY. The WSPR Spot Database always reports current reports for all our balloons.
We would like to recognize, Hisami Dejima, 7L4IOU an NIBBB Follower, who wrote an article for CQ Ham Radio Magazine, Japan, November 2022 Edition. This article is on the flight of AA6DY flying over Japan, transmitting on WSPR mode, the NIBBB project and our success with the 32″ Sphere balloon from Yokohama Balloon, Yokohama, Japan.
Below is a 2 page slide show of the cover page and article from CQ Ham Radio Magazine with QR codes linking to the NIBBB website and Yokohama Balloons.
Our Technical Page has information on tracking our balloons, calculating the altitude, where to get the balloons, and a slide show on the launch of Pico Balloon AA6DY on September 3rd 2022.
Pico Balloon K9YO has circumnavigated the world a 4th time. Pico Balloon K9YO reported at 16:20 UTC at Grid FO01 near Waskaganish, Quebec, Canada flying at an altitude of 12,240 meters, 40,147 feet. Pico Balloon K9YO was launched on October 10th 2022 from Libertyville, Illinois a northern suburb of Chicago, making the 4th circumnavigation in 57 days.
Pico Balloon K9YO 4th Circumnavigation December 6th 2022, 16:20 UTC Waskaganish, Quebec, Canada
Pico Balloon K9YO woke to report the 4th circumnavigation and went back to sleep. K9YO will be traveling northwest over the Arctic Ocean around December 10th.
K9YO Best Guess December 10th 2022
Looking at Ventusky for the Jetstream from December 10th forward, it’s hard to predict where or when Pico Balloon K9YO will next report. Here’s the link for Ventusky December 10th K9YO at our expected location as per NOAA.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB will be traveling around Antarctica, for at least the next 84 hours as per NOAA, looking closer at the 2nd circumnavigation.
Below as of 22:22 UTC, Grid OC23bx, flying at an altitude of 10,540 meters, 34,571 feet.
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for Pico Balloons K9YO and KD9UQB. The WSPR Spot Databases automatically update for all our balloons on our Locate and Track page. Pico Balloon KD9UQB is also flying as W5KUB-115 and can be tracked at this link Sondehub W5KUB
Congratulations to the NIBBB Team for another circumnavigation. The next update will be around December 10th when KD9UQB will be looking for the 2nd circumnavigation.
AA6DY is still MIA, but showing up on our APRS link in case it decides to come back. Pico Balloon K9YO reported today as expected near our prediction, at 19:30 UTC and just 90 minutes late. Pico Balloon KD9UQB has been very busy today first waking at 01:52 UTC, going to sleep at 16:52 UTC and waking at 21:52 UTC all on December 5th. Now that KD9UQB is south of the Day/Night Change Line, sleepy time is over.
Pico Balloon K9YO woke at 19:30 UTC at Grid DO00xj northeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, flying at an altitude of 12,420 meters, 40,738 feet.
K9YO at Grid DO00xj, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada altitude 40,738 feet
Based on the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, K9YO will circumnavigate the world a 4th time tomorrow, December 6th around 15:00 UTC. The NOAA model also shows that K9YO will travel thru Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota before heading northeast towards Ontario, Cananda for the 4th Circumnavigation.
Best Guess for K9YO around December 6th 2022 15:00 UTC
Below is the 84 hours NOAA Hysplit model for Pico Balloon K9YO which shows the Jetstream traveling north of the Day/Night Change Line into darkness. I’ll provide another 84 hour model after tomorrow.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB has been very active today. Waking at 01:52 UTC at Grid KD96FB, going to sleep at 16:54 UTC at Grid LC97NV and waking back up at 21:54 UTC at Grid MC24CV. Pictured below is Pico Balloon KD9UQB at Grid MC24SE at 23:32 UTC and still flying. There appears to be a new altitude record for KD9UQB now reaching 10,900 meters, 35,752 feet.
KD9UQB at Grid MC24CE altitude 35,752 feet
The easiest way to keep track of KD9UQB is by Sondehub at this link W5KUB and click W5KUB-115 or scroll out to see all the W5KUB balloons. To track all the Pico Balloons around the world please go to our Locate and Track page and click SondeHub Balloon Tracker at the top of our page.
Below is a picture from the APRS link on our Locate and Track page showing our three balloons with the newest locations of K9YO and KD9UQB with AA6DY at the last known location November 24th
December 5th 2022 K9YO over Canada, AA6DY MIA over the Equator and KD9UQB over Antarctica
Our Locate and Track page is now updated for our active balloons with the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, APRS and Sondehub for tracking all Pico Balloons flying around the world. You can also find the current Grid for our balloons by clicking on WSPR Spot Database for each balloon on our Locate and Track page.
The other nice part of the WSPR Spot Database link is it shows how far the reporting station is from our balloon at the time of the report. On December 5th at 01:52 UTC, Station KFS in Northern California reported 17,814 Km or 11,069 miles from our balloon, that’s pretty amazing.
We believe Pico Balloon K9YO is traveling north of the Day/Night Change Line and can only predict the current location.
We believe that Pico Balloon K9YO is north of Alaska over the Beaufort Sea at around 18:00 UTC
We’re predicting that Pico Balloon K9YO will be waking on December 5th around 18:00 UTC just over Canada, near the State of Washington.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB also flying as W5KUB-115, was launched on November 24th 2022, from Neumayer Station III Antactica. KD9UQB made the First Circumnavigation on December 4th around 05:00 UTC at Grid IC78NM over the Southern Ocean. Pico Balloon KD9UQB traveled the world in 9 days and 23 hours, flying at an altitude of 10,780 meters, 35,358 feet.
Below is the map of the first circumnavigation of Pico Balloon KD9UQB, also flying as W5KUB-115.
Below is the 84 hours NOAA Hysplit model from December 4th thru December 8th 2022.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB just passed the Day/Night Change line and had gone to sleep around 18:00 UTC. As our balloon starts traveling closer to the Antarctica coast, we expect longer flights and daylight hours.
The NIBBB now has 3 balloons that have circumnavigated the world.
Any updates to our Pico Balloons will first appear on our Locate and Track page. The 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, APRS and Sondehub has been updated for Pico Balloon KD9UQB. We hope to hear from Pico Balloon K9YO tomorrow, and are still checking for signs from Pico Balloon AA6DY, last heard on November 24th.
Pico Balloon AA6DY is still MIA, Pico Balloon K9YO has moved north of the Day/Night Change Line and not able to report.
The general update of our balloons is that AA6DY last reported on November 24th, just west of West Africa. We believe that AA6DY is over Central Africa near the Equator and not able to report. K9YO last reported yesterday December 2nd and is expected to start transmitting again around December 5th over Canada. Around the time K9YO reports we should be nearing the 4th circumnavigation. Pico Balloon KD9UQB has left Chile, South America, headed back towards Antarctica, and the 1st circumnavigation sometime tomorrow.
Below is from our Locate and Track page showing our 3 balloons on one page.
K9YO heading North, AA6DY wating to report and KD9UQB ready for the 1st circumnavigation
Below is from Sondehub showing the projected “Float” for the direction of Pico Balloon K9YO. The different colors represent altitudes from 11,000 meters to 13,000 meters close to our actual altitude. The Float model is taken from the NOAA Model, providing an estimate beyond 84 hours.
K9YO projected Float from Sonehub
Pico Balloon KD9UQB started transmitting on December 3rd at 07:32 UTC at Grid GD02TP and went to sleep on December 3rd at 22:12 UTC at Grid HC96hi traveling at an altitude of 10,720 meters, 35,162 feet.
Because of the cylinder solar panel that Jim KD9UQB designed, the tracker continued to transmit at the Day/Night Change Line or sun’s elevation at 2.1 Degrees. The highest sun’s elevation reached today while transmitting was 51.4 degrees. Pico Balloon KD9UQB received transmissions for 16 hours today. We expect as we travel further south, and travel around Antarctica, the transmissions will continue 24 hours a day.
Below is near the last report at the Day/Night Change Line. The RED map point at the bottom is Neumayer Station III where KD9UQB was launched on November 24th 2022.
Below is the NOAA Hysplit Model showing the projected path of KD9UQB from December 4th thru December 7th.
Our Locate and Track page has been updated for Pico Balloon KD9UQB for 84 hour NOAA Hysplit Model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, Sondehub for tracking all Pico Balloons and APRS for tracking all our balloons.
Pico Balloon AA6DY is still Missing in Action, future posts will be about K9YO and KD9UQB until we hear from our missing balloon.
I have to start with a correction. Pico Balloon K9YO is preparing to make the 4th Circumnavigation. I heard from Ken Daniel, K9YO this morning who was predicting Pico Balloon K9YO would be entering what he referred to as “a day of the midnight sun” and the balloon may not be heard for a day or two. I actually have more information on that since Pico Balloon K9YO has reported.
Pico Balloon K9YO reported at 23:10 UTC at Grid QN83OT, east of Nemuro, Japan over the North Pacific Ocean. K9YO reported at an altitude of 12,240 meters, 40,147 feet.
K9YO at Grid QN83OT, altitude 40,147 feet
Below is the general area where K9YO reported. The yellow line is called the Day/Night Change Line.
Below is the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model. The good news is we’re expecting our 4th circumnavigation around December 6th, the not so good news, it looks like we’ll be flying in the dark and not reporting till around December 5th. Pico Balloon K9YO is still reporting as I’m writing this post.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB is also still reporting near Punta Arenas, Chile, South America flying at an altitdue of 10,420 meters, 34,178 feet
KD9UQB near Grid FD26VC , altitude 34,178 feet
KD9UQB near Puntas Arenas, Chile
Below is from Sondehub, W5KUB-115 clicking on “Plots” shows the flight of KD9UQB from the launch on November 24th thru December 2nd 2022 To see the complete flight you would need to change the reporting to 2 weeks.
We’re expecting Pico Balloon KD9UQB to continue around Antarctica
Our Locate and Track page is updated for Pico Balloons K9YO and KD9UQB, 84 hours NOAA Hysplit model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, Sondehub for tracking all Pico Balloons around the world and APRS. The easiest way to track KD9UQB is at Pico Balloons W5KUB Pico Balloon KD9UQB is flying as W5KUB-115. Our Locate and Track page also shows the circumnavigations of all our balloons.
To become a follower of the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade to receive emails of posts when published and comment on our posts please click on the WordPress link on our website https://nibbb.org/ you will be instructed to create a username and password. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions by clicking here Contact Us or through QRZ.
We’re still calling AA6DY MIA, (Missing in Action) and hoping for a report
Pico Balloon K9YO reported at 04:40 UTC at Grid MN83RM near Almatay, Kazakhstan flying at an altitude of 12,540 meters 41,131 feet.
K9YO at Grid MN83RM at 41,131 feet
I suppose this happens when I’m late writing a post, just need to update the data.
Below was the start of my report starting a couple of hours ago.
Pico Balloon K9YO will be moving east over China and possibly North Korea on the way over the Atlantic Ocean towards Canada. If we fly over North Korea during daylight hours, our transmitter will not transmit data. We’re able to see the path of our balloons using the NOAA Hysplit model for 84 hours. This information along with Ventusky for seeing the windspeed at altitude.
Now to the new report.
Pico Balloon K9YO is reporting again on December 2nd at 03:30 UTC at Grid OM79XM, near Beijing, China, Flying at an altitude of 12,420 meters, 40,738 feet
K9YO Grid OM79XM altitude 40,738 feet
It looks like the Pico transmitter will be turning off over North Korea. The transmitter will start sending data once the balloon passes North Korea, and we’re still flying in daylight hours.
Pico Balloon K9YO is on a fast track heading east. Our Prediction based on the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, is that K9YO will be over Canada near Montana around December 5th 2022, and nearing the 4th circumnavigation.
Best Gues of K9YO around December 5th 2022
Our Locate and Track page is partially updated. Ventusky is from December 1st and the APRS is not yet updating for K9YO. The NOAA Hysplit model is current. Clicking on Ventusky and hovering your mouse over that area will show the widspeed. On the lower left hand corner of the page you can change the date, and at the bottom scroll through the time. By clicking on our link will show the windspeed at the altitude the balloon is currently flying which can be seen on the left hand side. By changing the date and time and zooming out will show the balloons direction for up to two weeks in advance. This is just a model and can change. We can accurately predict the direction using NOAA up to 84 hours ahead.
Pico Balloon KD9UQB launched on November 24th from Antarctica was transmitting continously from November 28th till December 2nd 02:42 UTC when the balloon moved north into the sunset towards Argentina.
KD9UQB at Grid DD74XE
Based on the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit model, it looks like Pico Balloon KD9UQB will be skirting the south tip of Argentina and then continuing to circle the Antarctica. Locate and Track
We’ll update APRS soon. You can follow all our balloons on this link APRS for AA6DY, K9YO and KD9UQB the Pico Balloon KD9UQB data changes so quickly, the best way to track is on Sondehub by clicking here W5KUB Pico Balloons Pico Balloon KD9UQB is flying as W5KUB-115.
