We’re still waiting for W9BLN to report, meanwhile we’re still getting reports for KB9LM
I’m a little puzzled on what’s really going on with KB9LM, following KB9LM on WSPR.Rocks
For those that are following our launches, we hope that you can help solve this mystery.
KB9LM moved into Grid DL79 on June 23rd near Chihuahua Mexico and has stayed there. Since June 23rd, KB9LM has been transmitting intermittently, receiving stations sometimes for 1 hour a day, sometimes 5 hours a day, until today.
KB9LM starting transmitting today on July 1st and was received 22 times starting at 10:42 am CDT and last at 6:22 pm CDT. KB9LM was only received by 3 Grid locations throughout this 8 hour period from northwest of Oakland California, just west of San Jose California and Los Angeles California, all along the coast of the Pacific Ocean as seen in the map below.
We’ll continue to look for W9BLN heading east from Nova Scotia, Canada and for KB9LM. We’re not sure if KB9LM is actually at the same Grid, but it’s good to know our Polycrystalline Solar Panel package is still working.
Just wanted to keep you updated, comments welcome 73, Cary
We launched W9BLN and KB9LM on June 19th 2022 from Northbrook, IL, 30 minutes apart. These balloons took a different path, south, around the Gulf of Mexico and over the Atlantic Ocean and the other southwest. W9BLN after 9 days left the United States and headed Northeast over the Atlantic Ocean. We are now 11 days into our flight.
We have not heard from W9BLN today which had last reported yesterday after surving an area storm around Nova Scotia Cananda. We believe that there are still storms and high clouds which may be preventing W9BLN from transmitting and discovering the location. We’ll continue to monitor tomorrow for wakeup.
We have previously reported that KB9LM was transmitting intermittently at Grid DL79 near Chihuahua Mexico. We did hear from KB9LM last night from June 29th 20:52 UTC to June 30th 00:42 UTC, June 29th, 3:52 pm to 7:42 pm CDT yesterday and just started again today, June 30th at 22:02 UTC, 5:02 pm CDT and still transmitting at Grid DL79. We’ll continue to monitor KB9LM for transmissions and movement. The receiving Amateur Radio Stations are now between 1700 Km and 2200 Km from KB9LM. What we thought was KB9LM transmitting from a tree is showing a power rating between .001 and .002 which shows an altitude between 3,000 and 6,000 meters.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a flight that lasted more than a couple of days. Our Technical Team is continuously working on our Pico trackers, software, building our solar panel packages and antennas in preparation of our future launches.
We now have 23 followers that receive these posts by email and are able to comment, we do welcome your comments.
I should start off with the good news so you can keep on reading. We’re still flying!!
We’re now at 10 days and 7 hours of flight, and what a day. We started out this morning over the Atlantic Ocean, about 700 Km due east of Delaware. W9BLN now asleep at Grid GN01AT just south of Nova Scotia.
I’ve been following the balloon most of the day and found a big sudden drop in altitude starting at 2:15 pm. We were dropping 1,000 meters every 10 minutes down to 5100 meters. After texting with Michael and John, we discovered there was a storm in the area. We did eventually pass the storm and have last reported at 6900 meters. It’s still pretty chilly up there, and with a wet and drying balloon, we’ll hopefully be back at our regular altitude tomorrow morning.
I’m guessing we travelled around 500 Km today, slowed down a little by the storm. Below is our track for today.
W9BLN 500 Km South of Glace Bay Nova Scotia. Some may be asking how I know that? there’s map tools in the WSPR Rocks program with a ruler that measures distance from one point to another.
During our last two long balloon flights, we were participating in a Guess the Grid Square contest. Though it was fun to watch how close some of the participants came to the Grid Square on wakening, not many actually participated. To make it easier for everyone to try this out, I added information on how to play the game on our Links to Locate and Track tab on the menu tabs on our website. Several programs have to used to be able to get closest to the Grid Square. Ventusky gives us the speed and direction of the Jetstream at a certain altitude by date and time. WSPR Rocks gives us the tools to measure distance travelled using a ruler from map tools that is opened when you click the balloon. The tools are available in the maps section, and there are instructions how to get there. I use the Grid Mapper program to get an idea the geography of the area, and a variety of weather programs to follow clouds and storms. Guessing where it may wake up, finding out when sunrise is at that area and when the tracker package will have enough sunlight to power it up. Seems easy enough. If you feel more comfortable, you can play as a team,
This is the Ventusky link for tomorrows travels based on where we are now Jetstream near Nova Scotia June 30th 6am The other links you would need are on our Links to Locate and Track.
If you have any questions on the instructions on playing the game, just send me a note.
I expect wake up around 6am, but it may be ealier, or it may be later.
Get your 6 Character Grid Square in to me by 10:00pm this evening to particpate in tomorrows Guess the Grid Square. Either send me an email or click on Contact Us at the top of the website page, make sure you tell me who you are.
We’re coming up on 10 days of flight. W9BLN woke at 10:38 UTC 6:38am CDT at Grid FM68KP about 700Km directly east off the coast of Delaware heading northeast.
The Jetstream will continue northeast, looks like tomorrow we’re headed towards Madrid This link will show the Jetstream on Ventusky for tomorrow morning Jetstream Thursday June 30th 6am
Our balloon is now reporting an altitude of 31,500 feet. Looking really good
After 9 days and 8 hours, we finally made it over the Atlantic Ocean, Grid FM26SH at 22:48 UTC 5:48 pm. We’re close to 29,000 feet last reported at 38 knots. Hopefully we’ll continue northeast to that fast Jetstream
Now that we’re moving east, the morning is coming earlier
W9BLN was awake at Grid FM05sb near Salemburg, North Carolina at 11:38 UTC, 6:38 am CDT. Over almost 9 days we took a nice trip over a big circle over of the United States and we’re ready to move on. W9BLN is now heading east near Kenansville, North Carolina, about 70 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.
We’re going to be watching this carefuly today, expecting to move a little south over the ocean then change direction and go northeast towards Paris, France or Southeast towards Casablaca. As we are getting closer to the Atlantic Ocean, we lost a little altitude and are now rising to 22,000 feet.
After my report last night, we were seeing some activity for KB9LM, at 00:32 UTC June 28th, that was 7:32 pm June 27th, still in the Grid of DL79 over northern Mexico, but reporting up to 6,000 feet in altitude. We are still watching KB9LM. The reporting started closer to 10:00 am yesterday, so we’ll be watching for more activity from KB9LM later this morning.
We are now 8 days and 9 hours into our flight. W9BLN has last reported at Grid EM75HN just north of Chattanooga, Tennessee, at 23:18 UTC 6:18 pm CDT. We had a nice flight today reaching as high as 32,000 feet at 32 knots, we were cook’n today.
Where are we’re headed? that’s the $64,000 question. We need Ventusky to help us out. If we head a little north we’ll hit that fast Jetstream towards the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. If we head a little south, possibly towards Florida and we’ll have to wait and see. You can click here for tomorrow’s Jetstream from Chattanooga Jetstream Tuesday 6/28
We’ve been covering a lot of miles, and going, well in a big circle, here’s our track from June 19th
The other interesting news is that KB9LM is still reporting. Yes, still reporting, last at 00:32 June 28th UTC 7:32 pm CDT from the same Grid DL79. Our best guess is that KB9LM is transmitting from a tree, antenna still intact, will wonders never cease.
We’re around 7 days and 23 hours of flight. Good News, we’re in the Memphis Tennessee area. South of near over Nesbit, Tennessee and heading east. We are near Memphis, wondering if there is a song out there, “We’re heading east from Nesbit over Hwy 269”
While we’re working on that song, we’re still at 29,000 feet and at 16 knots, The tricky part is will we start to head north and find the faster Jetstream, stay east or meander south, Hmm.
From Northbrook, IL south around the Gulf of Mexico, up through Louisiana, and now heading east from Memphis
I wanted to share where the Jetstream is headed from where we are. I updated the Links to Locate and Track for Ventusky towards Richmond Virginia, so you can see what it looks like around there.
We’re now 7 days and 10 hours into our flight for W9BLN. This morning we woke up near Ada, Oklahoma and now at 00:48 UTC June 27th which is 7:48 pm CDT on June 26th, W9BLN is now alseep for night at Grid EM25FS near Muskogee, Oklahoma. We’re leaving Oklahoma soon and heading towards Branson Missouri at close to 40 mph. The Jetstream will be faster the further north we go, though looking at Ventusky we may be heading directly east overnight.
I’ve updated the Ventusky Jetream for tomorrow June 27th at 7:00 am CDT 12:00 UTC which shows the direction we’ll be heading. Please go to Links to Locate and Track at the top right of our website.
At 9:00 this morning we will have been in flight for 7 days
W9BLN woke up this moning near the Chickasaw Nation in Ada, Oklahoma at Grid EL14LB at 13:38 UTC, 7:38am CDT.
W9BLN wake up near the Chickasaw Nation in Ada Oklahoma
We are still flying at 29,000 feet, and receiving from far away. We heard from station VK4CT in Australia at 7:58 am, 13,400 Km away from our balloon.
Will we continue to head north as the Jetstream passes over Chicago, or loop around to Florida and back up towards Nova Scotia, or come around for another loop around the midwest? Click on the Ventusky link and make your predections.
We use UTC for Univeral Time Coordinated so Amateur Radio Stations can communicate at the same time wherever they are around the world. W9BLN has been going to sleep in it’s flight, (instead of sleep walking, we’re sleep flying) starting around 7: 38 pm which is 00:38 UTC the next day. We start transmitting again when the sun’s elevation is high enough to power the solar panels and we’re heard by an Amateur Radio Station.
Our Links to Locate and Track tab on our menu tabs has been updated for tonight’s Jetstream for 6/27, 00:00 UTC, 7:00p.m. hover your mouse over the map to see the speed and direction of the Jetstream at 9,000 meters. I’ve added another link in our Links to Locate and Track to follow the other QRP-Labs U4B Balloons and trackers that are flying around the world.
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Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade 