June 20th 2022 W9BLN and KB9LM

June 20, 2022June 21, 2022 / Cary Willis, KD9ITO / Leave a comment

We launched W9BLN and KB9LM on June 19th and only heard from W9BLN, until this evening. We are now tracking two balloons. KB9LM started transmitting at 12:32 UTC this morning and last transmitted near Birmingham Alabama, at 23:12 UTC at Gridsquare EM63lr Is it a ghost? we’ll find out tomorrow.

W9BLN last transmitted at 23:28 UTC at Gridsquare EM54lg Just South of New Albany Mississippi with a new heading going north, at a breakneck speed of 6 knots per hour, W9BLN may be going in circles for a while. W9BLN has been pretty steady at 9,000 meters, just over 29,000 feet.

W9BLN Gridsquare EM54lg Just South of New Albany Mississippi

KB9LM was launched using our board with 7 panel Polycrystalline Solar panels with one breaking before launch and a 36″ clear Chinese balloon.

W9BLN was launched using the QRP-Labs U4B with 7 panel Polycrystalline solar panels with one breaking before lauch and a 36″ clear Chinese balloon.

We’re tracking W9BLN on the QRP-Labs U4B tracking software and KB9LM using wspr.rocks Please go to the tab above “Links to Locate and Track” for tracking these two balloons and the Jetstream on Ventusky.

until tomorrow 73, Cary KD9ITO

W9BLN Day 2, June 20th 2022 12:18 UTC 7:18am CDT

June 20, 2022June 21, 2022 / Cary Willis, KD9ITO / Leave a comment

Good Morning, W9BLN would like to welcome you to Mooresville Alabama Gridsquare EM64NO. Looks like we’re still in a slow moving pattern. QRP-Labs has us flying at 8940 meters around 29,300 feet and travelling at 8 knots.

I’ve updated our Links to Locate tab at the top of the page for Ventusky from Huntsville Alabama at 9,000 meters so everyone can follow our balloon.

Over Mooresville Alabama 29,300 feet travelling at 8 knots

73, Cary KD9ITO

W9BLN June 19th 2022 23:38 UTC

June 19, 2022June 20, 2022 / Cary Willis, KD9ITO / Leave a comment

The sun will be setting soon and we are on a slow path going south. Have you ever been to Santa Claus Indiana? W9BLN is just north of Santa’s place, Gridsquare EM68MF

We’ve been holding pretty steady at close to 9,000 meters right around 29,500 feet.

Looks like we’ll be touring the United States for a while, heading south towards the Gulf of Mexico. Will we move West towards Mexico? East towards Cuba? or back North for more of the United States? Go to the tab on our website, links to locate and track, find our current location and the Ventusky link to track W9BLN’s possible course.

I’ll check back with you in the morning.

June 19 2022 Father’s Day Launch, Tracking W9BLN

June 19, 2022June 21, 2022 / Cary Willis, KD9ITO / Leave a comment

We met this morning at 8:00 am CDT to launch 2 balloons, our own tracker using callsign KB9LM for Stewart Spies and the QRP Labs U4B tracker using callsign W9BLN for John Walsh. We haven’t heard from KB9LM but are currently tracking W9BLN at 9000 meters (29,500 feet) altitude at 30 knots speed 17:48 UTC. http://qrp-labs.com/track/20313_W9BLN.html

Both tracker packages came in just over 10 grams, one balloon was filled to 17.4 grams the other at 17.7 grams, almost 7 grams lighter than our previous successful launches. Both trackers used the polycystalline solar panels and 36″ clear Chinese made balloons purchased from the Party World Store at around $2 each.

Michael Seedman AA6DY has spent countless hours designing, building and testing these trackers and solar panels. It’s really a great feeling watching our balloon take flight.

We’re currently tracking W9BLN near Morroco Indiana on the Illinois Indiana border at 29,000 feet.

Assisting in our launch today were Michael Seedman AA6DY and his daughter Danielle Seedman KD9PAP, John Walsh W9BLN and his son Collin, Stewart Spies KB9LM, Jim Janiak KD9UQB and myself, Cary Willis KD9ITO

Wishing everyone a happy Father’s Day I will update this site prior to sundown

73, Cary KD9ITO