We launched 2 balloons this morning AA6DY using the U4B tracker from QRP Labs and KD9ITO using our tracker. For both trackers we used Polycrystalline solar panels on a styrofoam plate. We have yet to hear from these 2 balloons. We still need to document our launches and learn to overcome our shortcomings.

We gathered this morning at 8:30 a.m. at Willow Hill Golf Course in Northbrook, Illinois which sits on a former landfill. We chose this site because it sits high above the surrounding buildings. Joining us this morning is the Mulley Clan, Doug KD9TPM, his three children, Gordie KD9TVR, his two older sisters Kelsie KE9SLI and Kyli and their Grandfather Bob KD9TVS, Stewart Spies KB9LM and his Grandson Remy, Jim Janiak KD9UQB, Michael Seedman AA6DY and myself Cary Willis KD9ITO

While we’re still gathering information to see where we failed, what we do know is both trackers were working and getting a WSPR signal after they were programmed from Michael’s house. We’re all having difficulty working with these polycrystalline solar panels, breaking easily during the soldering process. We have our team working on a solution for securing the tracker to the solar panel package and using other solar panels.

While we were high on a hill for the launch, we were still dealing with some wind gusts and a slow lift of the balloon. The Styrofoam plate had some difficulty getting off the ground.

We were using the BalloonsOnline 32″ Silver Sphere which was prepared the day before to give time for the super glue to set. We’re flying using Hydrogen and 6 grams of free lift.

Happy Ramadan, Good Friday and Happy Passover to all. After surviving a long stretch of heavy winds, we finally had a calm morning and an opportunity to launch. With not a lot of prep time, some quick programming of the tracker and missing my call sign by just a few numbers, we are calling this one a test flight of a new balloon. Launched at 7:30 this morning from Highland Park IL and reaching a high altitude of 9,000 feet before we lost contact near Ann Arbor Michigan.

We consider a successful flight anytime we go past the launch site. In December of 2021 and February of 2022 we were able to achieve long flights of 19 days and 10 days using a $2, 32″ pillow shaped Chinese made balloon.

Now that we’ve had the taste of a long flight, we want to go higher and farther.

We’ve been testing may different balloons since we started flying in September of 2021. From September through November, we were flying the $3.50, Qualatex balloon flying as far as near Baltimore Maryland. Where we believe the Secret Service may have taken us down flying close to the White House, or it could have been that we were losing altitude pretty steadily. I like the Secret Service story.

In Pico Ballooning, we have this sweet spot that we’re trying to achieve. Flying above 40,000 feet, above the clouds and the weather. The available volume of the balloon plays an important part of achieving the sweet spot. Taking into consideration the weight of the package, tracker, solar panels, antenna and other components, adding enough free lift clear obstacles and reach maximum available altitude. While we’re still working on a smaller and lighter package, we have ordered the larger volume sphere balloons which we are now testing.

All of our balloons were never intended for the purpose of long flight at high altitudes. They’re advertised for re-use for weddings and parties. These new balloons we’ve been testing have shorter valves not easily heat sealed, so we need to find other ways to seal after filling and with the short valve, a way to connect a fishing line to hold the package. We ordered two sets of balloons of similar properties, 4 panel 32″ sphere balloons, from Yokohama in Japan and from Balloons Online in the U.S. manufactured by SAG.

Our first purchase was the Crystal Clear Yokohama 32″ Sphere priced at $22 each with shipping which was $100 for 10 balloons. We still have about 18 of these balloons in stock.

I next ordered 2 – Silver 32″ Sphere Orbs balloons from balloons online manufactured by SAG. The first one is still sitting in a tree in Highland Park which we still hope to recover the tracker. These are similarly priced to Yokohama but saving on shipping which can be free on a quantity of 10.

The SAG balloon was launched today and lost after 90 minutes of flight.

I also ordered and received another Chinese made balloon labeled 32″ Sphere which is only 2 panels with a longer neck for heat sealing. We’ll have to run some tests for durability and volume. This balloon is 16″ wide, 30″ long and a long fill valve pictured below. The price was about $26 for 10 balloons.

Travelling around the globe maybe calls for a little bit of luck, being in the right place at the right time and following the successes of others.

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73, Cary KD9ITO

It’s February 23rd and it’s been a while since I’ve written here. A lot has happened since our last launch. We continue to look for that perfect day, nice, sunny and mild winds. We are still having regular meetings as a small technical group, and thinking about where we want to go with our project. After reading the weekly email from the ARRL which introduced the upcoming Youth on the Air (YOTA) camp at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Ohio. I suggested to Michael that we send a balloon kit for them to launch at camp this June. That led to an email to the camp director and a follow up phone conversation with the team that leads the Pico Balloon project at YOTA camp.

While we’re still new and learning about Pico Balloons I had a nice conversation last night with Tom McElroy W4SDR and his son Jack McElroy KM4ZIA. Tom and his family have been launching Pico Balloons for over 10 years, one of which had flown for 81 days circumventing the globe 4 1/2 times. Tom, who had visited our website before our talk and shared his difficulty in finding the right weather for a successful launch. After we spoke I went to their QRZ pages which I hope you will as well to see how this family has gotten together to share our Pico Balloon Hobby with our youth. We will be sending our Pico Balloon package to Tom for them to launch at YOTA camp in June. After we spoke I went back to QRZ to look up his daughter Audrey KM4BUN. Audrey at a very young age produced a YouTube sharing how to make a Pico Balloon. I realized that we had viewed her video when we were first researching Pico Balloons last June. You can follow Audrey, Jack and Tom on QRZ the Team Leads of the YOTA Pico Balloon project.

Tom had shared about being ready to launch on a moments notice. When they were ready to give up because of the wind and night had fallen. Audrey came running into the house saying the winds had died down, they need to launch now. Well now meant preparing the balloon and launching at night, then 81 days and 4 1/2 times around the globe, that was last March.

I shared this conversation in an email with Michael and John for things that we can look forward to. I received a call from Michael this morning that it was a nice sunny day with no wind. After checking windy.com we agreed to meet after he prepared the transmitter package and balloons. While on the road heading north from Chicago I received 2 calls from Michael suggesting we change the launch site to the Northbrook Court parking lot, that was in the general direction where I was going. Then the 2nd call, the Northbrook Court parking lot was under construction which would send us to our last launch site in Highland Park, IL. When I arrived Michael and Roberta Seedman were waiting for me. Michael and I to launch and Roberta to take pictures. He got out of his car and into mine and said what do you think.

Our Sunny day became a partly cloudy day. If we launch into the clouds, the moisture will bring our balloon down. Should we risk it or should we wait. We decided to fold ’em and walk away. We still have our package ready to launch and the $3.00 in balloons is what it cost us to wait for better days.

We have our team working on new launch sites and weather conditions, and who knows, on a moments notice we have the ability to act.

Thanks to the McElroy family for sharing their project with us.

73, Cary KD9ITO