VK pico balloon floating in jet-stream

VK pico balloon floating in jet-stream

The solar-powered pico balloon flight PS-31 launched from Melbourne Australia on Saturday January 24, is on its predicted track and now near New Zealand.

The party-type balloon and an Amateur Radio payload floated in a virtual straight line over Wilsons Promontory the southern-most part of mainland Australia, and the northern-east of Tasmania.
Then trackers saw it begin its turn when well south in the sub-antarctic as it crossed for the first time the International Dateline in the Pacific, to head back toward New Zealand.

The latest report had PS-31 travelling at an altitude of near 9,000 metres, and doing well.

The flight has attracted numerous reports as it neared the north island of New Zealand, to fly in as loop before regaining an easterly direction in the Pacific again set to cross the dateline.

The helium-filled balloon launched by Andy Nguyen VK3YT is fitted with a 20mW transmitter on WSPR and JT9 using 30m and 20m.

It if keeps floating, PS-31 will spend Australia Day, January 26, over the Pacific Ocean and is forecast to reach South America.

Earlier its predecessor in the series, PS-30, was launched on December 27 to float for 20 days before coming down in poor weather near Madagascar just east of Africa.

More details can be read with 'New PS-31 pico balloon from VK' which is at: https://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/new-ps-31-pico-balloon-vk

Jim Linton VK3PC







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New Balloon Launched

Smashing Andy,my that was quick getting the next flight off es out! Let us hope this Pico flight will be as successful as the last es perhaps even
more so.Perhaps this one will avoid the damned penguins!! God Speed on this flight,I certainly will be keeping a watch via: QRZ.COM.

Again,the best of luck,
Respectfully, Gregory L. Mitchell-W2MYA,W.Caldwell,N.J. USA

 

Great adventure! Good luck with it all. I wonder if a slightly more powerful WSPR transmitter might be possible in future?

 

On http://picospace.net/tracker/new there are both ps-31 and ps-32. Do they both transmit on the same frequencies, power levels, etc.?

 

Never mind. ps-32 is vk3anh.