MIAMI RADIO AMATEURS WILL BE LAUNCHING FOUR HIGH ALTITUDE BALLONS. SHOULD CIRCUMNAVIGATE PLANET.

All this discussion about ADS-B program and other ATC matters is OFF TOPIC, COMPLETELY FOREIGN TO AMATEUR RADIO and FUTILE. It belongs at another forum, ie. https://discussions.flightaware.com/c/flightaware/ads-b-flight-tracking.
The purpose of the Miami Florida Florida Hams is described at our website at: https://sites.google.com/view/miamihab/home and I quote from it (in case you have not read it:
Miami florida Radio Amateurs promoting their hobby and our children's education in Science, Technology, Engineering & math (STEM). That is what this project is all about and nothing else!
With regards to all 73
Juan /K4LCD

 

To my colleagues Radio Amateurs:
You can use our MIAMI HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON CIRCUMNAVIGATING PROJECT (MIAMI HAB) to promote our hobby and our children's education in Science, Technology, Engineering & math (STEM) by simply showing the youth in your family, your school or your community organization how to follow the preparation of each of our Balloon launches, the launches, if they are successful or not and track each voyage and its telemetry information.
Simply show them how to use these links with their browsers at their iPhones, Cell Phones, Laptops or computers using Apple or Windows.
To access the uTrak Telemetry Dashboard: https://utlm.loetlabor-jena.de/index.php?flight=0x13
To access HABHUB tracker: https://tracker.habhub.org/#!mt=roadmap&mz=6&qm=1_day&f=DC2EH-14&q=!RS_*; (with this link you and them will be able to see all the balloon activity going on anywhere in the world.)
Suggest to them that they share this information with their Science Teacher and friends; and, you can play an important role in explaining to them what is going on and the role that Radio Amateurs are playing in all this. You can join your children and grandchildren in the project.
Finally, each of you the Licensed Radio Amateur, can undertake at your club or with other Ham friends a similar Balloon project.
With regards 73,
Juan /K4LCD

 

Please continue to visit MIAMI HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON CIRCUMNAVIGATING PROJECT (MIAMI HAB) website at: https://sites.google.com/view/miamihab/home for our frequent updates. Thank you.
With regards 73,
Juan /K4LCD

 

No APRS?

 

Thank you Steven.
APRS-wise, the WSPR-telemetry will be converted and spotted to APRS-IS (via a service hosted on server http://utlm.loetlabor-jena.de/
For complete information, please visit our website at: https://sites.google.com/view/miamihab/home
With regards 73,
Juan /K4LCD

 

Read somewhere on the internet that an estimated 70000 party balloons accidentally get released by kids and party goers every year.
Just over the U.S. alone.
Without lights or ADS-B transponders on them....
Just to bring things into perspective.

 

Thank you.

These are interesting links to launches of Pico Balloons. The first one being at the 2019 Dayton Hamvention:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This Month in QST/May2017/GLIFORT.pdf



With regards and 73,

Juan K4LCD Please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/miamihab/home

 

So Juan... if all of your friends jumped off a bridge...……………………

 

Thank you Jeff.

..but, I do not have any friends that would consider jumping off a bridge..

With regards and 73,

Juan K4LCD Please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/miamihab/home

 

From the FAA notification to airmen.

Any airspace that requires the use of a Transponder today will on January 01, 2020 also require aircraft to be equipped with a Version 2 ADS-B Out system. This can be either a 1090ES (DO-260B) ADS-B system or a UAT (DO-282B) ADS-B system.

For aircraft operating above FL180 (18,000 ft.) or to comply with ADS-B mandates outside the United States, you must be equipped with a Mode-S transponder-based ADS-B transmitter. For aircraft operating below 18,000 ft. and within the United States ADS-B rule airspace, you must be equipped with either a Mode-S transponder-based ADS-B transmitter or with UAT equipment.

 

https://medium.com/loonar-technolog...h-altitude-balloon-to-near-space-742a0acf0c45

Explains the exemption to the FAA regulations.

Your payload is less than four pounds

• Or, your payload is less than six pounds and the smallest surface is more than 36 square inches (6 inches by 6 inches)

• If you have two payloads, they weigh less than 12 pounds together

• If you have a rope, it takes less than 50 pounds of force to break it off (just don’t use carbon fiber, regular rope should be fine).

 

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Thank you

Imagine that!

Our party balloon payloads weigh approximately TEN GRAMS (There are 28 grams in One Ounce).

With regards 73,

Juan /K4LCD

 

FYI: Also the FAA is making it very clear that they're using the word "aircraft" generically and not differentiating lighter-than-air craft, there's a lot of discussion about this on Aviation forums.
The only distinction is if you have an aircraft (by aircraft the FAA states antique airplane or balloon) that was build with no electrical system and was not updated. So any thing with battery, solar panel or generator is now classified as having an electrical system (as of 1/1/2020)

Maybe that's why the party balloons are exempt, LOL

 

Hey Juan,
I'd suggest you give https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-i...09434073c2&mc=true&node=sp14.2.101.d&rgn=div6 a read.
Just in case you don't feel like clicking the link, here's the text of it:

§101.33 Operating limitations.
No person may operate an unmanned free balloon—

(a) Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, below 2,000 feet above the surface within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for an airport;

(b) At any altitude where there are clouds or obscuring phenomena of more than five-tenths coverage;

(c) At any altitude below 60,000 feet standard pressure altitude where the horizontal visibility is less than five miles;

(d) During the first 1,000 feet of ascent, over a congested area of a city, town, or settlement or an open-air assembly of persons not associated with the operation; or

(e) In such a manner that impact of the balloon, or part thereof including its payload, with the surface creates a hazard to persons or property not associated with the operation.

[Doc. No. 1457, 29 FR 47, Jan. 3, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 101-5, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17, 1991]



§101.35 Equipment and marking requirements.
(a) No person may operate an unmanned free balloon unless—

(1) It is equipped with at least two payload cut-down systems or devices that operate independently of each other;

(2) At least two methods, systems, devices, or combinations thereof, that function independently of each other, are employed for terminating the flight of the balloon envelope; and

(3) The balloon envelope is equipped with a radar reflective device(s) or material that will present an echo to surface radar operating in the 200 MHz to 2700 MHz frequency range.

The operator shall activate the appropriate devices required by paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section when weather conditions are less than those prescribed for operation under this subpart, or if a malfunction or any other reason makes the further operation hazardous to other air traffic or to persons and property on the surface.

(b) No person may operate an unmanned free balloon below 60,000 feet standard pressure altitude between sunset and sunrise (as corrected to the altitude of operation) unless the balloon and its attachments and payload, whether or not they become separated during the operation, are equipped with lights that are visible for at least 5 miles and have a flash frequency of at least 40, and not more than 100, cycles per minute.

(c) No person may operate an unmanned free balloon that is equipped with a trailing antenna that requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to break it at any point, unless the antenna has colored pennants or streamers that are attached at not more than 50 foot intervals and that are visible for at least one mile.

(d) No person may operate between sunrise and sunset an unmanned free balloon that is equipped with a suspension device (other than a highly conspicuously colored open parachute) more than 50 feet along, unless the suspension device is colored in alternate bands of high conspicuity colors or has colored pennants or streamers attached which are visible for at least one mile.

(Sec. 6(c), Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1655(c)))

[Doc. No. 1457, 29 FR 47, Jan. 3, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 101-2, 32 FR 5254, Mar. 29, 1967; Amdt. 101-4, 39 FR 22252, June 21, 1974]



§101.37 Notice requirements.
(a) Prelaunch notice: Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate an unmanned free balloon unless, within 6 to 24 hours before beginning the operation, he gives the following information to the FAA ATC facility that is nearest to the place of intended operation:

(1) The balloon identification.

(2) The estimated date and time of launching, amended as necessary to remain within plus or minus 30 minutes.

(3) The location of the launching site.

(4) The cruising altitude.

(5) The forecast trajectory and estimated time to cruising altitude or 60,000 feet standard pressure altitude, whichever is lower.

(6) The length and diameter of the balloon, length of the suspension device, weight of the payload, and length of the trailing antenna.

(7) The duration of flight.

(8) The forecast time and location of impact with the surface of the earth.

(b) For solar or cosmic disturbance investigations involving a critical time element, the information in paragraph (a) of this section shall be given within 30 minutes to 24 hours before beginning the operation.

(c) Cancellation notice: If the operation is canceled, the person who intended to conduct the operation shall immediately notify the nearest FAA ATC facility.

(d) Launch notice: Each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall notify the nearest FAA or military ATC facility of the launch time immediately after the balloon is launched.



§101.39 Balloon position reports.
(a) Each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall:

(1) Unless ATC requires otherwise, monitor the course of the balloon and record its position at least every two hours; and

(2) Forward any balloon position reports requested by ATC.

(b) One hour before beginning descent, each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall forward to the nearest FAA ATC facility the following information regarding the balloon:

(1) The current geographical position.

(2) The altitude.

(3) The forecast time of penetration of 60,000 feet standard pressure altitude (if applicable).

(4) The forecast trajectory for the balance of the flight.

(5) The forecast time and location of impact with the surface of the earth.

(c) If a balloon position report is not recorded for any two-hour period of flight, the person operating an unmanned free balloon shall immediately notify the nearest FAA ATC facility. The notice shall include the last recorded position and any revision of the forecast trajectory. The nearest FAA ATC facility shall be notified immediately when tracking of the balloon is re-established.

(d) Each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall notify the nearest FAA ATC facility when the operation is ended.

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You keep reiterating that your payload is only a few grams, but are you aware of the impact damage a few grams can do to an aircraft traveling at 500 miles an hour or what a balloon sucked into a turbine engine will do at that speed? To put it into perspective, my 168 grain hollowpoint bullets weigh about 10 grams and at 1000 meters it's traveling at ABOUT 500 miles an hour with 153 ftlbs of energy and will easily pierce an aircrafts skin.

IMO your operating within the Class A airspace is both hazardous and reckless and has the potential to bring some very bad publicity to our hobby.

It would be best if you or someone would contact the local FAA field office and supply them with your plans and design and request guidance on it, because as I read the FAA regs (and I'm sure other countries have similar rules and restrictions) what you propose is going to get someone into a world of hurt, and possibly into a huge financial liability.