SSTV High Altitude Balloon Event in NY June 29

What was the cost involved in this?

 

Good question. I made up a spreadsheet and total cost was around $600. However future missions will cost less since we can reuse things like the parachute, radios, raspberry pi...

 

Where does one buy weather balloons, parachutes, etc? And what was that circular paddle like thing? Is that some sort of visibility or radar marker?

 

I got my balloons from highaltitudescience.com , the parachute is a rocketman 4ft I got from amazon. You are correct, the golden paddle like thing is a radar reflector that allows aircraft to see our balloon on their radar (just in case). By the way, special QSL cards went out in the mail yesterday!

 

Thank you for the card It was a nice surprise

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Thus the importance of payload recovery!

 

So where do we send donations to get the next one going?

 

Maybe I can set up a GoFundMe. I justified this launch by thinking I'd make a positive impact on the ham radio community and also get my local community interested in science....and I don't have a spouse/girlfriend haha!

 

My club helps out with a high school club (they contacted us for help initially) that does balloon launches. See: https://www.facebook.com/teamarsa/. They have a budget and we have the ham radio expertise. A great partnership. Perhaps there is a high school or middle school in your area that would be interested. They key is finding the right teacher who is motivated.

 

We haven't had too much luck contacting schools with STEM programs, to get them
interested in amateur radio. There is a club in the Milwaukee area that is putting together
a setup to conform to the ARISS program. Hoping to get schools involved and get selected
for a talk with an astronaut. A HAB project would be another way to generate some
excitement in science, I would think. Yeah, have to get a teacher or school system to
get on board.

When I found out the cost of helium, I offered to donate to the WisconsinHAB group.
The guy in charge didn't want any money, as he had the same idea as Gary KD2PYB,
as far as generating interest and excitement. Maybe next time around he'll accept something.

Perhaps you can charge someone to go in space, like Richard Branson and Virgin Galatic?
Did Team ARSA let this person ride for free??

 

Oh wow, just saw this one from 2016!
Also liked the rear view mirror showing the balloon. Never would have thought of that.

 

Keep us posted if you do.

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Thank you sir for the card!

 

Yes Indeed! Thank you for the card! That was an unexpected treat in my mailbox yesterday. (My paycheck from work was a treat too but I was expecting that!)
Thanks. Cool photo too!
Here is a link of my own autonomous (unexpected) aerial videography. Maybe not as high as your balloons altitude but much too high none the less!
I like all kinds of things that fly! Birds, Frisbees, Paper Airplanes , Kites, Gliders , Rotors, Projectiles. pyrotechnics, balloons/dirigibles everything except the price of fuel!
With today's technology it is as easy as taking things right off the shelf.
You too can fly along in first person view too!