Thanks to the generosity of both Robert Goulden, KJ7VBX who is donating a Pico Balloon with tracker and Rick Cooper, K7CNT who is making the tracker, the Young Ladies Radio League will be launching its first unmanned balloon during the Yuma Hamfest Feb. 15, 2025! Robert, Rick and Vicki Zumwalt, N6KLS, YLRL President, are all members of the Hualapai Amateur Radio Club (HARC), in Kingman, AZ, home of Route 66. The Pico Balloon is very delicate and Robert must stretch it carefully in a room that is humidified for about one week. Once carefully stretched the balloon is filled with hydrogen gas and delicately transported between two thick blankets. Rick builds the tracker and inserts the call sign, which will be K4LMB, in honor of the Young Ladies Radio League. Details of this balloon: The tracker is a TRAQUITO and will be transmitting over WSPR protocol at 20mw power output on 10 meters. It's solar powered so we can expect transmissions during the day light. Total weight is 12 grams. Hydrogen gas will fill this 32" clear spherical Yokohama balloon. For ease of handling we used a 10m wire dipole antenna with a tail 8 feet on each side of the tracker. Prior to launch we notified the Yuma air base of our intent to launch this Amateur Radio Pico Balloon and were able to gain their permission through providing specifications of the unmanned balloon, altitude expected and destination expected-circumnavigate the world many times if the balloon, weather and conditions cooperates! Sometimes it takes a few days before we will hear transmissions which are a digital signal decoded through WSJT-X software. Once it starts transmitting a link will be posted on QRZ N4LMB page for your ease in tracking it. Robert and Rick have been very successful in launching several balloons that have circumnavigated the world multiple times and we look forward to following our balloon! There have been times when these balloons stopped tracking for months and all of a sudden started up again, or got caught over Greenland and stayed there for months! It will be another great experiment for us in the many facets of Amateur Radio! My thanks to all who donated product, time and participated in this project! 33 and 88, Vicki Zumwalt, N6KLS President YLRL
