Long range amateur "party balloon" (or other) tracking systems using
(mainly) amateur WSPRNET.
Interestig both as-is and for possible other applications.

Transatlantic (USA- Europe) flights of up to over 10,000km have been
achieved and tracked.

Hackaday


http://hackaday.com/2015/10/02/party-balloon-crosses-atlantic-tours-europe-=
phones-home/

WSPRnet

I I have not read details - Amateur licence required to use if 'ham bands'
used. But may be able to be used with other licences or licence free if net
operators cooperated.

*The Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network is a group of amateur radio
operators using K1JT's MEPT_JT digital mode to probe radio frequency
propagation conditions using very low power (QRP/QRPp) transmissions. The
software is open source, and the data collected are available to the public
through this site.*

    http://wsprnet.org/drupal/

_____________

*Flight S-4, 21-Aug-2015*

This is flight VE3KCL S-4 at 10,288 km but others also on site and kitsets
to DIY your own at good prices.

Map is Googlabet based and can be zoomed and dragged.

Smoothness / lack of granularity of trace during large portions of
transat;lantic section suggest only occaqsional position updates (as might
be expected).

Two foil "party" balloons filled with hydrogen. Launched 21-Aug-2015 13:40
UT. The balloon crossed the Atlantic quickly at around 8,000m altitude. It
crossed France, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland,
Estonia, Sweden again, Norway, and finally landed in the Norwegian sea. The
flight lasted almost 6 days and travelled over 10,000km.

    http://qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/ve3kcl-balloons/ve3kcl-s4.html

____________________

Flight S5 has more 'narration'

    http://qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/ve3kcl-balloons/ve3kcl-s5.html


_____________________

QRP labs shop

Prices appear excessively reasonable :-)

     http://qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/ve3kcl-balloons.html
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