Yesterday, we (PT Morgan, the kids, and I) chased a helium balloon for nearly six hours!
Background: two years ago, PT Morgan decided she wanted to get an amateur radio license; which she did. The rest of us followed suit. We got involved with one of the local amateur radio clubs that has a "juniors" group. Yesterday was the second annual "Great Balloon Chase".
The club took a small Styrofoam cooler (because it's very light), painted it bright orange, put in an APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) transmitter, a satellite tracker, and an old dash camera in the cooler, filled a high altitude balloon with helium and turned it loose.
We released it at about 7:30 am and chased the silly thing for the next four hours. It took 2.5 hours to drive home after we found the balloon.
Some stats: * the balloon reached a reported height of 102,635 feet. * The coolest temp reported was -21.7 C (-7.06 F). Strangely enough, this didn't occur at the 102k ft level. It happened at 33,898 ft on the way down. * The lowest pressure reported was 11.26 hPa which is 0.011 atm (standard atmospheres) or 0.16 psi. Standard atmosphere pressure is about 14.69 psi but that changes all day, every day. * The balloon traveled approximately 120 miles (but it's hard to be sure, it didn't take a straight course the entire time) * The fastest the balloon traveled was 63 miles per hour (as reported by the APRS device). Not bad for something without an engine! It's not called "the jet stream" for nothing!
That’s awesome!
Cool data !
Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:12 pm
Pablo
Site Supporter
Location: Everson, WA Joined: Sun Jan 6, 2013 Posts: 28149
Real Name: Ace Winky
Yesterday, we (PT Morgan, the kids, and I) chased a helium balloon for nearly six hours!
Background: two years ago, PT Morgan decided she wanted to get an amateur radio license; which she did. The rest of us followed suit. We got involved with one of the local amateur radio clubs that has a "juniors" group. Yesterday was the second annual "Great Balloon Chase".
The club took a small Styrofoam cooler (because it's very light), painted it bright orange, put in an APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) transmitter, a satellite tracker, and an old dash camera in the cooler, filled a high altitude balloon with helium and turned it loose.
We released it at about 7:30 am and chased the silly thing for the next four hours. It took 2.5 hours to drive home after we found the balloon.
Some stats: * the balloon reached a reported height of 102,635 feet. * The coolest temp reported was -21.7 C (-7.06 F). Strangely enough, this didn't occur at the 102k ft level. It happened at 33,898 ft on the way down. * The lowest pressure reported was 11.26 hPa which is 0.011 atm (standard atmospheres) or 0.16 psi. Standard atmosphere pressure is about 14.69 psi but that changes all day, every day. * The balloon traveled approximately 120 miles (but it's hard to be sure, it didn't take a straight course the entire time) * The fastest the balloon traveled was 63 miles per hour (as reported by the APRS device). Not bad for something without an engine! It's not called "the jet stream" for nothing!
That’s awesome!
Cool data !
This and broke 100K feet. ~20 miles! Nice!!!-
_________________ Why does the Penguin in Batman sound like a duck?
Because the eagle sounds like a hawk.
Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:19 pm
Pablo
Site Supporter
Location: Everson, WA Joined: Sun Jan 6, 2013 Posts: 28149
Real Name: Ace Winky
Did not exactly make my day but was...... Exciting
For a brief moment.
So I make a really tasty BLT midday. Bacon in the air fryer. It is quick easy and tasty. One drawback is the house can get a little rank after perfumy bacon aroma wears off.
My mind kicks into gear. Every so often we have too many lemons or limes. So I put a half in the dishwasher to make everything lemony clean then just throw the remains in the yard waste bin.
We have some pretty dry limes I was about to toss. So put one in the air fryer to get some nice aromas going. Just for a minute or two...
Well I forgot about that lime.
KABOOOOOOOM!
LOUDER THAN HELL!! THE LIME DIDN'T VENT it blew up violently. Threw the hinged door open and sprayed lime ejecta in the kitchen and a spinning half lime skin only on the counter. Rock hard! What amazed me was the violence and sound.
Good thing she wasn't home!
_________________ Why does the Penguin in Batman sound like a duck?
Because the eagle sounds like a hawk.
Last edited by Pablo on Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:44 pm
MadPick
Site Admin
Location: Renton, WA Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 Posts: 51919
Real Name: Steve
"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:41 am
Rix86
Site Supporter
Location: Shelton Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 Posts: 5837
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