All roads lead to Rome.

Hardly surprising that winds do too. And the winds, why, back in the day, the Romans really knew how to build them!

Andre... Did you lose Another drone? .jpg

I've been seeing more and more of these on APRS. I thought the majority of them were funded by colleges not individuals. I bet if I built one I could get it as far as the Gulf....

Redwing:
This one splashed down in the Mediterranean, it was about 50 miles north of Algeria when it dropped. Wonder if it got shot down?

I doubt it. It was doing about 160 mph at over 110,000 feet when it started falling. I'm not sure that Algeria would spend that much money shooting at something that was beaconing it's location, speed, and altitude in the clear. Seems like it would be a major waste of money.

spickus: I've been seeing more and more of these on APRS. I thought the majority of them were funded by colleges not individuals. I bet if I built one I could get it as far as the Gulf....

I haven't been looking on APRS recently. Maybe I should start. Maybe I should haul the KPC-3 out of the basement and hook it back up. I've tried the software based packet reception, and it does work, but not as good as an actual TNC.

Did they buy it with their credit card points?

SithLord: Did they buy it with their credit card points?

Hams have been doing this since before credit cards.

BTW, the same group, with a different balloon, set an altitude record of 136,545 feet. Pretty amazing.

dittybopper: SithLord: Did they buy it with their credit card points?

Hams have been doing this since before credit cards.

BTW, the same group, with a different balloon, set an altitude record of 136,545 feet. Pretty amazing.

It's a reference to an annoying Citi credit card commercial about a group of metrosexual dudes who go out with a weather balloon. One of them proclaims, "You bought a weather balloon, with points?" To which the primary douche for which the commercial is centered replies, "Sure did."

SithLord: dittybopper: SithLord: Did they buy it with their credit card points?

Hams have been doing this since before credit cards.

BTW, the same group, with a different balloon, set an altitude record of 136,545 feet. Pretty amazing.

It's a reference to an annoying Citi credit card commercial about a group of metrosexual dudes who go out with a weather balloon. One of them proclaims, "You bought a weather balloon, with points?" To which the primary douche for which the commercial is centered replies, "Sure did."

I know what it is: I've seen the commercial. I was just pointing out that we've been launching these things for decades now. In fact, I think they were being launched by hams at least as early as the late 1950's: The QST article that started the spark to get OSCAR-1 built, the first ham radio satellite launched in 1961, mentioned a ham radio repeater being built for balloon flights, and it half tongue-in-cheek asked if anyone had a spare rocket for orbiting purposes, back in 1959.

dittybopper: Redwing:
This one splashed down in the Mediterranean, it was about 50 miles north of Algeria when it dropped. Wonder if it got shot down?

I doubt it. It was doing about 160 mph at over 110,000 feet when it started falling. I'm not sure that Algeria would spend that much money shooting at something that was beaconing it's location, speed, and altitude in the clear. Seems like it would be a major waste of money.

Well, if I knew its location, speed, and altitude, it would definitely make it a lot easier to shoot it down. Just sayin'.

dittybopper: spickus: I've been seeing more and more of these on APRS. I thought the majority of them were funded by colleges not individuals. I bet if I built one I could get it as far as the Gulf....

I haven't been looking on APRS recently. Maybe I should start. Maybe I should haul the KPC-3 out of the basement and hook it back up. I've tried the software based packet reception, and it does work, but not as good as an actual TNC.

I haven't played with APRS a lot myself, but back in the spring my alma matter's amateur radio club launched a high altitude balloon during a festival. It went maybe 70 miles, but it was still pretty neat. Someday I'll go and mess with APRS on my own a bit more.

Also, anyone interested can look at the balloon's path on this map. This also was updated periodically before it sank.

CCCarnie: dittybopper: Redwing:
This one splashed down in the Mediterranean, it was about 50 miles north of Algeria when it dropped. Wonder if it got shot down?

I doubt it. It was doing about 160 mph at over 110,000 feet when it started falling. I'm not sure that Algeria would spend that much money shooting at something that was beaconing it's location, speed, and altitude in the clear. Seems like it would be a major waste of money.

Well, if I knew its location, speed, and altitude, it would definitely make it a lot easier to shoot it down. Just sayin'.

Not necessarily. It's small enough that it probably wouldn't show up very well on radar, and I have my doubts as to whether a dirt poor nation would shoot one of it's very expensive long range antiaircraft missiles at an obviously civilian target that is in international airspace.

dittybopper:

Not necessarily. It's small enough that it probably wouldn't show up very well on radar, and I have my doubts as to whether a dirt poor nation would shoot one of it's very expensive long range antiaircraft missiles at an obviously civilian target that is in international airspace.

Yeah, I don't actually think they did shoot it down. I just know if I had the ability to and someone gave me the numbers to do it, the physicist in me would want to see if I could predict where it would be at a given time. And if I know that, it'd be even more fun to try to shoot it down at that spot. Like clay shooting, but more awesome.