Via ARVic, original post here.

The flight launched on Saturday October 10 by Andy VK3YT is the latest in his series of small balloons over the last two years to carry an Amateur Radio payload.  This solar powered party balloon with a 25mW transmitter on 20m and 30m used the weak-signal modes of WSPR and JT9.

It took a zig-zag course over Eastern Victoria, then headed north to Wallaga Lake in New South Wales leaving the Australian mainland, went near Lowe Howe Island, north of New Zealand and across the International Dateline.

It was tracked by stations in VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, ZL1 and ZL2, with stateside observations including John AK4AT Virginia, Jim K4COD Georgia and Jim W3BH Pennsylvania.  This US trio also tracked Andy’s pico balloons PS-53 and PS-54, both released while he was working recently at San Jose, California.

Then PS-55 put out a JT9 transmission, with Jim W3BH receiving it, confirming that the small balloon had descended, half way between Australia and South America, and after a 3-day flight was declared lost.