From ARVic, original post here.

The wind pattern over Australia’s eastern states last weekend had pico balloon PS-60 taking full advantage, but this time the solar powered payload sent VHF and UHF signals at a mere 10mW for tracking.

Andy VK3YT launched a balloon PS-60 on Saturday (January 30), transmitting Automatic Packet Reporting System or APRS on 145.175 MHz, and Olivia 8/250 with Radio Set Identification RSID on 434.649 MHz USB.  PS-60 was released to explore the interesting wind pattern and provide an opportunity for extended local tracking.

Andy VK3YT says the circular wind pattern happens from time to time in various parts of the world, which causes loops like what we have seen.  It is not very common for a balloon to be in right in the middle of one, like in this case.

After days over Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, it looped six times which gave many hours of tracking.  Moving now over the Tasman Sea, New Zealand trackers are now expected to report its location, altitude, the temperature and battery condition.

Meantime, the earlier PS-58 pico balloon on HF, launched from Melbourne on December 29, safely negotiated the infamous Bermuda triangle.  While still in the northern hemisphere it entered Africa at Guinea to exit at Liberia.

The balloon then returned to the Southern Hemisphere, and was heard last heading again back towards South America.  Trackers in North America and South Africa are keeping a watch on the latest progress via the JT9 and WSPR transmissions.

Via the WIA, original post here.

Date : 01 / 02 / 2016
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The Wireless Institute of Australia gave an insight on its operation and the busy agenda, in an address to the Westlakes Amateur Radio Club at Newcastle, New South Wales.  WIA President Phil Wait VK2ASD explained the structure and challenges ahead to about 50 who had gathered at the club rooms in Teralba on Saturday, January 30.

He talked mostly about the big-picture items, such as how the current WIA operates, and the need for Amateur Radio to show it has public value, and therefore better justify its continued access to spectrum.  Covered was the WIA response to the Spectrum Review and why it is important for the future of Amateur Radio, and the WIA’s suggested changes to the Foundation, Standard and Advanced licences.  Phil VK2ASD also emphasised that there was enormous pressure on the spectrum from the new generation of mobile devices and the Internet of Things – all set to grow in coming years.

The WIA Board in all that it does, both in membership services and the time-consuming often hard advocacy, had as its first priority, the advancement of Amateur Radio.  After the presentation the WIA answered about a dozen questions from the floor.  These included the cost of WIA membership, with a general idea that halving the subscription rate could more than double the member number.  Phil VK2ASD explained that the idea was not new, however it was a pretty dangerous exercise if it didn’t work.  The potential of a membership fee reduction for a no-paper Amateur Radio magazine was also discussed, but the saving to the individual by introducing such a measure was not large.

There was a question about the choice of Norfolk Island for the WIA annual general meeting in May.  Phil VK2ASD replied that it ticked all the boxes, was a majority WIA Board decision, but agreed that some perceived that there could be a problem with the choice.

A positive suggestion arising out of the question and answer session, which the WIA will consider, was a reader feedback form in Amateur Radio each year to gauge what people want in the publication.  Another was the possible re-introduction of the Conference of Clubs in New South Wales that existed some years ago.

At the end of the afternoon session, which ran about two hours, Phil VK2ASD was thanked for providing the sort of big-picture information that affects all, and mostly not known to the audience previously.

From ARVic, original post here.

The historically important Bawdsey facility in eastern England is to be preserved thanks to a grant.  The Bawdsey Radar Trust has been given a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant to conserve the Transmitter Block building in Suffolk that began in 1938 as a secret RAF radar station.

New displays will tell the story of radar and its significance, with radar estimated to play a vital part in the Battle of Britain in 1940 and it is estimated the technology helped shorten the war by two years.

The greatly improved accuracy of bombing raids and detection of approaching aircraft early, was disguised by constant rumours that aircrews had better eyesight due to a diet of carrots.

The world’s first operational radar station is to undergo major construction work in September, with an opening to the public a year later.  The pioneering facility is going to survive and tell its unique story, with it no longer being on the ‘Historic At Risk’ register.

From ARVic, original post here.

The antics of pico solar powered high altitude balloon PS-58 had many USA and Canadian radio amateurs somewhat surprised as the Aussie floated, and lingered in the Northern Hemisphere.

Launched by Andy VK3YT from Melbourne on December 29, it entered El Salvador, went over Honduras, across the Caribbean Sea to Jamaica, Haiti and out to the North Atlantic.  The flight looped back again to near South America, then did a sharp bend to go east again towards Africa, where first to hear it was Ken Gurr ZS6KN/2 of Pretoria, South Africa.

Andy VK3YT is thought to be the only person with such balloons to cross the equator, not once but twice.  Earlier balloon PS-57 launched on December 12 went across the Pacific, then into the Northern Hemisphere through South America’s Peru, Columbia and Venezuela, dipped back over the equator to loop over the India Ocean.

There it had survived some rough weather with multiple losses of altitude.  However, after 4 weeks, 1 day and 18 hours of flying time, PS-57 went down in bad weather.  Mal Good VK6MT reported the demise midway between South Africa and Australia.

Andy VK3YT also floated two balloons in the Northern Hemisphere while on a business trip to San Jose in California in September last year – achieving another first.