Mastodawn

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

Going to order the parts for a pico #hamradio balloon. Has anyone tried the Traquito WSPR balloon kits? Apparently you just upload hardware files to a third party PCB manufacturing company! I'm going to try to build one (or probably two... any new project, always buy 2x parts).

https://traquito.github.io/tracker/#jetpack-technical-details

#wspr #electronics

Jetpack WSPR Tracker - Traquito - WSPR Pico Balloons

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

First hurdle: The PCB manufacturer won't let me use their website, it insists I am a robot. I suspect this is because I am using a Linux machine. PEOPLE, THE ELECTRONICS/MAKER FOLKS WHO WANT TO USE YOU SITE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE USING LINUX THAN NOT!!

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

Choices were to order 5 or order 10 boards (!). So, I ordered 5 boards. Enough for 5 balloons, lol. Cost using the cheapest shipping option will be approximately $12.50 for each of the add-on-boards. Will require also Raspberry Pi picos and tiny solar panels. #picoballoon #hamradio #wspr

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

In addition to circuit boards:

Ordered: Raspberry Pi Picos (2)
3 50 inch random Chinese Party Balloons
100 tiny little solar panels

Was going to order from Adafruit, but they have different spec "pirate" Pi's and a billion notices on their website about shipping delays, and people here have been complaining about lack of shipping/customer support... not sure what that is about.

The party balloons and solar panels apparently only available via Bezos Bazaar :-( -- in particular, buying anywhere else is fraught with de-minimis/tariff surcharge hazards. I'm not sure why the Bezos Bazaar doesn't have those issues, but it probably involves some kind of political payoff. 🤔

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

The presentations I have seen say it's preferable to fill these balloons with HYDROGEN (hello Hindenberg!), instead of Helium. In particular, it's apparently quite difficult to source full strength Helium now (due to Helium shortages, a nonrenewable gas...). Apparently not easy to get Hydrogen, either. 🤔

AI6YR Ben Feb 27

Ooh, there are a lot of amateur balloons bouncing around the world right now, actually!

#hamradio #wspr #aprs #balloons

AI6YR Ben Feb 28

Antenna wire. 26AWG magnet wire. I guess you can use smaller, but already have this. #antenna #picoballoon #hamradio

AI6YR Ben Feb 28

Party balloons acquired. I guess some folks like clear better. I feel the mylar has better odds of being mistaken for a UFO, and/or being shot down by jumpy people with joysticks and a giant laser. Or a Tomahawk missile. #hamradio #picoballoon

AI6YR Ben Feb 28

May also potentially have some helium. Maybe. It has some helium, the question is if it has enough to launch the payload. But apparently 80% helium might not get you to 40,000 feet. Also, no idea if there's much left in here, acquired from our local "hazmat reuse" center awhile ago when I first was thinking of this project, but then the US military was shooting down party balloons thinking they were giant Chinese surveillance balloons. #picoballoon

AI6YR Ben Mar 2

Raspberry Pico's acquired, tiny solar panels acquired (tiny!!!)

AI6YR Ben Mar 2

Photo of the Pi's and apparently 100 tiny solar panels

#hamradio #picoballoon

AI6YR Ben Mar 2

First lesson: Yikes! These solar panels may weigh nothing, but they are exceedingly fragile! Already broke two just picking them up. 300mW output indoors. #picoballoon #electronics #hamradio

AI6YR Ben Mar 4

Piggyback ballon transmitter boards being shipped via "Global Standard Direct Line". I guess these are being built overseas. Wonder if I'm going to get a big tariff bill. 🤔 We'll see if they get here anytime soon or not.

#picoballoon #hamradio

Κέχ (👻🏴‍☠️)Mar 4

@ai6yr JLC has always given me a line item for tariffs during checkout, before they start fab. I'd be surprised if they didn't include that for you.

AI6YR Ben Mar 4

@xek Shipping from Hong Kong. Well, we'll see.

Κέχ (👻🏴‍☠️)

@ai6yr Oh, that may be well under a limit still. I'm used to orders at work, which have another zero on them, and therefore are definitely hitting tariffs.