Launches

Launch!

First Launch s’more-001

u4b
WSPR
20m
32in balloon x1
Helium
First launch. Used one 32in balloon and a complicted rigging system to hold the solar panel and payload underneath. The panel got caught in the rigging at launch and ended up on it’s side spinning. A couple of attempted transmissions were received, but the WSPR packets were not long enough to decode due to probably lack of power from the tangled solar panels.
Aug 9, 2025

Second Launch s’more-002

u4b
WSPR
20m
32in balloon x2
Helium

First good launch. Balloon transmitted well, but power was plagued by clouds and low sun elevation for the time of year.

Flight time about 2 weeks. Balloon achieved float at about 6.0 km. Crossed the Atlantic. Likely went down in weather somwhere near the Black Sea.

Helium was from Target and of unknown quality.
Nov 6, 2025

Balloon filling for smore-002

Free lift is the excess lift due to the super-pressure of the balloon.
Nov 6, 2025

Payload at launch site, monitoring voltage and waiting for sun rise

Third Launch s’more-004

u4b
WSPR
20m
32in balloon x2
Helium 99%

Single SolarFlex design using 5.1V regulator.

Balloon went up and immediately descended, landing somewhere near the Ohio-West Virginia border. Total flight time, less than a day.
May 2, 2026

Smore-003 3-solar panel payload waiting for launch

Fourth Launch s’more-003

u4b
WSPR
20m
32in balloon x2
Helium 99%

First balloon with 3-solar panel design. Replaced regulator with Zener diode to reduce weight. This power design worked down to about 10 deg sun elevation. Spots received consistently throughout flight.

Balloon went above the Arctic circle and came down near Baffin Island, Canada probably in a storm.
May 3, 2026

Fifth Launch s’more-005

u4b
WSPR
20m
3rd tele
32in balloon x2
Helium 99%

Goal was higher altitude by pumping out balloons before fill with helium. Used “Party Factory” helium.

Implemented 3rd telemetry packet.

Problems: very strong transmission seen, but never decoded. After launch no spots were returned.
May 25, 2026

6th Launch s’more-006

u4b
WSPR
20m
3rd tele
32in balloon x2
Helium 99%

Goal was higher altitude by pumping out balloons before fill with helium. Used “Party Factory” helium. Float acheived at 8.2-8.4 km a new record for me.

Implemented 3rd telemetry packet and decoded from air for first time.

Problems: very weak transmission (was antenna damaged?) so minimal spots reported. The “count” variable in the 3rd telemetry packet indicates the balloon is powered reliably.
May 30, 2026

Weather at ballon times and location

Prediction from 2025-11-13 at 2025-11-14 1000Z

HYSPLIT predictions for balloon track

There are no spots today, but yesterdays prediction had the ballloon too far north for the sun to activate it.

S’more-002 payload viewed from above

Payload design

This is the power supply circuit for the smore-002 ballon. The tracker is a QRP-labs U4B S/N: 21894, only showed partially here. The solar panel can put out 6.8 Volts which…

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