Weather Balloon Project

(10/20/2015)

The University of Akron Amateur Radio Club along with faculty and students, will be designing a communications system and data gathering weather balloon project.

Objective

• Launch a weather balloon carrying a payload that includes a UHF/VHF repeater

• Imagery via Rasberry Pi microprocessor

• Temperature, Pressure, Altitude ,Light Sensor via microprocessor

• GPS tracking system

• Designing specific UHF and VHF antennas for high altitude.

Experimentation and Calculations

• We need to mathematically calculate the lift velocity and acceleration of the weather balloon with the given payload weight. Calculations will involve balloon diameter, helium/hydrogen gas factor, payload weight, ect.

• Once the balloon pops at a certain altitude, we will also need to calculate terminal velocity of the payload.

• Design a parachute deployment system

• Light weight reflector

Notes:

Possible gps system : https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11858

Online Calculations Website - http://www.highaltitudescience.com/pages/balloon-performance-calculator

Repeater