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Build Your Own Weather Balloon

Posted by michael on from the if-it's-wet,-it's-raining dept.

Leeji writes "Here is an interesting read about one geek's project to build and launch a weather balloon. The flight recorder is a small $200 Soekris Engineering computer running Bering Linux. It also uses a Garmin GPS, HAM packet radio, an automated Aiptek Pencam Trio digital camera, army surplus batteries, and lots of geek duct tape."

4 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. dupe by Stinson · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is a dupe of the creators original post http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/01/1 5/1829244&mode=thread just the website is on a different server (tho the original one exists)

  2. Re:alert level: Orange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    This might not be the best idea during the Orange Alert.


    Yes, it would be better to wait until it is lowered to Banana.

  3. Oh great- by kevcol · · Score: 5, Funny

    The photo gallery of the launch has close ups of the launch director's butt crack! Warning, please! Blech!

  4. Other amateur balloons by kennykb · · Score: 5, Informative

    The radio hams have been doing high-altitude ballooning for years. The original poster will probably be quite interested in the site that maintains the unofficial records. Perhaps the most active organization in the area is Edge of Space Sciences, which has conducted 63 amateur balloon flights to date, and knows well how to grease the skids with the FAA.