I’ve finally collected and edited the workshop’s videos and instructions:
Taping Instructions
Follow the first two pages of my Balloon Building Guide to make a tetrahedron balloon. Tape carefully.
My balloon guide’s rigging is for short flights in confined urban areas. We’re going to use a different rigging for aerial photography.
One corner of the balloon is used for filling, and is tied off, like a trash bag. A second corner is re-enforced, and a loop of tape attached. To the tape is tied a short length of line. The knot used is aBowline.
Helium can lift approximately 65lb. per 1000 cubic ft. from the images in the video, the balloon was no more than 12ft in diameter, or approximately 900 cubic feet. The boy, the balloon, and all the equipment can’t weigh less than 65lbs. Next time you want to wast millions of public money, do the math first.
Robert Rochte and his class at Grosse Pointe Academy build advanced superpressure polyester solar balloons that are normally cylindrical. he just announced through the Balloon_Sked mailing group that he’s getting ready for another launch.
it will be carrying a KA2QPG HF beacon.
http://arhab.blogspot.com/
UPDATE:
postponed due to weather concerns and potential icing on it’s trans atlantic journey.
I’ve recently gotten in touch with Chris Fries in Chicago through the Balloon_Sked mailing list for amateur near space balloon missions. He’s not going to near space but what his setup is elegant, simple, and very low weight. He attaches a <3oz payload to some standard aluminized mylar party balloons, and his balloons blog for themselves reporting location, images, and video through PCS-band GSM/UMTS cellphone signals. I hope he posts a how-to on his setup. Launches herehere and here.
