/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1372785
>they might be OK with that
Even if, the physics certainly isn't. A hanging wire alone is not an effective antenna. I'd suggest to tether the balloon and keep the station on the ground, including the necessary extensive network of (burried) grounding radials. Unless the CAA (FAA in the US) intervenes reminding you that a ham radio licence is not a 'licence to kill', this could be done.

On the continent ARTOB (amateur radio transponder on bolloon) was popular in the late 1960's. The balloons carried a 70cm uplink 2m downlink transponder, reached a height of about 30km and the flight time was 2..3 hours. After that, fox hunt.

Meanwhile such a project requires extensive planning, flight path simulation, notification, documentation, permissions, insurance, fees.. The most active groups are now high school students and teachers.

Image: Balloon, parachute, radar reflector, payloads.