Balloon Experiments with Amateur Radio
Canadian amateur radio high-altitude balloon experiments starting in 2000.
A group of amateur radio enthusiasts from Sherwood Park and Edmonton, Alberta, started a series of high-altitude balloon experiments in 2000, known as Balloon Experiments with Amateur Radio (BEAR). The project continued through at least 2012, when BEAR-9 climbed to 36,010 metres (118,140 ft). The balloons themselves are made of latex and are filled with either helium or hydrogen. Every payload includes a tracking system built from a GPS receiver, an APRS encoder, and a radio transmitter. Additional experimental gear, such as an amateur radio crossband repeater and a digital camera, is packed inside an insulated foam box that hangs below the balloon. When the balloon bursts at high altitude, a parachute recovery system opens automatically.
- Start year
- 2000
- Highest altitude
- 36,010 metres (118,140 ft)
- Highest altitude flight
- BEAR-9 (2012)
- Lightest payload mass
- 95.8 grams (3½ oz)
- Lightest payload flight
- BEAR-3
- Launch locations
- Bremner airport; Sherwood Park, Alberta; outdoor skating rink at Sherwood Park
- Balloon material
- latex
- Filling gases
- helium or hydrogen
Lore & Background
The BEAR series began with BEAR-1 on May 27, 2000, a helium-filled balloon launched from the Bremner airport with a payload of 0.977 kg (2 lb 2½ oz). It reached 31,762 meters (104,206 feet) and served as a test of the GPS receiver above the 60,000-foot manufacturer limit, as well as the payload enclosure and antenna system. A Pooh Bear mascot was included for luck. BEAR-2 launched from an outdoor skating rink at Sherwood Park, Alberta on August 5, 2000, reaching 30,322 meters (99,481 feet) before bursting. It carried a modified Icom IC-24AT handheld configured for crossband repeating on 446.100 MHz UHF to 146.520 MHz VHF, and contacts were made from Cold Lake, AB to Swift Current, SK. A last-minute digital camera caused interference and was turned off; the camera hole later allowed water entry, damaging electronics. This flight was originally scheduled for July 15, 2000, but was scrubbed due to a tornado at Pine Lake on July 14, which left 12 dead and diverted resources to disaster recovery.
Reader's Guide
BEAR-3, launched on August 22, 2009, reached 35,475 meters (116,387 feet), the highest altitude in the series at that time, and was the first BEAR balloon filled with hydrogen instead of helium. Its payload, weighing 95.8 grams (3½ oz), tied the lightest payload in the Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning Records. BEAR-4, launched on August 23, 2009, reached 32,658 meters (107,145 feet) and carried a high-definition video camera provided by Tomoya Kamiko from Japan, recording the entire flight. BEAR-5, launched on April 24, 2010, used APRS payload tracker IDs VE6ATV-11 and VE6ATV-12 on the standard North American APRS frequency of 144.390 MHz. The series continued with BEAR-9 in 2012, which reached 36,010 metres (118,140 ft). The experiments are notable for their use of amateur radio tracking and crossband repeating, as well as for achieving record-light payloads and altitudes in the context of amateur radio high-altitude ballooning.
Did You Know?
- BEAR-1 included a Pooh Bear mascot in the payload for luck.
- BEAR-2 was originally scheduled for July 15, 2000, but was delayed due to a tornado at Pine Lake that left 12 dead.
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