Supplies
- Tarp (This is for protecting the balloon from sharp objects and loosing items in the grass / dirt)
- Stakes for the tarp 9Handy to hold the tarp down in the breeze / wind)
- Gloves for anyone touching the balloon (Nitrile or cotton if using hydrogen. These protect the latex from oils in handlers skin)
- Stocking caps (these will protect the balloon form oils in hair especially in windy conditions when the balloon bounces off of everything)
- Lift Gas (Choose lift gas thats available, most common since helium shortages is hydrogen)
- Gas regulator (this is specific by gas type)
- Balloon filler
- Safety Weight (Used ot secure the balloon while filling as a secondary safety as well as when unclipping from the tank and moving to a launch location)
- Tether - Tank to balloon (Can be tied from paracord and use a clip for quick detachment)
- Tether - Balloon to safety weight (Can be tied from paracord and use a clip for quick detachment)
- Duct tape (Used for attaching payload items, sealing payload, other misc needs. use a high quality tape like gaffers tape or Gorilla brand etc)
- Electircal tape (Used to cover sharp edges when zip ties are clipped. Also used to seal balloon neck to the filler tube)
- Heavy Zip ties (Used for sealing the balloon - do not skimp on these, buy 250lb)
- Zip ties light (handy for tasks like attaching antenna wire, payload trinkets etc)
- Wire Flush Cutters (Used to trim zip ties as flush as possible as well as cut antenna wire)
- Adjustable wrench for regulator (Used to attach regualtor to the gas bottle)
Balloon and payload
Payload contents
- Light APRS / WSPR tracker (This allows real time tracking using amateur radio. Note this requires a licensced operator)
- Batteries for tracker (4 AAA work well, consider lithium cells)
- Battery holders for tracker (4 cell holders in serial)
- Battery pack for cameras and student data loggers (Any can be used jsut be sure to scale for your battery draw needs. These need to be inside the cooler or they will stop working at -10c)
- USB splitter cable (for powering cameras and data loggers)
- Cameras (action cameras similar to GoPro style cameras. Using generic brands will lesson the sting if the payload is lost. We have flown 4k 60fps units running about $140 each)
- Arduino or Raspberry Pi assembly (covered in the Telemetry section of the project)