A group of friends and I recently took up weather ballooning as a hobby, and have been using Arduinos to log data (Such as speed, altitude, etc.) We were wondering, however, if it would be possible to transmit this data to a ground station while the balloon itself was in the air.
I've been looking at different modules, like Xbees, and then found out about the HAM radio. Would there be any benefits to using one versus the other, and is it possible to send Serial/data through these methods?
Well, you'd have more frequencies and modes of transmission available. However, automated transmitters can be a sticky wicket with regards to Ham Radio aka Amateur Radio. I've not really looked into it, so I'm not qualified to advise.
It will depend on the country you are in. For the USA, it is governed by the FCC. You will need to pass tests to get your Ham Radio license, but first check to see what level of license you will require to do what you wish.
I'm not worried about the license- That can be studied for. I just want to make sure that it would be legal and possible to send data over HAM and that it would be more efficient/better than using an alternative method.
Hi, I agree with Paul__B, go for it.
Amateur Radio with its APRS system would be ideal, in fact it has been done a number times here in Australia with weather balloons and it attracts a lot of attention, and participation from other amateurs and listeners alike.
A great use for the amateur bands.
Tom
