West Georgia Amateur Radio Society

STEM Activity on Steroids

What activity entails playing with hydrogen gas, sending a fox to 105,000 feet in altitude, ingesting large plates of comfort food, hiking through dense brush, wading through creeks, and running from the bulls?  A recent WGARS (West Georgia Amateur Radio Society) high altitude balloon launch included all these things and more.

In case you missed it, on August 31, 2024 at approximately 10:00 a.m. the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society launched a high altitude weather balloon from the V-Plex

in Villa Rica, Georgia.  Blake Raab, N4BWR is the launch engineer who completes the predictions for the balloon track (which he’s usually extremely close to where it lands) as well as the amount of lift needed to get the balloon just right...not too fast, not too slow.  True to form,

Blakes predictions based on the last known coordinates of the balloon (from the APRS system onboard) brought us very close to its landing zone.  Brian Keahl, WX4BK is the payload specialist.  Mr. Murphy was following Brian and the payload around for a week, but WX4BK’s persistence finally won out.  The payload included a raspberry pi, gps, APRS transmitter (to send out coordinates and altitude), a cross band repeater, pressure and temperature sensors (gets pretty cold up there) digital cameras and this time Marshall Lail, KK4OHF’s fox.  Not an actual fox, but a ham radio fox that sends out a beacon for direction finding.

The balloon’s journey took it from Villa Rica to near Fairplay where it looped back (as Blakes prediction showed) and headed towards Bowdon, Georgia. 

The team at the launch site gathered up all their gear and made the trip to the Southern Lady in Bowdon for some lunch while tracking the balloon using direct APRS transmissions (Automatic Packet Reporting System) as well as tracking it on the website APRS.FI.  It turns out, lunch was a bit rushed as the flight path

followed the predictions, but seemed to accelerate more than many of us anticipated.  While we ate, the balloon reached 105,000 feet in altitude and burst.  

The balloon bursts due to reaching an altitude with very low atmospheric pressure.  As the atmospheric pressure decreases the balloon expands until it finally bursts.  This is one of the calculations that needs to be completed to determine the right amount of lift/hydrogen gas to put in the balloon.  Too little and it becomes what we call a “floater.”  It will continue flying until the balloon material gives way and it finally bursts.  Too much gas and the balloon will ascend very quickly and burst at a lower altitude.

Once the balloon bursts, there is somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes prior to the payload reaching the ground.  When all systems work properly, the positioning system continues to transmit coordinates on the way down.  However, the descent, while using a small parachute, is quite a violent journey.  With the lack of atmosphere at the higher altitudes, the payload tumbles and twists until finally it reaches such an altitude where the parachute has some air to capture.  This “slows” the descent but it does not provide for a slow and graceful landing.  In past flights, we have had a bottom mounted camera that actually captured the hard landing.

Back to the chase – with the balloon now descending, a number of other ham radio operators appeared on the APRS map headed towards the location where they anticipated the landing.  Thoughts were leading us to believe it may have come down in the water as the

positioning beacon disappeared.  Fortunately the fox hunt transmitter onboard was still sending out a signal.  This signal, while it included no coordinates, allowed the chase teams to use hand held radios, yagi beams, and assorted direction finding equipment to zero in on its location.  To everyone’s relief, with many creeks (which we waded through), small lakes and ponds in the area it didn’t seem to have gone boating.

This chase was not one for the weary hearted.  With temperatures well into the mid 90’s on this Saturday afternoon teams were hiking through wooded areas, dense brush, even running from some cattle in order to find the payload.  The on-board fox in combination with the many exercises the club has had recovering hidden transmitters paid dividends on this humid hike.  Once we began to trust our equipment, a number of teams zeroed in on a much more succinct area.  However, the brush was so tall and dense it would have been like finding a needle in a haystack (as well as no one really wanted to go walking aimlessly around in such a dense patch).

The three hours of hunting in the hot sun took it’s toll as some people threw in the towel.  Finally around 4:15 p.m. (remember, this thing

went up at 10:00 a.m.) it was agreed that the triangulation of signals was pointing to the same place.  All teams began to converge.  It was at this point that providence smiled upon us.  For some unknown reason, the GPS came back to life long enough to send out two transmissions, each containing the payloads coordinates.  We had it surrounded and now knew exactly where it was.  Joshua Benefield KF4DVW, and Richard Hilling KN4FRP braved the brush to retrieve the package.  Joshua emerged triumphant with the payload so we can fly another day.

So, what’s the point of all of this you ask?  Number one is it is a whole lot of fun.  However, there is a much more important point of this kind of activity.  While it is a great deal of fun, it also tests the skills of local hobbyists in tracking down any type of beacon that may be carried by a lost hiker, private plane, malicious interference to public service, etc as well as the exercise of the pure science and mathematics involved in making it happen.

If you or someone you know may be interested in participating in such an exercise, please contact us at the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or P.O. Box 102 Bowdon Junction, GA 30109.  To participate in these activities you do not have to be a licensed amateur.  We also have a website at http://www.wgars.com and a facebook site – www.facebook.com/wgars.

The World comes to Little Tallapoosa Park

Over the weekend of June 22 and 23 the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society (501 c3) participated in a nationwide emergency communications exercise.

The objectives of the exercise included setting up communications equipment in a remote location, exchanging information with other stations around the country and the world over a 24-hour period, providing education, and having fun while learning. The WGARS operated 4 amateur radio stations over the duration of the event using modes such as voice (SSB), CW (morse code), and Digital. Using these modes over 600 contacts and exchanges were made in all 50 states and several European and south American countries (including NASA at the Johnson Space Center). The stations and antennas were set up in the Equestrian area of Little Tallapoosa Park, 1930 GA -113, Carrollton Georgia. Although it was extremely hot outside, the group has been outfitting a 24-foot trailer with heating and air, acoustical panels, etc. which made operating quite comfortable.

Prior to going on the air at 2:00 p.m., the group practiced something called “fox” hunting. This is where a transmitter, or in our case transmitters are hidden and the task is to locate them in an efficient manner. These transmitters simulate signals that may come from a downed aircraft or stranded hiker. This is a great way to learn new skills, practice, and have a great time. It is like a scavenger hunt and fun for everyone, whether you’re a licensed operator or not. Saturday there were two transmitters hidden in the park and several teams of hunters. The first group to find both transmitters was the group we call “Team Veal.” Whether you were first or not, it was still a great time.

In the area of more formal training, attendees participated in a demonstration of something called Winlink. This is a mode that was recently used by the emergency station at Tanner Medical Center to participate in a state-wide hurricane drill. This drill simulated the internet not available in our region for sending and receiving e-mail. Winlink allows a licensed amateur to send and receive email using radio transmissions that hop over outage areas and are received at a remote location (called a gateway) where it is then put out on the internet. Several messages were sent out as a demonstration Saturday afternoon.

Operations continued throughout the night and ran up until 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The next planned outing for the communications trailer will be the Villa Rica Gold Rush Festival where we will set up a special event station at the Pine Mountain Gold Museum at 1881 Stockmar Rd in Villa Rica.

If you are interested in learning more about Amateur Radio or the WGARS, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website at http:www.wgars.com. We are also on facebook.

Spring POTA 2024

The West Georgia Amateur Radio Society held a Parks On The Air (POTA) event at Cheaha Mountain in Cheaha State Park, Alabama on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 in conjunction with "Support Your Parks" weekend. Participants experienced unusually cool temperatures for late April, brought on by a cold front and accompanied by some early morning light rain, and fog.

Vanity Call Signs

Amateur radio operators are issued call signs by the FCC upon qualifying for their Technician license, and have the option to be issued new call signs that reflect their new class when they upgrade to General or Extra. The form of call sign is limited by license class, where higher class of licenses allow simpler/smaller call signs.  For instance, a Technician class licensee may be issued something like KX4XTT (often referred to as a two by three, two letters before the number and three after); however an Extra class licensee may have a call sign like W4BK (often referred to as a one by two). There are various call sign formats between these extremes, often limited by license class. You can view the "rules" by going to this link and clicking on "Sequential Call Sign System".

Winter Field Day January 27th-28th, Little Tallapoosa Park

Winter Field Day will be held January 27th and 28th, 2024 at Little Tallapoosa Park Equestrian Campground located at 1930 Hwy 113 N., Carrollton, GA. 

WGARS 2024 Officers

Elections were held at the November meeting.  Your officers for 2024 are:

Board Members:  KO4DKS, Wayne and KF4DVW, Joshua
Secretary Treasurer:  KM4UPX Brian
Vice President:  KM4WQC Matt
President:  WD8LQT John

POTA Weekend 2023

 WGARS members participated in POTA Weekend 2023 at Cheaha State Park and KK4Z was among the participants. Scott blogged about it at his site ...

"The West Georgia Amateur Radio Society (WGARS) is a great group. We like to do three things: 1) talk on the radio, 2) get together, and 3) eat. We did all three this past weekend during the Fall Support Support Your Parks on the Air weekend (POTA). We like to do about 4 gatherings a year namely Field Day, Winter Field Day, and the Spring and Fall Support Your Parks on the Air Weekends" ... Read The Article.