Budget Launch, Aerial Video Balloon

The Hackerspace I "work" at Quelab.net just marked its 1 year open point.  Woohoo!!!!  And so we thought about combining our usual monthly/bimonthly event with a bit of a larger scale project.  And that was to fly a balloon with a camera.

But we have a pretty limited budget and a short time frame to get it done.  Here is how it went, (still uploading the video to youtube as i write this).  Sadly the video is not as good as i hoped,  the wind had picked back up, so its loud,  and very jiggly.

I didn't know at the time of planning this that there was a contest about launching things  (does it hurt your chances to mention a contest in an entry??) I found the contest when making my mini instructable on making "LED Flyies" But I did stay up the night after our big event to write this up and post if because the deadline is 11pm tomorrow!

Video of the flight and some still photos can be seen on the last page of this Instructible!

1 36" latex balloon, $3.85 got it at (balloonsfast.com)
1 Tank of helium ( was able to borrow my dad's otherwise rent one.  the disposable tanks are overpriced)
1 6"x6"  square of foam-core board.
1 spy pen video camera. $30
1 Kite reel (i had one already, but they go for about $4)
1 postcard $0.25 and $0.29 stamp
1 ziploc bag.
1 Dollar bill (prize)
1 sticker prize.
Tape,  used both scotch and 3m double sided sticky tape

Sadly I made some photos of this part, but lost them by formatting the wrong memory card. 

so i only have the photo of the platform on the scale.

I cut a slot on the foam core board,  its a little less than 1/2CM wide. the balloon just above the know will go here

I cut it off center to allow for the prize/postcard ziploc to counter balance the camera.

Prize pouch contains, ziploc baggie, full of 1/2 of a dollar bill (part of the prize if they return the postcard with an address) a sticker from Quelab, and a postcard pre filled out and stamped, requesting where it was found and a return address to send other 1/2 of the bill.

Prize pouch is just taped down, and also taped down with scotch tape on the other side.

Camera is double sided taped down, and also had a thing of tape around the board make sure it didnt fall off.

I weighed it to make sure it was well under the 66gm  of lift the balloon is supposed to be able to do (was also worried it would lift less than 66gm due to the fact i'm a mile above sea-level.

Today was launchday.

We had a large event involving local rocketry experts, and astronomers, and all sorts of paper airplane testing/contesting.

I was worried that the afternoon storms had whipped up some wind,  but we got a little calm, so i decided to go for it.

I was worried that the wind might catch the balloon as i was filling it or tying it, so i had friends hold a netting over me. while I inflated it.  It was a good idea. made the act of tying a knot and getting it on the string much less stressful

It had more lift than i thought.  (was not totally full probably only 80% of the way to being frighteningly full)

Slid the platform on the bottom of the balloon, and turned on the camera.  (note to all of you out there, apparently i bumped the button so it recorded one second. :(   but  after letting it up and reeling it back, i found that out so we launched again, this time being sure it stayed recording. ! Woo! two for the price of one! )

Ok, so first off it was a little windy,  and apparently the kite reel i had lets out line a little jiggly.  so if you get motion sickness be warned!





Next  time i hope its a more calm day,  i may also put a wide angle lens on the camera. ,  maybe a fin or tail on the camera so it only looks one way.


When we were all done I retrieved the camera from the platform, taped the platform to the balloon, and set it free! It was visible for about 11 minutes until it started to kiss the clouds. Lets hope someone mails back the postcard!  if so i will scan it and post it here!

If you want to do something like this and are in the Albuquerque area, come checkout Quelab!  Its a Hackerspace/Makerspace having a lot of fun!