ORB-4

Launched: April 12, 2003 09:56 CDT

From Collinsville High School Collinsville, Oklahoma

28" Party balloon

Amateur Radio ( ARDF) 15mw beacon on 144.080 mhz

Oklahoma Research Balloons

ORB-4 Flight Results

The balloon with payload was launched at 09:56 CDT. The initial track was to the ESE then W then SSE. We tracked the entire flight from the launch site. At approx. 10:40 the signal started wavering and it was assumed that it was on it's way down. The signal was lost at around 10:55 CDT. After about an hour of DF'g, K5TTT, KC5ZQM and myself located the payload in the top of a 50ft tree, 4.2 miles from the launch site. The initial attempt to climb the tree failed, with me falling from about 6 ft and 45 min were spent finding my glasses. K5TTT left and returned with his fishing bow to get a climbing rope in place up in the tree. The second attempt to climb the tree failed. We left to get my climbing spikes. I returned with KD5AFS and his son Nathan.

We recovered the payload intact at 16:15 CDT.

Best altitude estimate is 15,000-20,000 feet.