Hi AMSATs,
Last weekend I was in Austria for holidays, and on the Saterday there was a high altitude balloon experiment done by Austrian hams which included a known transponder to me ;-) My location was near Landeck, some 350km west of the balloon experiment and down in the valley, which made it impossible for me to work the transponder (from my mobile ham station).
From the website I understand that the balloon experiment was successfull, but I read some remarks that the transponder unfortunately was not used very much. Most propably because the event was not widely known amoung the hams.
What I understand, is that there will be another balloon mission on Saterday (26-June) during the well known Ham Radio event in Friedrichshafen. I will not be at the Ham Radio, but I like to pass on the news to other hams who will be there and have a chance to listen/work the transponder or the balloon APRS.
The balloon information can be found at the website of OEVSV: http://www.oevsv.at/opencms/modules/news/20100621_ballon_passepartout_5_nach...
73 de PE1RAH, William Leijenaar www.leijenaarelectronics.nl