Pico Balloon Tracker

Hams launch tiny party-size balloons carrying a solar-powered transmitter that weighs less than an ounce. They float at 30,000 to 50,000 feet, ride the jet stream, and send their position every few minutes on WSPR or APRS, where receiving stations all over the world pick them up. Some stay up for months and circle the globe several times. This map shows every one that has been heard in the last day. Tap a balloon to see its details and the path it has flown.

● above 40,000 ft● 30,000 to 40,000 ft● 10,000 to 30,000 ft● low or landedUpdates every 5 minutes

Balloons Heard in the Last 24 Hours

Hear One Yourself

Most pico balloons send WSPR on 20 m (14.0956 MHz dial) or nearby WSPR frequencies on other bands, so if you run WSPR in WSJT-X with “Upload spots” turned on, your station may help track them. Others send APRS on their local APRS frequency (144.390 MHz in North America) when they pass overhead. When a balloon is crossing the U.S., listen for it and check our WSPR Analytics page to see who else heard it.

About the data: positions come from the free SondeHub Amateur tracking network, which collects WSPR, APRS and Horus telemetry from receiving stations worldwide. WSPR positions are only accurate to a few miles. A balloon that has not been heard for several hours may be over an ocean with nobody listening, or it may have come down.