Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this “balloon tracking” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. It all started with a simple question: Can I actually track a balloon’s journey?
Getting Started
First things first, I needed a balloon. Nothing fancy, just a regular latex one from the party store. Then came the tricky part – figuring out how to track it. I’m no tech wizard, so I kept it simple. I grabbed my old, almost-dead phone, you know, the one I’d replaced months ago but hadn’t thrown out.
- The Balloon: Standard latex party balloon.
- The Tracker: My old phone.
- The Power: A lightweight power bank to give the phone extra juice.
Setting Things Up
The idea was to use find my phone app.
I charged up that phone, and tucked it inside the balloon.
But,the phone’s battery wouldn’t last forever, so I added a tiny, lightweight power bank into the mix.
It’s so bulky,and I worried about the weight.
I tested the balloon to make sure it will fly,even with the extra weight.
And I’m so exciting that it worked!
The Launch
With everything set, I headed outside.
It was a slightly breezy day, perfect for a balloon launch.
I let go, and watched my balloon float away, carrying its little techy passenger.
Tracking the Journey
Back inside, I fired up my computer and logged into find my phone function.
At first, nothing.
Then, bam! There it was, a little dot on the map, moving slowly but surely.
I tracked it for as long as I could, watching it drift across the map.
The Result
Honestly, the tracking part was a bit hit-and-miss. The signal would drop out sometimes, especially when the balloon went further away.
Eventually, the signal died completely, which probably means the battery gave out, or the balloon landed somewhere with no reception.
It was a fun little experiment, even though it didn’t go perfectly.
It just goes to show, sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most entertaining.
If you’ve got an old phone lying around, maybe give it a shot! Just don’t expect pinpoint accuracy or a super long journey.