MEDIA RELEASE
BACAR-14 Skybridge Calls for Ground-Station Participation
10 September 2026
The ZS6SRC High-Altitude Balloon team invites radio amateurs, radio clubs, HAMNET members, schools and experimental receiving stations to participate in the BACAR-14 Skybridge Mission.
The balloon is scheduled to launch from the Secunda area on 17 October 2026 at 06:00Z, weather permitting.
BACAR-14 Skybridge will test practical airborne communication, tracking and imaging technologies that could assist search-and-rescue and disaster-management teams when normal communication infrastructure is unavailable or cannot provide sufficient coverage.
Planned payload train
The current payload train comprises:
ZS6SRC – Shuttle
ZS6BAM – PiCamera still and video payload
ZS6WBT – SPOT tracking payload
ZS6PQ – Warp Drive and LoRa telemetry
HAMNET Eastern Region – WouxBand crossband system
Jeugland – SSTV payload VHF
ZS6STN1 – UHF SSTV
BACAR – ADSB/Mode-S/C experimental payload
ZS4SRK – Crossband system
ZS4SRK – APRS
ZS4SRK – BBS
BACAR – LoRa APRS and LoRa Mode 2
ZS6HJH – Project AeroLink crossband repeater with LoRa control
ZS6HJH – Project Lumina Stratos
HAMNET Eastern Region – Meshtastic and APRS
ZR6BN – Blackbox
Dylan – HoloCube Pyramid
ZR6WT – WSPR and high-definition camera
ZS6WBT – LoRa, camera and Meshtastic
ZS6CYE – Skunkworks LoRa tracker and APRS
ZR6LJK – Airborne AIS receiver
The final payload train remains subject to integration, mass, safety and flight-readiness approval.
Communication bands and technologies
Ground stations will have opportunities to monitor or participate in experiments involving:
6 m: experimental WSPR-related reception;
2 m VHF: APRS, packet data, BBS, SSTV and crossband voice communication;
70 cm UHF and 433 MHz: LoRa telemetry, LoRa APRS, Meshtastic, SSTV, tracking and crossband voice communication;
868 MHz: LoRa telemetry, Meshtastic and payload-control experiments;
1090 MHz: experimental ADS-B/Mode-S reception; and
L-band satellite tracking: SPOT position information made available through its tracking service.
The airborne AIS system is a receive-only experiment and does not require ground stations to transmit on marine frequencies.
For safety and coordination reasons, the individual channel frequencies, settings, callsign identifiers and test windows will be published in a separate BACAR-14 Ground-Station Frequency and Operations Schedule.
Participants should not transmit using frequencies contained in earlier working documents. Only the final published schedule and instructions should be used.
Who can participate?
Fixed, portable and mobile stations are welcome. We especially encourage participation within an approximately 300 km radius of Secunda, but participation is not limited to this area. Signals may be received considerably farther away as the balloon gains altitude.
Useful ground-station capabilities include:
VHF and UHF amateur transceivers;
APRS receivers, digipeaters and iGates;
LoRa APRS gateways;
433 MHz and 868 MHz LoRa receivers;
Meshtastic nodes;
Software-defined radio receivers;
SSTV receiving and decoding stations;
WSPR monitoring stations;
ADS-B receiving stations; and
Receive-only monitoring stations.
A sophisticated station is not required. A simple receiver and suitable antenna can still provide valuable coverage and signal information. Receive only reports is also welcome
Two-way participation, including crossband voice, APRS and message-relay tests, will take place only during announced test windows under Net Control. Transmissions must be made by appropriately licensed operators and must follow the final flight-day instructions.
Information requested from participating stations
Ground-station operators will be asked to record:
Operator name and callsign;
Station location;
Fixed, portable or mobile configuration;
Radio, receiver and antenna used;
Mode or payload monitored;
Reception time;
Signal strength or signal quality;
Packets, messages or images received;
Successful voice or data contacts;
Loss of signal, interference or unusual behaviour; and
Raw logs, screenshots, recordings or decoded files where available.
These observations will help the BACAR team assess coverage, reliability, interoperability and the practical value of airborne communication support during emergencies.
Register your ground station
Anyone interested in establishing a ground station or participating in the mission should send the following information:
Name and callsign;
Town or station location;
Available equipment and antennas;
Bands and modes that can be monitored;
Fixed, portable or mobile capability; and
Contact details for flight-day communication.
Please send registrations and enquiries to:
Christo Kriek – ZR6LJK
Email: christokriek461@gmail.com
Further information will follow before launch, including the final frequency schedule, launch-day timeline, tracking links, test windows, Net Control arrangements and the process for submitting reception reports.
BACAR-14 Skybridge: testing communication links from the stratosphere to strengthen emergency communication on the ground.