The Pico Balloon ZS6SRC-21 is circumnavigating the globe for the second time and is now already over Argentina. At the time of recording this program it has been in the air for 35 days, 17 hours and 50 minutes and covered a distance of 70 781 km. It is at an altitude of 12 060 m and floating at a speed of 152 km/h. This balloon has followed a path slightly to the South of the first flight around the globe.
You can follow the ZS6SRC-21 Balloon on the link https://traquito.github.io/search/spots/dashboard/?band=20m&channel=81&callsign=ZS6SRC&dtGte=2024-03-22&dtLte=2026-04-04
The second Pico Balloon ZS6SRC-22 Seems to have disappeared over the South Pacific Ocean. The last reported position was at an altitude of 11 320 m and had already travelled 17 929 km. The speed at which was floating was 152 km/h.
You can follow the ZS6SRC-22 Balloon on the link https://traquito.github.io/search/spots/dashboard/?band=20m&channel=149&callsign=ZS6SRC&dtGte=2025-05-16&dtLte=2025-11-20
Yesterday Pico Balloon ZS6SRC-23 was launched from a very cold Secunda.
This balloon can be followed on the link https://traquito.github.io/search/spots/dashboard/?band=20m&channel=133&callsign=ZS6SRC&dtGte=2025-07-05&dtLte=2025-12-04
So the current statuses of the Pico Balloons launched by the Secunda Radio Club so far are as follows:
ZS6SRC-20. Launched on 24 May 2025. Disappeared somewhere over Mozambique. Last heard 24 May 2025.
ZS6SRC-21 Launched on 7 June 2025. Currently over Argentina on it’s second flight around the globe.
ZS6SRC-22 Launched on 16 June 2025. Disappeared somewhere over the Southern Pacific Ocean. Last heard 26 June 2025.
ZS6SRC-23 Launched on 5 July 2025. Currently over the Southern Indian Ocean.
There has been another Pico Balloon launched from the Southern Cape by Stewart ZR1WT with the callsign of the Eden Radio Club ZS1ERZ on 30 June 2025, but it has also disappeared somewhere over the Southern Indian Ocean to the South of St Francis Bay on 30 June 2025
Well done to everyone who have been involved in launching these Pico Balloons, whether they have kept afloat or have disappeared. It is all about the participation and having fun and trying something new.
I would like to raise the red flag of the potential interference that could be created should a US based Satellite company be allocated frequencies in the 70 cm Amateur band. The 70 cm Amateur band from 430 MHz to 440 MHz is a primary allocation for Region 1 and a secondary allocation for Regions 2 and 3.
Amateur Radio Daily reports that “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US has received a request from AST SpaceMobile to modify an existing license that would allow it to transmit within the amateur radio 70 cm band. Specifically, the company seeks the use of the 430-440 MHz spectrum to perform telemetry, tracking, and telecommand between ground stations and a constellation of 243 satellites in low-earth, non-geostationary orbit.”
“AST SpaceMobile is building a satellite constellation based cellular network that can utilize existing smart phones. The company is based in Midland, Texas, US and is publicly traded.”
This is not the first time this company has transgressed the ITU Radio Regulations. You can read more about this at
https://daily.hamweekly.com/2025/06/private-satellite-company-ast-spacemobile-seeks-amateur-band-use/
Unfortunately there is very little VHF and Above activity at the moment.
How about telling us about that exciting long distance contact that you have made on the VHF and above bands or about that project that you are working on in the VHF and above bands? Send me a consolidated report of your activity or project with any additional photos, audio or video clips to vhfnews@sarl.org.za. Remember by sharing your activities with us at VHF News allows us to tell the rest of the amateur community about your achievements and the more we promote the activity on the VHF and above bands the better chance we have of encouraging more amateurs to explore the world above 30 MHz. Focus on VHF and above is compiled, edited and presented for Amateur Radio Today by Brian Jacobs ZS6YZ.