P3D Balloons - Flying Cameras

[perryd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

     I have wanted to try sending cameras aloft for several years but have 
     not actually done it yet.  I purchased a single-ues panoramic for that 
     purpose 2 years ago but never tried it out.  For years I have flown 
     hot air balloons from Edmund Scientific.  The make 6 foot, 9 foot and 
     12 foot balloons.  The 12 foot is probably the one to use for any 
     payload and the cost is about $20.  You have to assemble it, it is 
     made of fairly fragile tissue paper and you need a heat source to 
     launch it.  I use a propane burner with a piece of stovepipe that 
     works pretty well.  It seems to have plenty of lifting power for one 
     of the cardboard cameras, maybe even two for stereo and the advantage 
     over helium is that it goes up for a minute or two and comes back down 
     on its own.  I have not come up with a lightweight apparatus for 
     tripping the cameras after a delay or by remote control.  You will 
     need extremely calm weather, NO wind or very little, especially if you 
     want to tether the balloon.  If anyone has ideas for a shutter trip 
     mechanism, let me know. 
     
     Duane Perry
     perryd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 


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