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To track a meteorological weather balloon, open the SondeHub Tracker, select a sonde on the map, and inspect its telemetry and flight path. If the balloon is no longer visible, enter its serial number in SondeHub’s search field to retrieve archived data. Amateur high-altitude balloon flights use the separate SondeHub Amateur tracker. You do not need radio equipment to view flights already being received by the network; a receiver and antenna are optional if you want to decode and contribute telemetry yourself.
How do I track a weather balloon?
Most publicly trackable weather balloons carry a radiosonde: a small instrument package suspended below a balloon. It measures atmospheric conditions and transmits the readings by radio to ground stations. SondeHub collects telemetry from participating receivers and plots the reported positions, so the simplest method is web-based rather than radio-based.
- Open the SondeHub Tracker. The regular tracker is intended for meteorological radiosondes.
- Use the map to find an active or nearby sonde. Select a marker to open its details, received telemetry and plotted flight path.
- Inspect the path and measurements. The available fields depend on the sonde and the receiving stations that have heard it.
- Search by serial number when the marker disappears. Enter the radiosonde’s serial number in the tracker’s search field to request historical data.
- Use the appropriate tracker for amateur launches. Open SondeHub Amateur for amateur high-altitude balloon payloads instead of the meteorological tracker.
A marker disappearing does not prove that a balloon has landed. It normally means that no newer position is currently available to the service. The last plotted point is therefore best treated as a last-known location.
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Which SondeHub tracker should I use?
| What you want to follow | Where to go | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| National or other operational weather-balloon radiosondes | SondeHub Tracker | Choose a marker, view received telemetry and the flight path, or search a serial number for historical data. |
| Amateur high-altitude balloon launches | SondeHub Amateur | Follow amateur payloads on the tracker intended for those flights. |
How can I see where a weather balloon is going?
Read the live or recently received path
Selecting a sonde on the map normally gives you a sequence of reported positions rather than a prediction of its future route. Connect the points to see the direction in which the payload has traveled. The latest point may be delayed because it depends on a receiver hearing the transmission and forwarding it to SondeHub.
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Weather balloons drift with winds at different altitudes. A radiosonde’s position is generally obtained with GPS, allowing the change in position over time to be used to calculate wind speed and direction aloft. The National Weather Service explains that a radiosonde observation technically consists of pressure, temperature and relative-humidity measurements; when the position is tracked to derive winds, the resulting observation is called a rawinsonde. See the NWS technical overview at weather.gov/upperair/factsheet.
Understand “last known” versus “landed”
The National Weather Service’s Lincoln office describes using SondeHub and local receivers to plot the last known location of its balloons in its explainer, “Where do our weather balloons go after launch?”. That wording matters: a final received coordinate is evidence of where the balloon was last heard, not confirmation that the payload reached the ground there. A signal can stop because the balloon moved beyond receiving coverage, the transmitter stopped, the payload was damaged, or the archive has not yet received another report.
Use the serial-number history when the map is empty
Active markers are temporary. If you recorded the sonde’s serial number while it was visible, use the search box on SondeHub to retrieve its historical track after it leaves the active display. The result depends on whether participating stations received and archived transmissions for that sonde; a search cannot reconstruct positions that were never received.
What information does a radiosonde transmit?
Measurements from the instrument package
Radiosondes are designed to sample the atmosphere while ascending beneath a balloon. The NWS identifies pressure, temperature and relative humidity as the core radiosonde observation. SondeHub may show additional telemetry fields, depending on the sonde type and its decoder support, but the archive does not promise identical fields for every payload.
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- If need to fly,these balloons must be filled with helium if they want to float up. You need to buy helium locally or fill it with hydrogen in a laboratory to ensure safety (dangerous, not recommended for ordinary people).
Position and wind calculations
GPS position lets a receiving system plot the payload’s path. Comparing successive positions provides the motion needed to estimate wind speed and direction at altitude. Those wind values describe the air movement inferred from the tracked payload; they are not a separate anemometer reading hanging below the balloon.
Why the frequency matters
The NWS factsheet gives a typical radiosonde transmitter range of 400 to 405.9 MHz. That frequency range explains why a receiver and antenna intended for roughly 400–406 MHz are used for local reception. It does not mean every sonde, amateur payload or regional system uses exactly the same channel, so a hobbyist setup must follow the supported modes and frequency guidance for the software and payload being received.
Can I look up a radiosonde after it lands?
Often you can look up a flight after it has stopped appearing on the map, but “after it lands” is not something the public tracker can always verify. Use the serial-number search to request the historical telemetry that SondeHub received. If the balloon’s final transmission was heard by at least one participating station, the archive may retain a track up to that point.
The archive description at the AWS Open Data Registry says that data arrives from participating radiosonde_auto_rx stations and that the archive updates as new reports arrive. It also notes that supported fields and sensor coverage vary by sonde type. Consequently, an incomplete path or missing measurement is a coverage or payload limitation, not proof that the instrument never collected that value.
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- If you are using it for other purposes, you can charge more helium or hydrogen gas to achieve greater lift near the ground.
- If need to fly,these balloons must be filled with helium if they want to float up. You need to buy helium locally or fill it with hydrogen in a laboratory to ensure safety (dangerous, not recommended for ordinary people).
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Report a recovered sonde
SondeHub provides a recovery-reporting interface and asks users to report recovered sondes. Use the recovery controls linked from the tracker if you have legitimately found a payload and can provide the requested identifying information. The tracker also links to a radiosonde-hunting etiquette resource. Because the detailed etiquette guidance is separate, check it before entering private property, approaching restricted areas or handling an unfamiliar package.
What are the limits of SondeHub telemetry?
- It is received data, not a guaranteed complete record. SondeHub can only display reports that participating stations have received and uploaded.
- Coverage changes with geography and time. A balloon can move outside the range of listening stations or experience a gap before another station hears it.
- Fields differ by payload. The archive says supported fields and sensor coverage vary by sonde type.
- Some atmospheric values may be uncalibrated. The archive specifically cautions that downlinked atmospheric sensor data may be uncalibrated when calibration information is absent.
- Archive numbers change. The AWS description, accessed in 2026, reports 313 receiver stations and an average of 384 radiosondes per day. Those are current archive figures attributed to SondeHub, not independently verified permanent totals.
For casual tracking, these qualifications usually mean “interpret the plot as the best received record.” For analysis, preserve the sonde identifier, timestamp and field name, and note gaps or calibration status instead of treating every displayed number as a laboratory-quality measurement.
Should I use the public map or receive the signal myself?
The two routes serve different goals. Public tracking is the practical choice when you want to see an existing flight. Independent reception is for people who want to decode transmissions locally and contribute new observations to the network.
| Consideration | Public SondeHub tracking | Self-reception with radiosonde_auto_rx |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | View flights and telemetry already uploaded by participating stations. | Receive, decode and optionally upload local telemetry. |
| Equipment | Web browser and an internet connection. | A suitable SDR receiver, computer or supported single-board computer, and an antenna for the relevant band. |
| Setup effort | Open the tracker and select a sonde. | Install and configure the open-source decoder, connect the receiver and antenna, and verify uploads. |
| Coverage | Depends on the existing receiver network. | Adds coverage only where your antenna and receiver can hear a transmission. |
| Data caveats | Still subject to gaps, varying fields and possible uncalibrated sensors. | Local reception does not calibrate the sonde; it can improve position coverage but inherits the payload’s measurement and calibration limits. |
| Cost information | No hardware purchase is required to view the public map. | The supplied technical sources do not establish prices or a tested product recommendation. |
How do I receive and decode a weather-balloon signal?
This is an optional hobbyist project. The radiosonde_auto_rx project wiki documents the supported workflow and hardware categories. Its revision is dated 2026-09-19, so consult the current wiki for installation details rather than relying on an old setup guide.
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- Natural color close to white ,Neck Length≥10cm,Neck Diameter≤6.4cm,Body Length=90-104cm.
- If you are using it for other purposes, you can charge more helium or hydrogen gas to achieve greater lift near the ground.
- If need to fly,these balloons must be filled with helium if they want to float up. You need to buy helium locally or fill it with hydrogen in a laboratory to ensure safety (dangerous, not recommended for ordinary people).
- Ideal for fairs aerial photos,meteorologists, science projects and grand openings.
Prepare the required hardware
- Receiver: an RTL-SDR-class receiver or a compatible AirSpy setup, as documented by the project.
- Computer: a Linux computer or supported single-board computer.
- Antenna: an antenna suitable for approximately 400–406 MHz and installed where it has a useful view of the sky.
- Network connection: needed if you want the decoder to upload received positions to SondeHub.
These are categories documented by the project, not a claim that one particular model performs best. An honest search phrase for shopping is “RTL-SDR receiver for radiosondes”; a 400–406 MHz antenna is the corresponding antenna category. No specific model performance or price has been established here.
Set up the decoder
- Read the current installation and supported-hardware sections of the radiosonde_auto_rx wiki.
- Install the software on the supported Linux computer or single-board computer described there.
- Connect the SDR receiver and the 400–406 MHz antenna, then configure the receiver according to the project’s instructions.
- Allow the decoder to scan or monitor the frequencies and sonde protocols it supports in your area.
- Check that decoded positions and measurements appear locally before enabling network uploads.
- Configure the SondeHub upload option if you want your station to contribute telemetry to the public map.
The exact commands, package names and supported protocols can change. Use the wiki’s current procedure for your operating system and receiver instead of copying commands from an undated tutorial.
Position the antenna and interpret reception gaps
A receiver can decode only when the radio signal is strong enough and the payload uses a supported transmission mode. The balloon’s altitude, terrain, buildings, antenna placement and local radio interference all affect reception. A gap in your local plot therefore does not automatically indicate that the balloon stopped transmitting; another station may continue to report it, or the signal may simply be below your station’s usable level.
How do I use chase mode safely?
SondeHub includes a chase mode for following a payload while moving. The tracker warns that enabling chase mode makes your location publicly visible on the map for up to 12 hours. Treat that as a privacy setting, not a minor interface detail.
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- Enable chase mode only when you accept that your location will be displayed publicly.
- Disable it when you no longer need it, rather than assuming the visibility ends immediately.
- Do not publish a precise home, workplace or other sensitive location just to follow a flight.
- Remember that a displayed sonde position is telemetry, while your chase location is your own voluntarily shared position.
Why can’t I find a balloon on the map?
No marker appears
Confirm that you are using the regular tracker for a meteorological radiosonde or SondeHub Amateur for an amateur payload. If the launch is not being heard by participating stations, no public marker may exist. An amateur flight placed on the wrong tracker can also appear to be missing.
The marker vanished during flight
Search the serial number. If the latest report is old, read the result as a last-known position. A temporary receiving gap, a payload or transmitter problem, or delayed archive updates can all stop the visible path without proving a landing.
The path has missing measurements
Check the sonde type and available fields. SondeHub’s archive says sensor support varies and that atmospheric data can be uncalibrated when calibration information is unavailable. Do not fill a missing field with a value inferred from a neighboring point unless your analysis explicitly documents that assumption.
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My receiver decodes nothing
- Verify that the antenna is intended for the 400–406 MHz region.
- Confirm that the receiver and operating system are among those supported by the current radiosonde_auto_rx documentation.
- Check connections, gain and local interference using the diagnostic steps in the project wiki.
- Make sure the payload is within radio range and uses a protocol your software supports.
- Test local decoding before troubleshooting SondeHub uploads; an upload problem and a reception problem are different failure points.
What should I record when analyzing a flight?
For a reproducible personal log, record the sonde serial number, the date and time you viewed it, the tracker used, and whether each point came from a live display or historical search. Note that the archive is updated as participating stations submit data, so a later lookup can contain more points than an earlier one. Preserve the displayed field names and units rather than silently converting or renaming them.
When describing a balloon’s destination, say “the last reported position” unless you have independent evidence of recovery. When describing atmospheric values, identify whether they are pressure, temperature, relative humidity, position-derived wind or another field, and state when the archive indicates that calibration information is absent.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- Start with the SondeHub Tracker: select a map marker for a live or recently received flight.
- Use the serial-number search for historical telemetry after a marker leaves the active map.
- Use SondeHub Amateur for amateur high-altitude balloon flights.
- Radiosondes transmit measurements by radio; GPS tracking supplies the position needed to calculate winds aloft.
- The NWS gives a typical transmitter range of 400–405.9 MHz, which explains the receiver and antenna category used by hobbyists.
- Public viewing needs no radio hardware. Self-reception with radiosonde_auto_rx is optional and can contribute additional coverage.
- Telemetry is received data. Coverage, fields and calibration status vary, and a last-known point is not proof of landing.
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