Weather Balloon Hunter
Education
Only for iPhone
Free · Designed for iPhone. Not verified for macOS.
iPhone
Track weather balloons in real-time with MySondyGo BLE and SondeHub APRS. Professional prediction, intelligent routing, and map-centric interface for successful recovery.
Track and recover weather balloons with professional-grade tools used by the global amateur radio community. BalloonHunter connects to MySondyGo devices via Bluetooth and integrates with the SondeHub APRS network for comprehensive real-time balloon tracking.
KEY FEATURES
Dual Connectivity
- MySondyGo BLE - Direct connection to RadioSondyGo devices for real-time telemetry
- SondeHub APRS - Automatic fallback to global amateur radio network
- Smart polling adjusts API cadence based on data freshness (15s to 5min to 1hr)
Professional Prediction
- Tawhiri API - Leverages CUSF's professional trajectory prediction engine
- Real-time updates every 60 seconds during flight
- Accurate burst and landing point calculations with uncertainty mapping
- Adaptive parameters use live descent rates when available
Hunter-Focused Interface
- Map-centric design optimized for field tracking operations (70% map view)
- Live overlays show balloon track, prediction path, landing zones, and your position
- Smart route recalculation only when needed:
- Off-route detection (50m+ deviation)
- Landing point movement (100m+ shift)
- Transport mode changes (car/bike)
- Apple Maps navigation with one-tap routing
- Landing change alerts during CarPlay navigation (300m+ shifts)
- Heading mode with compass-locked view for directional navigation
Advanced Tracking
- 7-state telemetry state machine for robust operation
- Automatic BLE/APRS switching with 30-second debounce
- Background Bluetooth support for continuous connection
- Local data persistence with CSV export capability
- Offline track viewing from cached data
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- Requires iOS 17.6 or later
- Bluetooth and location permissions required
- Internet connection needed for APRS and predictions
- Works with or without MySondyGo hardware
- Free and open source - no ads, no tracking, no accounts
PERFECT FOR
- Weather balloon enthusiasts and chasers
- Amateur radio operators (hams)
- High-altitude balloon (HAB) recovery teams
- Educational institutions launching research balloons
- Anyone interested in atmospheric science
PRIVACY & DATA
- All location data stays on your device
- No personal information collected
- No user accounts or registration required
- Open source code available on GitHub
- Full privacy policy included
Built for the weather balloon tracking community by HB9BLA.
Ratings & Reviews
The developer, Andreas Spiess, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Andreas Spiess
- Size
- 24.8 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.6 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.6 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.6 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.3 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2025 Andreas Spiess