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
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
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