Only the updated narrative for the day is on this page.  For the remainder of  Pico Serial #8  please  [click here].

Friday , Aug 22 Serial #8 Update.

Over the past two days, the pico balloon Serial #8,  launched by WT5TX using the club callsign K5RGV  on July 30, 2025 has continued its steady westward drift over the Pacific side of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.

On August 20th, the balloon was near 26.8°N, 109.5°W at about 41,700 ft. Through the afternoon and evening, it cruised westward, maintaining a nearly constant altitude around 41,800 ft and speeds in the 14–20 mph range. Battery voltage held steady near 4.6–4.8 V, and temperatures ranged from the mid-50s °F at night to the mid-70s °F in daylight—showing healthy solar and power performance.
By the evening of August 21st, the balloon had reached about 25.5°N, 113°W, still at roughly 41,000 ft. Over the two days, it traveled a total of about 240 miles.

Overall, the flight looks very stable:

Altitude is steady in the 41,000–42,000 ft range, with only small oscillations.
Power system is strong, with daytime charging and nighttime stability.
Temperature swings are within normal limits for high-altitude flights.
Position reports show consistent tracking, with receiving stations picking up its transmissions at distances over 6,000 miles in some cases.
In short, WT5TX’s balloon is performing well, still cruising high over the Pacific, and remains in excellent shape nearly a month after launch.

— K5RGV Rio Amateur Radio Club

Tracking Balloons

To track Serial 8's global path, we now have three different sites for you to pick from. 

Traquito, [watch here]
wsprtv.com, [watch here]
WSPR.spot, [watch here}

Serial #9 failed shortly after launch, to see its rise and fall, the links are below.

Traquito, [watch here]
wsprtv.com, [watch here]
WSPR.spot, [watch here}

Wondering what the heck a Pico Balloon is  well just [click here] and all your questions will be answered, well at least the first ones, but I am sure this will bring up others.