We’re thrilled to announce that Moonraker is sponsoring the RSGB LoRa Balloon Challenge, a standout event during National Coding Week 2025. This is your opportunity to build, experiment, and compete in a hands on amateur radio coding adventure!
- What’s the LoRa Balloon Project?
- How to Get Involved
- Competition & Prizes
On Saturday 20 September at approximately 11 am BST, the RSGB Outreach Team, with support from Hi Impact and Moonraker, will launch a high altitude balloon carrying a LoRa digipeater. The balloon becomes a flying relay station — and here’s your mission: to build and code your own LoRa tracker that beams packets up to the balloon and down to a local iGate SOTA Reflector
The RSGB provides full instructions on how to build or re-code a LoRa tracker board. Already made one last year? Just upload the new code and you’re good to go! Radio Society of Great Britain
Build your tracker and launch it on the big day. If everything works, your packets will travel via the balloon relay and be received on the ground.
There are two competition categories:
| Category | Prize |
| Single RSGB Member | £200 Moonraker Voucher |
| RSGB Afilliated Club | £200 Moonraker Voucher |
Not an RSGB member yet? Join now to enter and enjoy member perks, including entry into the challenge! Radio Society of Great Britain
Tips to Boost Your Signal Reach
Want to improve your distance? Consider:
- Building a high gain antenna, like a Yagi or directional beam
- Transmitting from a higher elevation—take your kit up a hill or a summit and combine it with SOTA activities RTL-SDR
Team up with local clubs! Build at club events, swap ideas, and head out together on challenge day to maximize fun and distance.
Why It Matters
This event blends amateur radio, coding, practical electronics, and community. It’s open to seasoned hams and newcomers alike. Whether you’re a solo operator or working with a club, it's a brilliant chance to learn, compete, and contribute to innovative radio projects. Winners will be announced at the RSGB Convention in October, hosted by RSGB Board Director Ben Lloyd (GW4BML) and Dr Dave Pegler (M0JKS).
After the Challenge
Once the event concludes, licensed amateurs can re-code the tracker to operate on standard LoRa bands. It’s perfect for future projects like Summits on the Air (SOTA) or personal tracking experiments.
Get Started Now
- Full tracker instructions and project details: available on the RSGB LoRa balloon project page
- Explore more RSGB-coded amateur radio STEM activities: see their Coding & Amateur Radio resources page Radio Society of Great Britain
Your waves. Your skills. Your moment.
As proud sponsors, Moonraker invites you to take part in this exciting LoRa event. Start building today—let’s see whose signal soars the furthest!
For more information please visit our online store or alternatively contact us and out team will be happy to assist you!