SAN DIEGO—Mentors of Mt. Carmel High School’s Amateur Radio Club sent a high-altitude balloon across San Diego County this past weekend, as part of HamTastic 2026, an event for local amateur radio operators.
The event, held in Mission Bay on Saturday, October 17, 2026, featured hands-on experiences, education, demonstrations, and networking for those interested in becoming a ham radio operator and amateur radio enthusiasts.
Randy Standke and Gene Swiech, both mentors for the MCHS Amateur Radio Club, conducted the launch, which sent a 200-gram latex weather balloon into the atmosphere with a transmitter. The balloon reached heights of more than 92,000 feet and traveled from Mission Bay out to sea, before turning around and traveling over Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, Poway, Ramona, and bursting just outside of Julian and landing.
Mt. Carmel’s Amateur Radio Club teaches students about the finer points of amateur radio through activities such as balloon launches like this. Through the club, students exercise a range of skills across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.