BLS Manual EN

User Manual
http://balloonlive.org
Firmware FS.04.17 Date: 2021-05-13

Contents
Contents .............................................................................................................................. 2
General Information ............................................................................................................. 3
Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................ 3
Firmware Version ................................................................................................................. 3
Support ................................................................................................................................ 4
Warning ............................................................................................................................... 4
Imprint .................................................................................................................................. 4
First steps ............................................................................................................................ 5
Device overview .............................................................................................................. 5
Package contents ............................................................................................................ 6
Charging the built-in battery............................................................................................. 6
Battery endurance ........................................................................................................... 6
Operating elements ......................................................................................................... 7
Using the Balloon Live Sensor ........................................................................................... 10
Turning on the Balloon Live Sensor ............................................................................... 10
Turning off the Balloon Live Sensor ............................................................................... 10
Function mode switching ............................................................................................... 11
Display unit switching .................................................................................................... 11
Changing function mode settings .................................................................................. 12
Altimeter function ........................................................................................................... 13
Barometric pressure ...................................................................................................... 13
Clock.............................................................................................................................. 13
Memory usage ............................................................................................................... 14
Accessing files on the SD card ...................................................................................... 16
Removing and inserting the SD card ............................................................................. 17
Working with recorded track files ................................................................................... 18
Upgrading the firmware ................................................................................................. 18
Bluetooth Connectivity ....................................................................................................... 20
Connecting the Balloon Live App with the Balloon Live Sensor ..................................... 20
Connecting Bluetooth serial devices .............................................................................. 23
Connecting a PC using USB serial ................................................................................ 24
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................. 25
Writing the recorded track fails with message “Sd Err” .................................................. 25
The Balloon Live Sensor doesn’t turn on ....................................................................... 25
Upgrade of the firmware failed....................................................................................... 25
Balloon Live Sensor firmware upgrade freezes device .................................................. 26
Turning on the Balloon Live Sensor shows “E SEAL” .................................................... 26
Other problems .............................................................................................................. 27
Technical Specifications ..................................................................................................... 28
Firmware history ............................................................................................................ 28
Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 2

General Information
The Balloon Live Sensor (BLS) is a special sensor developed by the FAI Ballooning
Commission (CIA) together with Volirium AG (Flytec Balloon) to provide a common GPS
receiver and logger to be used in competitions and special performance flights. It is equipped
with a high-precision GPS receiver and barometric sensor to achieve the best possible
comparability between pilots.
The Balloon Live Sensor is complemented by the Balloon Live App running on iOS and
Android, and together they are the successor of the FAI Balloon Logger that was used over
many years in balloon competitions to record flight tracks, pilot declarations, and marker
drops.
The Balloon Live App provides a secure live data feed into the watchmefly.net platform
where authenticated event officials can easily access the performance data from each pilot
while it is happening. This tight and secure integration of the sensor, the app and the cloud
platform watchmefly.net allow a much faster scoring of competitions while ensuring the
privacy and integrity of the data from the sensor to the scoring official.
Besides the integrated functionalities, the Balloon Live Sensor can also be used as a
position source to any electronic device that can receive position data through Bluetooth
connections. Finally, the Balloon Live Sensor can record GPS positions at predefined
intervals to a track file that is written to the SD card in the device. The track will be written in
the internationally agreed .IGC file format with a digital signature to allow integrity checks of
the provided track.
Disclaimer
While the Balloon Live Sensor has been carefully developed and tested, neither Volirium AG
nor the FAI Ballooning Commission can be made liable for any kind of malfunction of the
device or damage while using it. All activities using the device are always performed in the
user’s responsibility.
Firmware Version
All information in this manual is based on the firmware (software) level as of the publishing
time of this document, as outlined in the document footer. This manual may not be updated
for newer firmware releases if function has not been changed.
The most current documentation and firmware can always be found on
the download page of the Balloon Live project at:
https://balloonlive.org/downloads/

Support
User support for the Balloon Live Sensor is initially provided through the Balloon Live project
of the New Technology Subcommittee of the FAI Ballooning Commission. First source of
information should always be this user manual and the FAQ on the Balloon Live home page
https://balloonlive.org. For any questions that cannot be answered from this manual or the
FAQ, support can be contacted via e-mail to: support@balloonlive.org. All user support is
provided by volunteers on a time available basis, so response times can vary.
Hardware support is provided by Volirium AG (Flytec Balloon) and their local representatives.
Warning
The Balloon Live Sensor does not contain any user serviceable parts. The device should
not be opened by the user, except for the SD card cover held by the large screw. Opening
the Balloon Live Sensor case will render it useless for competitions as the encryption key of
the device will be deleted automatically. The Balloon Live Sensor needs to be sent in for
repair to assign a new encryption key, which is not covered by warranty.
The battery cannot be changed by the user. In case the battery needs to be replaced due to
very low capacity, the Balloon Live Sensor needs to be sent in for repair.
If the battery is physically damaged (e.g. due to outside force), the entire device is not safe
for shipping. Support should be contacted immediately to discuss further steps.
Imprint
The Balloon Live Sensor has been developed by the FAI Ballooning Commission which also
provides user support:
FAI Ballooning Commission - Balloon Live
Av. de Rhodanie 54
CH-1007 Lausanne
Switzerland
E-mail: support@balloonlive.org
Website: https://balloonlive.org
Hardware manufacturing and hardware support is provided by our partner Volirium AG

(Flytec Balloon):
Volirium AG
Hans-Reinhard-Strasse 1
CH-6048 Horw
Switzerland
E-mail: info@volirium.com
Website: https://www.flytec-balloon.com
First steps
Device overview
Front view
No Description
On/Off Button (on top side)
Status icon bar
Function mode icon bar
Value display
OK/mode/config button
Buzzer
Selection up button
Selection down button
Rear view
No Description
Micro USB socket
SD card cover screw
Serial number
Velcro pad
SD card cover
SD card (below cover)

Package contents
The Balloon Live Sensor comes with the following parts:
• Balloon Live Sensor device
• SD card for track recording (inserted into the SD card slot)
• Velcro strap to attach the device
• Lanyard to secure the device
• Pouch for protection when the device is not in use
• Micro USB to USB-C adapter for charging and data transfer
A charger is NOT included in the package to keep the price low and to avoid unnecessary
electronic waste as any standard USB based charger can be used.
Charging the built-in battery

Before using the device for the first time, the built-in lithium battery should be fully charged.
To charge the battery, a micro USB cable needs to be inserted into the socket on the rear
side of the Balloon Live Sensor and then connected to a USB power source. The package
includes a micro USB to USB-C adapter in case no micro USB cable is available. Either a
USB charger, e.g. a wall plug charger or a computer with a USB port can be used as a power
source. Charging the device can take several hours, depending on the battery status. While
the battery is charging, the battery status indicator will keep moving. The battery is fully
charged when all segments of the battery status indicator are visible without any further
movement.
Battery endurance
The built-in battery provides around 20 hours of run time when new and used in
temperatures above 15°C while being connected to the Balloon Live App and an additional
Bluetooth serial device.
The run time on a single charge will be reduced if further Bluetooth devices are connected,
in low temperatures or when the battery has gone through many charging cycles. In these
conditions it is recommended to regularly charge the device between flights in a competition.
For competitions with long duration flights it is also possible to use the Balloon Live Sensor
with an external power supply attached while it is turned on.
Note: When the device is not in use and turned off, the battery will very slowly lose its charge,
the same way other electronic devices do too. It is recommended to charge the battery at
least every 6 months to keep it in good condition.

Operating elements
Display
The LCD display shows the status of the Balloon Live Sensor. The display is divided into
three parts.
The top part of the LCD display contains the status icon
bar where information about the current device status is
indicated:
Symbol Description
Battery status indicator
A fully charged battery is indicated by four visible segments within the
battery symbol. If no segment is visible, the battery is empty and needs
to be charged immediately or the device should be turned off to save
the data that is currently stored in memory. Data in memory may be
lost if the battery discharges further!
The battery charge segments are activated from left to right in a

repeating cycle while the device is being charged.
GPS status indicator
The signal strength and quality currently received by the GPS receiver
is indicated by several segments within this symbol. In limited
reception areas not all signal strength segments will be visible and it
is recommended to improve the placement of the device to get an
unobstructed view of the sky.
Track recording indicator
This symbol is steadily visible while the device is recording GPS
positions to internal memory. This symbol keeps flashing when
automatic track recording is selected but no takeoff was detected yet.
Balloon Live App connection indicator
An established connection with the Balloon Live App will be indicated
by a steadily visible symbol. When no connection with the Balloon Live
App has been established then this symbol keeps flashing.
Bluetooth serial connection indicator
An established connection with one or more Bluetooth serial devices
will be indicated by a steadily visible symbol. When no connection with
a Bluetooth serial device has been established then this symbol keeps
flashing.
Acoustic variometer indicator
This symbol will be visible when the volume for the acoustic variometer
is non-zero.
SD card inserted and write indicator
The check mark in the icon will be visible when an SD card has been
inserted correctly and has been recognized by the device. The

Symbol Description
placement of the SD card needs to be verified when the check mark is
not visible. The double-sided arrow in this symbol indicates ongoing
write activity when the track is written to the SD card from memory at
the end of a track recording.
Confirmation request indicator
This symbol will be visible if the device is asking for confirmation for
various actions, e.g. when turning the device on or off. To confirm the
action, the OK/mode/config button needs to be pressed shortly
within a specified time frame, usually within 5s.
The middle part of the LCD display contains the function

mode bar where the currently selected function mode is
indicated (not all symbols are currently used):
Symbol Description
Altimeter
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the current altitude.
Variometer
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the rate of ascend or descend.
Barometric pressure
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the barometric pressure at the
current altitude.
Ground speed
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the speed over ground as
measured by the GPS.
GPS location
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the latitude or longitude of the
GPS position.
Clock
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the current time in the
configured time zone.
Memory usage
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the percentage of the used
memory while a track is recorded.
Audio settings
The value shown on the LCD display indicates the currently selected volume
level in percent for the acoustic variometer.

The lower part of the LCD display contains the value
display for the currently selected function mode:
Each value will be displayed with its current unit in the
top row. In addition to values, there are some very short
messages that can be displayed as well for different
functions.
Buttons
The Balloon Live Sensor has 4 buttons to be operated by the user. The On/Off button
can be found on the top side of the device. A short press on this button will initiate either a
power on or power off sequence, which is described below.
The front side features three buttons as the main user interface:
The left button is the OK/mode/config button.
It is used to confirm actions (OK), for example when the device is turned on or
off.
It is also used to select the desired function mode by pressing it shortly multiple
times until the desired function is indicated in the function mode bar.
Lastly it can also be pressed for a few seconds to modify the configuration for the
currently selected function mode.
The center button is the Selection up button.
The unit of the displayed value for the current function mode will be changed or
the volume is increased when this button is pressed. In memory usage mode it is
used to start a track recording.
The right button is the Selection down button.
The unit of the displayed value for the current function mode will be changed in
the opposite direction or the volume is decreased when this button is pressed. In
memory usage mode it is used to start a track recording.

Using the Balloon Live Sensor
The following topics describe how the Balloon Live Sensor can be used with all the available
functions. The function descriptions will use symbolic graphics of the LCD display where the
corresponding display content will be shown. Some operation
modes will show flashing symbols or values on the display. Such
flashing symbols are indicated by yellow symbols in this manual,
e.g. the time will be flashing while the time zone of the clock is set.
Other symbols that are regularly flashing are the symbols for
inactive track recording or no Balloon Live App or Bluetooth serial
devices connected, as in the example on the right.
Turning on the Balloon Live Sensor

The Balloon Live Sensor is turned on by shortly pressing the On/Off button on the top of
the device which will prompt the user to confirm that the device should be turned on. The
OK/mode/config button needs to be pressed within 5 seconds for confirmation, otherwise
the device will be turned off again, in case the On/Off button was pressed unintentionally.
After confirmation the device will show the device serial number and the currently installed
firmware (software) version, each for a few seconds, before the initial function mode
(altimeter) will be activated and the device will start searching for GPS satellites.
Turning off the Balloon Live Sensor

The Balloon Live Sensor is turned off by shortly pressing the On/Off button on the top of
the device which will prompt the user to confirm that the device should be turned off. The
OK/mode/config button needs to be pressed within 5 seconds for confirmation, otherwise
the device will not be turned off, in case the On/Off button was pressed unintentionally.

After confirmation, the device will write the recorded track in the internal memory to the SD
card. The double arrow in the SD card status indicator will be shown while the track file is
written. For a long track this process can take several seconds and the display will indicate
ongoing write progress by showing increasing numbers (starting at 1). When writing the
track has finished, two beeps will be issued and then the device will turn itself off.
Function mode switching

When the Balloon Live Sensor has been turned on it will start in altimeter mode where the
current altitude is displayed. The display mode can be switched by pressing the
OK/mode/config button shortly once or multiple times. The display mode is changing in
the following order every time the button is pressed. When pressing the OK/mode/config
button on the last function mode, mode switching starts from the first mode again.
Altimeter → Variometer → Barometric pressure → Ground speed → GPS

location → Clock → Memory usage → Audio settings
Display unit switching

For most function modes it is possible to switch the measuring unit of the displayed value
by pressing the Selection up button or the Selection down button. In the GPS location
function mode, the buttons switch between latitude and longitude of the coordinate being
displayed, in the Audio settings function mode the buttons modify the volume of the acoustic
variometer. The memory usage function mode does not provide any unit switching function.

Changing function mode settings
Some function modes provide the ability to modify their settings. The settings can be
changed by pressing the OK/mode/config button for at least 3s until the display value
starts flashing. The value or setting can then be changed using the Selection up or the
Selection down buttons. When the desired setting has been selected it is accepted after
pressing the OK/mode/config button or after waiting for 30s.
The following table lists the function modes, the available units and the mode settings
available:
Settings configuration
Symbol Function Unit switching
(long press )
Altimeter ft, m Adjust current altitude
Variometer m/s, ft/min*100 --
Barometric
hPa, inHg Adjust QNH
pressure
Ground speed km/h, m/s, kt, mph --
GPS location latitude, longitude --
Clock 24h, 12h am/pm Adjust time zone
Adjust recording interval

Memory usage Start and stop track recording and start/stop mode for
track recording
Volume: 0%, 33%, 66%
Audio settings --
100%
More information about the settings that can be configured for the respective function modes
is provided below in the detailed function descriptions.

Altimeter function
The altimeter function mode displays the current altitude in the selected unit. Without a
connection to the Balloon Live App, the barometric altitude will be displayed. The barometric
altitude can be adjusted to a known altitude by long pressing the
OK/mode/config button for about 3s. The current altitude will start
flashing to indicate that it can now be adjusted with the Selection up
or the Selection down buttons. When the correct altitude is set, the
adjustment can be confirmed with the OK/mode/config button or by
waiting for 30s. Adjusting the local altitude will also adjust the QNH for the
device.
When connected to the Balloon Live App, the displayed altitude will either
be the barometric altitude or the GPS altitude, depending on the flight
settings transmitted by the Balloon Live App.
Barometric pressure
The normal display for the barometric pressure function is the pressure at the current altitude
(QFE), not the pressure at mean sea level (QNH). The QNH can be
adjusted to a known pressure by long pressing the OK/mode/config
button for about 3s. The current QNH will start flashing to indicate that it
can now be adjusted with the Selection up or the Selection down
buttons. When the correct pressure is set, the adjustment can be
confirmed with the OK/mode/config button or by waiting for 30s.
Adjusting the QNH will also adjust the local altitude for the device.
When connected to the Balloon Live App, the QNH will be set to the value
that is set in the flight settings of the Balloon Live App.
Clock
The clock can be adjusted to the local time zone by long pressing the OK/mode/config
button for about 3s. The current time will start flashing to indicate that it
can now be adjusted with the Selection up or the Selection down
buttons. The selection buttons will move through the existing time zones
either to the west or the east, usually by an hour, but the time will also
step through time zones that use fractions of an hour. When the correct
time zone is displayed, the adjustment can be confirmed with the
OK/mode/config button or by waiting for 30s.
When connected to the Balloon Live App, the time zone information will
be set to the value that is set in the flight settings of the Balloon Live App.

Memory usage
The current usage of the internal memory of the device is shown when selecting the memory
usage function mode. The usage is given in percent and refers to the memory where a
current track is recorded to. The usage does not refer to the SD card capacity. When track
recording is enabled, this number will slowly increase with the number of track points
recorded. The memory is capable to hold at least 60,000 track points which represents more
than 17 hours of recording at 1s intervals. For longer recording periods it is suggested to
reduce the interval, e.g. to 5s.
Note: When the memory usage approaches 100% it is recommended that the recording is
stopped so that the track can be written to the SD card. Once the track has been written to
the SD card, a new track recording can be started which will have the entire memory
available again. The fastest way to achieve this may be to simply turn the device off and on
again and making sure that recording is activated after the device is turned on.
The track recording symbol in the status bar will not be visible when automatic track
recording is turned off and track recording has not been started manually. The symbol is
visible all the time when a track is currently recorded. If the symbol is flashing, then automatic
track recording is selected in the configuration and the device is waiting to detect a takeoff.
The two selection buttons can be used to control the track recording status when the memory
usage function mode is selected. The Selection up button is used to start the track
recording immediately if it is not started yet. When a recording is active, the Selection down
button can be used to stop it again. Stopping an active track recording needs to be
confirmed with the OK/mode/config button.
The Balloon Live Sensor supports different modes how to start track recording. The default
mode is to automatically start recording when a takeoff has been detected and to stop
recording, when a landing has been detected.
The automatic mode is the recommended setting for flying in competitions to make sure that
a track recording will always be available even in case the communication between the
Balloon Live App and the Balloon Live Sensor was interrupted for some reason.
When connected to the Balloon Live App, the track recording will be synchronized with the
app. When starting a flight in the app, a new track recording will also be started on the

Balloon Live Sensor. The track recording on the Balloon Live Sensor will be stopped when
the flight is stopped in the Balloon Live App.
Note: Even when the Balloon Live Sensor was configured to start track recording
automatically, it will not start a new track recording after the Balloon Live App has sent the
end of flight command. To start a new recording, either the flight needs to be started in the
app or track recording needs to be activated using the button on the device.
The device can be set into three track recording modes:
1. Start track recording automatically when a takeoff has been detected, stop the track
recording again after a landing has been detected (factory default setting).
2. Start track recording immediately after turning on the device.
3. Do not start track recording after turning on the device. Manual start is available.
In the automatic track recording mode, the takeoff is determined by a position or altitude
change exceeding a threshold, while the landing is determined when both the position and
altitude remain unchanged over a period of 60 seconds. Due to the nature of how balloons
often move in slow winds, the automatic mode may fail to start a track recording properly or
may stop it early.
The track recording start/stop mode as well as the interval in which GPS positions are stored
can be set by long pressing the OK/mode/config button for about 3s. The current start
mode and interval will be displayed and start flashing to indicate that they can now be
adjusted with the Selection up or the Selection down buttons. The selection buttons
will move through the available recording intervals and then switch to the next start/stop
mode after the last available interval value in the current start/stop mode.
Mode Description Recording intervals

0 Manual start/stop of track recording 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 30s
I Immediate track recording after turning on device 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 30s
A Automatic start/stop of track recording 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 30s

Accessing files on the SD card
The recorded tracks are written to the SD card that is inserted into the Balloon Live Sensor.
The files on the SD card can easily be accessed by connecting the device to a computer
using a micro USB cable. The SD card will appear as a mass storage device upon successful
connection.
Two folders will be visible when the newly detected mass storage device is opened in the
computer’s file browser: system and tracks.
The tracks folder contains all recorded tracks as individual .IGC files. Each .IGC file is
signed with the individual encryption key of the device. File names for .IGC files are created
using an encoded date format and a sequence number to make them unique.

The system folder is used to store configuration files and firmware upgrade files. Except for
the firmware upgrade file with extension .upg (e.g. sensbox.upg), no files should be modified
or removed in that folder to avoid malfunction.
Removing and inserting the SD card

For normal operations it is not necessary to remove the SD card from the Balloon Live
Sensor. Reasons to remove the SD card are a defective SD card or the inability to access
the files on the SD card from a connected computer through the mass storage interface.
The SD card is accessible from the rear side of the device. It is hidden under the protective
SD card cover which is held in place by the SD card cover screw . To access the SD
card, unfasten the screw and remove the cover. The SD card is released from the socket

by gently pushing it upwards until a light click can be heard. The SD card can then be
removed by pulling it out downwards.
Inserting the SD card is done in the opposite order by pushing it up into the SD card socket
with the SD card label visible until a light click can be heard, indicating that the SD card is
now in the correct position.
Working with recorded track files

The Balloon Live Sensor records tracks as .IGC files. This format was initially developed by
the International Gliding Commission and provides the ability to sign the track file to ensure
its integrity. Software that reads the .IGC file can ensure that the track file has not been
modified after it was recorded using the signature at the end.
Some navigation software may be able to read .IGC files directly. If the used software is not
able to read it, the .IGC file can be converted to other formats using the
Balloon Logger Management tool (short BLM). The BLM software runs
on Windows and is able to verify the signature of the .IGC file and to
convert the track to Ozi Explorer track files or to .GPX format. Converted
formats no longer provide the ability to check the track integrity though.
The Balloon Logger Management tool can be downloaded from:
http://www.balloonloggers.org/index.php/info/balloon-logger-management-blm/
Upgrading the firmware

The firmware (software) for the Balloon Live Sensor is improved continuously to provide the
best possible function. Therefore, it is recommended to upgrade the firmware of the device
when a new version is made available to benefit from new or improved functions or to fix
possible errors.
The firmware will be provided in a file called BLS_nnmm.upg on the
download page of the Balloon Live project at
https://balloonlive.org/downloads/ where nn and mm specify the major
and minor version of the firmware, e.g. BLS_0410.upg.
This file needs to be downloaded and copied into the system folder on
the SD card in the Balloon Live Sensor. After downloading the file, the
size on the computer should be compared to the details given on the download page to
ensure that the file has been transferred correctly. Any other firmware upgrade file with
extension .upg in the system folder needs to be removed before the new file is copied.
Copying the file to the SD card can either be done by attaching the device to a computer
with a micro USB cable where the SD card will show up as a mass storage device or by
removing the SD card from the device and inserting it into an SD card reader. Only one
firmware upgrade file with extension .upg is allowed on the SD card, otherwise an error will
occur during the upgrade process. If the SD card has been removed from the Balloon Live
Sensor to write the firmware file, it needs to be inserted back into the device for the upgrade.

To start the firmware upgrade, the device first needs to be in turned off
state and the battery be charged sufficiently. Then the OK/mode/config
button needs to be pressed and held down while the On/Off switch is
pressed at the same time. The Balloon Live Sensor will then search the
SD card for a firmware image and will initiate the upgrade process if an
upgrade file is found. Firmware upgrade progress is shown by the word
UPG and a moving segment in the value display. As soon as the firmware
upgrade is complete, the Balloon Live Sensor will turn itself off
automatically. The new firmware will be active the next time the Balloon
Live Sensor is turned on.

Bluetooth Connectivity
The Balloon Live Sensor is equipped with a Bluetooth V4.0 module that allows multiple
simultaneous connections. A mobile device with the Balloon Live App is connected using a
dedicated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection for exclusive use by the app.
Up to three additional devices can be connected using a Bluetooth Serial device to receive
NMEA GPS position data.
Connecting the Balloon Live App with the Balloon Live

Sensor
The Balloon Live App is using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection to communicate
with the Balloon Live Sensor. BLE connections do not have to go through a pairing process
as for other Bluetooth connections. To allow the Balloon Live App to connect with a Balloon
Live Sensor it is sufficient to have Bluetooth enabled on the mobile device. The Balloon Live
App will be able to connect to any nearby Balloon Live Sensor that is turned on and not
already connected to a Balloon Live App running on another mobile device. A flashing phone
symbol for the Balloon Live App connection indicates that the device is ready to connect to
the app while a steady symbol indicates that the device is already connected. A Balloon Live
Sensor can only be connected to a single mobile device running the Balloon Live App at the
same time. It can of course be used from different mobile devices running the app at different
times.
Select GPS device type

To connect the Balloon Live App with the Balloon Live Sensor, first the GPS device type
must be changed from Internal to either Balloon Live Sensor or Balloon Live Sensor (Internal
fallback). In most cases the Balloon Live Sensor (Internal fallback) type should be selected
to allow fallback to the internal GPS of the mobile device in case the connected Balloon Live
Sensor becomes unavailable (failure, empty battery, or out of Bluetooth signal range, NOT
failure to receive a GPS signal).
The fallback mode will ensure that a track continues to be recorded in the Balloon Live App
in such error scenarios which can be important for competition scoring. The track recorded
in the app will contain information to identify GPS positions that were recorded from the
Balloon Live Sensor and GPS positions that were recorded using the internal GPS from the
mobile device. This information can be used by scoring officials to judge the quality of the
recorded track.
Note: The GPS device type can only be selected in Training mode of the Balloon Live App.
For Competition mode the GPS device type will be determined by the competition settings
on watchmefly.net, set by the competition officials.
Category 1 competitions may require that a track is only recorded using GPS data from the
Balloon Live Sensor. This can be achieved by selecting GPS device type Balloon Live
Sensor, and this would already be set in the competition settings on watchmefly.net.

Selection of the GPS device type in the Balloon Live App can be started from the main
screen by selecting the three-bar menu on the top left of the screen to open the main menu
and then selecting option Configuration. Pressing the GPS configuration button opens the
selection menu where one of the three GPS device types can be chosen.
Select Balloon Live Sensor

Once the GPS device type has been set to one of the Balloon Live Sensor types the
configuration screen will show a button called Select BLS Device to choose which Balloon
Live Sensor device the app should connect to. Pressing this button opens a search screen
which will show all nearby Balloon Live Sensors that are turned on and not yet connected to
an app. Each device will be listed with an individual name made up of the text BLS and the
5 digit serial number that is printed on the rear of the device next to S/N. Tapping on the
desired Balloon Live Sensor opens a small menu from where the option Connect will start
the connection process. The connection is established when the selected Balloon Live
Sensor is shown with its serial number, firmware version, and connection status Connected
in the configuration screen.
After a Balloon Live Sensor has been connected, the back button of the mobile device or
the white left arrow at the top left part of the screen can be used to get back to the main
screen of the Balloon Live App.
The Balloon Live App will remember the last connected Balloon Live Sensor and will try to
reconnect every time the app is started. If no connection is possible, a red warning bar will
be shown at the bottom of the app screen. Should the previously used Balloon Live Sensor
no longer be available for connection, then a new BLS device needs to be selected as
described above.

Maintaining a list of preferred Balloon Live Sensors
A list of preferred Balloon Live Sensors (e.g. a small pool of devices owned by a club) can
be organized into bookmarks to reduce the time to switch between different devices. When
all available devices are listed on the search result screen from function Select BLS Device,
a second option Bookmark is available besides Connect when tapping on the desired device.
By tapping on Bookmark, the selected Balloon Live Sensor is added to the app’s bookmark
table which can be displayed from the Select BLS Device screen by selecting Bookmark at
the top of the list of devices.
Tapping on devices listed in the bookmark table offers options Connect and Remove
bookmark to manage the bookmark table.
Monitoring the status of a connected Balloon Live Sensor

When a Balloon Live Sensor is connected to the Balloon Live App it is
immediately visible on the main screen showing the coordinates as this is
the only position source that also displays the vertical speed which is
based on the barometric sensor of the device.
More detailed status information is available in the top right corner of the
screen where two color coded status icons for Bluetooth signal strength
and GPS signal quality are shown.
Symbol Description Color codes

Bluetooth signal red: broken Bluetooth connection (internal
strength/quality for Balloon fallback GPS would be used if selected)
Live Sensor connection orange: fair Bluetooth signal
white: good Bluetooth signal
GPS signal strength/quality red “no fix”: Insufficient GPS satellite visibility
yellow “fair”: GPS signal with limited accuracy
white “good”: Optimal GPS signal with good
accuracy

Connecting Bluetooth serial devices
In addition to the Balloon Live App, which is connected through its dedicated Bluetooth Low
Energy channel, three additional devices (PC, tablet, etc.) can read GPS data as NMEA
sentences over a Bluetooth serial connection. It requires a device capable of Bluetooth V4.0
technology. Older Bluetooth radios are not supported.
Pairing of the Bluetooth serial device with the Balloon Live Sensor is done entirely from the
device that needs to receive the data. The Balloon Live Sensor remains in active pairing
mode for 10 minutes after it is turned on and it is visible to other Bluetooth devices for pairing.
No new pairing can be attempted after the Balloon Live Sensor has been running for more
than 10 minutes. In this case the Balloon Live Sensor has to be turned off and on again after
waiting for a short period (about 5s).
The pairing process depends on the device that initiates the pairing. All such devices offer
the ability to search for nearby Bluetooth devices that are available for pairing. The Balloon
Live Sensor will be displayed in the search results with its device name “Balloon Live Sensor
xxxxx” where xxxxx is replaced with the 5-digit serial number that is printed on the rear of
the device next to S/N. If the receiving Bluetooth device also supports Bluetooth Low Energy
then a second device name “BLS xxxxx” will be visible as well. This device should NOT be
chosen as it is the channel that provides the dedicated connection to the Balloon Live App,
it does not provide NMEA data. To pair the Bluetooth device with the Balloon Live Sensor it
is sufficient to select the “Balloon Live Sensor xxxxx” device from the list of available devices,
no PIN or password entry is required.
Pairing a Windows 10 PC with the Balloon Live Sensor via Bluetooth

An example of the pairing process is shown here for a PC running Windows 10.
First the Windows Settings control panel must be opened where the option Devices needs
to be selected. This opens the device overview and should have the category Bluetooth &
other devices pre-selected where the field Add Bluetooth or other device must be selected
to start the search and pairing process after making sure that Bluetooth functionality is
turned on. On the following dialog, the type of the device, in that case Bluetooth, must be
chosen.

The next panel then shows all nearby Bluetooth devices. As mentioned before, the “Balloon
Live Sensor xxxxx” device with matching serial number should be selected to pair it with the
PC. This takes only a short moment to complete without any further interaction.
To use the newly paired Balloon Live Sensor in a Windows application it is required to find
out the correct serial port (COMx) which has been assigned to the connection. This
information can be found in the Bluetooth & other devices dialog by clicking on the option
More Bluetooth options a bit further down. This opens the Bluetooth Settings dialog on which
the tab COM Ports needs to be selected. The correct COM port is shown next to the name
“Balloon Live Sensor xxxx ‘Serial Port’”, COM5 in the example below. The indicated direction
(outgoing) can be ignored.
This COM port provides GPS NMEA data with a connection speed of up to 115,200 bit/s.
Connecting a PC using USB serial

Instead of Bluetooth serial connections, some pilots prefer using a serial port provided
through an USB connection. With the current firmware this function is not yet available,
however we intend to provide this function with a future release.

Troubleshooting
Writing the recorded track fails with message “Sd Err”
When a track is recorded, all positions are first written to the internal memory. The track will
finally be written to the inserted SD card when the track recording is stopped, either manually
by a button press, through the Balloon Live App when stopping a flight, or simply by turning
off the Balloon Live Sensor. If the SD card has lost contact due to vibration or a strong shock,
writing data to the SD card may fail.
To fix this error, the SD card cover has to be removed by loosening the big screw that holds
it in place. Then the SD card needs to be removed by gently pushing it upwards until a light
click can be heard. Once the SD card has been removed by pulling it out downwards, it can
be inserted again and gently pushed upwards until it clicks into its proper position again.
After the SD card has been re-inserted, the writing of the track can be attempted again by
pressing the OK/mode/config button to acknowledge the “Sd Err” message.
The Balloon Live Sensor doesn’t turn on

The most likely case that the device does not turn on is an empty battery. The Balloon Live
Sensor should be connected to a power source with the micro USB cable to charge the
battery before trying to turn the device on again.
In rare cases it may be possible that the Balloon Live Sensor does not react when pressing
the On/Off button even though the battery is sufficiently charged. One reason that was
reported is when the SD card has lost contact due to strong vibration or shock. To fix this
situation, the SD card has to be removed and inserted again as described above for the “Sd
Err” message.
If the problem persists, a corrupted file on the SD card could also cause failure to turn the
device on. To verify this, the SD card should be removed, and the device turned on without
an inserted SD card.
Upgrade of the firmware failed

The firmware upgrade does not need any interaction once it has been started. However, if
the firmware file is damaged and cannot be read correctly from the SD card or any other
error occurs during the upgrade, an error message with a numeric error code will be
displayed. In that case it needs to be ensured that the downloaded firmware file matches
the size specification given on the download web page. Any other upgrade file should be
deleted from the SD card and the downloaded file should be copied again before retrying
the firmware upgrade as described in the firmware upgrade chapter.
The firmware upgrade process may issue different error codes if it fails to complete the
upgrade. The following table lists the errors that can be fixed by the user:

Error code Description
Err 1 No .upg file or multiple .upg files found in the system folder. It should be
ensured that only a single .upg file is on the SD card.
Err 2 The .upg file is either corrupted or not a valid firmware file for the Balloon
Err 3 Live Sensor.
Err 6 The battery is too low to safely perform an upgrade. After charging the
battery, the upgrade can be started again.
Err n Any other numeric error code indicates a problem updating individual
internal components of the Balloon Live Sensor. Support should be
contacted to discuss further steps.
Balloon Live Sensor firmware upgrade freezes device

In rare cases it may be possible that the Balloon Live Sensor freezes during a firmware
upgrade when a read problem from the SD card occurs and the segments indicating
progress stop moving. The device then no longer reacts to any button being pressed,
including the On/Off button.
A reset is then required to activate the device again. The reset is performed by pressing the
Selection up button and the Selection down button at the same time and keeping
them pressed while also pressing the On/Off button. If that does not reset the device, the
SD card needs to be removed from the device and the three-button combination be used
again.
Once the device has been reset, the SD card can be inserted again, and the firmware
upgrade process be restarted.
Warning: In no case it should be attempted to disconnect the internal battery to reset the
device. Opening the device will erase the secure encryption key which is used to
authenticate each track and marker drop. Once the encryption key has been erased, the
Balloon Live Sensor is no longer usable for a competitions.
Turning on the Balloon Live Sensor shows “E SEAL”

Message “E SEAL” is shown in the display when the secret encryption key that is assigned
to each individual Balloon Live Sensor has been erased from the internal memory to prevent
misuse. The message has to be acknowledged by pressing the OK/mode/config button
and then the device will fully turn on. The encryption key is automatically erased when an
attempt is made to open the device.
Once the encryption key has been erased it is no longer possible to record a track to the
internal SD card as it can no longer be signed to guarantee authenticity. Communication
with the Balloon Live App will also be limited, and the sensor is therefore no longer usable
for competitions.
Support needs to be contacted to discuss further steps.

Other problems
In case of problems that go beyond this manual, the FAQ on the Balloon Live website may
list additional hints for troubleshooting.

Technical Specifications
GPS Receiver u-blox Neo-M8Q
72-channel GPS receiver
Supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo (concurrent
reception of up to three GNSS systems: GPS/Galileo together
with either BeiDou or GLONASS)
Sensors Barometric altimeter and variometer with 1 cm/s resolution
Bluetooth module 1 Bluetooth Low Energy connection (for Balloon Live App)
3 concurrent Bluetooth V4.0 serial connections
Internal memory up to 60,000 track points
Battery Internal LiPo battery, 2,200 mAh, runtime 15 – 20 hours
Dimensions 62 x 121 x 17.5 mm
Firmware history
New functionality and bug fixes are provided to the Balloon Live Sensor with new firmware
versions. The following firmware versions have been provided so far:
Version Date Description

4.8 2021/03/07 Initial firmware for shipment
4.9 2021/03/09 Improvements for Balloon Live App
4.17 2021/05/09 Prevent BLS from splitting tracks during a started competition
flight when stationary (landing detection). Internal optimizations


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User Manual

Firmware FS.04.17 Date: 2021-05-13

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 2

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 3

Hardware manufacturing and hardware support is provided by our partner Volirium AG

On/Off Button (on top side)

Status icon bar

Function mode icon bar

Selection down button

Micro USB socket

SD card cover screw

SD card (below cover)

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 5

Charging the built-in battery

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 6

The battery charge segments are activated from left to right in a

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 7

The middle part of the LCD display contains the function

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 8

The left button is the OK/mode/config button.

The center button is the Selection up button.

The right button is the Selection down button.

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 9

Turning on the Balloon Live Sensor

Turning off the Balloon Live Sensor

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 10

Function mode switching

Altimeter → Variometer → Barometric pressure → Ground speed → GPS

Display unit switching

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 11

Altimeter ft, m Adjust current altitude

Variometer m/s, ft/min*100 --

Ground speed km/h, m/s, kt, mph --

GPS location latitude, longitude --

Clock 24h, 12h am/pm Adjust time zone

Adjust recording interval

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 12

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 13

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 14

Mode Description Recording intervals

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 15

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 16

Removing and inserting the SD card

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 17

Working with recorded track files

Upgrading the firmware

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 18

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 19

Connecting the Balloon Live App with the Balloon Live

Select GPS device type

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 20

Select Balloon Live Sensor

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 21

Monitoring the status of a connected Balloon Live Sensor

Symbol Description Color codes

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 22

Pairing a Windows 10 PC with the Balloon Live Sensor via Bluetooth

Balloon Live Sensor User Manual Page 23