"Wild" Things found hiking across the desert

[WhiteThaiGer]

Did a little off-trail hiking last weekend in a wilderness area bordering Anza Borrego State Park. Along the way we saw a water bottle and a can, both in rather inaccessible spots. Makes one wonder what people who go out of there way to get away think when they leave stuff behind. Of course it's also possible that the items were simply lost. I've lost stuff from the side pockets of the backpack in the past.

But all this is not the reason for this post. We also found something rather unusual:



Looked like a weather balloon radiosonde to me. After getting back home I did a little research and it looks like it's a model from the early 1970's. Depending how long these things stay on the shelf before they are deployed and how long this model was popular this thing could have been out there for some 40 years.

Here are some sources that helped me to come up with the dating guess:
Radiosonde Museum The guy has the model we found in his collection (Pic)
NOAA site That page contains the quote "Less than 20 percent of the approximately 70,000 radiosondes released by the NWS each year are found and returned to the NWS for reconditioning". I had no idea they use that many and now I wonder why I haven't come across one before. There are about a 100 stations, 2 launches a day, stuff adds up.

[alanh]

Cool,

There must be a lot of those things out there somewhere. Did you see if they still want it back?

[WhiteThaiGer]

One of the websites said they are only interested in ones that can be refurbished. For damaged ones they say to throw them in to the trash. We left this one alone for someone else to enjoy :)

[cooksterdog]

Yeah, Government does waste a lot of equipment.
I founbd a fully usable M-100 military trailer out in the desert after manouvers.
We took all the shot up metal off, and changed the tires, then built a body on the frame.
Works really well for hauling wood, gas, water, and all that stuff you can't seem to fit in the vehicle, along with your dog!!

[HenryJ]

This old car was left on top of the Steens:

[alanh]

This old car was left on top of the Steens:

When I see those I always wonder what the story is. Of course, I also wonder why so many ranches out there have a bunch of defunct pickups and trucks of more recent vintage parked at their places?

[WhiteThaiGer]

... I had no idea they use that many and now I wonder why I haven't come across one before. There are about a 100 stations, 2 launches a day, stuff adds up.

Ha, apparently they are every where, we came across another one this weekend:



From some hints on the net it appears that this was also a model from the early 70's. Found this one in Arizona.

[alanh]

Ha, apparently they are every where, we came across another one this weekend:

From some hints on the net it appears that this was also a model from the early 70's. Found this one in Arizona.

So I think that makes it Uwe 2, the rest of us nil.

To increase the odds of finding one, obviously it depends on where they're being launched, prevailing winds in the vicinity of those sites, how long they tend to remain airborne, etc. I bet someone has a map showing locations of landing sites.

Alan

[WhiteThaiGer]

So I think that makes it Uwe 2, the rest of us nil.

Well, someone else in our hiking part actually spotted it.

To increase the odds of finding one, obviously it depends on where they're being launched, prevailing winds in the vicinity of those sites, how long they tend to remain airborne, etc. I bet someone has a map showing locations of landing sites.

Yes and being off the beaten path. It also helps that out here in the deserts stuff just lasts forever.

I was thinking about this and may look some more into it.