The Mountain Meteorology Group at the University of Utah is evaluating Windsond for their meteorology research. During one test, the sonde failed to detach from the balloon. They continued to track the balloon to an altitude of 9700 m MSL, at which point the sonde battery was drained. This is close to the altitude of the tropopause, the important point where the temperature reaches a local low point. The last message before the sonde shut down was transmitted at a distance of 49 km,...