Digital Radiosonde RS92-SGP USER'S GUIDE M210295en-A June 2003
PUBLISHED BY Vaisala Oyj P.O. Box 26 FIN-00421 Helsinki Finland Phone (int.): +358 9 8949 1 Fax: +358 9 8949 2227 Visit our Internet pages at http://www.vaisala.com/ © Vaisala 2003 No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical (including photocopying), nor may its contents be communicated to a third party without prior written permission of the copyright holder. The contents are subject to change without prior notice.
_________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATION............................................................................ 3 About This Manual ................................................................... 3 Contents of This Manual ....................................................... 3 Version Information ............................................................... 4 Related Manuals ..............................
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX A SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR BALLOON OPERATORS.........................25 List of Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 RS92 Digital Radiosonde ...........................................................8 Attaching the Balloon................................................................10 Rigging Options with RS92-SGP..............................................
Chapter 1 _________________________________________________________ General Information CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATION About This Manual This manual provides information for installing, operating, and maintaining the RS92 Digital Radiosonde. Contents of This Manual This manual consists of the following chapters: - Chapter 1, General Information, provides important safety, revision history, and warranty information for the product.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ Version Information Table 1 Manual Code M210295en-A Manual Revisions Description This manual. Related Manuals Table 2 Manual Code M210299en M210329en Related Manuals Manual Name RS92 Analog Radiosonde User's Guide GC25 Ground Check Set User's Guide Safety General Safety Considerations Throughout the manual, important safety considerations are highlighted as follows: WARNING Warning alerts you to a serious hazard.
Chapter 1 _________________________________________________________ General Information Product Related Safety Precautions The RS92 Digital Radiosonde delivered to you has been tested for safety and approved as shipped from the factory. Note the following precautions: WARNING Conduct soundings in a safe environment and in accordance with all applicable restrictions and regulations. WARNING Do not use the radiosonde in an area with power lines or other obstructions overhead.
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Chapter 2 ___________________________________________________________ Product Overview CHAPTER 2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW This chapter introduces the RS92 Digital Radiosonde features, advantages, and the product nomenclature. Introduction to RS92 Digital Radiosonde The RS92 Digital Radiosonde offers improved data availability, in the form of ccGPS windfinding, improved accuracy of humidity, pressure, temperature measurement.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ 0212-242 Figure 1 RS92 Digital Radiosonde The following numbers refer to Figure 1 above: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = = = = = = = = = GPS antenna Battery housing RS92-SGP Digital Radiosonde Antenna Temperature sensor Humidity sensor Sensor boom GC25 interface Additional sensor interface All RS92 family GPS windfinding models are based on code correlating GPS (ccGPS) receivers.
Chapter 3 _________________________________________________________________ Operation CHAPTER 3 OPERATION This chapter contains information that is needed to operate this product. General Sounding Instructions For a successful sounding, it is essential to carry out the pre-launch steps as instructed and always in the same way. Before preparing the radiosonde, prepare the balloon and (if necessary) parachute or cardboard sheet and rigging.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ WARNING 2. Inflate the balloon in strict accordance to balloon manufacturer's correct inflation instructions. Do not leave the balloon filling shed while inflating. 3. Close the gas valve. Take extreme caution when handling the inflated balloon! 4. Tightly secure the neck of the balloon with a string before removing the balloon from the gas nozzle. 5. Fold the neck over double and secure firmly.
Chapter 3 _________________________________________________________________ Operation If you cannot attach the radiosonde with the unwinder to the balloon as instructed – for instance when using a radar reflector – attach the unwinder with string to a distance of about 10 cm from the reflector and the reflector to a distance of approximately 50 cm from the balloon, see Figure 3 on page 12 for further information.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ Balloon Balloon Balloon Unwinder Radar reflector Unwinder 60 m string 60 m string 12 ____________________________________________________________________M210295en-A
Chapter 3 _________________________________________________________________ Operation Unpacking the Radiosonde CAUTION 1. Tear open the foil bag as indicated. 2. Remove the rubber-band and lift the cardboard flap protecting the sensor boom. Be careful to avoid touching or hitting the sensors on the sensor boom from here on. 3. Remove the radiosonde from the package, free the antenna, and take the unwinder out of the package with the radiosonde. Do not touch or hit the sensors on the sensor boom.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ 3. Set the radiosonde into the GC25 as shown in Figure 4 below, for detailed instructions on conducting a ground check see section Operation in the GC25 Ground Check Unit User's Guide, refer to Related Manuals on page 4. 0212-244 Figure 4 CAUTION RS92 Digital Radiosonde in GC25 Ground Check Unit 4. Find the radiosonde frequency using DigiCORA III.
Chapter 3 _________________________________________________________________ Operation 0212-252 Figure 5 Placing the Sensor Boom into Flight Position The radiosonde is now ready for battery activation, refer to section Activate the Battery on page 16. Sounding with DigiCORA II MW11, MW12, and MW15 When using RS92-SGP Digital Radiosonde with DigiCORA I - II, no tape reader is necessary. For example, the RS92 Digital Radiosonde coefficients are automatically given to the ground equipment via telemetry.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ CAUTION 3. Set the radiosonde into the GC25 as shown in Figure 4 on page 14. For detailed instructions, refer to the GC25 Ground Check Unit User's Guide. 4. Find the radiosonde frequency using DigiCORA I - II. For further information, refer to the appropriate DigiCORA User's Guide. 5. When the proper frequency has been found, the coefficients will be read automatically via telemetry.
Chapter 3 _________________________________________________________________ Operation NOTE One end of the battery is waxed to prevent leakage. Therefore, the battery should be inserted with the waxed end down. NOTE You now have 15 minutes for handling the radiosonde before launch. The radiosonde is now prepared for launch. Attach the radiosonde unwinder to the balloon as explained in section Prepare the Balloon on page 9. Launch the Radiosonde When launching the radiosonde, proceed as follows: 1.
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Chapter 4 _______________________________________________________________ Maintenance CHAPTER 4 MAINTENANCE This chapter provides information on the basic maintenance of the product. Storage The radiosondes must be stored and used properly in accordance with applicable instructions, the User’s Manual, and specifications issued by Vaisala.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ - Using conventional means (car, truck, and/or aircraft), with free fall not exceeding 0.25 m in any circumstance. - Additional markings on packing must be followed.
Chapter 5 ___________________________________________________________ Vaisala Helpdesk CHAPTER 5 VAISALA HELPDESK Getting Help For technical questions or assistance, contact Vaisala technical support: E-mail helpdesk@vaisala.com Telephone +358 9 8949 2789 Fax +358 9 8949 2790 Return Instructions If the product needs repair, please follow the instructions below to speed up the process and avoid extra costs. 1. Read the warranty information. 2.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ - Input power source type, voltage and list of other items (lighting, heaters, motors etc.) that were connected to the same power output. - What was done when the failure was noticed? 4. Include a detailed return address with your preferred shipping method on the Problem Report. 5. Pack the faulty product using an ESD protection bag of good quality with proper cushioning material in a strong box of adequate size.
Chapter 5 ___________________________________________________________ Vaisala Helpdesk Radiosonde Failure Report To be sent to Vaisala HelpDesk, contact information below.
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Appendix A _______________________________________ Safety Instructions for Balloon Operators APPENDIX A SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR BALLOON OPERATORS The safety instructions for radiosonde operators are provided on the following page for your convenience. Photocopy the instructions and place the list into clear view in the balloon filling shed and in the sounding compartment.
User's Guide _______________________________________________________________________ To be placed into view in the balloon filling shed and in the sounding compartment. WARNING 1. No smoking or naked flame is allowed. 2. If possible, avoid wearing clothing of nylon or other synthetic fabric to avoid buildup of static charges. Do not use shoes with rubber soles. 3. Wear protective glasses. 4.
