Allow ~15 minutes before launch to prepare sounding.
- Save radiosonde package because you will need the serial number stuck on it to fill in the sounding field log spreadsheet.
- Do not touch sensor tongue.
- Place Vaisala on the Vaisala ground check platform. This initializes the sounding and starts the program on the laptop.
- If it doesn’t read the radiosonde after several minutes you may have to re-boot the entire system! We learned this on the July 5th sonde launch at CHEESEHEAD.
- A conditioning window should pop up. If a frequency window does not also pop-up, you can change the frequency in the conditioning window where it says “change” next to “frequency”. Manually choose a frequency where you see a trough. Note the frequency. Click “Apply”.
- Allow the program to go through the ground checks – such that all the steps illuminate green. This can take up to 5 minutes.
- ***Uncheck*** “Continue descending sounding” located at the bottom of the page under “In balloon burst:” and click “Apply”.
- While the program goes through ground checks attached the regulator to the helium tank (or you can prepare beforehand).
- Attaching the regulator:
- Make sure the gauge on the left regulator is open. ***Valves are reversed***. Left is closed and Right is tighten.
- Attach the cable to the Helium tank. Right hand gauge is for the Helium, Left hand gauge is attached to the regulator.
- Use the wrench to tighten the nozzle a little bit to the helium tank.
- Back inside the trailer, ground checks should be complete (all green). You can then take the sounding off the ground setup platform.
- Snap into place the plastic stick that comes with the unwinder to the radiosonde. It’s like a puzzle piece. You will hear it snap into place.
- Set it outside to activate the GPS.
- To know that the GPS is working – a green tick mark symbol replaces the exclamation point.
- Turn on the helium tank nozzle slowly and fill the balloon with 23 cu. ft. of helium – just add this amount to whatever value is present on the regulator.
- Tie the balloon using 2 cable ties. One to tie the balloon off the helium, and another to tie the balloon to the radiosonde hook. Careful that you do not puncture a hole in the process.
- Launch, making sure that your fingers are away from the spool hook.
- Once launched, check that MW41 sounding program detected the launch and is receiving data.
- Go to the desktop and enter metadata in the spreadsheet.
- If balloon bursts below 500 hPa, launch another balloon.
- Close-out program and restart by clicking “terminate sounding” button.
- Initialize a new launch by putting a second radiosonde on the Vaisala ground check platform.
- Be sure to choose a frequency different from the one used in the first launch.