A New Meteorological Radiosonde is developed for Measuring Atmospheric Parameters

Graduates of Yerevan Polytechnic University have developed a meteorological radiosonde that measures various atmospheric parameters. The radiosonde is a battery-powered telemetry instrument package to measure various atmospheric parameters and transmit them by radio to a ground receiver. It is usually carried into the atmosphere by a weather balloon.

The radiosonde is designed for the measurement of ambient air temperature, relative humidity, pressure and wind speed in the atmosphere at different heights. The collected information is converted into radio telemetric signal and is transmitted to a ground tracking station.

Rugged construction, ease of use, affordable price, light weight, and long-term operation at all heights are the main advantages of the radiosonde compared to other devices with similar functionality. The built-in GPS system provides a continuous stream of geographic data in real time, which can be used for calculation of the wind speed and direction.

The meteorological radiosonde is powered by three standard AA batteries. The device is capable of operating for at least 3 hours in the battery voltage range from 2.5 to 5.5 V, and in the ambient temperature range from -90 to +50˚C.

After breaking the shell of the ball, the radiosonde falls to the ground within a radius of 200 km from the launch site and the tracking station. The measured data is transmitted to the ground using a power transmitter operating in the frequency range of 400.15 to 406 MHz. Based on the data obtained from the radiosonde meteorologists are able to compile a weather forecast for a few days.

The radiosonde can be used in meteorological stations to collect weather data, as well as in civil aviation (with the approval of air navigation services).