RS80 Radiosondes

VAISALA Pty. Ltd.

3 Guest Street
Hawthorn
VIC 3122
AUSTRALIA
Phone (nat.): (03) 9818 4200
Telefax: (03) 9818 4522
VAISALA Beijing
Representative Office
Room 518-520
Wangfujing Grand Hotel
No. 57 Wangfujing Street
Beijing 100006
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Phone (nat.): (10) 6522 4050
Telefax: (10) 6522 4051
Internet:
http://www.vaisala.com
Head Office:
VAISALA Oy
PL 26, FIN-00421 Helsinki
FINLAND
Phone (int.): (+358 9) 894 91
Telefax: (+358 9) 894 9227
Telex: 122832 vsala fi
VAISALA GmbH
Postfach 540267
D-22502 Hamburg
DEUTSCHLAND
Phone (nat.): (040) 858 027
Telefax: (040) 850 8444
VAISALA (UK) Ltd
Suffolk House
Fordham Road
Newmarket
Suffolk CB8 7AA
UNITED KINGDOM
Phone (nat.): (01638) 674 400
Telefax: (01638) 674 411
VAISALA SA
3, Parc Ariane
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
F-78284 Guyancourt Cedex
FRANCE
Phone (nat.): (01) 3057 2728
Telefax: (01) 3096 0858
VAISALA Inc.
100 Commerce Way
Woburn, MA 01801-1068
USA
Phone (nat.): (617) 933 4500
Telefax: (617) 933 8029
VAISALA Inc.
Artais Division
7450 Industrial Parkway
Plain City, OH 43064-9005
USA
Phone (nat.): (614) 873 6880
Telefax: (614) 873 6890
VAISALA KK
42 Kagurazaka 6-Chome
Shinjuku-Ku,
Tokyo 162
JAPAN
Phone (nat.): (03) 3266 9611
Telefax: (03) 3266 9610
TRANSMITTER
Transmitter type RS80-15xx RS80-18xx RS80-30xx RS80-16xx RS80-66xx
Frequency, nominal 403 MHz 1680 MHz
Tuning range 400406 MHz 16651700 MHz
Drift (max during flight) 300 kHz 120 kHz 5 kHz 3 MHz 3 MHz
Output power (nominal) 200 mW 250 mW 100 mW 330 mW 330 mW
CCIR emission type F9D F9D F9D A9D F9D
Modulation FM FM FM AM 100 % FM
PTU modulation frequency 710 kHz 710 kHz 0.71.0 kHz 710 kHz 710 kHz
1)
Data based on WMO International Radiosonde Comparison Phases I, II and III (WMO/TD no 195 and 451)
2)
Standard deviation of differences between two successive calibrations
3)
The specifications for RS80 Radiosonde models with GPS windfinding and for AUTOSONDE use differ from these

Registered trademarks of Vaisala

NAVAID RECEIVER
Receiver Sonde type Frequency range
Loran-C RS80-xxL 90-110 kHz
Alpha/ComVLF RS80-xxF 11-30 kHz
GPS RS80-xxG 1200 baud
PTU TRANSDUCER
Sampling rate: 7 samples/10 s for each parameter
Calibration data content: Polynomial for each sensor
with checksum
Calibration data format: 8 channel paper tape
Sensor references: Low and high range
Battery: Water activated
Voltage: 19 V
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Dimensions excl. antenna: 55 mm by 147 mm by 90 mm
(3
Weight, battery activated: approximately 220 g
(3
Standard airfreight packing: 100 Radiosondes complete
(3
Dimensions: 760 mm by 570 mm by 420 mm
(3
Gross weight: 36 kg/37 kg RS80-15L, -15F
(3
Long-term sonde protection: Each sonde packed in a hermetic
metal foil bag
METEOROLOGICAL SENSORS
PTU sensors are individually factory calibrated.
Pressure BAROCAP

Capacitive aneroid
Measuring range: 1060 hPa to 3hPa (mb)
Resolution: 0.1 hPa
Accuracy:
Reproducibility
1)
: 0.5 hPa
Repeatability of calibration
2)
: 0.5 hPa
Temperature THERMOCAP

Capacitive bead
Measuring range: +60 C to - 90 C
Resolution: 0.1 C
Accuracy:
Reproducibility
1)
: 0.2 C up to 50 hPa, 0.3 C for 50-15 hPa,
0.4C above 15 hPa level
Repeatability of calibration
2)
: 0.2 C
Lag: < 2.5 s (6 m/s flow at 1000 hPa)
Humidity HUMICAP

Thin film capacitor

Measuring range: 0 to 100 % RH
Resolution: 1 % RH
Lag: 1 s (6 m/s flow at 1000 hPa, +20 C)
Accuracy:
Reproducibility
1)
: <3 %RH
Repeatability of calibration
2)
: 2 %RH
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Technical Information
RELIABLE PERFORMANCE
Small and lightweight, the RS80
Radiosondes tolerate well
transportation, storage and field
use. Each radiosonde is packed
in a hermetically sealed metal
foil bag. The rugged sensors and
electronics are unaffected by
normal levels of shock, vibra-
tion, dirt or humidity. Interna-
tional quality control monitoring
(i.e. data published by the
European Centre for Medium-
Range Weather Forecasts,
ECMWF) show consistently high
quality of geopotential height
observations at stations using the
RS80 Radiosonde.
PROVEN IN DAILY USE
The RS80 Radiosondes have
been in routine use on synoptic
upper-air stations since 1981 as
well as on many research and
defence related programs.
Nearly three million observations
have been made by means of
these instruments.
In international radiosonde
comparisons arranged by the
WMO, the RS80 Radiosonde has
demonstrated superior perform-
ance with respect to
repeatability, accuracy and
overall quality. The accuracy of
RS80 is fully established and
documented. Thorough com-
parative testing ensures that
sounding records are reliable
also for climatological uses.
EASY PREPARATION AND
LAUNCH
The RS80 can be used without
prior-to-launch ground check.
The rugged design, use of small
balloons and the radiosonde
suspension string unwinder
permits launches by one operator
even in high wind, thus minimiz-
ing the number of personnel
involved. A parachute is not
normally required when using
RS80 Radiosondes.
BUILT FOR AUTOMATION
The RS80 Radiosondes can be
used with a variety of ground
systems. When used with an
automatic receiving systems,
signal reception, data process-
ing, message generation and
transmission can be fully auto-
matic. The RS80 makes the total
automation of an upper-air
station possible with the Vaisala
AUTOSONDE system. The
AUTOSONDE prepares and
launches radiosondes as well
automatically receives the
radiosonde signals and processes
them into weather messages,
enabling unmanned upper air
observations.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
AND SAFETY
The RS80 Radiosonde minimizes
the environmental impact. The
water-activated battery causes no
environmental hazard, and in the
production of the RS80 up-to-
date techniques have eliminated
use of CFCs. On request, Vaisala
will supply further information
on the environmental studies on
the RS80 Radiosondes.
RS80 family 403 MHz and 1680 MHz
Radiosondes provide excellent
measurement accuracy and operating
economy. The RS80 Radiosondes
fulfill the requirements from
synoptic and high-altitude
observations to boundary layer
research in a single product family.
Shaping the future
in upper-air measurements
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
The capacitive BAROCAP

pressure sensor has a welded

solid state design that consists
of capacitive plates housed
within a capsule, protected
from humidity and dust.
There are no mechanical
adjustments. The sensor
construction is friction-free
for continuously variable
measurement without dis-
crete steps.
The THERMOCAP

tempera-
ture sensor is a small capaci-
tive bead encapsulated in
glass. A water repellent
treatment and metallization of
the surfaces ensure minimum
radiation sensitivity and
excellent performance in
rain.
The HUMICAP

is a capaci-
tive thin film humidity sensor
with good long-term stability
and reliable response even at
low temperatures and after
exposure to condensation.
A solid state electronic switch
connects each of the sensors
in turn to the transducer
electronics. All parameters
are measured at approxi-
mately 1.5 second intervals.
The water-activated battery is
carefully optimized for light
weight and good perform-
ance during high-altitude
observations.
403 MHZ AND 1680 MHZ
TRANSMITTERS
The RS80 is supplied with 403
MHz or 1680 MHz transmitter, in
either wide or narrow band
versions to ensure compatibility
with different ground equipment
and requirements defined by
national radio regulatory au-
thorities.
OZONE AND
RADIOACTIVITY
MEASUREMENTS
Additional sensors such as ozone
and radioactivity are interfaced
to the E- and R-versions of RS80
Radiosondes where these
observations are needed.
An RS80 radiosonde with ozone
sensor.
An RS80 radiosonde with
radioactivity sensor.
RS80 FAMILY OF
RADIOSONDES
All RS80 Radiosondes are
equipped with identical pres-
sure, temperature and humidity
sensors, and transducer elec-
tronics (PTU measurement), thus
ensuring uniform network data
quality. Several wind measure-
ment alternatives are available,
such as NAVAID (GPS, Loran-C,
Alpha, and Communications
VLF), Radiotheodolite, and
Radar. For wind-only observa-
tions, the WS80 windsonde
versions (pressure only) are
available.
THE STANDARD MODELS OF THE RS80 RADIOSONDE
Standard PTU and windfinding PTU PTU + Wind
models only Loran-C ComVLF GPS
403 MHz, FM, max drift 300 kHz RS80-15 RS80-15L RS80-15F RS80-15G
403 MHz, FM, max drift 120 kHz RS80-18 RS80-18L RS80-18F
403 MHz, FM, max drift 5 kHz RS80-30 RS80-30G
1680 MHz, AM, max drift 3 MHz RS80-57
1680 MHz, FM, max drift 3 MHz RS80-67
Windsonde models P only P + NAVAID wind
403 MHz, FM, max drift 300 kHz WS80-15 WS80-15L WS80-15F WS80-15G
403 MHz, FM, max drift 120 kHz WS80-18 WS80-18L WS80-18F