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1. Click Finish to close the wizard Figure 2 5 USB Serial Port Driver Installed This process may repeat Most likely no additional user input is required to install the second USB Serial Port and a series of normal USB activation noises will be heard If it does require additional user input simply follow these steps from Step c again At this point in time Windows may erroneously detect a serial mouse on one of the newly installed COM ports This will be evident if the mouse cursor moves without any user input If this is the case unplug the USB cable from the iMet 3150 Decoder or System Computer and proceed with Section 2 5 2 5 DISABLING SERIAL MOUSE DETECTION In certain instances Windows will erroneously detect a serial mouse on the COM port required for communication with the iMet 3150 Follow these steps to prevent this from happening a Reconnect the Decoder to the System Computer with the USB cable Do not connect the audio cable b Go to the Start Menu Control Panel c Open System d Select the Hardware tab and hit the Device Manager button e Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group 2 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 f Right click on the USB Serial Port COMx and select Properties g Open the Details tab and select Device Instance Id in the pulldow
2. Enable when checked generation of this report type in system is enabled Host when checked this report type is included in the Send to Host group All when checked this report type is included in the Create All Reports group gt 100mb when checked this report is generated after the flight crosses the 100 mbar level 100mb when checked this report is generated at flight termination Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 7 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 NOTE Screen of actual system may show more or fewer report options Enter as required and click OK 6 6 WMO REPORTS SELECTION Reports Selection Menu Item Name Pcode File Host File Name Enable Host ALL gt 100mb lt 100mb zm o m x 5 un du o iv lt xI a Iv I xI xI xI lt lt IE d UE DEM EM UNE LEE DN DNE I EE EM d mE IM I xI xl a ad 4 a ad 4 EE UM M DM NE IM DM I Figure 6 8 WMO Reports For explanation of fields in this pane see Section 6 5 above NOTE Screen of actual system may show more or fewer report options Enter as required and click OK 6 8 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 6 7 MILITARY
3. Press the VFO MHz button to complete the entry Press and hold the 9 TS button on the IC R20 until SET TS xx kHz is displayed on the bottom of the screen Use the right dial on top of the IC R20 to adjust the tuning step to 20 0 kHz Press the 9 button to save the setting Press and hold the 0 AFC button until AFC is displayed in the upper right hand corner Press and hold the gt 9 RF GAIN button until SET RF GAIN xxx is displayed on the bottom of the screen Use the right dial on top of the IC R20 to adjust the RF gain to MAX Press the gt 9 RF GAIN button to save the setting Adjust the volume control with the left dial on top of the IC R20 or the up A or down V buttons on the left side as desired The radiosonde transmission should now be heard on the receiver s speaker Plug in the audio cable The radiosonde transmission should no longer be heard on the speaker Adjust the volume control with the left dial or the up A or down Y buttons on the left side such that it is around 75 volume NOTE Adjusting the volume to 75 is VERY important to ensure the decoder will function properly If this step is not performed there is a chance that radiosonde data will be lost late in balloon flights Set the squelch to the open setting by pressing and holding the SQL button on the left hand side while turning the right dial on top of the IC R20 counter clockwise until SQUELCH OPEN is displayed
4. button until MRE is displayed where xxx is either a 3 digit number or a letter and a two digit number NOTE As the MR S MW button is pressed the receiver will cycle through the memory banks in this order TV WX MRI b Once the MR icon is displayed repeatedly press the BAND button until MiB dd is displayed where dd is a two digit number c Use the right dial on top of the IC R20 to change the memory record until the appropriate frequency is displayed Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 9 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 NOTE Wigs oo WigB01 WiFB02 and YRBO3 are preprogrammed with the most common frequencies for the radiosonde it is not usually exactly 402 403 404 or 405 MHz d Press and hold the 0 AFC button until AFC is displayed in the upper right hand corner e Press and hold the gt RF GAIN button until SET RF GAIN xxx is displayed on the bottom of the screen f Use the right dial on top of the IC R20 to adjust the RF gain to MAX Press the gt gt RF GAIN button to save the setting g Adjust the volume control with the left dial on top of the IC R20 or the up A or down V buttons on the left side as desired The radiosonde transmission should now be heard on the receiver s speaker h Plug in the audio cable The radiosonde transmission should no longer be heard on th
5. set the default output device for reports Printer automatically prints the reports upon generation to the default printer in Windows Screen creates a report on disk and displays the reports on screen File creates a report on disk in the Flights directory Comm Port automatically sends the reports out over a COM port Drive A creates a report on disk on the A drive Drive B creates a report on disk on the B drive Send Host Protocol the protocol used for sending a report out over a COM port 6 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 6 5 MILITARY REPORTS SELECTION Reports Selection Host ALL gt 100mb lt 100mb a o m x Menu Item Name Pcode File Host File Name in D em P Co Hii E NE DM E UEM DEN DN I NE M E DM ME DEM M M I BE NE M DN DNE UE D UN I A E IE IM ME DE Cancel Figure 6 7 Military Reports The fields appearing in this pane are as follows Menu Item Name the name of the actual report format displayed in the Reports menu PCODE File the file used by the system to generate the respective report Host File Name the file name of the respective report when sent to Host File Ext the extension of the file name under which the respective report is stored in the system
6. 100 426 Supply and Antenna 2 Decoder 100 423 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Y Item Description NL Audio Cable 597 471 0001 4 USB Cable 567 061 5 Transportation Case 100 425 N S 403 MHz Flexible Whip Antenna Optional 100 514 N S System Computer Power Cord Optional Varies N S System Computer Optional Varies N S Balloon Inflation Kit 100 438 2 3 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION Before beginning the iMet 3150 software must be installed on the System Computer If a System Computer has been supplied by InterMet Systems this has already been done at the factory Advance to Section 2 6 2 3 1 1MetOS Installation Software installation is a simple process The iMetOS required to run the iMet 3150 Upper Air Sounding System is included on a CD included with the system Install the software as follows a Power the System Computer and log into Windows as normal b Insert the software CD into the System Computer s CD DVD Blu Ray drive c Browse to the iMetOS directory on the CD and execute the Setup application d Follow the prompts as normal The software will install in the C IMS iMetOS directory Installation of the iMetOS is complete An icon can be found on the Desktop and in the Start Menu Programs InterMet Systems menu
7. 2 3 2 Software Configuration Software configuration must be done after the driver installation as the COM ports must be known and working prior to configuring the software 2 4 DRIVER INSTALLATION Before beginning the iMet 3150 drivers must be installed on the System Computer If a System Computer has been supplied by InterMet Systems this has already been done at the factory Advance to Section 2 6 The Decoder must first be connected to the System Computer prior to beginning 2 4 1 Connect the iMet 3 150 Decoder If not already done connect the Decoder to the System Computer as follows a Power the System Computer and log into Windows as normal b Connect the Decoder to the computer with the USB cable 2 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 2 4 2 Install the Drivers Install the drivers required for communication with the Decoder as follows a Insert the software CD into the System Computer s CD DVD Blu Ray drive b Verify that the receiver is off and the audio cable is disconnected from the decoder Connect the USB cable to an available USB port on the System Computer NOTE It is advisable to choose a USB port that will always be convenient to use Each time the decoder is plugged into a different USB port the drivers may re install on the System Computer The
8. 4 7 Various other updates 10 November 2 2010 Added battery connection info in Section 3 1 3 SOS Updated part numbers in Table 2 1 Added CHAPTER 8 and CHAPTER 9 Perform a frequency scan prior to turning on the radiosonde Section 3 1 3 Added De reeler and flight train information in Section 3 1 6 Added information on the reports messages available in iMetOS in Section 4 4 1 3 ii Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 THEORY OF OPERATIONS crate e e a aiio ea p aaRS 1 1 Tel Introduction ek ede his heh i Le ee tae 1 1 1 2 Theory of Operations iz oo re eos a bles etn o CAU DRE CER Ld E ees alee Inia 1 3 1 2 1 GPS Wind Finding with Differential Correction eese rennen 1 3 1 2 2 Demodulation and decoding eese eene rennen enne 1 3 CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED AND INSTALLATION eene 2 1 Del Introduction e eo te a Behan is nok in sata Od PORE RE RR ER IER 2 1 2 2 Installation Checklists ut e ee e e RU er ete eaten 2 1 2 3 Software Install ti n eei ii Rc er OD oreet RP e Rete re leu SE OR Resp eeu Peu RM 2 2 2 3 1T1MetOS Installation ias d ee mre Hd i aoa e RUE E Ce CS 2 2 2 3 2 Software Configuration 1e ee deett A E Le e eee ed re 2 2 2 4 Driver Installation pepe ete
9. ASOS Surface Data Area If the system is not integrated with an ASOS enter the baseline data manually in the right column of the Surface Data frame Baseline data can be obtained from any calibrated sensor including hand held units Latitude Longitude and Elevation will be entered automatically by pushing the gt button from GPS data received from the radiosonde This position is used as the launch position or the point from where all reports are based centered NOTE If no accurate external measuring devices are available ASOS fixed or hand held the PTU data from the radiosonde may be used appearing on the Flight Screen as surface data If sonde data is used be sure the sonde is set outside in a suitable location to gather accurate temperature and humidity Surface data must be entered for the PreFlight process to be completed Station Data and Military Data are Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 19 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 not required parameters but should be used when required by the sounding mission profile Flight Date and Time are entered automatically from the system PC NOTE In the event of a launch delay the user may update the preflight data prior to launch from the Preflight menu 3 1 7 3 Radiosonde Status Check The iMet 1 radiosonde does not require recalibration prior to la
10. AU ain de e ode ke 4 8 44 2 10 Map Scale i tri rita 4 8 4 42 11 Change Sonde Type Ete eme ere etie ea E er lies t aes 4 8 44 3 IMctOS Status Bar diee o eaa imd e n Cu He EUR DAS 4 8 44 4 Pheght Screen Main Body n etd ea een eee der 4 8 4 4 4 T Receiver Area ue ec ee petite tee e Dio RA da 4 9 iv Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 GAA 2 RadiosondevAtea 5 e eee ER eR Per ebat sien ieee ed e Pen Ea ERR E NER nca 4 10 AAA Telemetry Area tn AAA lle Ie eto e e t tete di 4 11 4 5 3MetOS Graphs ep et generet e eed ee neige e ERA EH ee a eae 4 12 4 5 le Graph Menu Bar ett ete I o ti sei crite di A S Enter ERR eds 4 12 4 5 2 Graph Toolb r iet A eR det eene ER e e e ed aa 4 12 4 5 2 1 Editing Data in Graph Mode nee teda dt tos cit ra tie te 4 12 4 5 2 2 PTU Graph uten nec iet tmo tada 4 14 4 5 2 3 Wind Graph erai n ede uo er le n aed e petro es 4 15 4 5 2 A T Log P Grapliz noe i ee D Fe Pie ea id e ee Ope ead 4 16 4 5 5 Report Generalidad pb ip posed pne beni tute en npe ee PUE Eee EET 4 17 4 5 3 1 Report Menu Di RE in eo UE eI ames 4 18 4 5 3 2 Report T00lb at i 2 etr tare ter eret e mada 4 18 4 5 4 Viewing Physical Values eH e e Eme e e Hepat decet eae Had 4 19 494 1 Data Intetpolation ee a tee Rr pelea ia Cor eod re D adas 4 19 4 5xS End of
11. CLOUD CODE 784 STATION No 59000 STATION NAME KIMS DATA FOR STANDARD LEVELS TIME HGT MSL TEMP HH MM 55 Meter 00 00 00 00 01 25 00 03 35 00 09 12 00 16 02 00 24 15 00 29 25 00 33 00 00 38 45 00 46 09 00 56 10 01 04 25 Le BJ ds Er 30 01 22 55 20 01 26 57 Hn L HH H HH A INVERSION BASE For Help press F1 Figure 4 10 Standard Levels Reports are generated in plain text format and opened using WordPad included with Windows Each report generated is saved in a file whose name is composed of the flight reference number and the suffix appropriate to the report type for example in the sample report screen Standard Levels displayed in Figure 4 10 024 001 is the flight reference number and STD designates a Standard Levels report 4 5 3 1 Report Menu bar The menu bar is a standard Windows menu bar 4 5 3 2 Report Toolbar The toolbar is a standard Windows toolbar To select a portion of the report for editing bring cursor to upper limit of desired portion by moving the mouse click press and hold SHIFT key on computer keyboard drag cursor to lower limit of desired 4 18 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 portion release Now cut or copy marked portion as desired 4 5 4 Viewing Physical Values The View Physical Values function enable
12. COM ports may change thus requiring the MetServer settings to be changed or the COM port assignment to be changed c Windows will start the Found New Hardware wizard to install the drivers d Choose Install from a list or specific location Advanced and hit Next gt Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps you install software for USB Serial Port If your hardware came with an installation CD 42 or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do Install the software automatically Recommended Figure 2 2 Found New Hardware Wizard Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 e Select Search for the best driver in these locations Then select Include this location in the search click Browse Found New Hardware Wizard Please choose your search and installation options 9 Search for the best driver in these locations Use the check boxes below to limit or expand the default search which includes local paths and removable media The best driver found will be installed C Search removable media floppy CD ROM Include this location in the search D Drivers FT232R Decoder v2 04 06 Browse Don t search will choose the driver to install Choose this option to
13. Figure 6 4 Color Selection Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 6 3 SYSTEM PARAMETERS I General System Parameters Setup Password fo Setup Utilities IV Indicate Missing Data Y Temperature in C K Password For Enter Terminate Flight Automatically v Height in Meters Feet Password For Exit M Extrapolate Last Wind Level IV Pressure in hPa mB Display Lat Long in DMS MV Temp Correction Load Standard Atmosphere Differential Corrections Make Sound Basestation GPS Position Main Meridian Missing Data Time Wind dTime Factor Balloon Burst Identification Time 100 Flight Seconds Log File Time Interval Reports Path Name CHIMS iMetOS Fligt caa Figure 6 5 System Parameters 1 Default parameters are shown in Figure 6 5 Click OK to accept any changes or Cancel to reject any changes r CAUTION l If password use is selected entrance to system will be denied the next time software is accessed unless password is correctly entered Password for Enter requires a user password for setup windows Password for Exit requires the operator to enter a password to exit the iMetOS to help prevent 6 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document
14. Flight Screen appears Figure 3 16 select Open from File menu on the Flight Screen menu bar or from the Flight Screen toolbar Select the desired flight only flights of the selected radiosonde type will display and click Open The Pre Flight Screen will automatically be displayed with preflight data for this flight entered Modify data if desired and click OK Flight screen will now appear with Flight Not Ready displayed in status bar at bottom of screen as data processing has not yet begun Press the Start Flight button to begin the simulation The replay speed can be adjusted using the Sim Speed control located on the Main Flight Screen 4 6 1 Simulated Flight Procedures Press Start Flight to start the recorded flight Flight data will begin updating as if a real flight was in progress 4 20 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight File Prefilght Reports Graphs View Utilities Setup Help glg EB Prag Braue toc E fua Map Scale arto w Sonde Type ims met 1 48 RECEIVER Azimuth Ranae 3547 m Elevatioi Heiah2540 m N Signal Strengtl yy Frequency Fre quency Sweep ST 403 0MHz Speed Record 469 Pressure 744 36 hPa Height 2540 m Wind Direction 295 5 Fliaht 00 08 09 Temperatur 6
15. MB Megabyte E East mb Millibar EES Earth Ellipsoid mbar Millibar El Elevation MHz Megahertz Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Abbreviation Explanation Abbreviation Explanation min minute UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply mm Millimeter USB Universal Serial Bus msec Millisecond UTM Universal Transverse MSL Mean Sea Level Mercator N North x Volt N A Not Applicable V Temp Virtual Temperature NE Northeast VS Vertical Speed nm Nautical Mile Ww West NW Northwest W D Wind Direction NWS National Weather Service WS Wind Speed z Ounces WMO World Meteorological Organization p n Part Number We Wena PC Personal Computer yyyy 4 digit year Press Pressure PSI Pounds per Square Inch PTU Pressure Temperature and Humidity rad Radians RDF Radio Direction Finding REC Receiver RF Radio Frequency RH Relative Humidity rrr Release Number Rx Receiver S Seconds South Strength SE Southeast Sig Signal Sonde Radiosonde Srch Search SW Southwest SYS System Temp Temperature TX Transmit xii Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover pa
16. Manual November 2 2010 GPS Wind Information Radiosonde GPS Data Basestation GPS Data Satellite Constellation Latitude a Sonde Base 42 8912 Longitude Longitude 85 5563 Altitude Altitude 236 m ODO C QI WON e m O North Velocity O m s e e 4 O N East velocity O m s a Ascent Rate n2 e 1mjs 0 CO P9 n2 P9 r9 n9 r9 r9 n9 mn CO D C J CO CQ amp ON TE 15 E EE TE 2s E j 3 i N Figure 3 21 Sonde GPS Once the sonde is in the air there will be a slight delay until the flight clock starts The message in the bottom status bar will be replaced by the text FLIGHT IN PROGRESS Upon sonde release altitude ascent rate and PTU values displayed on screen will begin to change rapidly Wind data and slant range will appear on screen after about four minutes into the flight 3 1 8 Launching the Radiosonde The 403 MHz Antenna is an omni directional antenna There are no restrictions for minimum launch distance between the sonde and the 403 MHz antenna The radiosonde can be launched from directly next to the antenna as long as precautions are taken to not allow the radiosonde string or balloon to contact the antenna or become entangled 3 24 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 The radiosonde sh
17. Plat egre EE aid 4 19 4 5 6 Exiting the IMetOS jie asi Ati 4 20 4 6 Simulated PU ehts gt is e eb t e ad e e ei e e d aie ra FR Red redd 4 20 4 61 Simulated Plight Procedures it a re een te 4 20 4 7 In the Event ofa Crash ici 4 2 CHAPTERS IMETOS UTILTEIES 3 io rte we ett rte re Ee et tea eles den we reato 5 1 Sil Store Piles 35 ooo deo ded eda qa i a T Ge AE 5 2 5 2 Restore Files uiae nexum bee t nae USA tdi 5 3 5 3 Delete Piles 2 COR RE Re Oe o Retos 5 4 5 4 Enable Software Eufction niet e Rr eet xr CU AT e PR ER UHR ERES ERR denies 5 5 CHAPTER 6 IMETOS SETUP we so ede cede ee eret tee tete eere te ep epe da 6 1 6 1 Communicati ns Parameters he eget t p pe RO EP ERO ERU SE deed end 6 2 6 2 Display Color Parameters etie bett bris He E ete Hiep pp eaa iaeiae eaei aiats 6 2 6 3 System Parametros Coe eH RP T liv CER ita 6 4 6 4 System Parameters lla e e e ren e Re eret ete en 6 6 6 5 Military Reports Selectio eere A lela ep Resp ete Pert 6 7 6 6 WMOReports Selection eee ee e D ER deo RE atid atte 6 8 6 7 Military Coding Parameters in ette on de de dene EOD A ede Oe te de dete 6 9 6 8 WMO Coding Parameters L deed e esee tente tee te pee oko do sene Ege De 6 10 6 9 WMO Coding Parameters II ettet editae due etr pede et Pise te etus 6 11 6 10 MetServer Config uratiOn 22 5 nte al ptt TR ee a a ee hein teme etaed eed 6 11 6 11 1MetOS Configuration Hilos sia rH Re e D e t EPOR P Eg eed 6 12 6 12 Auto
18. Re pe eet e PER et eset eee ee 2 2 2 4 1 Connect the 1Met 3150 Decoder orinando titi 2 2 2 42 Install tE DIV TS E te e E Peter Ee t A e edis 2 3 2 5 Disabling Serial Mouse Detection ula e eR e p D Re E R need 2 6 2 6 Software Configuration 2 eeu ede e etti penc enti ei dd 2 9 2 6 1 Determining the COM Port ene Le ee eo te aree eet er ees 2 9 2 0 2 IMetOS Setup tante tdt d adi bait tei led d Eee 2 10 2 7 Hardware Installation die haod 2 11 CHAPTERS PLIGHT OPERATIONS nieto Den c e e bah De o E Eee reg 3 1 ST atch Sequence utto e ete eric ec eel Ah ee er ete TRE eee 3 1 3 1 1 Connect the Icom IC R20 Bell202 Decoder and System Computer esses 3 1 3 1 2 Starting the IMetOS Software coccion oi dedu esei oe ceussdevkevedesudeusecedbavoudeedhosdess 3 2 3 1 2 1 1MetOS Position Information sesen ii aan nne ener nn nc rn retener entente nenne 3 3 3 1 3 Scan for an Available Radiosonde Frequency eese eene 3 4 3 1 4 Activate the Met 1 Radi0soOnde ooconnconoccnonnnonnconnconncnoncnnn nono nono EEE n cnn nennen nnne enne trennen 3 5 3 1 5 Icom IC R20 Receiver 2 2 en rS RR GU a i el ects aoe es en beo s 3 9 3 1 5 1 Tuning the receiver using pre programmed memory essere een ene 3 9 3 1 5 2 Tuning the receiver by hand iii eoe Pee e OP eget 3 11 3 1 6 Prepare the Balloon and Flight Train eese nennen nne nnne 3 12 3 1 7 PreFlight Data Entry and Radiosonde St
19. Unplug the audio cable from the decoder if plugged in b Plug the USB cable into the decoder Plug the other end of the USB cable into an available USB port and wait for Windows to detect the hardware 7 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 C Allow Windows to install the drivers automatically and ignore the warning about the driver not being digitally signed 7 3 1 Decoder Configuration To determine the COM port used by the decoder follow these steps for Windows XP a b C d e Go to the Start Menu Control Panel Open System Select the Hardware tab and hit the Device Manager button Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group The decoder will be listed as USB Serial Port COM To determine the COM port used by the decoder follow these steps for Windows Vista f g h i Go to the Start Menu Settings Open the Device Manager Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group The decoder will be listed as USB Serial Port COM 7 4 JUMPING MOUSE SOLUTION In the event that the decoder is plugged into the computer after it is connected to an active receiver the mouse on the computer may act up If this is the case unplug the decoder from the receiver and computer In certain instances Windows will erroneously detect a serial mouse on the COM p
20. and radiosonde calibration data will not be deleted from the C IMS iMetOS directory g Ifthe iMetOS shortcut icons were moved to a location other than their default installation location the icons may not delete automatically The user must delete them in order to complete the removal of the iMetOS 7 2 3 Re Installing the iMetOS If the iMetOS is being upgraded to a newer version it is wise to have a backup copy of the configuration files The old iMetOS must be uninstalled first Perform the uninstall instructions in Section 7 2 1 prior to installing the new version of the iMetOS To install the iMetOS perform the following steps a Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the directory containing the installer USB Disk CD ROM or a network location b Execute the installer c Follow the installer s prompts The installer will automatically install the iMetOS to the C IMS iMetOS directory d If upgrading the iMetOS copy the configuration files unless otherwise instructed by specific instructions accompanying the iMetOS back into their respective directories iMetOS cfg and Defaults cfg in C IMS iMetOS MetServer cfg in C IMS iMetOS MetServer 7 3 DECODER DRIVER amp CONFIGURATION The decoder uses an FTDI USB chip to communicate with the system computer Windows XP and Vista have drivers built in therefore it does not require a separate driver To install and configure the decoder perform the following steps a
21. changed at any time through the Setup Military Coding Parameters window This field is otherwise automatically computed by the iMetOS to match with the latitude and longitude of the station Code Position A six digit code used in the STANAG reports but only in the Computer METCM report when Octant 9 is selected for Octant of the Globe There are no provisions to input Cloud Code Wx Code or Military Data automatically from an ASOS These must be filled in by the operator NOTE Military Cloud Code Military Code Position and Octant of the Globe may be entered either in the pre flight window or any time during or after the flight in the Military Coding Parameters window under the Setup menu see Figure 6 9 NOTE If UTM coordinates are selected for the station location instead of Latitude Longitude under the View menu Station Longitude and Station Latitude will be replaced by Easting and Northing respectively To use UTM coordinates instead of Latitude and Longitude Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 21 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Coordinates in the STANAG Computer METCM report choose 9 as the Octant of the Globe Date and time appearing on preflight data entry screen are taken from the basestation s GPS time It is important that the time zone settings are set correctly through Microsoft Win
22. conditions and payload mean that a different amount of lifting gas may be required each time a balloon is inflated Using the inflation kit simplifies the process of filling The inflation kit includes a regulator with CGA 580 input to fit helium tanks within the United States with adjustable output automatic shut off valve 1750 grams of weights and 15 feet of hose from the regulator to the shut off valve In October 2010 the Balloon Inflation Kit underwent a revision A roller was added to the vertical valve control arm in an effort to reduce the amount of friction when the balloon lifts the weight lever arm Users of this new inflation kit p n 100 438 do not need to use grease to lube the vertical valve control arm Figure 8 1 Stored Balloon Inflation Kit To use the balloon inflation kit perform the following steps refer to Figure 8 1 Figure 8 2 Figure 8 3 and Figure 8 4 a Remove the inflation kit from the transportation case b Connect the balloon nozzle and hose 1 to the output side of the shut off valve Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 8 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Figure 8 2 Attach nozzle to the shut off valve c Connect the input hose 2 to the input side of the shut off valve d Connect the regulator assembly to the helium tank then connect the input hose to the output of the regu
23. enables printing of the respective graph Cut enables cutting of a selected portion from graph Edit enables editing of a selected point on graph Pressure Scale enables selection of desired pressure scale 1000 10 mB 1000 100 mB 1000 500 mB on PTU and tephigram graphs Wind Scale enables selection of desired wind scale 0 360 180 180 on winds graph Zoom In enables zooming in to pressure level selected by means of cursor displaying 10 above below that level on PTU and winds graphs Zoom Out enables zooming out to view the entire graph on PTU and winds graphs 4 5 2 1 Editing Data in Graph Mode To edit physical values data for any point select Edit Data from Edit menu or press Edit button on toolbar Bring cursor to desired point on graph by moving mouse and click Screen will display a table of physical 4 12 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 values for that point headed Edit Physical Values Edit physical values as desired and press OK The graph will be updated according to edited physical values To cut a range of data in any segment of graph which does not appear accurate or which is irrelevant bring cursor to lower limit of range to be replaced by interpolated data click drag cursor to upper limit of range to be replaced by
24. in the MetServer Settings window and presses OK to save the changes Section 0 The Defaults cfg file is essentially a copy of the iMetOS cfg file It is only read if the user selects Setup Restore Defaults from the iMetOS menubar It is never written by the iMetOS To set the defaults to the user s preferences the user must delete the Defaults cfg file copy the iMetOS cfg file to the Defaults cfg 6 12 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 file 6 12 AUTOMATIC SETTING OF SYSTEM COMPUTER CLOCK The iMetOS is configured such that it can set the system computer s clock to UTC time if a GPS basestation provides GPS time This setting is only available by editing the iMetOS cfg file found in the C UMSUMEtOS directory The parameter set time from gps is used to determine whether iMetOS should set the system computer s time automatically To have iMetOS set the clock automatically change the value to 1 If iMetOS should not set the clock change the value to 0 This is not configurable via the iMetOS menus A short section of the iMetOS cfg file is listed below cfg station latitude 42 891068 cfg station longitude 85 555939 cfg station height 229 164993 gps time utc offset 14 cfg diff correction 1 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover pa
25. interpolated data release and select Cut Data from Edit menu or press Cut button on toolbar This will delete the data within the selected range from the log file of the respective flight To interpolate data in any segment of graph which does not appear accurate bring cursor to lower limit of range to be cut click drag cursor to upper limit of range to be cut release and select the desired interpolation operation from the Interpolate menu This will interpolate data for the selected range in the log file of the respective flight To insert a Significant Point on graph bring cursor to desired location for significant point insertion click and select the desired Insert function from the SigPoints menu To delete a Significant Point from graph bring cursor to significant point to be deleted click and select the desired Delete function from the SigPoints menu Any changes made will be saved to the processed log LOG file if desired Closing the graph will bring up a prompt asking if the changes should be saved Simulating the flight will return the data to its original state To superimpose a graph from another flight select File from graph menu bar or load log button from graph toolbar select desired file Graph from previous flight will appear superimposed on present graph Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 13 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 Use
26. is a nice courtesy 9 3 DETERMINING LOCATION RELATIVE TO AN AIRPORT With the internet it is very easy to determine whether or not the user lies under Class B C D E or G airspace SkyVector http skyvector com is an excellent internet source that covers the entire United States including Alaska and Hawaii Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands It also contains airport information for Guam Midway Atoll Northern Mariana Islands Wake Island and American Samoa 9 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 9 3 1 Determine the Current Position Determining the current position can be accomplished via a few different means radiosonde or basestation GPS handheld GPS a car navigation GPS such as a TomTom a map or an aeronautical chart The most accurate are GPS devices To view the current position in iMetOS go to the View View GPS Information screen in Real Flight mode GPS Wind Information Radiosonde GPS Data Basestation GPS Data Satellite Constellation Latitude Duke Sonde Base 42 8911 42 8910 Longitude Longitude 85 5559 85 5559 Altitude Altitude 225m 195m QD C c C QD amp UNE ma pr ESA North Velocity O m s e e 4 Q N East Velocity 0 m s Eu Ascent Rate 0 m s Co CO P9 P2 P9 P9 r9 P9 r9 yn y O DO O OMA ONY
27. on the cover page of this document 4 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight File Prefilght Reports Graphs View Utilities Setup Help Del alal amp amp pe pe ee amp uu m Map Scale auto v Sonde Type ims imet 1 44 RECEIVER Azimuth Ranae Om Elevatio Heiah32 m Signal Strengtl yy Frequency Freg Frequency 4 Sweep pd Search Speed S 23 Record 1 Pressure 0 00 hPa Heiaht 32m Wind Direction 0 0 Fliaht 00 00 00 Temperatur 0 0 C Slant om Wind 0 0 knots Sonde ID Humidity 0 0 96 Latitude 22 35330 Ascent 0 mimin Longitude 91 80840 Flight Not Ready Figure 4 1 403 MHz Flight Screen 4 4 1 iMetOS Menu Bar 4 4 1 1 File This menu enables creation of a new file for a new real flight opening of a radiosonde parameters flight file for a simulated flight loading of a log file for viewing reports and graphs of a previously performed flight and exit from the program New files cannot be opened when a real or simulated flight is in progress 4 4 1 2 PreFlight This menu enables entry and modification of preflight data for a new real flight or review and editing of previously entered preflight data for a simulated flight and loading of calibration data 4 4 1 3 Reports This menu generates meteorological reports and messages according to a list of reports selected as part of
28. on the screen Fully extend the IC R20 antenna and place it in an orientation as close to vertical as possible Tuning of the IC R20 receiver is complete A sample display for a radiosonde setting of 405 MHz is given in Figure 3 13 Continue with Section 3 1 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 11 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Figure 3 13 IC R20 tuned to a radiosonde at 405 025 MHz 3 1 6 Prepare the Balloon and Flight Train Before starting to inflate the balloon verify its specifications weight rate of ascent burst altitude diameter on ground and at burst point payload and free lift In general balloons weighing 300 g are capable of ascent to about 22 kilometers balloons weighing 800 g and higher are capable of ascents to 30 kilometers and above WARNING Do not use hydrogen in proximity to fire sparks cigarettes etc Do not use hydrogen in enclosed areas Inflate the balloon Assemble the radiosonde flight train according to the procedure defined for your site Table 3 1 defines the different configurations of the flight that can be used Table 3 1 Flight Train Order Flight Train Order Full Normal Train Full Alternate Train Minimal Minimal 1 Balloon Balloon Balloon Balloon 2 Parachute Parachute 30 m 100 ft String De Reeler 3 30 m 100 ft String De Reeler Radiosonde Radio
29. or by the external AC Adaptor When using the Li Ion battery pack the Icom IC R20 may operate up to 11 hours on a single charge The Li Ion battery pack is charged in the receiver when the external AC Adaptor is connected this takes up to 8 hours To set up the iMet 3150 connect the decoder to the System Computer using the supplied USB cable Connect the decoder to the Icom IC R20 SP CI V output using the audio cable supplied See Figure 2 11 for a diagram System Computer Audio Cable USB Cable Decoder Epi Icom IC R20 Receiver AC Adaptor Figure 2 11 iMet 3150 and System Computer 2 12 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 3 FLIGHT OPERATIONS 3 1 LAUNCH SEQUENCE PreFlight operations must be performed before a flight can be successfully launched 1 Connect the Icom IC R20 the decoder and the system computer with the audio cable and USB cable If the decoder drivers have not yet been installed refer to Section 2 4 Driver Installation and Section 2 5 Disabling Serial Mouse Detection Start the iMetOS software Activate the iMet 1 radiosonde Activate the Icom IC R20 and tune to the radiosonde Inflate the met balloon and prepare the flight train Complete the pre flight b
30. select the device driver from a list Windows does not guarantee that the driver you choose will be the best match for your hardware Figure 2 3 Search for the Best Driver In Location f Browse to the location of the FT232R USB Serial Port drivers located on the Installation CD under Drivers FT232R Decoder vx x x Click OK g Select Next gt once the path is specified h The wizard starts searching for the driver After the driver is found the Hardware Installation dialog may appear indicating that the driver is not digitally signed or has not passed Windows Logo testing Select Continue Anyway to continue 2 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 1 The wizard begins copying the files Found New Hardware Wizard Please wait while the wizard installs the software E USB Serial Port ftserui2 dll To C WINDOWS system32 Figure 2 4 Copying Drivers Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 5 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 j k After the installation is completed select Finish to continue Found New Hardware Wizard Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard The wizard has finished installing the software for E USB Serial Port
31. the surface of the earth is considered to be a kite To the user of the iMet 3150 this means that e the balloon payload must weigh less than 4 pounds e the bottom side of the radiosonde must have a density of less than 3 oz per square inch 13 2 gm per square centimeter e the string must break with a force of less than 50 pounds If the above conditions are met then technically no official notice is required However as a courtesy to the aviation community and to reduce risk of losing the radiosonde especially if the user is under Class B C or D airspace the user should call the airport s control tower to see if there is Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 9 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 any air traffic nearby and get clearance to launch a balloon If the user is under class E airspace to the surface or even down to 700 ft versus the normal 1200 ft there may be a smaller airport nearby without a control tower There it would probably be nice just to call the airport s FBO fixed base operator to see if they know of any air traffic in the area 9 2 AIRSPACE INFORMATION The United States has six different types of airspace listed by letter Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E and Class G Airports are in five of those types of airspace Class B Class C Class D Class E and Class G Airports with
32. the system setup see CHAPTER 6 The report output device and WMO indicator are also set through the Reports menu 4 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Table 4 2 Available WMO Meteorological reports in iMetOS Report Description File Misc Extension Standard Levels Plain text version of TTAA TTCC PPAA and STD Specific to iMetOS Report PPCC Significant Plain text version of TTBB TTDD PPBB and SIG Specific to iMetOS Levels Report PPDD Physical Values Plain text version of the iMetOS log file in 10 PYS Specific to IMetOS Report second increments Temp Report Coded message of TTAA TTBB TTCC and TEM FM 35 TEMP TTDD FM 36 TEMP SHIP FM 38 TEMP MOBIL Pilot Report Coded message of PPAA PPBB PPCC and PIL FM 32 PILOT PPDD FM 33 PILOT SHIP FM 34 PILOT MOBIL Temp 1 Coded message of TTAA TTBB and PPBB TP1 Fixed Land Station Message Ship Mobile Land Station Temp 2 Coded Message of TTCC TTDD and PPDD TP2 Fixed Land Station Message Ship Mobile Land Station NWS 160 character code of station number latitude HDR Generated in Identification longitude altitude date time of release C UpperAir yyyy month Record ascension number observer initials amp more NWS Data 80 character code record of ascension number DAT Generated in Re
33. to highlight operating or maintenance procedures practices conditions or statements that are not essential to the protection of personnel or equipment A NOTE may precede or follow the step or procedure depending upon the information to be highlighted The headings used and their definitions are as follows WARNING Highlights an essential operating or maintenance procedure practice condition statement etc which if not strictly observed could result in injury to or death of personnel or present a long term health hazard r CAUTION l Highlights an essential operating or maintenance procedure practice condition statement etc which if not strictly observed could result in damage to or destruction of equipment or loss of mission effectiveness NOTE Highlights an essential operating or maintenance procedure condition or statement Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document XV Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 PHYSICAL INJURY The iMet 3150 contains no moving parts and emits no hazardous radiation Individual components can be heavy and awkward to handle Care should be taken to use proper lifting techniques whenever a component is being moved Failure to handle these assemblies properly could result in personal injury and damage to the equipment CAUTION Some maintenance procedures require the use of a wrist or
34. to the C IMS iMetOS Flights directory g Make a copy of the original aaa_rrr paa or aaa_rrr pab file and rename the copy aaa_003 paa or aaa 003 pab or similar where aaa is the ascension number and rrr is the release number h Make a copy of the original aaa rrr rtx and rename the copy aaa 003 rtx or similar i Open the aaa 003 rtx file and the aaa_rrr 1 rtx file in Windows Notepad or Wordpad or a similar text editor j Copy and paste the aaa rrr I rtx file to the bottom of the aaa 003 rtx and save the file k Open iMetOS in a Simulated Flight mode and open the aaa 003 paa or aaa 003 pab file l Press Save to the Preflight data m Press Start Flight to begin playback of the flight data At the conclusion of the flight the iMetOS will generate the reports and graphs automatically interpolating for the time that the iMetOS client had crashed To help us understand what happened please zip and e mail all of the files see list in Section 10 3 to InterMet Support with the subject line Flight that crashed MetOS This will help us to improve iMetOS in the future If it is necessary to have all of the flight data restored it is possible but it will require up to one business day Please zip and e mail all of the files see list in Section 10 3 to InterMet Support with the subject line Please Restore This Crashed Flight We will return your flight data as soon as possible 4 22 Use or disclosu
35. values for point at which the cursor is located for viewing only 4 5 1 Graph Menu Bar The menu bar immediately below the title bar lists the additional functions available from any of the graph screens File Edit Scale Zoom Interpolate and SigPoints File enables loading of a log file for viewing graphs of a previously recorded flight saving of a log file after modification of log file data see below printing of the respective graph and exit from the graph screen Edit enables editing and cutting of graph data Scale enables selection of desired pressure scale 1000 10 mB 1000 100 mB 1000 500 mB on PTU and tephigram graphs and desired wind scale 0 360 180 180 on winds graph Zoom enables zooming in to pressure level selected by means of cursor displaying 10 above below that level or zooming out to view the entire graph on PTU and winds graphs Interpolate enables interpolation of values between two selected points of the graph SigPoints enables location insertion and deletion of significant points relevant to the graph 4 5 2 Graph Toolbar The toolbar immediately below the menu bar enables one touch execution of the following frequently implemented operations Load log enables loading of a log file for viewing graphs of a previously recorded flight Save log enables saving of a log file after modification of log file data see below Print
36. 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 SSPS DataPacket 1233086893 1 1 110 50 59 77 26 56 43 09922 84 01818 15376 83 48 06 0 43 4 91 1233086893 100 100 100 100 20 08 13 SSPS DataPacket 1233086894 1 1 110 42 59 773 26 43 43 09922 84 01759 15381 49 49 24 0 56 4 52 1233086894 100 100 100 100 20 08 14 SSPS DataPacket 1233086895 1 1 110 31 59 67 26 42 43 09921 84 01698 15386 06 49 13 0 58 4 76 1233086895 100 100 100 100 20 08 15 SSPS DataPacket 1233086896 1 1 110 16 59 57 26 49 43 09921 84 01638 15390 92 49 21 0 28 4 98 1233086896 100 100 100 100 20 08 16 SSPS DataPacket 1233086897 1 1 110 15 59 51 26 36 43 09921 84 01578 15395 64 48 97 0 19 4 54 1233086897 100 100 100 100 20 08 17 4 3 2 Processed Log File The processed log file LOG contains the smoothed data and if the user performs any data editing edited data The contents of this file are what the iMetOS uses to generate the met reports and graphs The log file contains seventeen space separated ASCII fields Each record is at a one second time increment The iMetOS uses the processed log file to generate the reports and graphs If a user edits the data only the processed log file will be changed Simulating the flight will cause the iMetOS to create a new processed log file from the raw log file losing any edits to the data previously performed To create reports and graphs without simulating the fli
37. 2 C Slant 4234m Wind 24 5 knots Sonde ID 2734 Humidity 100 0 Latitude 42 86709 Ascent 282 mimin Lonaitude 85 52723 Flight in Progress Figure 4 12 Simulated Flight As a default a simulated flight will proceed at approximately normal speed To speed up or pause the simulation slide the simulation speed bar up to speed up or down to slow down The lowest speed is paused Graphics and reports can be accessed in the same manner as Real Flights 4 7 IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH In the event that iMetOS crashes in a real flight mode it may be possible to recover most if not all of your flight data If the MetServer continues to run on the Windows taskbar the icon will continue to flash yellow and white it is possible to continue with the flight To do so follow these procedures a Immediately restart iMetOS in Real Flight mode b Go to File New Enter the following preflight information Surface Pressure Sonde ID Ascension Number keep the same Release Number increase by 1 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 21 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 c Press Save d The iMetOS will recognize that the flight has already begun and will log the data e At the end of the flight terminate the flight as normal Ignore any reports and graphs Close iMetOS f Open Windows Explore and browse
38. 218A LOG S 0612211 LOG S070116A LOG S070116B LOG S070117C LOG S070117D LOG 512 18 06 0220 0G Y Folders go ca x IMS gt iMetos flights Drives c Local Disk Network Figure 5 2 Data Storage Archives The Store Files Create Archive screen appears above when the Store Files menu item is selected from the Utilities menu An archive contains the necessary files to simulate a flight as well as any reports generated in a compressed format A 1 5 hour flight would normally take about 1 5 megabytes to store all files separately but in an archive generally only takes 400 500 kilobytes The Create Archive window is broken up into two areas a FROM area and a TO area Use the FROM area to choose a FROM directory and a log file Double click on directories to change directories Single click the flight log file to select it By default flight files are located in the C IMS iMetOS Flights directory Use the TO area to navigate to a directory to place the archived zipped file Notice that the path is given above the TO folders area Click the Archive button to create the archive For uniformity it is recommended that the archived files be placed in the C IMS iMetOS Archives directory 5 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 5 2 RESTORE FILES Restore From Ar
39. 3 0 47 E 44 ae 0 0 0 47 n 46 Es ol 15 0 16 0 17 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 45 0 0 a i n Figure 9 6 Radiosonde and Basestation GPS Position Listed 9 3 2 Is the Location Near an Airport After the current position is obtained SkyVector can be used to determine if the location is near an airport Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 9 5 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 or under controlled airspace To use SkyVector perform these steps a Open SkyVector http skyvector com in a web browser b Click on Flight Plan and enter the latitude and longitude i e 42 891069 85 555935 Note the lack of space after the comma Click Add SkyVector SS Q E Grand Rapids Aeronautical Charts Airports Chats Help Video Forum 80 Flight Plan Enter waypoints separated by spaces 42 891059 E Reverse es 120 A 42953 28 N 85 3321 W INS 1198 al H ht 2005 2010 SkyVector amp About Us Privacy t Ads by Google Aviation Enroute Maps VectorMaps IFR Maps Sky Maps Copyrigl Figure 9 7 Location Entry into SkyVector c SkyVector will bring up the appropriate aeronautical chart and display the position entered with a magenta circle and cross hair as shown in Figure 9 8 9 6 Use or disclosure of this i
40. 3 22 Signal too weak for AFC It is possible as the signal strength becomes weak that the receiver becomes confused by other signals in the area This will be evident by a constant arrow being displayed under AFC In this case it is desirable to turn off AFC Press and hold the 0 AFC button on the receiver until AFC disappears from the upper right hand corner NOTE The iMet 1 radiosonde transmits data at a rate of one record per second Moderate amounts of data loss will not prevent a successful flight and should not result in early termination unless something is clearly wrong Data loss is more likely at the end of a flight or during periods when the sonde is directly overhead Data received and processed during a flight may be displayed and or printed in real time as graphs or meteorological messages and reports 3 1 9 Flight Termination To complete the flight the data logging process must be stopped The iMetOS will automatically display a message at balloon burst unless it is configured to automatically terminate the flight upon balloon burst See Section 6 3 for configuration information The Terminate Flight message box gives the user the option to terminate the flight immediately or to continue logging while the sonde is descending However once a flight has been terminated the user cannot resume the flight If the user decides to continue logging after balloon burst the user must click the Stop Flight button to termin
41. 9 Figure 3 12 IC R20 tuned to a radiosonde at 405 025 MHZ seen 3 10 Figure 3 13 IC R20 tuned to a radiosonde at 405 025 MHZ seen 3 12 Figure 3 14 InterMet De Reeler part number 300 212 esses ene rennen ene 3 14 Figure 3 15 Flight Train with balloon parachute de reeler and radiosonde 3 15 Figure 3 16 Main Plight Screen eee eere edet et eene peteret eite Ree uta Dot EA 3 16 Figure 3 17 Sonde GDBS taria ie dte ttes e reor teet dedos itte and 3 17 Fig re 3 18 PreElight Data Entty 5 ete AAA A RF mE ET o idle a 3 18 Figure 3 19 ASOS Surface Data Area enerne ena a i i aE R EA A E aE E R R a aE 3 19 Fig re 3 207 Flight Ready oie ee ge e Ata 3 23 Figure 3 21 Sonde GPS cee A eet oye a ere od e Res 3 24 Figure 3 22 Signal too weak for AEC ne danoate genti tee ete Ft eddie en T ERR d 3 26 Figure 4 1 403 MHz Flight Seren 5 25 2 S pig eletti ee ep et deli eese leg beonods 4 4 Figure 4 2 GPS Data Window tinae n Re Beate revi ec le Lee reete aa es 4 7 Figure 4 3 403 MHz Rec tver Areas sri ou eee de e e eb Te eee awe Inlet os 4 9 Fig re 4 4 403 MHz Radiosonde Arca ro pones dosi pages ee o keel rede pee dpt ka 4 10 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document vii Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Figure 4 5 Telemetry Area iii eet Ret E
42. ATCT are Class B Class C or Class D only AIRSPACE CLASSIFICATION msl mean sea level agl above ground level FL flight level Figure 9 1 Airspace Classification Figure 9 1 shows the different types of airspaces within the United States Note the symbol of airport control towers in the Class B Class C and Class D airports Class E and Class G airports are uncontrolled airports so they will not have a control tower 9 2 1 Class B Airspace Class B airspace is usually found near major cities and denotes a major hub airport ATC operates 24 7 at these airports Examples of Class B airports include ATL BOS DTW EWR HNL IAH JFK LAX 7 000 msi Ceiling 7 000 msl Floor 4 000 ms Ceilings of Class B 1 cd Ss airspace areas generally extend up 4 E to 10 000 msl Ws Boundaries are depicted a e However Boston s by solid blue lines Class B extends up PA cus n to 7 000 msl Figure 9 2 Class B Airspace 9 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Class B airspace is denoted by solid blue lines on an aeronautical chart The upside down wedding cake can extend outwards to as many as 30 nm from the airport but are shaped to the airport s requirements As a courtesy if the user is set up under the Class B airspace the user should contact the
43. ATCT to obtain permission to launch 9 2 2 Class C Airspace Class C airspace is airspace for medium sized airports ATC operates only during the hours of operation of the airport Examples of Class C airports include ANC BNA ELP FLL GEG GRR MDW OAK RNO SJU SMF and more 49 Ceiling 7 700 msl 7 700 msl Floor 4 900 msl Airport elevation 3 652 msl l Boundaries are depicted by solid magenta lines Figure 9 3 Class C Airspace Class C airspace is denoted by solid magenta lines on an aeronautical chart The upside down wedding cake is smaller than that of a Class B airport The inner circle extends to 5 nm from the airport while the outer circle extends to 10 nm from the airport Aircraft generally report to ATC within 20 nm of the airport As a courtesy if the user is set up under the Class C airspace the user should contact the ATCT to obtain permission to launch 9 2 3 Class D Airspace Class D airspace is airspace for smaller sized airports ATC operates only during the hours of operation of the airport Examples of Class D airports include ARB BFI FAL FAR ILM LGB MKG MLB SAW m 25 CS 0 NET 2 E LI The boundary of the airspace is depicted by dashed blue lines Adding I two zeros to the numbers inside the brackets indicates the ceiling of the Class D airspace Nantucket s Class D shown here extends up to amp 2 500 msl Figure 9 4 Class D Airspace Use or discl
44. B Serial Port Driver Installed eese nne nne nennen 2 6 Fig re 2 0 Device Instance ld et eO RO Ue d ai a A di 2 7 Figure 2 7 Enter Valde Name na eese or earn akan age prr as 2 8 Figure 2 8 Enter DWORD V lue eie ette ee pete eee eee Dosen indie 2 9 Figure 2 9 Windows Firewall Security Alert essere nennen rennen eene 2 10 Figure 2 10 Icom IC R20 Supplied Accessories eese nennen nemen 2 11 Figure 2 11 1Met 3150 and System Computer essere rennen re nenenene nnne 2 12 Figure 3 1 iMet 3150 and System Computer eese eren nennen 3 1 Figure 3 2 Opening Screen i edere eH IR e n e AT tr to 3 2 Figure 3 3 Enter 0 s for basestation GPS position sess nennen 3 3 Figure 3 4 IC R20 Control B ttons ipie idee its inp tede neri de aRt 3 4 Figure 3 5 Low signal strength at 405 MHz sseeseeseeseeeeeeee eene neret rennen nne nne enne nre 3 5 Figure 3 6 Remove radiosonde from the shipping bag eene 3 6 Figure 3 7 Extend the temperature humidity probe eese een rennen 3 6 Figure 3 8 R diosonde Open ii eee Oa a Pd ed e e dee i en tt 3 7 Figure 3 0 Battety Contlectot oth ot rad Obi or ER trastero eet 3 7 Figure 3 10 Radiosonde Prepped for Flight esee nnne rennen 3 8 Figure 3 11 IC R20 Control Buttons eese eren nennen nenne ennt EEA ETE aeea 3
45. BA it is important to verify that the radiosonde is reporting a GPS position with altitude prior to beginning PreFlight Open the View View GPS Information window to confirm that the radiosonde is reporting a GPS position and an altitude that is reasonable NOTE The iMet 1 radiosonde does not report the satellites that are being used To verify sonde GPS look for radiosonde latitude longitude altitude and an occasional change for north east and vertical velocity 3 16 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 GPS Wind Information Radiosonde GPS Data Basestation GPS Data Satellite Constellation Latitude Latitude Sonde Base 42 8912 Longitude Longitude 85 5563 Altitude Altitude 236m 1D C C Cl amp ON m pe O Morth Velocity O m s w N East Velocity O m s Ascent Rate 1 mis Br Bf a pes beer s js b br b cce a ess onn pn c ME T a or a es o Ii M s s t e e or et et et V t En LR c Figure 3 17 Sonde GPS 3 1 7 2 PreFlight Data Entry To initialize the flight data record select New from the File menu on the Flight Screen menu bar or from the Flight Screen toolbar This will bring up the PreFlight data entry screen Figure 3 18 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover p
46. Breaking Force gt 20b 9 kg lt 50 Ib 23 kg Deployment Rate 0 2 0 5 m s Weight 44 gm The de reeler is attached to the balloon parachute and radiosonde with a tie wrap The string is wrapped around a core using a rubber flap to slow down the payout rate of the string To use the de reeler perform the following a b e f Remove the de reeler from the shipping bag Set aside the unattached tie wrap It is only a spare and will not be used Using the tie wrap on top attach the de reeler to the parachute or balloon Be sure to rotate the tie wrap such that the excess tie wrap does not interfere with the string as shown in Figure 3 14 Carefully remove the loose end of the string from the slit at the top of the de reeler Unwind a short section of string and use the bottom tie wrap to attach the radiosonde Ensure the rubber flap is extended downward The de reeler is now ready for flight When releasing the balloon and radiosonde release the radiosonde as soon as a slight tug is felt Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 13 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 ATTACH TO BALLOON OR PARACHUTE 1 a Figure 3 14 InterMet De Reeler part number 300 212 3 14 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 Us
47. CODING PARAMETERS H Military Message Coding Parameters Octant of the Globe 0 7 9 ruo Military Code Position pn Military Cloud Code 7 Cancel Computer Validity Period 0 9 3 Hours 7 Ballistic 2 Validity Period 0 9 None Ballistic 3 Validity Period 0 9 None y Sound Ranging Validity Period 0 9 None y Target Acq Validity Period 0 9 None y Nuclear Fallout Validity Period 0 9 None y Figure 6 9 Military Message Coding Parameters Enter as required and click OK Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 9 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 6 8 WMO CODING PARAMETERS I FR WMO Coding Parameters 1 Number of Groups per Line WMO Region 4 WMO Region NWS Caribbean v Country Maximum Number of Tropopauses v Station Type Lowest Tropopause Pressure Humidity Cutoff Temperature E Es I Add Message Transmission Headers Cancel Figure 6 10 WMO Message Coding Parameters 1 Enter as required and click OK Use the Station Type setting to switch between Land Mobile land or Ship This change affects the Temp Report Pilot Report Temp 1 Message and Temp 2 Message only If the user has selected MOBILE or SHIP for the Station Type use the Station Code in the PreFlight window see section3 1 7 5 for part D D of the TE
48. E Me ne ca se eee ide EE bee REE ER a 4 11 Figure 4 6 PTU Graph eret e nr toii ete etl e ve tete ree e iip eet 4 14 Figure 4 7 Winds Graph sissies Sieh ied esi ele dente ee eene leas lel ee el eee 4 15 Figure 4 8 T Dog P Graph A deest ei t titer ie enata 4 16 Figure 4 9 Report Generation isis aree ee a e EH ete tee PRICE ea Ede ree E rca 4 17 Figure 4 10 Standard Levels roten eda noe dis 4 18 Figure 4 LE Physical Values coin natillas ito eee da 4 19 Figure 4 12 Simulated Flight anoen iie eto ete rtr Bie te ue der oup eee 4 2 Figure 5 1 Utilities 2 itt tete t e ob ei ear E ie E aed e he oa 5 1 Figure 5 2 Data Storage Arce simios pioneras abate TEAS 5 2 Figure 5 3 File Restoration from Archives sesssseeseeseeeeeeeeenee nennen nennen eren enne nennen 5 3 Figure 5 4 Deleting Files 3 eT eie ape rn 5 4 Figure 5 5 Enable Software Function eeeseeseeseeseeeeeeeeeeeenne enne rennen eren nennt enne 5 5 Figure 0 L System Setups nece Iph e ern POT Pe E hv ECRIRE Te RACE e CER Ee 6 1 Figure 6 2 Communications Parameters esses n rennen eren nennen trennen 6 2 Figure 6 3 Color Parameters ten Ee ete e hele Pone e ee tette teer tne etal 6 2 Fig re 6 4 Color Selection nie te HC ee EU i ee UR a oe eec a geste 6 3 Figuie 6 5 System Parameters 1 idee ee en ae ee rte ten erp 6 4 Figure 6 6 System Parameters 2 de I ltda 6 6 Figure 6 7 Military Reports auti io Aia 6 7 Fi
49. MP message Part D D of the TEMP message is identified as the ship s call sign or an alphanumeric code that contains a two letter geographical designator and the first three letters of the name of the town 6 10 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 6 9 WMO CODING PARAMETERS II WR WMO Coding Parameters 2 TTA4 Top Line TTAA Bottom Line TTBB Top Line TTBB Bottom Line TTCC Top Line TTCC Bottom Line TTDD Top Line TTDD Bottom Line PPAA Top Line PPAA Bottom Line PPBB Top Line PPBB Bottom Line PPCC Top Line PPCC Bottom Line PPDD Top Line PPDD Bottom Line Figure 6 11 WMO Message Coding Parameters 2 The WMO coding parameters seen here affect the Temp Report Pilot Report Temp 1 Message and Temp 2 message headers only These headers are used if the report message is sent to meteorological agencies Enter as required and click OK 6 10 METSERVER CONFIGURATION The MetServer configuration file is used to configure the MetServer application It is located in the C IMS iMetOS MetServer directory The file is set by default at the factory and should not be changed The MetServer can be configured through a GUI by right clicking on the MetServer MetOS Communications icon on the taskbar and selecting settings The user must set the MetServer to use the proper COM port for the ra
50. OS 4 1 INTRODUCTION The InterMet Meteorological Operating System 1MetOS provides operator control of the receiver except in the case of the iMet 3150 radiosonde decoder functions recording and processing of data transmitted by the radiosonde and generation of operator selected meteorological data messages and graphs in real time during and or after flight An additional function of the iMetOS is playback of flights from previously recorded data files 4 2 MODES OF OPERATION The iMetOS modes of operation are Real Flight This option is intended for launch of an actual radiosonde Real flight is described in CHAPTER 3 Simulated Flight This option is intended for playback of a previously implemented flight for training or data analysis purposes The procedure for simulated flights is described in Section 4 6 All operations directly related to radiosonde flights preflight in flight and post flight are discussed in this chapter including report and message generation graph generation and viewing of reports and messages System Setup is discussed in CHAPTER 6 4 3 LOG FILES The iMetOS utilizes two different types of log files to record flight data a raw log file and a processed log file 4 3 1 Raw Log File The raw log file RTX contains a log of the communications between the iMetOS and the devices used for the real flight This file is necessary to view a simulated flight A record is recorded when data is rece
51. PTER 4 JMETOS xiii teet t td Fen ante eee 4 1 4 Introduction EE 4 1 4 2 Modes ot Operatiom cora a Rr E ER qe C i TE ee a Aaa ERS 4 1 4 3 Log Pies o etti A e ir EG pe AE d Ede e eee 4 1 4 3 l Raw Log File eee eaae aeu aues eiie enit 4 1 4 3 2 Processed Log Fleur ade ute ale a E ten det et 4 2 443MetOS Blight Screen dre be e etd e edi ette deb ebore eleg tutt cda 4 3 4 4 11MetOS Menu Bat strc ette ee Mae ls pete Herne aede deseo eee atid 4 4 AA s Euer e eet oe ei entr te e C e ubt eve nter eas 4 4 44 1 2 PreElightzs 25 iedseng bebo aere dpelithinipdene d eipeittiiuitadgueenits 4 4 4 4313 Reports anie dee rii T ene C e E RR ERR rr d eet iss 4 4 AAA 4 Graphis ctc ate hee dation oe Geshe awed ted 4 6 BAM VI8WA S ice te epe ate eta Oe E eal se ed 4 6 4 4 1 6 View GPS Information ie ie ee e Gas tH e eie E RE Co ERE RR E dba 4 6 A A E E E T AE E 4 7 4A TS Sepe hate lw Niel ea ie EA E 4 7 AAV Mc A NN 4 7 44 2 IMctOS Toolbatr 2 dette ir ee AA E ade AA a ee 4 8 4 42 T NOW onen naea ettet eb as tui ANA E E E R 4 8 LAPSI E E A E 4 8 44 23 Load lofas iae E t ng ee ege eH ir e a e t oS De 4 8 AAD A Preludio ERR bd 4 8 4 4 2 5 Report 1 through Report 4 cotton paisas ep papis 4 8 4 4 2 6 PTU Wind P P rcseo a E RR RU QU S WERE 4 8 A421 Reports and Messages oie rr etii D eI Rn refte 4 8 4 4 2 8 Physical Valu s c inset ede en eise de pi ted tee digitis 4 8 4 4 2 0 TERA costes ee eet ette te rt HO Pe ELO AO shies n ORE e RE PR te
52. R SUPPLIED SYSTEM COMPUTER 4 Figure 1 2 iMet 3150 System Diagram 1 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 1 2 THEORY OF OPERATIONS The iMet 3150 is an automated sounding system that operates in the 403 MHz meteorological frequency band Pressure temperature and humidity data is collected by the radiosonde and transmitted to the ground station by a digitally coded message sent once per second The radiosonde includes four AA type alkaline batteries that provide power to the sensors digital processors and transmitter Figure 1 3 iMet 3150 Receiver and Decoder The telemetry from the radiosonde is received by a passive omnidirectional 403 MHz antenna on the Icom IC R20 receiver The demodulated signal is passed over a standard audio cable to the decoder 1 2 1 GPS Wind Finding with Differential Correction The radiosonde includes a C Code GPS receiver that locates the sonde in three dimensional space and transmits this information to the ground station along with the PTU data This information is processed in the iMetOS meteorological processing software to produce wind speed and wind direction 1 2 2 Demodulation and decoding The Icom IC R20 receiver demodulates the FM signal received from the radiosonde and passes base ban
53. S 50701164 LOG E IMETOS 50701168 L0G e flights 5070117C LOG 5070117D LOG 5121805 0220106 Y List files of type Drives LOG Files c Local Disk Network Figure 5 4 Deleting Files For irretrievable deletion of previously recorded flights from hard disk select Delete Files from Utilities menu Navigate to the directory by double clicking the directory name in the Folders section Single click the flight to be deleted and press Delete Double clicking a file will immediately delete it r CAUTION l Deleting the files is permanent Files are not stored in the Recycle Bin for later restoring InterMet recommends the delete function be used only immediately after the Store Files function has been used to archive the flight in the Archives directory r CAUTION l If the flight archive zip file is located in the same directory it will be deleted too causing a complete loss of the flight data 5 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 5 4 ENABLE SOFTWARE FUNCTION Enable Software Function Reports Functions r Graph Functions Iv PTU Graph t V Winds Graph v Output Device Iv T Log P Graph IV Code Only v PTU vs Height Graph v Set WMO Indicator v Density vs Height Graph View Functions gt r Setup Functions v Reports and Messages v C
54. S 9 4 9 3 Determining Location Relative to an Airport oooconccnoccnoncnoonnonnconnconncnnnonncnono con ccnn conca nn nemen 9 4 9 3 T Determine the Current POSItlOn erae ie ere Ee e IR e v CER eb P FR eR stock Re ERR eee 9 5 9 3 2 Is the Location Near an Airport 0 0 eee n a ni E A E E O E S EA 9 5 9 3 3 Finding Air Traffic Control Contacts esses eren ener nnne neret neret 9 7 CHAPTER 10 CONTACTING SUPPORT da aa ec e eee eret EE ene 10 1 10 1 Identifying Problems coi ete e Mh e rd ipe its 10 1 10 2 Means of Contacte Ie c eerie i ee f S EE D CE d se Geld 10 1 10 3 What to Send oet Ue ere Fette rte ire ee ee 10 1 vi Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 1 iMet 3150 Block Diagram nitet deep tL eene t t Eon outs Rep De E eL HR aas 1 1 Figure 1 2 iMet 3150 System Diagram eeni serisini etno aeei iaia AEEA ie Seaia 1 2 Figure 1 3 iMet 3150 Receiver and Decoder sese nenne 1 3 Figure 2 1 1M t 3150 Components 2 medie ge tret cie 2 1 Figure 2 2 Found New Hardware Wizard 00 escsescsscssecssseesseessecesecsseesseesseeceessaessaeesseeeseeeeessaeseaeesaes 2 3 Figure 2 3 Search for the Best Driver In Location sees rennen 2 4 Figure 2 4 Copying Drivers u aot ets m der eem fee etse ee 2 5 Figure 2 5 US
55. Y 11 00 3f 3f 10 27 00 00 88 13 00 00 c4 09 OF Re LatencyTimer REG_DWORD 0x00000010 16 Gi EdoeSer 88 MinReadTimeout REG DWORD Ox00000000 0 3 G3 FTDIBUS RE MinwriteTimeout REG DWORD Ox00000000 0 3 VID 04034PID 6001 4 FTE43X39A redi REG DWORD Ox00000000 0 cC VID_0403 PID_6001 ISRYRTDKA S PortName REG DE rad i ooo REG_DWORD 0x00000000 0 Y Control 3 Device Parameters Y LogConf a HDAUDIO Y HID H Q HTREE EZ IDE H E ISAPNP 3 PCI G PCIIDE t C Root H E STORAGE Sw e 49 Use H E USBSTOR J Hardware Profiles a G Services 3 LastKnownGoodRecovery 3 MountedDevices A Select My Computer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Enum FTDIBUS VID_0403 PID_6001 ISRYRTDKA O000 Device Parameters Figure 2 7 Enter Value Name a DISPLAY q Hit Enter or double click to edit the DWORD value r Type FFFFFFFE and select the Hexadecimal base as shown in Figure 2 8 Note that this is not case sensitive 2 8 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 S t u Edit DWORD Value Value name SkipE numerations Value data Base ftd Hexadecimal Decimal Figure 2 8 Enter DWORD Value Hit Enter or click OK Close Registry Editor Reboot the computer At this stage the computer is now protected from erron
56. a 2 try would be 2 3 20 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Using 0 for the ascension number or release number generally indicates that the flight is an informal test 3 1 7 6 Station Data Station Data includes the following data items Station Code The four letter code for the station This parameter is used in certain WMO messages NOTE If the user has selected MOBILE or SHIP for the Station Type in the WMO Coding Parameters I see section 6 8 use the Station Code for part D D of the TEMP message Part D D of the TEMP message is identified as the ship s call sign or an alphanumeric code that contains a two letter geographical designator and the first three letters of the name of the town Station Name The WMO five digit code for the station This parameter is used in certain WMO messages Target No Target ascent number This is generally 0 Increment if this is a second attempt to perform a flight Cloud Code The five digit WMO Cloud Code used in certain WMO messages Wx Code The four digit WMO Weather Code used in certain WMO messages 3 1 7 7 Military Data Military Data includes the following data items Cloud Code Used in the STANAG Standard Target Acquisition message Octant of the Globe Only relevant in certain STANAG reports and can be
57. adjust the frequency step size when the frequency slew buttons are pressed AFC ON OFF click button NOTE The following two selections are disabled if the receiver is in automatic frequency control AFC mode Receiver frequency search activate a one time search for the maximum signal strength receiver will automatically tune to greatest signal strength found when complete Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 9 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Receiver frequency slew click up A or down Y buttons to adjust the receiver s tuned frequency 4 4 4 2 Radiosonde Area Figure 4 4 shows the Radiosonde Area on the Main Screen Azimuth Rande 3547m Elevation Heiaht 2540 m N Sim Speed Figure 4 4 403 MHz Radiosonde Area The radiosonde area displays radiosonde data in the following format Radiosonde horizontal track a plot of the relative horizontal path of the radiosonde with the position given by a yellow dot Radiosonde vertical track a plot of the relative vertical path of the radiosonde with the position given by a yellow dot The basestation GPS position given by a red dot in the azimuth plot only The Sim Speed control adjusts the speed of flight simulations when replaying previously recorded flights 4 10 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restrictio
58. age of this document 3 17 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Station Data Station Code Station Name Pressure 985 23 hPa Wx Code Humidity 77 Wind Direction 290 9 Wind Speed 5 kts Military Data Cloud Code Latitude 42 8911 N Octant of the Globe Longitude 85 5560 w Code Positio HI Altitude 227 8 m AAA A PTU Ground Check i v Il Ii v ip i Il ii TIE r Launch Location 42 891098 Ii Ii v 85 556023 ra w 224 6 ll Ii v Flight Date and Time y y Sonde ID Pressure 57196 m Ascension Info Ascension No 18 Release No Figure 3 18 PreFlight Data Entry PreFlight data entry is required for a baseline reference To establish this baseline meteorological data is entered into the Surface Data frame of the PreFlight Data Entry window To accept the radiosonde position data as the preflight position click the small gt buttons to accept individual values All other values should be entered manually in the right column of the Surface Data frame NOTE The Altitude value should be the MSL height of the reference barometer as accurately as possible 3 18 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Figure 3 19
59. ald R Ford International Airport f GRR Gerald R Ford International Airport Official FAA Data LANSING NOTAMs Facility GRR NOTAM D available Sectional Chart CHICAGO L J Radial Range GRR GRAND RAPIDS 115 95 352 5 8 Log in Airport Dave 2010 09 23 09 01 comments 0 attachments O8C Riverview Airport CTAF 122 900 ATIS 616 336 4755 at GRR 12 9 E 127 1 ASOS at GRR 12 9 E 616 956 3224 ASOS A at 8D4 12 9 NE New Images Airport Dave 2010 09 23 09 01 comments 0 attachments 298 Ottawa Executive Airport 616 394 0190 ATIS 616 336 4755 at GRR 18 2 E 127 1 ASOS at GRR 18 2 E 616 956 3224 Nearby Navigation Aids Radial Range GRR GRAND RAPIDS 115 95 279 19 1 Airport Dave 2010 09 23 09 01 comments 0 attachments SONM Spaceport America Airport ES Figure 9 9 GRR Search Results Figure 9 9 shows the search links on SkyVector for the airport GRR Clicking on the first link gives all sorts of information for GRR including the Ownership Information shown in Figure 9 10 Ownership Publicly owned Owner KENT CO DEPT OF AERONAUTICS 5500 44TH ST SE GRAND RAPIDS MI 48512 t n Manager JAMES A KOSLOSKY 5500 44TH ST SE GRAND RAPIDS MI 48512 ETLAT Figure 9 10 GRR Ownership Information Once the user has obtained a general number to the airport call that number and explain that a weather balloon launch will occur at the user s posi
60. all be held such that the body does not block the reception of GPS signals Hold the radiosonde midway up the side of the radiosonde case r CAUTION l When handling the radiosonde take care not to damage the sensor probe A typical launch procedure is given below Precise instructions will be determined as part of the sounding mission profile a Carry the radiosonde train to the launch position b Double check that the radiosonde is transmitting PTU data the record number continues to increase and GPS data View View GPS Information window c Verify that the iMetOS status bar indicates Flight Ready d Release the balloon e Release the radiosonde as soon as the balloon tries to pull the radiosonde up 3 1 8 1 Starting the Flight Clock iMetOS does not require the Start Flight button to be pushed for a Real Flight Pushing the Start Flight button will have no effect iMetOS includes automatic launch detect which will automatically start the flight processing after the flight has been launched Launch detect will not occur immediately after launch but generally occurs within one minute of launch Once iMetOS recognizes that the sonde is in flight it will back process the data until the actual point of launch is found The actual point of launch will be flight time of 0 00 3 1 8 2 Tracking the Radiosonde During the flight the system will automatically track the radiosonde and record the flight data receive
61. ankle strap to prevent damage to electrical equipment resulting from electrostatic discharge ESD Equipment must be completely disconnected from all power sources before attaching wrist or ankle straps Failure to disconnect power from wrist or ankle straps could result in personal injury from electrical shock including death and damage to the equipment xvi Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 1 THEORY OF OPERATIONS 1 1 INTRODUCTION System operations should not be undertaken until the system has been properly installed and tested according to the manufacturer s instructions As described in this Manual the iMet 3150 consists of the following components 1 Icom IC R20 Receiver 2 Radiosonde Decoder 3 iMetOS Meteorological Operating System 4 iMet 1 Radiosonde The first three elements are referred to collectively as the iMet 3150 or ground station Please refer to Figure 1 1 and Figure 1 2 for system block diagrams iMet 1 p ICOM IC R20 Audio Cabl Radiosonde Radiosonde Receiver Decoder USB Cable Data Files mem amp Reports Figure 1 1 iMet 3150 Block Diagram Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 1 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 CUSTOME
62. aseline data entry and radiosonde check cb Oy ON ae O Confirm operational status of all systems and release the balloon An experienced operator or team can quickly complete these steps with multiple activities taking place simultaneously 3 1 1 Connect the Icom IC R20 Bell202 Decoder and System Computer If this is the first time connecting the Bell202 Decoder follow the procedures in Section 2 4 Driver Installation and Section 2 5 Disabling Serial Mouse Detection prior to proceeding Connect the decoder to the System Computer using the supplied USB cable Connect the decoder to the Icom IC R20 SP CI V output using the audio cable supplied See Figure 3 1 for a diagram Figure 3 1 iMet 3150 and System Computer Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 3 1 2 Starting the iMetOS Software If this is the first time using the iMetOS software please ensure that the iMetOS has been set up in accordance with Section 7 2 1 Installing iMetOS for the First Time Once the System Computer is on initialize iMetOS using the desktop icon The opening screen is a pane superimposed on the main Flight Screen Figure 3 2 i InterMet M qms System Seca Diesel v Ble mlel wiele amp uu m Mosca a
63. ate data logging when the user chooses to end the flight This button may be activated at any point if it is not desired to log data from launch to balloon burst Once the flight is terminated any messages that are programmed to be created at flight termination will be generated 3 1 9 1 Data Archiving Archiving allows the user to store flight files in a single compressed file A normal two hour flight takes approximately 1 5 megabytes to store when not compressed A typical archived compressed flight consumes 400 500 kilobytes of disk space Archive the flight as follows a From the iMetOS menu bar go to Utilities Store Files 3 26 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 b Change the To directory to C IMS iMetOS Archives c Change the From directory to C IMS iMetOS Flights d Select the flight file name in the File Name box e Click Archive f Click Cancel after the Command Prompt window automatically closes Once all tasks regarding the flight are complete the iMetOS may be closed and the flight files may be deleted from the C IMS iMetOS Flights directory Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 27 iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 4 IMET
64. atitude longitude altitude and an occasional change for north east and vertical velocity 4 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 GPS Wind Information Radiosonde GPS Data Basestation GPS Data Satellite Constellation Latitude Latitude Sonde Base 42 8912 Longitude Longitude 85 5563 Altitude Altitude 236m 1D C C Cl amp ON m pe O Morth Velocity O m s w N East Velocity O m s Ascent Rate 1 mis Br Bf a pes beer s js b br b cce a ess onn pn c ME T a or a es o Ii M s s t e e or et et et V t En LR c Figure 4 2 GPS Data Window 4 4 1 7 Utilities This menu contains various utility operations see CHAPTER 5 4 4 1 8 Setup This menu contains menu items for system setup see CHAPTER 6 4 4 1 9 Help This menu contains information about the iMetOS Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 7 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 4 4 2 iMetOS Toolbar The toolbar immediately below the menu bar enables one touch rapid performance of the following frequently implemented operations 4 4 2 1 New This button enables creation of a new file for a new real flight provided that there is no real or simula
65. atus Check eere 3 16 3 1 7 Radiosonde GPS io re ree ed 3 16 3 1 7 2 PreElight Data Entry 5 eee e b a rede Ha ir etd ee 3 17 3 1 7 3 Radiosonde Status Check 1e e eot eta e Ue eet te eei ne 3 20 3 1 7 4 Pre Flight Status Check eene rete teret ee teret e pee ida tit 3 20 3 1 7 5 Ascension nfo 2 ooi eite deerit ted tete tet it 3 20 3 1 7 6 Stauon Data tl nere te ette ehe t ote direi E e eR ose 3 21 3 1 77 Miltary Data sr al re pt GA re Une E DR dag ERE E 3 21 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iii Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 3 17728 Baseline Data Check one nt eee er e en e eee ee ee des 3 22 3 137 9 Save PreElight Dat a A e eee Per a Opis te eer eain e ine ead ve 3 22 3 1 7 10 Radiosonde Launch Delays esses eere nne nennen rennen nnne 3 23 3 1 7 11 Radiosonde Ready for Launch nnne rennen 3 23 3 1 8 Launching the Radiosonde essere E nenne neret ene nnne 3 24 3 1 8 1 Starting the Flight Clock coi isc 3 25 3 1 8 2 Tracking the Radiosonde eese nne rennen enne n rennen 3 25 3 1 8 3 In Plight Messages a ae RI a eret p et eee to ag 3 25 3 1 9 Blight Termin tion me icd eee t a eee EE DR Eas PU RR ER Led 3 26 3 1 9 1 Data Archivileg 2 5 dm eu petita dept gegen aei teni pe tie bee ede cep goes 3 26 CHA
66. chive From File name 5060920a zip 5060920a zip S0611074A zip S0611084A zip S061108C zip 50611094 zip 50611165753 zip 50612125vs1 zip Folders E cA gt IMS gt iMetos gt archive Drives c Local Disk pil Folders cilimslimetos flights Cancel Network Figure 5 3 File Restoration from Archives The Restore from Archive function takes an archive and decompresses restores the files contained within The Restore from Archive window is broken up into two areas a FROM area and a TO area Use the FROM area to choose a FROM directory and an archive file Double click on directories to change directories Single click the archive to select it Generally archives are located in the C MMSWMetOS Archives directory Use the TO area to navigate to a directory to place the flight files and reports Notice that the path is given above the TO folders area Click the Restore button to restore the files Any files in the directory with the same name will be overwritten To use the files immediately restore them to the C IMS iMetOS Flights directory Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 5 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 5 3 DELETE FILES Delete Old Files File name Folders Ds s0609204 LOG c Mimstimetos flights a Cancel c 0612184 L0G 0612211 L0G E IM
67. coder 2 6 2 iMetOS Setup Configure iMetOS as follows a Connect the decoder to the System Computer with the USB cable b Open iMetOS from the desktop icon or from the Start InterMet Systems iMetOS menu c Select Real Flight d The first time the software is run Windows Firewall may display a security alert as shown in Figure 2 9 Select Unblock to allow iMetOS to function normally Windows Security Alert J To help protect your computer Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program Do you want to keep blocking this program e Mame iMetOS Met Data Server Publisher InterMet Systems Inc Keep Blocking Unblock Ask Me Later Windows Firewall has blocked this program from accepting connections from the Internet or a network If you recognize the program or trust the publisher you can unblock it When should unblock a program Figure 2 9 Windows Firewall Security Alert e On the Windows taskbar right click on the MetServer icon a mouse over calls it iMetOS Communications and select Settings f Remove all devices under the Device and Speed section by setting them to a blank except for the Bell202Decoder 1200 g Select Bell202Decoder 1200 under the Device and Speed section h Select the decoder COM port under the COM port selection The MetServer will only show the available registered COM ports on the computer i Select OK to save the settings j Return to the iMetOS client k Sel
68. coder 1200 under the Device and Speed section s Determine the COM port used by the decoder See Section 7 3 1 to determine the COM port t Select the decoder COM port under the COM port selection The MetServer will only show the registered COM ports on the computer u Press the OK button to save the settings v Return to the iMetOS client w Select the IMS iMet 1 AA or IMS iMet 1 AB radiosonde type from the radiosonde type pulldown see Section 4 4 2 11 The radiosonde model is printed on the frequency selection label on the radiosonde x Close iMetOS Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 7 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 7 2 2 Uninstalling the iMetOS When uninstalling the iMetOS it is wise to make a backup copy of the configuration files To backup these files and uninstall iMetOS perform the following steps a Copy the iMetOS cfg and Defaults cfg files from the C IMS iMetOS directory to a temporary directory i e C Temp b Copy the MetServer cfg file from the C IMS iMetOS MetServer directory to the same temporary directory as in step a c Open the Windows Control Panel d Open the Add or Remove Programs control panel e Select the iMetOS in the programs list Click Remove f Follow the uninstaller s prompts Files not generated by the installer i e flights archives
69. cord time since release pressure height temperature C UpperAir yyyy month relative humidity dew point depression amp more NWS High 80 character code record at two second intervals HRS Generated in Resolution Data Record of ascension number time since release pressure height temperature relative humidity dew point depression amp more C UpperAir yyyy month To switch the Temp Report Pilot Report Temp 1 Message or Temp 2 message from a fixed land station to ship or mobile land station set the station type from the Setup WMO Coding Parameters 1 menu Section 6 8 Table 4 3 Available military reports in iMetOS Report File Extension Computer MetCM CMP Ballistic Type 2 BL2 Target Acquisition TAM Fallout FOM 4 5 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Report File Extension Sound Ranging SRM Ballistic Type 3 BL3 4 4 1 4 Graphs This menu generates all of the iMetOS graphics including PTU winds tephigram T log P PTU vs height density vs height skew T log P Stuve and hodograph for a real or simulated flight Graphics can be called up during or after completion of a flight 4 4 1 5 View This menu allows for viewing of reports and messages Reports can be called up during or after complet
70. cturer s Documentation and is not covered in this Manual X Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Table 1 1 List of Abbreviations and Captions Abbreviation Explanation Abbreviation Explanation y Degree ESD Electrostatic Discharge C Degrees Celsius F Frequency F Degrees Fahrenheit FBO Fixed Base Operator Percent FL Flight Level 2D Two Dimensional FM Frequency Modulation 3D Three Dimensional Freq Frequency aaa Ascension Number Frq Frequency AC Alternating Current ft Feet AFC Automatic Frequency Control gm Grams AGL Above Ground Level GND Ground ASCII American Standard Code for GPS Global Positioning System Information Interchange GUI Graphical User Interface ASOS Automated Surface Observing HGT Height System z hPa Hectopascal ATC Air Traffic Control ID Identification ATCT Air Traffic Control Tower IF Intermediate Frequency AZ Azimuth 3 IP Internet Protocol CD Compact Disc kg Kilogram CGA Compressed Gas Assocation ENS kHz Kilohertz COM Communication km Kilometer cm Centimeter kt Knot CTAF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency Lat Latitude dB Decibel Li Ion Lithium Ion dBm Decibels relative to 1 LNA Low Noise Amplifier milliwatt Long Longitude DC Direct Current LOS Line of sight DEWP Dewpoint m Meter DVD Digital Video Disc m s Meters per second DWORD Double Word
71. d information to the decoder The decoder converts the base band signal to binary format which is then converted into a format that can be transmitted over the USB to the System Computer The System Computer receives the PTU data and the radiosonde GPS data which is then processed by the iMetOS into meteorological data and met products such as TEMP CLIMAT and STANAG reports iMetOS also provides graphical displays data communications and archiving capabilities Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 1 3 iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED AND INSTALLATION 2 1 INTRODUCTION Installation of the iMet 3150 involves hardware setup and software driver setup Installation can be completed in either order The hardware installation describes setting up the system as typical for a flight A full hardware installation is not required for the installation of the software 2 2 INSTALLATION CHECKLIST Prior to beginning the installation ensure that all of the following parts listed in Table 2 1 are on hand refer to Figure 2 1 as pes CUSTOMER SUPPLIED SYSTEM COMPUTER Figure 2 1 iMet 3150 Components Table 2 1 Parts Required for Use Y Item Description e a Number N S CD with Software Drivers and 693150 xxxx Documentation varies 1 Icom IC R20 Receiver with AC Power
72. d from the radiosonde 3 1 8 3 In Flight Messages If the sonde signal is lost or not decodable at any point during flight NO DATA or STILL NO DATA warnings will appear on the screen and the record display will stop updating When the iMetOS receives decodable data again warning messages will disappear and the record display will resume These warnings are not uncommon and will occur more often when the signal strength is low As a rule of thumb when there is ample signal strength above 100 dBm a small number of NO DATA warnings three or fewer per minute should be ignored If substantially more NO DATA warnings occur it may indicate a problem with the radiosonde or receiver iMetOS automatically checks the PTU data and warnings will be displayed if the PTU or GPS values appear to be invalid If these messages are repeatedly sent during a flight it most likely indicates the failure of a radiosonde sensor If this happens it is left to the user to decide whether to re run the fight with a new sonde or to determine the appropriate procedure for editing the data The data can be edited via the graphs during flight or post flight or through the physical values table post flight only See Sections 4 5 2 1and 4 5 4 1 for data editing procedures Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 25 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Figure
73. diosonde decoder First select Bell202Decoder 1200 under the Device and Speed section Then select the COM port under the COM port selection The MetServer will only show the registered COM ports on the computer See Section 7 3 to determine the COM port used by the decoder Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 11 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Metserver Settings Server Setup Device Communications Communications Port 5678 Clients from Device and Speed COMM Port Allow Deny IP Address For Wildcard Bell202Decoder 1200 y T o Figure 6 12 MetServer Settings 6 11 IMETOS CONFIGURATION FILES The iMetOS uses three different configuration files to determine its setup as defined in Table 6 1 Table 6 1 iMetOS Configuration Files File Location Use iMetOS cfg C IMS iMetOS Remember iMetOS client settings GPS information Reports selection window location amp size etc Defaults cfg C IMS iMetOS Keep default iMetOS client settings MetServer cfg C IMS iMetOS MetServer Remember device and COM port settings for the MetServer The iMetOS cfg file is read and written each time the iMetOS is ran both in Real Flight mode and Simulated Flight mode The MetServer cfg file is read each time the iMetOS is ran in Real Flight mode but is only written if the user makes any changes
74. dows Date Time properties 3 1 7 8 Baseline Data Check iMetOS includes checks to ensure that all Surface Data is complete and within acceptable ranges After baseline data has been entered iMetOS will check the values before the record is saved If screen displays the message Error incomplete entry when Save is pressed one or more of the preflight data items were skipped pressing OK on the error message will center the cursor on the first incomplete entry If the screen shows Error entry out of range when Save is pressed one or more preflight data items were completed with a value out of range e g wind direction 370 pressing OK on this error message will center the cursor on first erroneous entry When all entries requiring completion or correction have been corrected press Save once more 3 1 7 9 Save PreFlight Data When all baseline data is complete and correct click Save The text Flight Ready will appear in the bottom status bar 3 22 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 InterMet Meteorological Operating System Real Flight File Prefilght Reports Graphs View Utilities Setup Help Ole 9 Ble Ble e g e amp uu m Mer Scale auro y Sende Type fims imet 1 aB y RECEIVER Azimuth Ranae 32m Elevatiol Heiah236 m N Signal Strengtt Fre
75. e FFFFFFFE and select the Hexadecimal base as shown in Figure 7 3 Note that this is not case sensitive Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 7 5 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Edit DWORD Value Value name SkipE numerations Value data Base fittffel Hexadecimal Decimal Figure 7 3 Enter DWORD Value s Hit Enter or click OK t Close Registry Editor u Reboot the computer At this point the computer s mouse should never inexplicably jump all over the screen If it does please contact InterMet Support as defined in CHAPTER 10 7 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 8 BALLOON INFLATION KIT The Balloon Inflation Kit is an optional accessory to the iMet 3150 The inflation kit is designed to give a user a consistent and easy means of measuring the amount of lift for helium filled balloons It eliminates the guesswork out of trying to fill a weather balloon by hand It works best when the balloon is sheltered from the wind The inflation kit fits in a single Pelican 1550 Case same size as the iMet 3150 case Radiosondes and balloons are designed to rise at a rate of 300 meters per minute or 5 meters per second Different weather
76. e 3 Shift F6 Output Device Enter WMO Indicator AFC Mode Frequency zl Frequency Sweep 5 mE 403 0MHz Speed Stop Flight Record No 469 Pressure 744 36 hPa Heiaht 2540 m Wind Direction 296 6 Fliaht Clock 00 08 09 Temperature 6 2 C Slant Rande 4234 m Wind Speed 24 5 knots Sonde ID 82734 Humidity 100 0 Latitude 42 86709 Ascent Rate 282 mimin Longitude 85 52723 Flight in Progress Figure 4 9 Report Generation First select desired output device default screen Select the desired report by means of mouse or indicated function keys If generation of all reports is desired select Create All Reports Note that only the reports with the All Checkbox checked will generate with the Create All Reports see Section 6 5 and 6 6 If the generation of coded reports only is desired i e no informational text select Code Only Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 17 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 l 024_001 STD WordPad File Edit View Insert Format Help DE 44 4 59 B RRADIOSONDE OBSERVATION Date 29 09 2009 Time 14 45 GMT Ref No 024 001 LOCATION OCT 3 42 891N 85 556W Surface Observations Sonde Details PRESSURE 982 5 mb HEIGHT 230 2 Meter TEMPERATURE 11 7 Deg SONDE TYPE IMET1 BB HUMIDITY TOO SONDE No 56160 WIND DIR 330 0 Deg WIND VEL 11 0 Knot
77. e 9 7 Location Entry into SkyVector oooconoconoconocononnnonnconnconncnnnnnnn nono ncnn nono nono nc non cnn nennen nennt enne 9 6 Figure 9 8 SkyVector Current Position eese nennen neret nennen ener nennt rennen 9 7 Figure 9 9 GRR Search Results 1 nari i I Rete d t e rar IS ie ER aD dee LR ORE 9 8 Figure 9 10 GRR Ownership Information eeseeeseeseeeeeeeeeeeeene ener nne 9 8 viii Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 1 List of Abbreviations and Captions sese nne enne xi Table 2 1 Parts Required for Use dee eee te Heer ete eee e Le rea etg ed ca Ee eren 2 1 Table 2 2 COM Port Registry Parameters eren nennen nennt rennen eren enen nne 2 Table 2 3 Parts Required for Use an aom e d e Re RE HOUR re ERE en 2 11 Table 3 E Elight Train Order dn Den rates aa petes git da id 3 12 Table 3 2 De Reeler Specs militar 3 13 Table 4 1 iMetOS Processed Log File Column Definitions eene 4 2 Table 4 2 Available WMO Meteorological reports in IMetOS oooconnccnoconocononnnoncconncnononnncnnn nono ncnnccanncnnnoos 4 5 Table 4 3 Available military reports in iMetOS 00 0 ee eee eeeeseeeseesseeceseesseceseeeseecseeceaeceaeeeaeeeseseeesseeeneees 4 5 Table 6 1 MetOS Configuration Files eese enne eren eren
78. e C IMS iMetOS directory e All log files from the C IMS iMetOS directory Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 10 1
79. e speaker i Adjust the volume control with the left dial or the up A or down Y buttons on the left side such that it is around 75 volume NOTE Adjusting the volume to 75 is VERY important to ensure the decoder will function properly If this step is not performed there is a chance that radiosonde data will be lost late in balloon flights j Set the squelch to the open setting by pressing and holding the SQL button on the left hand side while turning the right dial on top of the IC R20 counter clockwise until SQUELCH OPEN is displayed on the screen k Fully extend the IC R20 antenna and place it in an orientation as close to vertical as possible Tuning of the IC R20 receiver is complete A sample display for a radiosonde setting of 405 MHz is given in Figure 3 13 Continue with Section 3 1 6 Figure 3 12 IC R20 tuned to a radiosonde at 405 025 MHz 3 10 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 3 1 5 2 Tuning the receiver by hand a b m Repeatedly press the BAND button on the IC R20 until the display reads MODE WFM Press the VFO MHz button the IC R20 to put the receiver into a frequency control mode Type radiosonde transmission frequency into the IC R20 as f 025 where fff is either 402 403 404 or 405 depending on the Met 1 switch position
80. e that the sonde sensors have been damaged or corrupted If the sonde PTU is outside of allowable tolerances check first to be sure the sonde is in close proximity to the sensors used for the PreFlight Baseline If the sonde PTU is still outside of allowable tolerances verify that the reference sensors are calibrated and reliable If the sonde is acceptable press Save on the pre flight screen and proceed to the Baseline Data Check 3 1 7 8 If confident that the sonde is being accurately measured against reliable sensors and is still outside of acceptable tolerances return the sonde to the manufacturer for replacement see CHAPTER 10 and select a new sonde Repeat the PreFlight process by closing iMetOS and restarting the software for a Real Flight 3 1 7 5 Ascension Info iMetOS uses an ascension number format for all data files The files are named aaa_rrr where aaa is the ascension number with leading 0 s and rrr is the release number with leading 0 s Allowable ascension numbers are 0 999 while allowable release numbers are 0 through 3 An ascension number is generally considered the number of the flight for the year If two flights are normally flown a day then the ascension number on the 35 day February 4 for the 2 flight would probably be 70 The release number is generally considered the number of times the flight for that hour has been tried to be released The first release would have a release number of 1 while
81. ect the IMS iMet 1 AA or IMS iMet 1 AB radiosonde type from the radiosonde type 2 10 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 pulldown see Section 4 4 2 11 The radiosonde model is printed on the frequency selection label on the radiosonde For the iMet 1 RS choose the iMet 1 AB a Close iMetOS Setup of the iMetOS communication settings is now complete 2 7 HARDWARE INSTALLATION The iMet 3150 is designed as a completely portable system No part of the system is designed to be permanently mounted so there are no specific installation instructions The only instructions are for connecting all of the hardware and preparing the Icom IC R20 receiver The Icom IC R20 receiver comes with the following hardware as shown in Figure 2 10 D 4 Figure 2 10 Icom IC R20 Supplied Accessories Table 2 3 Parts Required for Use Y Item Description 1 Antenna 2 Belt Clip 3 AA Battery Spacer Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 11 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 iMet 3150 User s Manual Y Item Description 4 Hand Strap 5 Li Ion Battery Pack 6 AC Adaptor The Icom IC R20 may be powered by the Li Ion battery pack three AA alkaline batteries
82. ed Knots kts 10 Slant Range Meters m 11 Status Flags N A 12 Latitude Degrees 13 Longitude Degrees 4 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Column Description Units 14 Temperature Raw Degrees Celsius C 15 Geometric Height GPS Meters m MSL 16 Record Time 0 if interpolated Seconds s 17 Height Status N A For the iMet 3150 there is no RDF Therefore azimuth and elevation angles will always be zero 4 4 IMETOS FLIGHT SCREEN The iMetOS runs under Microsoft Windows and utilizes all standard Windows function and screen design concepts The Flight Screen see Figure 4 1 is the principal screen for iMetOS operations and is a typical menu driven Windows screen The title bar at the top of the screen gives the name of the meteorological system The menu bar immediately below the title bar lists the additional functions available from the Flight Screen File PreFlight Reports Graph View Utilities Setup and Help Reports graphs etc selected by means of the menu bar or toolbar are displayed as panes superimposed on the Flight Screen and may be sized as desired by using the mouse More than one report graph may be displayed as individual windows Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction
83. eously recognizing the decoder as a serial mouse If at any time the mouse jumps all over the screen verify that the SkipEnumerations DWORD value has been added to the appropriate Device Instance Id Note that if the decoder has been replaced or plugged into a different USB port the Device Instance Id may have changed If the registry is properly edited and the problem still exists please contact InterMet Support as defined in CHAPTER 10 2 6 SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION After the software and drivers are installed it is possible to configure the iMetOS to communicate with the hardware 2 6 1 Determining the COM Port To determine the COM port used by the iMet 3150 follow these steps for Windows XP a b C d e Go to the Start Menu Control Panel Open System Select the Hardware tab and hit the Device Manager button Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group The decoder port will be listed as USB Serial Port COMx not Bell202Decoder To determine the COM portl used by the 1Met 3150 follow these steps for Windows Vista f Go to the Start Menu Settings Open the Device Manager Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 9 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 i The decoder port will be listed as USB Serial Port COMx not Bell202De
84. er s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Figure 3 15 Flight Train with balloon parachute de reeler and radiosonde Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 15 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 3 1 7 PreFlight Data Entry and Radiosonde Status Check InterMet Meteorological Operating System Real Flight File Prefilght Reports Graphs View Utilities Setup Help Oleole 2 mlel m m sele mui 0 veses uro z Sendo Wee nwt can 2 RECEIVER Azimuth Rande Om Elevatioi Heiah228 m N Signal Strengtt 0 5km Frequency Fre q Frequency sweep 5 403 0MHz esta x T Search NO DATA Record No 1 Pressure 0 00 hPa Heidht 228m Wind Direction D 0 Fliaht 00 00 00 Temperatur 0 0 C Slant 0m Wind 0 0 knots Sonde ID Humidity 0 0 96 Latitude 42 898110 Ascent 0 mimin Lonaitude 85 55590 Flight Not Ready Figure 3 16 Main Flight Screen If no signal is indicated on the Receiver frame and no PTU readings appear this may indicate that there is a problem with the radiosonde or the receiver settings Verify that the sonde is on and the receiver is properly tuned When the receiver is correctly tuned there will be no arrow indication on the receiver for the AFC setting 3 1 7 1 Radiosonde GPS If the radiosonde does not include its own pressure sensor iMet 1 AA or iMet 1
85. erpolate data for the selected range in the log file of the respective flight 4 5 5 End of Flight When a balloon burst is detected the message Balloon burst detected Do you want to terminate the flight will flash on the screen and audio alarm will sound Click Yes to stop flight If ending flight before balloon burst is desired for any reason press Stop Flight button on Flight Screen to Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 19 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 stop flight processing The iMetOS will ask Do you want to terminate the flight in progress To terminate flight click Yes When flight has been terminated Flight Not Ready will be displayed on status bar of Flight Screen 4 5 6 Exiting the iMetOS To exit from system press Exit from File menu or toolbar 4 6 SIMULATED FLIGHTS The simulated flight function can be used to both replay a previously recorded flight or to view its reports and graphs To view graphs and reports without replaying an entire flight select Load Log from the File menu on the Flight Screen menu bar or from the Flight Screen toolbar Select the desired file name and click Open The reports and graphs will be accessible as if the flight had been recently terminated To initiate a simulated flight open iMetOS and select Simulate Flight Figure 3 2 When the Main
86. g ie 6 82 WMO Reports tii n od nte eat AAA Ai 6 8 Figure 6 9 Military Message Coding Parameters eese nnne nennen 6 9 Figure 6 10 WMO Message Coding Parameters 1 essere ener 6 10 Figure 6 11 WMO Message Coding Parameters 2 nennen 6 11 Figure 6 12 MetServer Selina dates 6 12 Figure 751 Device Instance ld naipes jade 7 4 Figure 7 2 Enter Value N me ne eder ae ote pei eie E rr nete Depp I eo ee de oye 7 5 Figure 7 3 Enter DWORD Valde iii md er eee tee 7 6 Figure 8 1 Stored Balloon Inflation KIN erresis eescssecesecesseessecsseceseceseeeseeseecseessaessaesssessseesseeeseeseaeesaes 8 1 Figure 8 2 Attach nozzle to the shut off valve eee nre 8 2 Figure 8 3 Regulator and input hose attached ooooonnccnnncnincnoocnnocanonanoncnonncannconcconcc nn rennen nennen nennen 8 2 Figure 8 4 Ready for infl tion 4 e eeepc teh nino ell CE EE Tak me euo eade 8 3 Figure 9 1 Airsp ce Classification ecce eee tee e f ede E ih pete de Fen Route YR e nV eR da 9 2 Figure 972 Class Bi Airspace sq oio e ea tede e Pret edet en dte DER Fees deret Pip esee 9 2 Figure 9 3 Class C Airspace dete RR UR ote teet Pea need rece tene me xe reo Ee ai 9 3 Figure 9 4 Class D Airspace criada tse Eee te eie gena ect tbe oce a iii 9 3 Figure 975 Class E and G A rspace eiie tege e ete ee dece ent er Te ceu ends 9 4 Figure 9 6 Radiosonde and Basestation GPS Position Listed eese 9 5 Figur
87. ge of this document 6 13 iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 7 INSTALLING UPGRADING IMETOS AND DRIVERS 7 1 INTRODUCTION InterMet Systems may occasionally release a new version of iMetOS In this case it is necessary to upgrade the iMetOS It may also become necessary to re install a copy of the iMetOS if the existing version is damaged or corrupted 7 2 IMETOS iMetOS uses an installer for installation The installer can also be used to uninstall the iMetOS The installer places install and uninstall information in the Windows Add or Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel To install a new version of iMetOS from scratch see Section 7 2 1 To upgrade the iMetOS follow the instructions in Section 7 2 2 before installing the new version of iMetOS as in Section 7 2 3 7 2 1 Installing iMetOS for the First Time To install iMetOS for the first time perform the following steps l Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the directory containing the installer USB Disk CD ROM or a network location m Execute the installer setup exe n Follow the installer s prompts The installer will automatically install the iMetOS to the C IMS iMetOS directory o Open iMetOS from the desktop icon or from the Start InterMet Systems MetOS menu p Select Real Flight q On the Windows taskbar right click on the MetServer icon and select Settings r Select Bell202De
88. ge of this document xiii Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 LIST OF RELATED PUBLICATIONS Icom A 6353H 1EX 2 IC R20 Instruction Manual A 6452H 1G Lithium Ion Battery Precautions A 6156D 1EX Ham Radio Terms xiv Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 SAFETY SUMMARY GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS This manual describes physical processes that may cause injury or death to personnel or damage to equipment if proper procedures are not followed General safety precautions and instructions must be understood and applied during operation and maintenance to ensure personnel safety and protection of equipment Prior to performing any task all WARNINGs CAUTIONs and NOTEs applicable to the task shall be reviewed and understood WARNINGS CAUTIONS AND NOTES WARNINGs and CAUTIONS are used in this manual to highlight operating or maintenance procedures practices conditions or statements that are considered essential for the protection of personnel WARNING or equipment CAUTION WARNINGs and CAUTIONs immediately precede the step or procedure to which they apply WARNINGs and CAUTIONS consist of four parts heading WARNING or CAUTION a statement of the hazard minimum precautions and possible result if disregarded A NOTE is used in this manual
89. ght the user should simply use the File Load Log menu item A small excerpt from a log file is shown below Column numbers are not included in the log file The fields are described in Table 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1617 8 00 265 41 73 00 986 320 227 6 0 0000 0 0000 5 0615 12 00 0 0 0000002F 42 8911018 85 5559006 8 00 227 7 0 0 1 8 06 265 35 73 22 985 834 231 5 0 0000 0 0000 5 1197 12 01 8 8 0000002F 42 8910713 85 5558014 8 06 231 5 0 0 1 8 12 265 29 73 43 985 349 235 3 0 0000 0 0000 5 1152 12 27 17 5 0000002F 42 8910408 85 5557022 8 11 235 4 0 0 1 8 18 265 23 73 65 984 863 239 1 0 0000 0 0000 5 1198 12 53 26 3 0000002F 42 8910103 85 5556030 8 16 239 2 0 0 1 8 23 265 17 73 86 984 378 242 9 0 0000 0 0000 5 1320 12 80 35 1 0000002F 42 8909798 85 5555038 8 22 243 0 0 0 1 8 29 265 11 74 08 983 895 246 8 0 0000 0 0000 5 1497 13 01 43 7 0000002F 42 8909531 85 5554047 8 27 246 8 0 0 1 8 35 265 05 74 30 983 410 250 6 0 0000 0 0000 5 1598 13 20 52 4 0000002F 42 8909225 85 5553055 z8 33 25055 0 0 T Table 4 1 iMetOS Processed Log File Column Definitions Column Description Units 1 Temperature Degrees Celsius C 2 Virtual Temperature Degrees Kelvin K 3 Relative Humidity Percent 4 Smoothed Pressure Hectopascals hPa 5 Geopotential Height Meters m 6 RDF Elevation Angle Radians rad s RDF Azimuth Angle Radians rad 8 Wind Direction Radians rad 9 Wind Spe
90. iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 accidental closure during a flight Display Lat Long in DMS check to display latitude and longitude in degrees minutes and seconds Differential Corrections enables differential corrections to be performed on the radiosonde GPS data when a basestation GPS receiver is available Terminate Flight Automatically set to end logging automatically after an event signaling the end of a flight such as a balloon burst Extrapolate Last Wind Level set to extrapolate the final wind level at the flight apex Temperature Correction set to use a solar correction Temperature in C K set to display temperatures in degrees Celsius uncheck to display in Kelvin Height in Meters set to display height in meters uncheck to display in feet Load Standard Atmosphere draws standard atmosphere lines on graphs SPS GPS Position the preferably surveyed position of the basestation GPS antenna used as a basis for the differential corrections r CAUTION l Do not change the following parameters These are set at the factory for optimal performance Main Meridian enter only if UTM network use has been selected Wind dTime Factor an integration time factor for RDF radio direction finding wind computation Flight Seconds the maximum possible length of flight in seconds This sets aside memory for storing data If the time is to
91. iate iMetOS position information setup in 3 1 2 1 Fixed Figure 3 5 and Figure 3 6 as basestation GPS is MSL height now SOS 05 April 21 2009 Made Buttons distinguishable Minor corrections Increased effective range by disabling squelch 3 1 5 1 and 3 1 5 21 and setting RF gain to MAX SOS 06 July 10 2009 Inserted CHAPTER 2 Getting Started and Installation iMetOS Log column update Fixed Figure 3 6 as basestation GPS displays EES at that stage Emphasize check of radiosonde GPS prior to launch SOS 07 October 1 2009 Clarified Section 4 6 Split Section 2 6 2 into 2 6 1 and 2 6 2 clarified Section 2 6 1 for device name Added Section 6 11 SOS Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Change Date Title or Brief Description Entered by No 08 October 30 2009 Highlight most important chapters in foreword SOS Added Table 3 1 for Flight Train Preparation Added PreFlight GPS Check in Section 3 1 7 1 Added steps g h in Section 3 1 5 1 09 March 1 2010 User does not need to obtain Geoid height anymore SOS Changed iMetOS Position information in Section 3 1 2 1 Disable AFC when signal strength gets weak in Section 3 1 8 3 specifically Figure 3 22 Added more detail to setup of iMet 1 radiosonde in Section 3 1 3 Added Section
92. ion of a flight Other View menu functions include Location in Lat Lon UTM when selected location will be displayed in degrees if unchecked location will be displayed in UTM coordinates Angles in Mils Degrees when selected angles will be displayed in mils otherwise degrees Pressure in hPa mb when selected pressure will be displayed in hPa otherwise millibars Height in Meters Feet when selected height will be displayed in meters otherwise feet Temperature in C K when selected temperature will be displayed in degrees Celsius otherwise Kelvin Wind Speed in Knots m s when selected wind speed will be displayed in knots otherwise meters per second 2D Slant Range 3D when selected the slant range will be the horizontal distance along the ground to the radiosonde s location otherwise it will be the straight line distance between the receiving antenna and radiosonde 4 4 1 6 View GPS Information The GPS Data window Figure 4 2 displays GPS data from the base station and radiosonde Depressed boxes in the Satellite Constellation area indicates that the satellite is being used by the GPS receiver in the radiosonde Sonde column or by a differential receiver in the base station Base column for the GPS solution NOTE The iMet 1 radiosonde when used with the iMet 3150 does not report the satellites that are being received To verify sonde GPS look for radiosonde l
93. iosondes This menu pulldown must be set for iMet 1 AA no pressure sensor or iMet 1 AB pressure sensor included 4 4 3 iMetOS Status Bar The status bar at the bottom of the screen shows the operation mode Real Flight or Simulated Flight flight status FLIGHT NOT READY FLIGHT READY and FLIGHT IN PROGRESS the date local time and possibly also GMT time if selected in System Setup 4 4 4 Flight Screen Main Body The main body of the Flight Screen consists of three main areas receiver antenna and telemetry 4 8 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 4 4 4 1 Receiver Area Figure 4 3 shows the 403 MHz receiver area of the iMetOS Note that since the receiver is an external receiver no data will be displayed here RECEIVER 35 Signal 3 Strength dBm 105 140 AFC AFC Mode 0 0 kHz wa o E Frequency x Freq Frequency JEEN 5 Search Speed v Figure 4 3 403 MHz Receiver Area The receiver area at the top left of screen displays receiver operating parameters in the following format Signal level analog format length of line along a vertical scale in dBm Receiver tuned frequency analog position of signal level line along a horizontal scale in MHz and digital format Receiver frequency sweep speed fast medium slow
94. ived from each device that the iMetOS is communicating with Each record is recorded as received with a space separated PC time field appended to the end The iMetOS uses the raw log file to play back a simulated flight Any edited data from before will then be lost as the iMetOS will create a new processed log file Some lines will change in format depending on the radiosonde type and receiving antenna used for the flight An excerpt from an rtx file is shown below using an iMet 1 AB radiosonde SPS DataPacket 1233086887 1 1 111 02 59 86 26 59 43 09924 84 02167 15347 03 48 00 1 40 5 14 1233086887 100 100 100 100 20 08 07 SPS DataPacket 1233086888 1 1 110 99 59 83 26 47 43 09923 84 02107 15352 11 48 65 1 29 5 06 1233086888 100 100 100 100 20 08 08 SPS DataPacket 1233086889 1 1 110 85 59 85 26 48 43 09922 84 02048 15357 02 47 76 1 02 4 90 1233086889 100 100 100 100 20 08 09 SPS DataPacket 1233086890 1 1 110 78 59 85 26 48 43 09921 84 01991 15362 29 47 03 0 22 5 71 1233086890 100 100 100 100 20 08 10 SPS DataPacket 1233086891 1 1 110 68 59 82 26 46 43 09922 84 01933 15367 51 46 81 0 89 4 86 1233086891 100 100 100 100 20 08 11 SPS DataPacket 1233086892 1 1 110 61 59 82 26 53 43 09922 84 01876 15372 14 46 81 0 14 4 62 1233086892 100 100 100 100 20 08 12 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev
95. jaj ajaj es Pressure 386 7 Temperature 29 3 Humidity 2 8 Height 7467 2 Density 552 3 Wind Dir 318 8 Wind Speed 76 3 Elevation 0 00 Azimuth 0 00 Latitude 42 3850 Longitude 84 0539 Record No 8228 Figure 4 7 Winds Graph The Winds graph is accessed by pressing WIND button on Flight Screen toolbar and may be sized as desired by means of standard Microsoft Windows screen controls As a default wind direction is displayed in green wind speed is displayed in purple Pressure standard levels corresponding to horizontal lines on graph are displayed in figures at right of screen For each pressure standard level the corresponding sonde altitude wind direction and speed are displayed in figures at left of screen The title bar displays graph title flight start date and time and flight reference number Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 15 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 4 5 2 4 T Log P Graph TiLogP Graph 20 09 2006 GMT 15 15 Ref No S060920A DER File Edit Scale Zoom Interpolate SigPoints Flas ajaj ajaj Pressure 386 6 Temperature 31 5 Humidity 35 2 Height 7475 1 Density cus Wind Dir 308 3 Wind Speed 69 4 Elevation 0 00 Azimuth 0 00 Latitude 42 7237 Longitude 85 3169 Record No 1545 Figure 4 8 T Log P Graph The tephigram is accessed by pres
96. lator r CAUTION l Do not exceed 45 PSI output pressure Figure 8 3 Regulator and input hose attached 8 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Figure 8 4 Ready for inflation e Lift the weight lever arm 3 NOTE Users of the older inflation kit p n 100 433 without the roller must apply a small amount of grease where the vertical valve control arm 4 meets the weight lever arm f Pull back on the vertical valve control arm 4 and allow the weight lever arm to fall g Select the amount of weight 5 appropriate for the flight Options include parachutes pibal lights and de reelers 1000gm Radiosonde ya Options Conditions Table 8 1 Radiosonde Mass Options and Conditions Condition Option Weight iMet 1 Radiosonde 260 gm Parachute 70 gm De Reeler 50 gm Rain Light Add 100 gm Moderate Add 200 gm Heavy Add 300 gm Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 8 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Condition Option Weight Icing Moderate Add 300 gm Severe Add 500 gm High Surface Wind gt 25 kts gt 12 5 m s Add 100 gm gt 40 kts gt 20 5 m s Add 200 300 gm h Ifused outdoor
97. matic Setting of System Computer Clock eese nne 6 13 CHAPTER 7 INSTALLING UPGRADING IMETOS AND DRIVERS eee 7 1 7 I Introduction tn ER AA tfe dtes er e retard Peeters teta 7 1 WES SS cms 7 1 7 2 1 Installing iMetOS for the First Time nennen nne nne nnne ener 7 1 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document v Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 722 Uninstalling the Met acord a ce Pe RR sols Yr et EP eee ue Pra tbe RR eR ida 7 2 72 3 Re Installing the 1MetOS 5 rre geret eem well edi ae ee e te e e ig Hec 7 2 7 3 Decoder Driver amp Configuration eei esee eerte tue ratae e i ete lnea 7 2 3 3 1 Decoder Configuration 4 eee coved ee eset eee endi es re eeu eben eta eee 7 3 7 4 Jumping Mouse Sol iaa ii cede nee eet etn 7 3 CHAPTER 8 BALLOON INFLATION KIT esee nennen nnne nennen rennen nne nne enne 8 1 CHAPTER 9 CONTACTING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL eese nennen emere nennen 9 1 9 Federal Aviation Regulations 21 meteo e Pee ice EE ee eire edet eget tdg 9 1 9 2 Airspace Information iiss un A Noe e Ie A Baa tee o ete Ete Mee eg 9 2 922 T Class B AutSpace e A eia se temi egens 9 2 02 2 Class C Airspace iios aieo eb Ove pre pet e ipe teen direi ibi ia 9 3 0 23 Class DL Altspace iia nea euet ei t oa ER d dts 9 3 92 4 Class B G Airspace i uiae nana et e t RARU
98. n menu For Windows 7 select Device Instance Path from the pulldown menu USB Serial Port COM14 Properties General Port Settings Driver Details E USB Serial Port COMT 4 Device Instance Id FIDIBUSSVID_0403 PID_6001 ISRYRTDKA OOOO J Figure 2 6 Device Instance Id h Make a note of the text in the lower box The text reads of the form Enumerator Y DeviceID InstancelD Table 2 2 COM Port Registry Parameters FIDIBUS 22 0000 i Hit Cancel j Click OK to close the USB Serial Port properties k Close the Device Manager window 1 Click OK to close the System Properties window m From the Start Run menu type regedit and click OK to start the Registry Editor Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 2 7 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 n Browse to HKEY LOCAL MACHINE System Y CurrentControlSet Enum V Enumerator V DevicelD Y InstanceID Y Device Parameters where Enumerator DeviceID and InstancelD are given by Table 2 2 above in step h o Goto Edit New DWORD Value p Type in the name SkipEnumerations for the value name NOTE The value name is case sensitive Type SkipEnumerations exactly as shown without the quotation marks 2 Registry Editor DER A Name Type Data ab Default REG Sz value not set Rg configData REG_BINAR
99. n on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 4 4 4 3 Telemetry Area InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight Record 469 Pressure 744 36 hPa Heiaht 2540 m Wind Direction 296 6 Fliaht 00 08 09 Temneratur 6 2 C Slant 4234m Wind 24 5 knots Sonde ID 82734 Humidity 100 0 Latitude 42 86709 Ascent 282 mimin Lonaitude 85 52723 Figure 4 5 Telemetry Area The telemetry area at the bottom of the screen displays the following flight parameters in digital format only Record number Flight clock Radiosonde ID PTU Height above sea level Slant range the distance between the preflight position and radiosonde Latitude base station only until radiosonde reports GPS data Longitude base station only until radiosonde reports GPS data Wind direction Wind speed Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 4 11 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Ascent rate 4 5 IMETOS GRAPHS Graphs may be generated for a real or simulated flight in progress or after termination or for a previous flight with valid data files The graph cursor may be moved to any desired point on the graph by moving the mouse A table to the right of the graph titled View displays physical
100. nformation is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 p 7 m z SS acl Qe 117 EPI porum eb emma ETE Chicago P Flight Plan Q9 um Enter waypoints separated by spaces 42 891063 85 555935 Add Bs 28 N 85 33 21 W M A 65 Figure 9 8 SkyVector Current Position The current position shown is under Grand Rapids GRR Class C airspace 9 3 3 Finding Air Traffic Control Contacts Phone numbers to contact Air Traffic Control are generally unlisted for safety purposes Usually phone numbers to airports that are listed are general phone numbers These can be found with either a phone book an online phone book or with SkyVector To find the airport phone number with Sky Vector perform the following steps a Open SkyVector in a web browser or keep the existing window open b Click on Airports and enter the airport identifier GRR from the above case in the search button Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 9 7 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 nas SkyVector 3 Y Q S Aeronautical Charts Airports Charts Forum Help Video Search ES Home gt Search gt Content Users Enter your keywords arr 7 User login Username Search results Password GRR Ger
101. nning the iMetOS as a local server The MetServer application enables TCP IP communication with the host computer running the iMetOS The client can then interface with the host s peripherals as if they were its own 6 2 DISPLAY COLOR PARAMETERS hy Colors Select 1st Graph Colors 2nd Graph Colors Temperature EE Temperature X Willi C Humidity C Humidity e C DewPoint Enc C DewPoint E C Pressure Ee C Grid Lines Ez Ea C Height C Height C WindSpeed Ea C Wind Speed C Wind Direction 9 C Wind Direction Select Select Cancel Figure 6 3 Color Parameters It is recommended to accept the default color selections set at the factory by clicking OK 6 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 To change any graph color click on the desired parameter then press Select under the respective graph list The pane in Figure 6 4 will appear showing the available colors Click on the desired color and press OK The new color will appear instead of the old color next to the desired parameter Press OK to accept or Cancel to reject any changes Basic colors EHI SENI ae ren mi Ee EE EEE Eee E S EEE g mummmmmmu MI is is Custom colors mmmmmmmu Er Hue 160 BEE EE eee EM pE EN pe EE Color S alid Lum f0 Blue 0 Cancel Add to Custom Colors
102. nnne tenente nnne 6 12 Table 7 1 COM Port Registry Parameters nennen nnne ener ene neret 7 4 Table 8 1 Radiosonde Mass Options and CONdItIONS ooooocccnonccnoncccnonncnoncnonnnncnnnccnnnnnonnnna ron nc narco ran nncnnnnos 8 3 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document ix Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 FOREWORD PURPOSE The purpose of this manual is to provide the information required to operate the iMet 3150 Upper Air Sounding System and the iMetOS Meteorological Operating System SCOPE This Manual describes the characteristics and operating procedures for using the iMetOS and iMet 3150 Included is information on the following topics CHAPTER 1 Theory of Operations CHAPTER 2 Getting Started and Installation CHAPTER 3 Flight Operations CHAPTER 4 iMetOS CHAPTER 5 iMetOS Utilities CHAPTER 6 iMetOS Setup CHAPTER 7 Installing Upgrading iMetOS CHAPTER 8 Contacting Air Traffic Control CHAPTER 9 Balloon Inflation Kit CHAPTER 10 Contacting Support CHAPTER 2 and CHAPTER 3 are the two most important chapters These chapters detail the setup of the iMet 3150 both initially and each time for flight CHAPTER 3 contains the step by step instructions on how to operate the system for a flight Information about the operations of the System Computer and System Printer if supplied is available in the Manufa
103. o Document Number 200 741 O InterMet Men International Met Systems DRAFT User s Manual For the IMET 3150 403 MHz GPS UPPER AIR SOUNDING SYSTEM Unclassified INTERNATIONAL MET SYSTEMS 4460 40th St SE Grand Rapids MI 49512 U S A Commercial Entity Code 1NG75 PROPRIETARY DATA RESTRICTION This document contains information which is proprietary to International Met Systems It shall not be disclosed outside the government without written permission of International Met Systems This restriction does not limit the government s right to use information contained in this document if it is obtained from another source without restriction The information subject to this restriction is contained on sheets marked Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 November 2 2010 LIST OF WARNINGS IN DOCUMENT WARNING Do not use hydrogen in proximity to fire sparks cigarettes etc Do not use hydrogen in enclosed areas RECORD OF CHANGES Change Date Title or Brief Description No Entered by 01 April 1 2009 Draft Release SOS 02 April 2 2009 Some further updates SOS 03 April 2 2009 User setup information added JHM 04 April 3 2009 User setup information from Rev 03 moved to appropriate sections in CHAPTER 7 Added hand tuning pre programmed tuning to 3 1 5 Different
104. o not have the benefit of a constant launch location with defined procedures for contacting a nearby Air Traffic Control Tower ATCT prior to balloon release This chapter strives to give the user a means of finding out whether or not the iMet 3150 has been set up near an airport such that Air Traffic Control ATC should be contacted prior to balloon release Different countries have different requirements for weather balloon launches This chapter applies to users within the United States only 9 1 FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS 14 CFR 101 101 1 Applicability a This part prescribes rules governing the operation in the United States of the following 4 Except as provided for in 101 7 any unmanned free balloon that i Carries a payload package that weighs more than four pounds and has a weight size ratio of more than three ounces per square inch on any surface of the package determined by dividing the total weight in ounces of the payload package by the area in square inches of its smallest surface ii Carries a payload package that weighs more than six pounds iii Carries a payload of two or more packages that weighs more than 12 pounds or iv Uses a rope or other device for suspension of the payload that requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to separate the suspended payload from the balloon b For the purposes of this part a gyroglider attached to a vehicle on
105. o short data may be unreliable Log File Time Interval the time interval for logging data record in seconds Flight Files Directory the directory where all reports and flight data will be logged Missing data time amount of missing data to be allowed prior to marking missing data in coded messages r CAUTION l InterMet highly recommends that the default value not be changed Changing this value will result in changes in smoothed data This value is optimized for this system Balloon burst identification time the amount of time the balloon must be continually descending before iMetOS identifies a balloon burst The default value has been optimized for this system Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 5 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 6 4 SYSTEM PARAMETERS II System Parameters 2 Window Size Left uo Width faso Top pros Height evo Default Output Device ES Send Host Protocol IMS y Figure 6 6 System Parameters 2 To make any changes either type in a new numerical value or select a new item from the pull down menus Click OK to accept any changes or Cancel to reject any changes For most users the default settings need not be changed Window Size Disabled the iMetOS automatically remembers its last size and window position Default Output Device
106. ommunications Parameters v Physical Values Receiver and Antenna v Contacts Table IV Colors Parameters Iv RDF Data V System Parameters 1 V Decoder Data v System Parameters 2 Iv NWS Parameters Utilities Functions Military Reports Selection v Store Files WMO Reports Selection IV Restore Fil estore Files IV Military Coding Parameters y IV Delete Files v WMO Coding Parameters 1 Y Change Password 7 V Built In Test WMO Coding Parameters 2 Figure 5 5 Enable Software Function The Enable Software Function allows the user to configure which items appear in the iMetOS menus To enable a function in the menu place a check mark by the function To disable a function uncheck the item Close the window to accept any changes Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 5 5 iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 6 IMETOS SETUP The System Setup menu is accessed from the Flight Screen InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight File Prefilght Reports Graphs View Utilities EET 0 lal g B e te Communications Parameters E Sonde Type ms imet 1 48 Colors Parameters RECEIVER System Parameters 1 System Parameters 2 NWS Parameters Rande 134865m Elevation Heidht 7443 m Military Reports Selection WMO Reports Selecti
107. on Signal m Strength Military Coding Parameters fd ires 3 WMO Coding Parameters 1 WMO Coding Parameters 2 Restore Defaults AFC Mode Frequency Frequency Sweep E T 403 0MHz Speed Record No 7673 Pressure 387 97 hPa Heiaht 7443 m Wind Direction 319 27 Fliaht Clock 02 17 13 Temperature 29 0 C Slant Rande 135058 m Wind Speed 79 5 knots Sonde ID 2734 Humidity 27 Latitude 42 38365 Ascent Rate 286 mimin Lonaitude 84 05236 Flight Mot Ready Figure 6 1 System Setup The setup menu allows the user to change operating parameters of the iMetOS Details of each menu item are given in this chapter Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 6 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 6 1 COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS hy Communications Setup v Local Server IP address m I Ip Ind Port No 5678 Cancel Figure 6 2 Communications Parameters This setting affects the MetServer application which handles all communications between the CPU and the peripherals such as the ASOS if provided and 403 Receiver Configuring it as a Local Server disables the IP address selection The MetServer communicates with the external devices on the Computer Workstation When the MetServer is not configured as a local server the IP address selection is enabled Type in a valid IP address of a computer that is ru
108. ort required for communication with the iMet 3150 Follow these steps to prevent this from happening again a Reconnect the Decoder to the System Computer with the USB cable Do not connect the audio cable Go to the Start Menu Control Panel Open System Select the Hardware tab and hit the Device Manager button Expand the Ports COM amp LPT group Right click on the USB Serial Port COMx and select Properties Open the Details tab and select Device Instance Id in the pulldown menu Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 7 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 USB Serial Port COM14 Properties General Port Settings Driver Details F USB Serial Port COM14 Device Instance Id FTDIBUS VID 0403 PID 6001 SRYRTDKANODO0 Figure 7 1 Device Instance Id Make a note of the text in the lower box The text reads of the form Enumerator Y DeviceID InstancelD Table 7 1 COM Port Registry Parameters FIDIBUS 0000 Hit Cancel Click OK to close the USB Serial Port properties Close the Device Manager window Click OK to close the System Properties window From the Start Run menu type regedit and click OK to start the Registry Editor Browse to HKEY LOCAL MACHINE V System CurrentControlSet Enum Y Enumerator V DevicelID Y InstanceID Device Parameters
109. osure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 9 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 Class D airspace is denoted by dashed blue lines on an aeronautical chart The airspace is cylindrical in shape extending to 5 statute miles from the airport Aircraft generally report to ATC within 10 nm from the airport As a courtesy if the user is set up in or near the Class D airspace the user should contact the ATCT to obtain permission to launch 9 2 4 Class E G Airspace Class E and Class G airports do not have an Air Traffic Control Tower They are self controlled airports meaning pilots simply make radio calls on a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency CTAF Class E airports are depicted by dashed magenta lines generally at 5 statute miles radius while Class G airports do not have any special markings ja De ats ckinaw any CF 18 WAC Enroute L 31 Green Bay lt EN KE nw Enroute H 2 DEA Pvt 4 FOX ISLAND 42 122 8 ed e CHARLEVOIX CVX AwOS3 1200 ff 669 Vis 122 8 0 14 Figure 9 5 Class E and G Airspace Figure 9 5 shows examples of Class E and Class G airports Pellston Regional PLN is Class E while Charlevoix CVX Harbor Springs MGN Beaver Island SJX are Class G Tf the user is near a Class E or Class G airport a call to a Fixed Base Operator FBO at the airfield to let them know a launch will occur
110. p f Set the frequency switch 4 according to the Transmit Frequency information on the radiosonde Sleeve Replace the Access Cover 3 f Fold the probe support tab back on the Top Flap and close Top Flap 1 Figure 3 10 Radiosonde Prepped for Flight Once power is activated the radiosonde will initialize and begin to search for GPS satellites The GPS search requires a view of the sky Status of the GPS acquisition can be monitored on the GPS Data Window on iMetOS see Figure 4 2 once the receiver is tuned to the radiosonde see Section 3 1 5 3 8 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 3 1 5 Icom IC R20 Receiver Perform the following steps to continue preparing the receiver for flight see Figure 3 11 for a layout of the buttons DUALWATCH MAIN SUB VFO MODE BAND MHz SCAN DIAL SEL SWEEP CENTER 1 2 T SCAN SKIP 4 5 Darc SET 7 8 LOCK ATT RF GAIN iC Recorder d n D gt b gt a REC Figure 3 11 IC R20 Control Buttons At this point there are two different methods for tuning the Icom receiver by pre programmed memory in Section 3 1 5 1 or by hand in Section 3 1 5 2 Using pre programmed memory is preferred 3 1 5 1 Tuning the receiver using pre programmed memory a Ifthe icon is not displayed in the right corner repeatedly press the MR S MW
111. quency Sweep Speed Start Flight Record No 17 Pressure 972 52 hPa Heiaht 236m Wind Direction 190 0 Fliaht 00 00 00 Temperatur 2h55 Slant 32m Wind 16 0 knots Sonde ID 3713 Humidity 50 9 96 Latitude 42 89108 Ascent 0 mimin Lonaitude 85 55630 Flight Ready Figure 3 20 Flight Ready 3 1 7 10 Radiosonde Launch Delays If radiosonde launch has been delayed and there is reason to believe that surface data have changed significantly following preflight data entry new preflight data may be entered prior to balloon launch Simply hit F5 to re open PreFlight or go to the PreFlight PreFlight menu to update the data 3 1 7 11 Radiosonde Ready for Launch When the radiosonde is ready for launch the status bar indicates Flight Ready It is recommended that at least thirty 30 records be received to be sure that the radiosonde is transmitting data consistently before releasing the balloon Prior to release open the View View GPS Information window to confirm that the radiosonde is reporting a GPS position and an altitude that is reasonable NOTE The iMet 1 radiosonde does not report the satellites that are being used To verify sonde GPS look for radiosonde latitude longitude altitude and an occasional change for north east and vertical velocity Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 23 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s
112. r s Manual November 2 2010 4 5 2 2 PTU Graph PTU Graph 20 09 2006 GMT 15 15 Ref No S060920A File Edit Scale zoom Interpolate SigPoints 7241 310 66 5614 310 48 4222 309 40 3020 324 28 1401 324 11 Temperature Pressure Temperature Humidity Height Density Wind Dir Wind Speed Elevation Azimuth Latitude Longitude Record No Pressure 10 386 7 29 3 2 8 7467 2 552 3 318 8 76 3 0 00 0 00 42 3850 84 0539 8228 Figure 4 6 PTU Graph The PTU graph is accessed by pressing PTU button on Flight Screen toolbar and may be sized as desired by means of standard Microsoft Windows screen controls As a default temperature is displayed in red relative humidity in blue dew point in green for color customization see Section 6 2 Pressure standard levels corresponding to horizontal lines on graph are displayed in figures at right of screen For each pressure standard level the corresponding sonde altitude wind direction and speed are displayed in figures at left of screen The title bar displays graph title flight start date and time and the flight reference number 4 14 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 4 5 2 3 Wind Graph Wind Graph 20 09 2006 GMT 15 15 Ref No S060920A DEAR File Edit Scale Zoom Interpolate SigPoints paje a
113. re of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 5 IMETOS UTILITIES To access the Utilities Menu select Utilities from Flight Screen menu bar The following screen will be displayed InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight Eile Prefilght Reports Graphs View MESA Setup Help Store Files fap Scale aro Sonde Type ims Met 1 AB X Restore Files Delete Files Azimuth Range 134865 m Elevation Heidht 7443 m Change Password Built in Test Enable Software Functions UPS Power Send Antenna Command Signal Strength fiir Perform Antenna Search 70 AFC Mode Frequency Frequency Sweep rd 403 0MHz Speed peer Record No 7673 Pressure 387 97 hPa Heiaht 7443 m Wind Direction 319 2 Fliaht Clock 02 17 13 Temperature 29 0 C Slant Ranae 135058 m Wind Speed 79 5 knots Sonde ID 52734 Humidity 2 7 Latitude 42 38365 Ascent Rate 286 mimin Longitude 84 05236 Flight Not Ready Figure 5 1 Utilities Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 5 1 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 5 1 STORE FILES Create Archive From Sos File name Folders gt eane 50609204 LOG c lims imetos archive Cancel 5061
114. s orient the inflation kit such that the weight lever arm points downwind This will minimize any upward or side to side pulling of the weight lever arm by the partially inflated balloon i Attach the balloon to the nozzle and begin inflation by opening the gas valve on the tank Adjust the output pressure to 10 12 PSI and lock adjusting knob Attach the balloon to the nozzle and begin inflation by opening the gas valve on the tank Adjust the output pressure to 10 12 PSI and lock adjusting knob NOTE If used outdoors wind may cause the weights to be lifted stopping inflation prematurely j Once the balloon reaches the appropriate lift the balloon will lift the weight lever arm shutting off the gas supply to the balloon k Close the gas valve on the tank Briefly pull back the vertical valve control arm 4 to relieve the pressure in the inflation system NOTE Do not use the shut off valve to close the gas supply The tank s gas valve is the only valve designed to prevent gas from leaking 1 Tie off the balloon and remove the nozzle from the balloon The balloon is now ready for flight 8 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 9 CONTACTING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL One of the applications of the iMet 3150 is use for storm chasing or other field work Many users of the iMet 3150 d
115. s the MR S MW button until MR is displayed where xxx is either a 3 digit number or a letter and a two digit number NOTE As the MR S MW button is pressed the receiver will cycle through the memory banks in this order TV WX IMR Once the MR icon is displayed repeatedly press the BAND button until MiB dd is displayed where dd is a two digit number 3 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Figure 3 5 Low signal strength at 405 MHz f While paying attention to the displayed signal strength use the right dial on top of the IC R20 to change the tuned frequency Scan the four radiosonde frequencies and identify which frequency has the lowest signal strength lowest amount of interference Use this frequency when preparing the radiosonde NOTE MiB 00 WISBO MiB 02 and iB 03 are preprogrammed with the most common frequencies for the radiosonde it is not usually exactly 402 403 404 or 405 MHz 3 1 4 Activate the Met 1 Radiosonde Activate the iMet 1 radiosonde by performing the following steps a Remove the contents from the shipping bag Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 5 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 x m rue d s b P a f
116. s viewing of physical values for a real or simulated flight in progress or after termination or for a previously implemented flight and interpolation of values for any segment which appears inaccurate The View Physical Values screen is selected from the View menu of the Flight screen A sample View Physical Values screen is displayed below View Physical Values File Edit Interpolate Item Press temp RH Dew v temp Height _w d ws el 00 00 00 986 80 286 32 00 00 01 986 94 285 98 00 00 02 985 07 285 63 00 00 03 983 22 285 36 00 00 04 981 36 285 09 00 00 05 980 71 284 81 00 00 06 980 35 284 75 00 00 07 979 65 284 76 00 00 08 979 00 284 67 00 00 09 978 39 284 67 00 00 10 977 68 284 57 00 00 11 977 31 284 51 00 00 12 976 56 284 48 00 00 13 975 83 284 43 00 00 14 975 22 284 38 00 00 15 974 56 284 34 00 00 16 973 80 284 29 00 00 17 973 02 284 23 00 00 18 972 24 284 18 00 00 19 971 92 284 12 00 00 20 971 22 284 07 00 00 21 970 52 284 01 00 00 22 969 81 283 94 00 00 23 969 11 283 87 Figure 4 11 Physical Values 4 5 4 1 Data Interpolation To interpolate data for a segment of physical values which appears inaccurate bring cursor to upper limit of time to be replaced by interpolated data click press and hold SHIFT key on computer keyboard drag cursor to lower limit of time to be replaced by interpolated data release and select the desired interpolation operation from the Interpolate menu This will int
117. sing T P button on Flight Screen toolbar and may be sized as desired by means of standard Microsoft Windows screen controls As a default real temperature is displayed in red dew point as a function of pressure is displayed in green pressure lines in solid gray adiabatic lines in dotted gray and mixing ratio in brown The title bar displays graph title date and time and file number 4 16 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 4 5 3 Report Generation Partial meteorological messages and reports may be generated at any time after launch in simulated or real flight modes To enable reports to be displayed printed or transmitted select Reports from the Flight Screen menu bar The following screen will be displayed InterMet Meteorological Operating System Simulated Flight File Prefilght Seite Graphs View Utilities Setup Help TEMP Report Alt F1 el E Map Scale auo y Sonde Type ms imet 1 48 y PILOT Report Alt F2 EN 3 ind EE Standard Levels AIL F3 Significant Levels Alt F4 Azimuth Ranae 3547 m Elevation Heiaht 2540 m Temp Message Alt F5 Pilot Message Alt F6 Physical Values Alt F METGM Message Alt F10 Signal z Comput Shift F1 Strength omputer Ft prod Balistic Type 2 Shift F2 Target Acq Shift F3 Fallout Shift F4 Sound Ranging Shift FS Ballistic Typ
118. sonde 4 Radiosonde Radiosonde Today s radiosonde sensors are sensitive enough to be effected by the balloon s wake This is the reason why 30 m 100 ft of string is used between the balloon and radiosonde The iMetOS also relies on this distance as this effects the period of the pendulum motion The iMetOS uses filters to remove the pendulum motion from the radiosonde GPS data allowing for true wind speed and direction InterMet Systems makes a de reeler which is fully compatible with the iMet 1 radiosonde family The de reeler is useful in making weather balloon launches easier especially in tight areas or in higher winds The de reeler contains 30 m 100 ft of string on a spool As the weather balloon pulls up the string unwinds at a rate of 0 2 0 5 m s depending on payload weight from the spool until the entire 30 m length of string is extended This allows the radiosonde to be close to the balloon on launch to clear obstacles while giving 3 12 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 the full benefit of being 30 m away from the balloon moments after launch to obtain proper PTU and winds The de reeler is designed for payloads of 200 520 gm Table 3 2 De Reeler Specs Specification Value String Length 30m 0 5m Payload Weight 200 520 gm String
119. ted flight in progress 4 4 2 2 Open This button enables opening of a sonde parameters flight file for a simulated flight 4 4 2 3 Load log This button enables loading of a log file for viewing reports and graphs of a previously recorded flight 4 4 2 4 PreFlight This button enables entry and or modification of preflight data for a new real flight or review and editing of previously entered preflight data for a simulated flight 4 4 2 5 Report 1 through Report 4 These buttons display the first two WMO reports and the first two military reports selected as part of the system setup for a real or simulated flight in progress or after termination 4 4 2 6 PTU Wind T P These buttons enable generation of PTU graph winds graph and tephigram T log P graph respectively for a real or simulated flight in progress or after termination or a previously recorded flight 4 4 2 7 Reports and Messages This button displays the standard levels report for a previously recorded flight 4 4 2 8 Physical Values This button displays the physical values report for flight in progress 4 4 2 9 Exit This button exits from system 4 4 2 10 Map Scale This pulldown menu enables selection of a map scale for the radial radiosonde plots Allowable values include AUTO 1 km 2 km 5 km 10 km 20 km 50 km 100 km 200 km and 500 km 4 4 2 11 Change Sonde Type The iMet 3150 will only decode signals from InterMet iMet 1 403 MHz rad
120. tion Ask for phone number to the control tower to ask permission for launch Do not give airport control tower phone number to others 9 8 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 CHAPTER 10 CONTACTING SUPPORT 10 1 IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS InterMet Systems prides itself in making itself available to the customers needs before during and after the installation of equipment InterMet Support may be contacted by email phone or fax 10 2 MEANS OF CONTACT Email support intermetsystems com Phone 1 616 285 7810 x 0 Ask for Customer Support Fax 1 616 957 1280 10 3 WHAT TO SEND When contacting support it is advisable to give us a thorough explanation of the problem and what steps were being taken that caused the problem E mail provides the best means to contacting support as log files and data can be sent electronically to InterMet Systems When a problem occurs please attach the following to an e mail in a zip file as this will provide InterMet Systems with the most amount of data e A full archive of the flight if possible otherwise all flight files for the flight in question from the C IMS iMetOS Flights directory e All log files from the CMMSWXMetOSMetsServer directory e The MetServer cfg file from the C IMS iMetOS MetServer directory e All cfg files from th
121. unch If using an InterMet radiosonde that includes an internal pressure sensor iMet 1 AB it is desirable to use a calibrated barometer to apply a pressure correction prior to releasing the sonde This correction is made automatically during the pre flight data entry In this case the radiosonde should be placed at the same height of the barometer so as not to introduce a pressure error NOTE At ground level a 10 meter vertical difference between the location or the reference pressure sensor and the radiosonde can result in an error of approximately 1 mb If the sonde is not physically located at the same altitude as the reference sensor a height compensation factor must be included when entering the baseline pressure data 3 1 7 4 Pre Flight Status Check Although the temperature and humidity sensors do not need to be recalibrated it is necessary to verify before the flight that they have not been damaged or contaminated during storage After Surface Data has been entered the PTU Ground Check frame Figure 3 19 can be used to verify that the sonde s output is within specifications Each column contains the most recent readings for sonde Pressure Temperature and Humidity The data field at the bottom of each column calculates the difference between the most recent sonde reading and the Surface Data If the absolute value of these differences is larger then 5 mb for pressure 2 C for temperature and 10 RH for humidity it is possibl
122. up window under Setup System Parameters 1 b Input all O s for the basestation latitude longitude and altitude as shown in Figure 3 3 Basestation GPS Position it fo nw in fo m Alt MSL jo m Alt EES 0 om Figure 3 3 Enter 0 s for basestation GPS position c Turn off differential corrections by unchecking the differential corrections checkbox d Press OK to save the values NOTE The radiosonde reports MSL heights from the GPS directly so no GPS conversion is required Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 3 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 3 1 3 Scan for an Available Radiosonde Frequency Perform the following steps to scan for an appropriate frequency see Figure 3 11 for a layout of the buttons DUALWATCH MAIN SUB VFO MODE BAND MHz SCAN DIAL SEL SWEEP CENTER 1 2 3 T SCAN SKIP 4 5 6 Darc SET TS 8 9 LOCK RF GAIN 1C Recorder MTS REC Figure 3 4 IC R20 Control Buttons Turn on the Icom IC R20 by pressing the POWER button Unplug the audio cable from the IC R20 if it is plugged in If the receiver was left in the dual watch mode from any other uses press and hold the DUALW ATCH button until only one frequency is displayed This will be clear if two frequencies are displayed on the IC R20 display If the MR icon is not displayed in the right corner repeatedly pres
123. uro z Sond type fims imet aa x RECEIVER Azimuth Range Om ANTENNA Elevation Height 228 m Signal Strength dBm 0 iMetOS Elevation Version 4 01 04 ersion Offset Copyright c 2008 by InterMet Systems All Right Reserved www intermetsystems com AFC Offset 0 0 kHz support intermetsystems com Tel 616 285 7810 Fax 616 957 1280 ina Control Frequency x Freq gt Beers i search v Simulated Flight Record No 0 Direction Flight Clock 00 00 00 Temperature Slant Range om Wind Speed 0 0 knots Sonde ID Humidity Latitude 42 89110 Ascent Rate 0 mimin Longitude 85 55600 Reset SPS Figure 3 2 Opening Screen The opening screen pane shows the following two options 1 Real Flight 2 Simulated Flight Open iMetOS as a Real Flight and check the radiosonde type If the radiosonde type needs to be changed change to the proper type and restart the iMetOS The radiosonde type is printed on the radiosonde cover NOTE For the iMet 1 RS radiosonde choose the iMet 1 AB radiosonde type Restart the software in the desired operating mode 3 2 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 3 1 2 1 1MetOS Position Information The iMetOS must be set up for the 1Met 3150 s location as follows a Open the General System Parameters Set
124. where Enumerator DeviceID and InstancelD are given by Table 7 1 above in step h Go to Edit New DWORD Value 7 4 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 p Type in the name SkipEnumerations for the value name NOTE The value name is case sensitive Type SkipEnumerations exactly as shown without the quotation marks 5 Registry Editor DAR File Edit view Favorites Help ce C Control Name Type Data e Enum ab Default REG SZ value not set a ACPI R8 configData REG_BINARY 11 00 3f 3f 10 27 00 00 88 13 00 00 c4 09 OC z iani i IB LatencyTimer REG_DWORD 0x00000010 16 il Edpeser RE MinReadTimeout REG DWORD 0x00000000 0 BGB FIDIBUS RE Minwritetimeout REG DWORD 0x00000000 0 VID 04034PID 6001 FTE4339A rim COE NM ae 0 a ortName i B a nM alas _ ATTE E Control 3 Device Parameters Y LogConf rz HDAUDIO E HID J HTREE IDE Cg ISAPNP HA PCI 3 PCIIDE H C Root H Q STORAGE aE sw c Y use J USBSTOR a Hardware Profiles E El Services G3 LastKnownGoodRecovery MountedDevices Select My Computer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Enum FTDIBUS VID_0403 PID_6001 ISRYRTDKA OO000 Device Parameters x Figure 7 2 Enter Value Name EE Er q Hit Enter or double click to edit the DWORD value r Typ
125. wie Figure 3 6 Remove radiosonde from the shipping bag b Open the Top Flap 1 and deploy the Temperature Humidity Probe 2 MAKE SURE THAT DOOR IS CLOSED TIGHTLY BEFORE LAUNCH Z Z Figure 3 7 Extend the temperature humidity probe c Bend the Temperature Humidity Probe 2 to approximately a 45 angle 3 6 Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document iMet 3150 User s Manual Doc No 200 628 Rev 10 November 2 2010 Figure 3 8 Radiosonde Open d Slide back the Access Cover 3 and connect the radiosonde s battery to the radiosonde mainboard NOTE If the temperature has been near approximately 3 C or 38 F or below freezing it is advisable to warm the battery first by placing it in a warmer location or in pants pockets NOTE The two sockets in the connector can be seen when the connector is orientated properly The red wire will be above the black wire CAGE CODE 1NG75 PIN 300 182 6V 4 AA CELLS z lon OF nid O t m zo Figure 3 9 Battery Connector Use or disclosure of this information is subject to the restriction on the cover page of this document 3 7 Doc No 200 741 Rev 10 iMet 3150 User s Manual November 2 2010 e Turn on the radiosonde to the frequency with the lowest amount of interference found in Section 3 1 3 Ste

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