Vaisala CA31 User manual

Vaisala VLF Antenna
CA31
USER'S GUIDE
M210761EN-A
February 2006

PUBLISHED BY
Vaisala Oyj Phone (int.): [phone]
P.O. Box 26 Fax: [phone]
FIN-00421 Helsinki
Finland
Visit our Internet pages at http://www.vaisala.com/
© Vaisala 2006
No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical (including photocopying), nor may its contents be
communicated to a third party without prior written permission of the copyright
holder.
The contents are subject to change without prior notice.
Please observe that this manual does not create any legally binding obligations for
Vaisala towards the customer or end user. All legally binding commitments and
agreements are included exclusively in the applicable supply contract or
Conditions of Sale.

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Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION............................................................................ 3
About This Manual ................................................................... 3
Contents of This Manual ....................................................... 3
General Safety Considerations ............................................. 4
Feedback............................................................................... 4
Product Related Safety Precautions ...................................... 5
ESD Protection ......................................................................... 5
Recycling .................................................................................. 6
Warranty.................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 7
Introduction to Vaisala VLF Antenna CA31........................... 7
CHAPTER 3
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION ............................................................ 11
Selecting Location ................................................................. 11
Lightning Protection ............................................................ 11
Mounting.............................................................................. 12
Antenna Amplifier .................................................................. 12
VLF Signals.................................................................... 13
Loran-C Signals ............................................................. 13
CHAPTER 4
MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................... 15
Periodic Maintenance ............................................................ 15
Parts List for Consumables .................................................. 15
CHAPTER 5
TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................. 17
Troubleshooting Procedure .................................................. 17
Technical Support.................................................................. 18
CHAPTER 6
TECHNICAL DATA ...................................................................................... 19
Specifications ......................................................................... 19
Parts List ................................................................................. 20
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Chapter 1 ________________________________________________________ General Information
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION
This chapter provides general notes for the manual and the product.
About This Manual
This manual provides information for installing, operating, and
maintaining Vaisala VLF Antenna CA31.
Contents of This Manual
This manual consists of the following chapters:
- Chapter 1, General Information, provides general notes for the
manual and the product.
- Chapter 2, Product Overview, introduces the features and system
structure of CA31.
- Chapter 3, Installation and Operation, provides you with
information about installing and operating this product.
- Chapter 4, Maintenance, describes the basic maintenance of the
product.
- Chapter 5, Troubleshooting, describes the troubleshooting
procedure and provides the contact information for technical
support.
- Chapter 6, Technical Data, provides the technical data of CA31.
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General Safety Considerations
Throughout the manual, important safety considerations are
highlighted as follows:
WARNING Warning alerts you to a serious hazard. If you do not read and follow
instructions very carefully at this point, there is a risk of injury or
even death.
CAUTION Caution warns you of a potential hazard. If you do not read and
follow instructions carefully at this point, the product could be
damaged or important data could be lost.
NOTE Note highlights important information on using the product.
Feedback
Vaisala Customer Documentation Team welcomes your comments
and suggestions on the quality and usefulness of this publication. If
you find errors or have other suggestions for improvement, please
indicate the chapter, section, and page number. You can send
comments to us by e-mail: [email protected]
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Chapter 1 ________________________________________________________ General Information
Product Related Safety Precautions
The Vaisala VLF Antenna CA31 delivered to you has been tested for
safety and approved as shipped from the factory. Note the following
precautions:
WARNING Ground the product, and verify outdoor installation grounding
periodically to minimize shock hazard.
CAUTION Do not modify the unit. Improper modification can damage the
product or lead to malfunction.
ESD Protection
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can cause immediate or latent damage
to electronic circuits. Vaisala products are adequately protected
against ESD for their intended use. However, it is possible to damage
the product by delivering electrostatic discharges when touching,
removing, or inserting any objects inside the equipment housing.
To make sure you are not delivering high static voltages yourself:
- Handle ESD sensitive components on a properly grounded and
protected ESD workbench. When this is not possible, ground
yourself to the equipment chassis before touching the boards.
Ground yourself with a wrist strap and a resistive connection cord.
When neither of the above is possible, touch a conductive part of
the equipment chassis with your other hand before touching the
boards.
- Always hold the boards by the edges and avoid touching the
component contacts.
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Recycling
Recycle all applicable material.
Dispose of batteries and the unit according to statutory regulations.
Do not dispose of with regular household refuse.
Warranty
For certain products Vaisala normally gives a limited one-year
warranty. Please observe that any such warranty may not be valid in
case of damage due to normal wear and tear, exceptional operating
conditions, negligent handling or installation, or unauthorized
modifications. Please see the applicable supply contract or Conditions
of Sale for details of the warranty for each product.
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Chapter 2 __________________________________________________________ Product Overview
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
This chapter introduces the features and system structure of CA31.
Introduction to Vaisala VLF Antenna CA31
The CA31 is a free standing whip antenna for local monitoring and
synchronization of VLF or Loran-C networks. In addition, these
signals enable differential correction of measurements when used for
comparison with signals received from a radiosonde.
The antenna is used together with VLF Antenna Amplifier, covering
VLF and Loran-C frequency ranges. The VLF antenna amplifier is
designed for reception of VLF signals in the 10 to 30 kHz band and
Loran-C signals of 100 kHz band. The antenna amplifier is mounted
to the side of the antenna stand with clamps. The signal from the
antenna whip is connected via the antenna amplifier to the sounding
system.
The antenna has a steel and glass fiber construction. It consists of a
whip, extension and stand. The antenna contains also accessories.
Fixtures are made of passivated aluminum with paint finish. Insulators
are of weather and radiation resistant PVC. The maximum height of
the antenna construction is 6.0 meters.
The components and construction of the antenna system are show in
Figure 1 on page 8.
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0602-009
Figure 1 Vaisala VLF Antenna CA31 System
The antenna system consists of the following components (the
numbers refer to Figure 1):
1 = Whip antenna
2 = Extension stand
3 = Antenna stand
4 = Cable tie
5 = Gasket
6 = Antenna amplifier
7 = Cable from antenna to amplifier (16272ZZ)
8 = Cable from amplifier to a sounding system
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