Vaisala RT20A User manual

USER'S GUIDE
Radiotheodolite RT20A and
DigiCORA®
M010117EN-H

PUBLISHED BY
Vaisala Oyj Phone (int.): [phone]
P.O. Box 26 Fax: [phone]
FI-00421 Helsinki
Finland
Visit our Internet pages at http://www.vaisala.com/
© Vaisala 2009
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.
N17728

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VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 3
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION............................................................................ 5
About This Manual ................................................................... 5
Contents of This Manual ....................................................... 5
Related Manuals ................................................................... 5
Feedback............................................................................... 6
Safety......................................................................................... 6
General Safety Considerations ............................................. 6
Recycling .................................................................................. 6
Trademarks ............................................................................... 6
License Agreement .................................................................. 7
Technical Support.................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 9
Introduction to DigiCORA and RT20A....................................9
CHAPTER 3
OPERATION................................................................................................. 11
Getting Started ....................................................................... 11
Standard RT20A Sounding Procedure ............................... 12
Step 1: Powering Up the System .......................................... 12
Setting Station Position ....................................................... 13
Step 2: Aligning the RT20A ................................................... 15
Step 3: Starting a New Sounding.......................................... 15
Step 4: Preparing the Balloon............................................... 15
Steps 5 and 6: Entering Calibration Coefficients................ 16
RS92-D................................................................................ 16
Cable.............................................................................. 16
Radio.............................................................................. 19
RS80-67 .............................................................................. 21
Step 7: Selecting Triggering Profiles ................................... 23
Step 8: Entering Station Data and Front Direction Angle .. 24
Steps 9 and 10: Tuning the Receiver and Setting
RT20A in AUTO Tracking Mode ............................................ 27
Sounding Status Displays ................................................... 29
PTU Status..................................................................... 29
RDF Status..................................................................... 30
Step 11: Releasing the Balloon............................................. 32
Step 12: Tasks during Flight ................................................. 35
Data Monitoring (Sounding Processor)............................... 35
Sending Messages.............................................................. 35
Step 13: Ending the Sounding .............................................. 35

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Automatic Termination ........................................................35
Manual Termination.............................................................38
CHAPTER 4
HAND TERMINAL RTH21............................................................................41
General Information.............................................................41
Angle and Phase Display Modes ........................................43
Tune Display Mode..............................................................44
Command Display Mode .....................................................45
Additional Commands of the Angle and Phase Modes..46
Antenna Home Position Command...........................46
Monitoring Tilt Angles................................................47
Setting the Display Back Light ..................................48
Monitor PTU Command Display................................48
Setting the Keyboard Light........................................49
RTH21 Keyboard Beep Command ...........................49
Manual Driving Speed Command .............................50
Display Contrast Command ......................................50
Calibration Command ...............................................51
Driving the Antenna to the Desired Position .............51
SetHome Position Command....................................52
Set Zero Azimuth (SetZeroAz) Command ................53
Additional Commands of the Telem. Mode .........................53
AFC Command Display Mode........................................53
Set Receiver Frequency Command Display Mode ........54
Find Signal Command Display Mode.............................54
Keypad ................................................................................55
Cursor Keys....................................................................55
Display Keys...................................................................55
Manual Start Key............................................................56
AUTO/MANUAL Key ......................................................57
CLR (Clear) Key .............................................................57

Chapter 1 ________________________________________________________ General Information
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 5
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION
About This Manual
This chapter provides general notes for the manual and the product.
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 product features.
- Chapter 3, Operation, contains instructions for operating DigiCORA
with radiotheodolite RT20A.
- Chapter 4, Hand Terminal RTH21, contains information on using the
Hand Terminal RTH21.
Related Manuals
Table 1 Related Manuals
Manual Code Manual Name
M210329EN Ground Check Set GC25 User's Guide
M210390EN RS80 Radiosonde User's Guide
M210487EN DigiCORA® Installation Manual
M210488EN DigiCORA® User's Guide
M210489EN DigiCORA® Technical Reference
M210583EN Maintenance Documentation
M210540EN Metgraph for DigiCORA® User's Guide
M210551EN STANAG Messages DigiCORA® User's Guide
M210987EN Vaisala Radiosonde RS92-D User's Guide

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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]
Safety
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.
Recycling
Recycle all applicable material.
Trademarks
DigiCORA® is a registered trademark of Vaisala Oyj.
Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.

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License Agreement
All rights to any software are held by Vaisala or third parties. The
customer is allowed to use the software only to the extent that is provided
by the applicable supply contract or Software License Agreement.
Technical Support
For technical questions, contact the Vaisala technical support:
E-mail [email protected]
Fax [phone]

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Chapter 2 __________________________________________________________ Product Overview
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 9
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
This chapter introduces the product features.
Introduction to DigiCORA and RT20A
The basic RDF (Radio Direction Finding) wind finding system consists
of the
- radiotheodolite RT20A (with hand terminal RTH21 and elevation unit
RTE21)
- sounding workstation (DigiCORA)
- power distribution unit (RPC)
- printer
- power supply, for example, a vehicle battery
The sounding workstation, power unit and printer are installed in a
shelter, where the RDF units are stored during transportation.

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