-------- Original Message --------
Yap finally received 27 Vaisala radiosondes and began use of them on 00Z
Oct 28. Another box of about 50 Vaisala radiosondes are still in the
mail system. If this box does not arrive, the site will switch back to
the B2 radiosonde.
You can identify the sonde type being used at Yap (and any other NWS
office) by noting the code figure group immediately following the 31313
group in the TTBB coded upper air data message.
With the Vaisala radiosonde the code is 31313 45202 where,
4 = Solar/IR radiation correction applied to the temperature data
52 = Vaisala RS80-57H radiosonde
02 = Radiotheodolite tracking system
With the B2 radiosonde the code is 31313 05102 where,
0 = No solar/IR radiation correction applied to the temperature data
51 = Lockheed Martin Sippican B2 radiosonde
02 = Radiotheodolite tracking system
Questions on the radiosonde transition at Yap should be directed to
Joseph Facundo, NWS HQ Observing Systems Branch Chief, at
Joseph.Facundo@xxxxxxxx
William Blackmore wrote:
The NWS upper air office at Yap, in the Pacific (WMO# 91413),
transitioned from the Vaisala RS80-57H radiosonde to the Lockheed
Martin Sippican B2 radiosonde on October 8, 2010. No observations
were missed as the site switched to the B2 radiosonde.
The B2 radiosonde has been used in the NWS Upper air network since
June, 1997. Unlike the Vaisala RS80-57H, a solar/IR radiation
temperature correction is not applied to the B2 data at the station
prior to dissemination.
_/*NOTE:*/_ Yap is the last station in the network to use the Vaisala
RS80-57Hradiosonde. The last 70 Vaisala radiosondes were shipped to
the site on August 30, but have not arrived yet. They may have been
lost in transit. If the radiosondes do arrive, Yap will temporally
switch back to the Vaisala radiosonde, use up the supplies, and then
go back to the B2 radiosonde until further notice. I will send you
updates as they come in.
Please update your databases.
Questions on the radiosonde transition should be directed to Joseph
Facundo, Observing Systems Branch Chief, at Joseph.Facundo@xxxxxxxx