Manual

Chapter 3 ________________________________________________________________ Operation
VAISALA_______________________________________________________________________ 41
Totex Parachute
The Totex parachute 5710-5 has an elastic ribbon loop below the
spreader. Attach the unwinder to the loop by pushing the hook out the
other side in the same fashion as with the folded balloon neck (see
section Attaching the Unwinder to the Balloon on page 40).
Radar Reflector
There is a rubber plate attached to the radar reflector. Attach the
unwinder to this plate.
Non-Totex Parachute
There is a hanger board tied to the parachute. Attach the unwinder to the
bottom of the hanger board.
Releasing the Balloon
In order to ensure 120 minutes of flight time, the radiosonde should be
launched within 15 minutes of battery connection.
Follow these steps to release the balloon:
1. Make sure the suspension string is not tangled.
2. Hold the unwinder to prevent the string from running out before the
release.
3. Release the balloon and allow the radiosonde to lift from your
hand. Keep the string length between the radiosonde and the
unwinder as short as possible.
Checking the Reception
Immediately after the release, check the reception of the radiosonde
frequency on the receiver.
Proceed to monitor the sounding with the sounding system.