1. Call bridge if it is dark outside before heading to staging bay. Let them know you are going outside.

2. Turn on Digicora, allow to warm up.

3. Check random order list and select sonde from boxes in the ASAP van. Record random order number and serial number on ASAP log sheet. Record date and time.

4 .Prepare sonde: remove battery, uncoil cord, place plastic ring, remove red tape.

5. Bring sonde to staging bay.

6. Bring up Scientific Computer System window if it is not already displaying IMET data. From the menu choose RT display -> Real Time Display. Brings up all selections, choose sonde.sel and hit RUN. IMET real time data should appear.

7. Digicora, after warm up, should show date and time, choose C4 ACCEPT.

8. Choose C1 SONDE, choose C5 GPS, choose GPS and check station position against IMET position data. Remember that the IMET data is in degrees and minutes while the Digicora will show decimal degrees. If GPS position looks bad, cancel and go back to original window and choose MANUAL. Enter IMET position data.

9. Calibration coefficients are on the red tape. Feed these through the Digicora. Use the picture next to the right hand slot as your guide as to how to feed it through. Feed fairly slowly. Leave in the machine once read in case you need to read them again. Digicora will say 'Coefficients ok' if it successfuly retrieved the coefficients.

10. Set psychrometers out under the staging bay, in the shade if they are not already there.

11. Fill foil containing battery with water to activate it. Be sure battery is in with connectors hanging out. Don't soak the connectors. While battery is activating (leave battery soaking for 3 minutes) proceed to step 12.

12. Helium bottles are now stored in the staging bay. Fill balloon to about 350 PSI or more. Mark bottle with a tick mark using permanent black marker pen for each balloon filled. About 4-5 balloons per bottle is expected.

13. Place battery in sonde and attach sonde to balloon.

14. Take and record readings from the psychrometers in the staging. Record these values on the RH calibration log sheets. The sheets should be kept on a clipboard in the staging bay.

15. Check telemetry on Digicora by selecting the TELEM button. Use SCAN to find it if the signal sounds weak.

16. Select DATA button on Digicora and then select C1 PTU. Record P, T and RH values in ASAP log book. Hit DATA again to toggle back.

17. Enter IMET P, T and RH data into Digicora using number pad and hit ENTER button. If it looks correct, hit C4 ACCEPT. Record same data on ASAP log sheet.

18. Enter IMET WD (wind direction) and WS (wind speed), then C4 ACCEPT. Record same data on ASAP log sheet.

19. We don't enter SST data so choose C5 NO. Choose C5 NO again to next question.

20. Sonde should now be ready to release. You may want to go to the DATA toggle button and select WINDS. This will show ///// across the screen if the GPS has not yet locked onto the sonde. Chris Fairall suggests waiting until the winds lock on before launch. Wait a few minutes but upon release they will eventually lock on (generally before 200 m). Waiting did not seem to increase our chances of getting winds.

21. Call bridge before releasing sonde (x125). Tell them to bring the wind off starboard so that port is the leeward side. We prefer to launch off port. If a CTD is out, you can still launch but you will not be able to have the ship adjust its position until it is out of the water. Normally the wind is set right during CTD casts so this should not be a problem.

22. Call bridge to tell them you are done with the launch, this is not optional.

23. Bring up Sounding Workbench on NT machine.

24. Choose Sounding, choose Connect.

25. Highlight the only file in the selection menu and select OK.

26. This should bring up a text window with the current sounding. It takes awhile for the data to load. A graphics window will also eventually appear. This can be monitored by anyone interested while the sounding rises.

27. Monitor the sounding from any NT machine on the balloon.sel in the Scientific Computer System window > RT display > Real time display menu. (See item 5. to select a display from SCS.)

28. Take readings from the hand held psychrometers (Chris Fairall's) on upper decks and record them on the calibration log sheets. Be sure to mark down the correct psychrometer number. Date and time should be the current date and time, not the same as the sonde launch date and time.

29. Record another IMET reading from the ASAP van on the calibration log sheet. Date and time should be the current date and time, not the same as the sonde launch date and time.
 

1. Metgraph program should already be up. If it was never started go to launch procedure  steps 23-26. You will have to wait awhile while Metgraph grabs the data off the Digicora.

2. Record final height, pressure, avg ascent rate, reason for termination (provided in the header of the text file), etc, as indicated on the ASAP log sheet. Initial.

3. CLOSE text file. This saves the Metgraph binary file, YYMMDDHH.*e

4. From Sounding Workbench menu choose Archive -> Archive Sounding. This saves the Temp.txt file to the C:\Metgraph\Current directory.

5. Go to Windows Explorer and copy Temp.txt into the C:\Metgraph\ARCHIVE\YYMMDD.0*\ directory and rename the Temp.txt file with the format YYMMDDHH.tmp.

6. From Sounding Workbench menu choose File -> Open. Open binary file under C:\Metgraph\ARCHIVE\YYMMDD.0*\, the *e file.

7. A window comes up and asks what format you would like to open the file under. Its default is Graphics. Choose text files and one of the following: PTU (+more), WND (+more) or EDT. You need to save all three of these files eventually.

8. Once file appears as text from the Sounding Workbench menu choose Save As. Rename file from *.txt format to *.ptu, *.wnd or *.edt, depending on what you selected in 7.

9. Repeat 7 and 8 until all three format files are written to C:\Metgraph\ARCHIVE\YYMMDD.0*\

10. Copy *.tmp onto both the high density (black) and low density (gray) diskettes, drive A:.

11. Close out all windows in Metgraph. Take diskettes up to bridge for sending onto GTS.