Sounding kit
A man packable, portable sounding kit includes, in one example, at least two balloons and at least two radiosondes each including a tether for connecting a radiosonde to a balloon. A gas container includes gas for inflating the at least two balloons. A fill hose assembly includes a balloon inflation nozzle coupled to a pressure regulator. A data transceiver unit is configured to receive and optionally to rebroadcast atmospheric weather data from the radiosonde. A case houses the balloons, radiosondes, data transceiver unit, gas container, and fill hose assembly.
1. A man packable, portable sounding kit comprising:
a single, man packable case;
one or more balloons packaged in the case;
a radiosonde packaged in the case and attachable to a said balloon via a tether;
a data transceiver unit packaged in the case and configured to receive atmospheric weather data from the radiosonde and interfaceable, via a USB interface, with a computing device configured to utilize the weather data;
a gas container packaged in the case for filling the one or more balloons; and
a fill hose assembly for interconnecting the gas container with a balloon.
2. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the fill hose assembly includes a balloon inflation nozzle coupled to a pressure regulator.
3. The sounding kit of claim 2 in which the pressure regulator includes a regulator valve.
4. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the fill hose assembly includes a balloon fill valve adjacent the balloon inflation nozzle.
5. The sounding kit of claim 4 in which the balloon inflation nozzle includes spaced ribs.
6. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the gas container includes a pressure indicator.
7. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the components of the kit in total weigh less than 4 kgs.
8. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which there are two balloons.
9. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the balloon weighs less than 100 grams.
10. The sounding kit of claim 9 in which each balloon is packaged with a radiosonde in a sleeve.
11. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the gas container has a volume of less than or equal to two liters.
12. The radiosonde kit of claim 1 in which each balloon is packaged with a radiosonde.
13. The sounding kit of claim 1 in which the tether includes a balloon sealer.
14. The sounding kit of claim 1 further including ground station software loadable on the computing device and configured to interpret and display weather data.