Peter Copland Works in Meteorological Electronics (continued)

Television had been around for a few years but had not reached Charleville. There were some keen types though. One DCA guy transferred from Sydney with his TV erected a respectable tower which was topped with a couple of phased arrays. On good days he would have a snowy Sydney picture and noisy Melbourne sound. An even more ambitious grazier turned up at the radar one day and asked for a balloon. Trying to be diplomatic (he may have been to school with the Regional Director) I deduced his plan which was to collect from us an inflated 925 gram balloon and to put it in his car, drive 80 km and then tether it aloft supporting a large TV aerial. There were several major fundamental flaws in his plan. And no, he hadn't been to school with the RD.

At this time we were using 925 gram balloons for the 2300 UTC radiosonde flight. Even carrying the heavy 72 MHz (valve) radiosonde and battery, they would usually reach 10 hPa. In fact, the RMOs ran a form of national competition for the most successful radiosonde station. The on-site generation of hydrogen from the horrible chemical reaction in gas generators was normal on most Bureau stations, and was often the cause of many arguments amongst the working staff.

One winter, the powers that be decided that Charleville would perform a special program of some twenty 1715 UTC radiosonde flights over several weeks for research into high altitude level aviation (Concorde?). There were three flights per week using special 625 gram balloons with an expected maximum height of 30/20 hPa. Night flights at Charleville in winter were no fun. Hot water was required to have a non-frozen wet bulb in the instrument shelter, and the air was very dry, so much so that the sprinklers used to dampen the balloon were almost freezing. Also, there was more gas to make and the extra staff were unhappy about getting out of a warm bed. And for what? The maximum height for the first week's flights was 400 hPa, resulting in much abuse from Melbourne. The later 2315 UTC flights were ok. The next week we used some normal, old 350 gram balloons for the special 1715 UTC flights and averaged 70/50 hPa; these were then used for the rest of the special program. Some months later we were told to use the remainder of the 625 gram balloons for the normal 2315 UTC flights. This was done with much suspicion, but they worked ok. How come; "Oh those balloons are conditioned by sunlight" was the reply given without the slightest hint of an apology.

Bureau of Meteorology