Reporting a Fallen Radiosonde

If you find a fallen radiosonde

Meteorological radiosondes are white labeled boxes (see the photo on the right for examples of labels) launched by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) for the purposes of aerological observation. The Agency needs to collect fallen radiosondes; anybody finding one is asked to kindly contact JMA by calling the number on the label.

Other organizations that use radiosondes include the Ministry of Defense, universities, research institutes and private corporations in the meteorological field. If you find a radiosonde and are able to identify where it came from, contact the relevant organization. If its origin is unclear, or if you find an inflated balloon, in the interests of safety refrain from touching it and contact the police.

Examples of radiosonde labels

Examples of radiosonde labels

Radiosonde appearance

The photos here show examples of radiosondes.

色々なラジオゾンデ

RS41-SG, iMS-100, RS-11G, RS92-SGP, ozonesonde

Radiosonde specifications and constitution

JMA radiosonde specifications and constitution are shown below.

Specifications
Type Size (cm) Weight (g)
RS92-SGP GPS sonde 10 x 9 x 16 280
RS-11G GPS sonde 9 x 7 x 16 85
RS41-SG GPS sonde 5 x 6 x 16 80
iMS-100 GPS sonde 5 x 6 x 13 40
RS92-SGP ozonesonde 20 x 20 x 26 800
RS-11G ozonesonde 20 x 20 x 26 600
RS41-SG ozonesonde 20 x 20 x 26 600
Constitution
Unit Materials and components
Balloon Natural rubber
Parachute Waterproof paper or plastic film
Cord Kite string
Instrument box Expanded polystyrene (RS-11G, RS41-SG(-SGP), iMS-100, ozonesonde), plastic (RS92-SGP)
Instruments Barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, electronic circuit, dry cell battery, others
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