EN 302 454, transmitter standard for 1680MHz radiosondes

HMEI is collaborating with WMO on work on this standard. Ilkka Ikonen from Vaisala is the HMEI representative in this regard. He has sent the latest draft work on this standard for HMEI Members to view with the following comment:
"The public enquiry of the EN 302 454, transmitter standard for 1680MHz radiosondes, has passed without serious comments. Some editorial changes are still needed before it can be passes to ERM."
Please click here to see part 1 of the EN standard draft Ilka is referring to.
Please click here to see part 2 of the EN standard draft Ilka is referring to.

Further information on the HMEI collaborative work with WMO is available below.

  ISO Standards

Between 1947, when the International Standards Organization (ISO) began, and the present day, ISO has published more than 13 700 International Standards. ISO's work programme ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering, to medical devices, to the newest information technology developments, such as the digital coding of audio-visual signals for multimedia applications.

 ISO develops only those standards for which there is a market requirement. The work is carried out by experts on loan from the industrial, technical and business sectors which have asked for the standards, and which subsequently put them to use. These experts may be joined by others with relevant knowledge, such as representatives of government agencies, consumer organizations, academia and testing laboratories.

 ISO standards for meteorology are developed by Technical Committee 146 / Subcommittee 5.

 The initial standards being developed by Subcommittee 5: Meteorology are focused on basic surface-based and remote-sensing instrument system descriptions and test methods. Further work is planned in standardizing observational systems and analytical methods and models that have general meteorological applications. Other planned work includes promoting standardization of new measurement and analysis techniques. The subcommittee currently has 5 working groups developing standards.

  ASTM Standards

 The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world. They define technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. 

 In the field of Meteorology ASTM has 12 active standards. These standards are developed by Subcommittee D22.11. Here is a description of the 12 Meteorology Standards. 

Standards are developed by joint participation of manufacturers and users.  The ASTM committee meetings are often held in conjunction with AMS Annual Meetings, where manufacturers can become involved. Here is a list of upcoming Committee meetings.

 ASTM standards are published in Annual Standards Volumes. Meteorology standards are published in Volume 11.03.

  ITU-R Radio Frequencies

Ilkka Ikonen from Vaisala is the HMEI representative with WMO Steering Group on Radio-Frequency Coordination (SG-RFC) . The report on the WMO Conference Preparatory Meeting, held in Geneva, February/March 2007, in view of the World Radiocommunications Conference 2007, is available here: EUMETFREQ 2-07 - Report CPM February 07.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is an international organization within the United Nations System where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services.

 There are three Sectors within ITU, Radiocommunication (ITU-R, Telecom Standardization (ITU-D and Telecom Development (ITU-D).

ITU-R is further subdivided into several Study Groups, of which Study Group 7 –  Working Party 7C – Earth exploration-satellite systems and meteorological elements is relevant to meteorology. On this site you will find information documents, the members of WP7C and information on upcoming meetings. 

HMEI has applied for Associate Membership of WP7C.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has made many contributions to ITU-R, including the following:  

 Frequency requirements for meteorological services in the 1 670-1 675 and 1 683-1 690 MHz bands and the need for frequency allocations above 275 GHz for passive remote sensing.

The outcome of ITU World Radiocommunication Conference-2003 (WRC-03) was presented in the CBS Newsletter of September 2003.

WMO contributions to ITU-R World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2000); Requirements of the meteorological aids service in the band 401 - 406 MHz. Frequency requirements for meteorological services in the band 1675-1690 MHz. Meteorological radars in the band 2700-2900 MHz.

Extracts from the final ITU-R CPM Report on technical, operational and regulatory/procedural matters considered by the 2000 World Radiocommunication Conference, including meteorological satellites and meteorological aids (radiosondes) in bands 1675-1710 MHz and 401-406 MHz, meteorological radars in 2700-2900 MHz and space borne passive sensing for meteorological applications above 71 GHz, in 18.6-18.8 GHz and in 55.78-59 GHz.


  CE Marking

Many products come under European Directives, and to be placed on the market in the EU, some must bear CE marking - it's a legal requirement. CE marking is the manufacturer's claim that the product meets the essential requirements of all relevant European Directives.

CE Marking may be achieved through several modules. One of the most practical ways, which is preferred by many EU importers who are neither specialized in the complicated CE Marking process nor willing to take risk, is that the manufacturer designates an Authorized Representative in the EU member states who will take care of the CE Marking issue therefore the importers and/or distributors can focus on the marketing and sales of the products. The manufacturer may need only one Authorized Representative in the EU whereas he may have many importers and/or distributors.

Another method that can be used when   Directive requires products to be independently tested, certified, or inspected, is for this to be done by a "Notified Body" or "Competent Body". This is an organization that has been notified to the European Commission by a Member State.

In some cases the product(s) can be registered in the EU member states and thus obtain a Certificate of Registration. The Product Certificate of Registration for CE Marking obtained from one EU member state is valid for the entire EU market.