This radiosonde, circa 1932, is a production version of an instrument designed by Robert Bureau, who was the first to report the use of a balloon-borne shortwave radio to transmit meteorological data in 1929. Marked "Constructions Mecaniques et Electriques P. de Presale, 104-106, Rue Oberkampf, Paris (XI) Type PTU (Sereal) 3567." The aluminum foil covered box, 27x 16x 14 cm, contains a transmitter (vacuum tube and batteries missing) and elements for measuring temperature (bimetallic), pressure (bourdon tube), and humidity (hair hygrometer). Temperature and pressure were indicated by interruptions in the transmitting signal.
J. L. Dubois, R. P. Multhauf, and C. A. Ziegler "The Invention and Development of the Radiosonde with A Catalog of Upper-Atmospheric Telemetering Probes in the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution", p.31-36. (https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/2453)
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.