Thanks for the chance to provide input. As you're aware, we have recommended manual balloon launchers in the Pacific countries where we're the Peer advisor.
The main reasons for this are:
- The manual systems have less complex and less costly maintenance compared to automatic systems. Automatic systems require highly specialised maintenance technicians which would be a challenge to source in remote, developing country settings. Even in Australia, the Bureau relies on maintenance support from the vendor and when we have had outages it was taken several months to get the stations back online. In remote developing countries, this would likely take much longer.
- Manual systems are more resilient in harsh, tropical environments with high humidity and temperatures. We have experienced some challenges with the automated systems in the Australian tropics. For example, condensation in tropic regions have caused issues with balloons adhering to the side of chambers unless an effective air-conditioning system is operational.
- Site security and basic site maintenance are major challenges in the countries we've worked in. We've found the best solution is to have NHMS staff on site who can provide first-in maintenance and security for both surface and upper air stations.
- Most of the countries we've worked in already have a network of staffed stations. The manual systems leverage this existing resources, and support local capacity development and employment. The NHMS have major challenges in funding and procuring overseas equipment, but find it much easier to get budget support for local staff and are usually supportive of providing additional staff for these stations.
- With existing staff on-site already, and lower labour costs, the manual systems, with lower capital costs, are more cost effective than the automatic systems.
- We find the automatic systems stack up best economically in high-cost countries with ready access to skilled contractors for maintenance. Such contractors aren't common in the countries we've worked with, and the countries have major challenges in procuring international contractors for maintenance.
- The above points are also consistent with the Bureau's approach in Australia where we have retained manual upper air systems at all our remote staffed locations (e.g. Antarctic, Macquarie Island, Cocos Island), and moved to automatic systems mainly in unstaffed mainland stations that are accessible for regular maintenance.
Please follow up with us if you need more clarity. My thanks to my colleague Rob B for his excellent input.
Regards
Karl