AWI Releases Advanced Transmissometer Technology

As a world leader in aviation meteorology and air traffic management systems, All Weather Inc. (AWI) continues to provide the latest technological advancements with the release of the 8400 series Transmissometers.

The 8400 series Transmissometers combine years of proven methodology with technological improvements to provide the most advanced and reliable sensors on the market. This combination provides the most accurate calculation of Runway Visual Range (RVR) in the industry, making the transmissometer a critical safety component for any airport.

“AWI has acquired the rights to proven Transmissometer technology that provides extremely accurate and reliable measurements for the reporting of RVR. The Model 8400 RVR technology is proven at numerous airfields worldwide. With automatic calibration, alignment and window rotation, the 8400 provides the lowest cost of ownership system on the market today. Combined with our current RVR solution, AWI now covers every market demand for superior RVR reporting.” * Steve Glander, Sales Manager

A unique feature for this line of transmissometers is the revolving viewing window, which allows the sensors to operate up to 5 times longer between maintenance visits. The viewing window is a six-section disc that rotates into place with only one of the six sections exposed to external elements at a time. When the window reaches a level of contamination too great to obtain accurate readings, a clean section of the disc is rotated into place and becomes the active viewing window. Once all of the disc sections have been used, a technician can quickly and easily replace the disc with a spare. The contaminated disc can be cleaned with mild soap and water, and retained for future use.

All sensors in the 8400 series use a xenon bulb to generate a stable white flash that is pulsed once per second. The light transmitter unit (LTU) records the intensity of the pulse 

being generated while the light receiver unit (LRU) reads the intensity of the light that is visible at the receiver’s fixed distance. The difference between these two intensity readings (the amount of luminous flux lost over the given distance) allows the sensor to calculate the extinction coefficient of the atmosphere, which is then used for RVR calculations. The 8400 series LRUs are fitted with an optical filter, which mimics the peak sensitivity range of the human eye, ensuring that the RVR value matches what the pilot will be able to see. The Model 8400 single and dual baseline configurations meet or exceed ICAO recommendations for RVR measurement and reporting.

With more than 30 years of experience in aviation weather technology, surface weather observation, and air traffic management systems, AWI is committed to the continued advancement of airport technologies and airport safety. Although transmissometers have been on the market for several years, the 8400 series represents a new generation for this critical equipment, providing RVR measurements of unparalleled accuracy when they are needed most.

“With decades of experience in the aviation business it was a natural step for AWI to produce a Transmissometer to complement our RVR offering. AWI will continue to manufacture an RVR system using our patented forward scatter design but now we will offer our customers a choice in technology to meet their reporting needs.” * Jason Hall, CEO