WeatherBug Weather Station Installation, Operation And Maintenance Manual Download Page 1

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Weather Station

Installation, Operation, and

Maintenance Manual

November 2004

AWS-WXN-60003.001 Version 1.0, Release 5

AWS Part # (7001)

Summary of Contents for Weather Station

Page 1: ...Weather Station Installation Operation and Maintenance Manual November 2004 AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 AWS Part 7001 ...

Page 2: ...t It is against the law to copy AWS Convergence Technologies Inc software onto magnetic tape disk or any other medium for any purpose other than for the purchaser s personal use Note This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interfere...

Page 3: ...according to industry standards than that specified in the WeatherBug installation manual The buyer installer is responsible for any damage caused by installation of the WeatherBug weather station Furthermore the buyer installer is responsible for damage caused as a result of improper or faulty installation THINK SAFETY FIRST READ THE GETTING STARTED SECTION OF THIS MANUAL FOR HELPFUL SAFETY TIPS ...

Page 4: ...TER CONTROL UNIT MCU 14 Digital Display Optional 15 THE DIGITAL DISPLAY 15 COMPUTER CONNECTIONS 15 INSTALLATION 16 HARDWARE AND TOOL REQUIREMENTS 16 TOOLS REQUIRED 17 SITE EVALUATION 18 Finding the Best Location 18 SITE SELECTION OPTIONS 19 INSTALLING OUTDOOR COMPONENTS 19 Installation of the Mast 20 TYPICAL BUILDING MOUNT 21 TYPICAL WALL MOUNT BRACKET 22 Securing the Sensors to the Mast 23 Connec...

Page 5: ...TIONS 31 OBTAINING THE SOFTWARE 31 SYSTEM START UP AND OPERATION 32 NETWORK AND SOFTWARE CONFIGURATIONS 33 IP Ranges 33 MacMET Server 33 WeatherStreamer 33 WeatherBug Camera Optional 33 HOMELAND SECURITY SITE DATA COLLECTION 35 SAMPLE PACKING LIST 35 CALIBRATION 36 TROUBLESHOOTING 37 Troubleshooting Chart 37 WEATHERBUG ACHIEVE FOR SCHOOLS ONLY 38 MAINTENANCE 39 ...

Page 6: ...lated Barometric pressure Wind speed and direction Precipitation Weather Sensors Specifications Parameter Range Accuracy Resolution Wind Speed 0 to 200 mph 2 mph 0 2 mph Wind Direction 0 to 352 deg 3 deg 0 1 deg Temperature 30F to 140F 1F 0 1F 40F to 30F 2F 0 1F 65F to 40F 3F 0 1F Barometric Pressure 17 5 Hg to 32 0 Hg 0 05 Hg 0 0035 Hg Relative Humidity RH Dew point calculation from Temp and RH 0...

Page 7: ...on s master control unit and a TV set the weather station s Digital Display and computer A typical weather station set up is shown in Typical Weather Station Installation page 8 For Educational Institutions Only Through the purchase of a WeatherBug Weather Station your school has joined the WeatherBug Achieve educational technology program an integrated network of more than 6 000 school based Weat...

Page 8: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 8 TYPICAL WEATHER STATION INSTALLATION ...

Page 9: ... qualified individuals who are comfortable with being on a high ladder or rooftop and who are authorized by the site administration to perform the installation To limit risk to self and property this manual should be thoroughly read and understood before beginning installation Stay as far away from other electrical wiring as possible Never allow the mast or any other item to contact electrical wir...

Page 10: ...omputer with 128 MB RAM and Windows 2000 or greater Dedicating a computer for use solely by the weather station will significantly reduce the number of problems you have with the station For more information on computer specifications see page 31 3 UNPACK AND INVENTORY WEATHER STATION COMPONENTS Carefully unpack and check all weather station components using the packing list on the outside of your...

Page 11: ...gree of accuracy and flexibility for distributing your weather station data The Sensor Shelter often referred to as a convection aspirated shelter serves two primary purposes It shields the remote TRH sensor from direct sunlight which could yield inaccurate readings the design minimizes heat build up by enabling natural air currents to flow through it resulting true air temperature readings Second...

Page 12: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 12 STANDARD OUTDOOR COMPONENTS ...

Page 13: ...ol unit MCU Auxiliary temperature sensor Optional Digital display s Computer running WeatherStreamer or MacMET Server software See the section on Software Installation on page 31 WeatherBug Achieve Web based teaching application that includes interactive lesson plans graphing mapping live weather data display and more FOR SCHOOLS ONLY INDOOR COMPONENTS ...

Page 14: ... it passes through the exterior wall The MCU s first output is to the optional Digital Display The second is to the computer using a serial port on the PC or Macintosh and a third to a modem if required The WeatherStreamer MacMET software allows real time weather data to be sent and accessed via the Internet and displayed on the computer FRONT OF MASTER CONTROL UNIT MCU The MCU stores data at a de...

Page 15: ...very second from the MCU and displays it on several large digital LEDs Housed in an attractive oak case the display shows daily highs lows and rates of change For more information see the Digital Display User s Manual THE DIGITAL DISPLAY Computer Connections The MCU will be connected to a PC or Macintosh through a serial cable Indoor Components Continued ...

Page 16: ...ional o 1 inch maximum outside diameter at top of mast o Must be approximately 15 feet total length o Mast can be comprised of two sections that total 15 feet A two section mast is recommended so the top section can be raised lowered for easier installation and maintenance of the weather sensors The bottom section should remain securely fastened o The top section should be secured to the bottom se...

Page 17: ... requirements may vary depending on site configuration 1 Compass 2 Step ladder 6 8 feet 3 Level 4 Electric drill and masonry drill bits 5 Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers 6 Adjustable wrench 7 Wrenches 7 16 inch for Sensor Shelter nuts 3 8 inch for mast mounting brackets 1 2 inch for mast mounting brackets 9 16 inch for mast mounting brackets 5 8 inch for mast mounting brackets 8 Pliers 9 Socket...

Page 18: ...ocation possible Finding the Best Location Locate your outdoor WeatherBug Weather Station in a location that takes all of the following into account o In an open area o Clear of wind obstructions especially for the prevailing wind direction o Wind Sensor must be a minimum of 10 feet from roof o Sensor Shelter must be a minimum of 8 feet from roof o Far away from ventilation and heat sources o Safe...

Page 19: ...o NOT install the weather station if the outdoor temperature is less than 15º F Main Roof 1 Story Gymnasium Roof 2Stories N Prevailing Winds Westerly in Much of U S Grassy Expanse Parking Lot 1 2 Example Case In the example above Site 1 would be the preferred location for the mast and sensors Site 1 has clear exposure to the prevailing winds and offers unobstructed wind measurement Although Site 2...

Page 20: ...ts must withstand harsh environments including high winds When determining the appropriate mounting brackets for your installation consider the following Building material to which you will be mounting the mast e g brick block siding etc Roof overhang mounting brackets must be placed so that the mast clears the roof Secure the brackets to the building as shown in Typical Building Mount page 21 Ins...

Page 21: ...imilar to that shown in Typical Wall Mount Bracket page 22 Brick walls require anchors in addition to the lag screws Block or thin wall siding may require a toggle Your installer is responsible for selecting the appropriate industry standard or better mounting hardware which should be available in any local hardware or electrical supply store 6 From Bottom of Mast ...

Page 22: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 22 TYPICAL WALL MOUNT BRACKET ...

Page 23: ...n the mast until it is approximately five feet below the top Finger tighten the U bolt but leave its cable loose for now 4 Mount the Sensor Shelter by sliding its U bolt down the mast until it is two feet below the top It should be directly opposite the Rain Gauge so that it does not block the rain when raised Finger tighten the U bolt making sure the shelter is upright so that rain and snow canno...

Page 24: ...OUTDOOR through the side opening of the bottom plate and connect to the DATA connector at the left on the TRH Insert the cable into the socket Rotate the connector clockwise to lock it DATA connector has a white washer that matches the white end of the data cable 4 Route the wind cable down the mast until it is beneath the Sensor Shelter through the opening in the bottom plate and connect the yell...

Page 25: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 25 CONNECTING CABLES TO THE TRH ...

Page 26: ...ed holes in top and bottom section of mast Tool tighten the bolts 10 Using the compass confirm that the Wind Sensor s black junction box is still pointing south If necessary lower mast and rotate Wind Sensor so it faces south see below WIND SENSOR ORIENTATION 11 The 200 data cable is now ready to be routed inside the building Plan your cable route carefully Make sure you know exactly where your ca...

Page 27: ... data cable is plenum rated conduit is not required indoors in ceiling plenum areas Use conduit if cable is run in exposed areas within your building Route through the ceiling if possible Use the shortest route possible when running cables inside the building The data cable ends at the MCU Excess cable should be coiled tied and stored near the MCU 12 Securely attach a grounding cable to a metal pa...

Page 28: ... on top and connect it to the back of the MCU under the Sensor Net label be sure the connector is positioned properly 3 If applicable connect other end of 25 foot display cable cord telephone line to the Digital Display See the Digital Display Operations Manual for Digital Display installation instructions 4 Assemble the UPS battery according to instructions provided with the UPS and plug it into ...

Page 29: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 29 FRONT AND REAR OF MASTER CONTROL UNIT MCU ...

Page 30: ...Weather Station Manual AWS WXN 60003 001 Version 1 0 Release 5 November 2004 30 POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS CONNECTIONS ...

Page 31: ...mputer only used to transmit weather station data and camera data if applicable Computer only used to transmit weather station data and camera data if applicable Obtaining the Software Both the PC and Macintosh computer software is included on your Weather Station Resource CD The installation instructions for MAC Weather Server and PC Weather Streamer are also reside on the Resource CD A straight ...

Page 32: ...indicating that the MCU is running on battery power The internal battery can run the MCU for up to 16 hours However in this state the MCU will only record data If power is out and the UPS has run out of power there will be no visible operations If the battery power becomes insufficient to operate the MCU it will automatically shut off Battery operation is extended by several hours via the UPS Any ...

Page 33: ...reamer only available for the Windows Operating Systems uses port 9500 UDP outbound to send weather data to our servers Unlike MacMET Server WeatherStreamer does not require any inbound ports in the firewall and does not require a static IP A key number provided at the time of installation is used to differentiate your weather data from other stations PCs only use Weather Streamer See Software Ins...

Page 34: ... have a camera please read through the camera manual in addition to the WeatherBug Weather Station Installation Operation and Maintenance Manual before beginning installation of the weather station FIREWALL Your Network Administrator must be contacted to make changes in the firewall If you have any difficulty understanding information concerning Internet requirements please pass all of this inform...

Page 35: ...t your site s weather readings are as accurate as possible as well as to verify its calibration and to detect any problems Please print out the Homeland Security Certification Site Data Collection Packet included on your Weather Station Resource CD and follow the instructions to complete the packet To complete the packet you will need detailed photos of the installation of your weather station The...

Page 36: ...station for remote access to enable remote calibration In most cases depending on your location WeatherBug will already have access to an accurate local barometric pressure reading Call WeatherBug to find out If WeatherBug does not have a local barometric pressure reading for your area you must obtain an accurate local reading from your National Weather Service office and or television station bef...

Page 37: ...e power supply Check that a standard four conductor phone line is connected between the MCU and Digital Display Make sure the RJ11 connectors on the phone cord are properly installed If you assembled the phone wire you may need to reverse the polarity by flipping the connector at one end of the cable MCU power light is on but Digital Display or WeatherStreamer MacMET software is displaying inaccur...

Page 38: ...t educational tool is designed by meteorologists teachers and students to make teaching and learning easier more interactive and fun Using WeatherBug Achieve your students can perform activities like calculate mean median and mode using live weather data Real time weather information from your school s WeatherBug Weather Station or any of more than 6 000 schools in the WeatherBug program can be au...

Page 39: ...ensors can be removed simply by disconnecting them from the cable connections Check the Rain Gauge every three months or any time that readings appear to be lower than they should be Clear any debris clogging the inlet into the tipping bucket Looking down into the top of the Rain Gauge you will see that it is cup shaped and at the bottom of the cup there is a small hole This hole must be totally c...

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