NovaLynx Corporation________________________________________________________________________________
200-WS-02
Page 4
April 2021
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FORWARD
Thank you for purchasing NovaLynx products. NovaLynx has been designing and manufacturing
weather instruments since 1988. NovaLynx represents several well-known brands of quality
manufacturers, including Gill Instruments, RM Young, Kipp & Zonen, and Vaisala. It is our hope that our
products will meet all your monitoring requirements.
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INTRODUCTION
WeatherPort 200-WS-02 Wind Sensors
are moderately priced anemometers designed for general
applications up to 125 mph (56 m/s). The sensors are easy to install and maintain. They are
constructed of injection molded thermoplastic, anodized aluminum, and stainless steel for reliable
operation in adverse environments.
The base of the sensor is designed to mount on a vertical 1.07" (27 mm) diameter mast. If the sensor
cannot be mounted at the top of the mast, an optional side-mount boom (NovaLynx 200-153) is
available. Each sensor includes 40-feet (12 m) of cable.
The 200-WS-02 consists of two major parts: a rotating cup style anemometer for measuring wind
speed and a wind vane for measuring horizontal wind direction.
Wind Speed Measurement
Air movement (wind) causes the cup and hub assembly to rotate, moving the permanent magnets
embedded in the hub over a magnetic reed switch fixed in the base. Three closures of the reed
switch will be produced for each revolution of the cup assembly. The ratio of closed-to-open time is
nominally 1/10 of the total period for a revolution of the wind cups. This duty cycle may change
slightly as the sensor ages and with exposure to temperature extremes.
Wind Direction Measurement
The wind vane is mounted directly above the wind speed sensor. Fluctuations in the wind direction
are measured by the sensor as the aerodynamics of the counterweight and the tail try to keep
aligned to the path of the wind. The wind vane is coupled to a 20K ohm single turn potentiometer.
When connected to a well-regulated voltage source the output voltage of the sensor is
proportional to the wind direction and can be read by a single-ended analog input channel.
The potentiometer has a “dead band” of approximately 5 degrees between the ends of the
resistive media in the potentiometer. This gap is aligned to the NORTH label on the body of the
sensor.
