Weather Stations and
Environmental Monitoring

A wide range of smart sensors, weather stations, water quality sensors
from Monitor Sensors

Prices are in Australian dollars, do not include GST, and may change without notice.  
(AUD$1 = US$0.92,     AUD$1 = 0.61 EUR,     AUD$1 = 0.55 GBP,   approximate,  November 2009) 

Jump to:  Environmental Sensors (separate page)      Data Loggers used in the weather stations

Automatic Weather Stations

Air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure are mounted inside a sensor shelter.
Wind speed, wind direction and solar radiation sensors are mounted on a cross-arm at the top of the mast.

Other sensors such as rainfall, grass temperature, soil moisture are mounted nearby.

Weather Stations generally measure the following:

Relative humidity at 0900 and 1500 hrs, plus daily maximum and minimum.

Air temperature at 0900 and 1500 hrs., plus daily maximum and minimum.
Grass temperature minimum (optional)
Soil temperature maximum and minimum (optional)
Rainfall daily totals and rainfall periods.
Windrun daily total

Solar Radiation daily total. The input sensors and output data may be varied to suit individual users requirements.

Automatic Weather Stations

Sensors

Solar Panel

Base & Pole

Logger

Anem.

Wind Dir.

Temp. & Hum.

Air Temp

Hum.

Bar. Press.

Solar Rad.

Rain Gauge

Solar Panel

S.P. Kit

Sensor Shelter

Logger Housing

Mast 2m.

(FSB = Free Standing Base)

MWS Mini Station

SL5

AN2

HT1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS1-MS

LH1

MM5-MS

In ground Mount

MWS-F Mini Station

SL5

AN2

HT1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS1-MS

LH1

MM5-1MS

With FSB Assembly

SWS Standard Stn

SL5

AN2

WD2

TA1

HU1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS2

LH3

MM5

In ground Mount

SWS-F Standard Stn

SL5

AN2

WD2

TA1

HU1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS2

LH3

MM5-1

With FSB Assembly

PWS Premium Stn

SL5

AN2

WD2

TA1

HU1

BP1

SR2

RG2

SP10

MK2

SS3

LH3

MM5

In ground Mount

PWS-F Premium Stn

SL5

AN2

WD2

TA1

HU1

BP1

SR2

RG2

SP10

MK2

SS3

LH3

MM5-1

With FSB Assembly

Jump to:  Environmental Sensors (separate page)

Jump to: Data Loggers (separate page) used in the weather stations or with the sensors.

Standard Automatic Weather Station has the SL5 Logger with up to 200 input channels,
7 sensors as shown in the table, soil and grass temperature are often added,
Solar Panel, Solar Panel Mounting Kit, Sensor Shelter, Metal Mast, software and cables.
This system can also provide evaporation and dewpoint calculations.
With foam lined shipping case.

Portable Weather Stations
MWS:  200 channel logger, Anemometer, Wind Direction, Temperature & Humidity in one together, etc,   see below

Also available Animal Comfort Weather Station for use in monitoring cattle feedlots, etc.

Features of the Weather Stations

Systems can be unpacked, assembled and installed by one person, in less than two hours.
Designed to give trouble free performance under the most adverse conditions.
Digital data is stored in a data logger from which the data is retrieved periodically.
Since the data logger has remote readout and control capabilities via any RS232 interface,
the real time data is immediately available at a central office via radio, cellular telephone or satellite system. 
  Data Logger information: click here
All sensors physically interchangeable at the data logger.
Continuous measurement - avoids aliasing errors. High level of intelligence built into data logger giving maximum data compression.
A large number of data types available, e.g. maxima, minima, events between thresholds, event time, etc.

Conditional storage - measurement stored only if within a user specified range.

Output data from the data logger is in a directly readable form and ready for spreadsheet application.

A range of output options including RS232/RS422/RS485 communications.
Micro power operation for both logger and sensors facilitate solar charged battery operation.
Status lights on data logger to indicate correct operation.
User friendly - designed to be installed and operated by non technical personnel.

Sensors can either provide continuous recording of data, or operate like analog systems on a sampled non-continuous basis.

The "Monibus" serial data bus also offers superior interfacing capabilities to various sensors and is able to transmit data signals over long distances without degradation.

Assembly: weather stations are partly disassembled for shipping.
Sensor cables are left in place inside the mast and crossbar. Assembly is very easy.
The sensors for the cross arm fit into vertical holes in the cross arm. They are held in place by tightening a horizontal screw. The sensors are plugged into the cables inside the cross arm.
Mast can be in-ground or free standing (semi portable, as shown in the photo near top of this page).
The in-ground type extends 350mm below ground.

Systems can be unpacked, assembled and installed by one person, in less than two hours.

Default settings for the weather stations: click here

Software (on the Sensor page)

Remote Weather Stations can be accessed by ethernet

An LS100 Ethernet to RS232 interface is used, an IP address can be assigned to each weather station.

Portable Stations     

Portable Weather Station  

See above for general descriptions of the equipment.
The Portable Weather Station comes with an in-ground mast.
or the optional Free Standing Base
    (Optional Free Standing Base & Wind direction sensor are shown in the picture).

The Logger Housing is the smallest one (LH1), and the sensor shelter (SS1) is smaller than on the standard weather station.

Mini Weather Stations

Logger

Wind Speed. Anem.

Wind Dir.

Temp. & Hum.

Air Temp

Hum.

Bar. Press.

Solar Rad.

Rain Gauge

Solar Panel

S.P. Kit

Sensor Shelter

Logger Housing

Mast 2m.

(FSB = Free Standing Base)

MWS Mini Station

SL5

AN2

HT1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS1

LH1

MM5

In ground Mount

MWS-F Mini Station

SL5

AN2

HT1

SR2

SP5

MK1

SS1

LH1

MM5-1

With FSB Assembly

MWS  200 channel logger (SL5), Wind Speed AN2, Air Temperature & Humidity combined,
             Solar Radiation SR2, In-ground Mast, Sensor Shelter, 5W Solar Panel, and all accessories.  

The following are often added:
Wind Direction, RGx Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge, TS1 (Soil Temperature),   either SM1 Soil Moisture  OR  PR1(Photosynthetic radiation)

A solar panel can be mounted on the portable weather station.

The Free Standing Base Assembly (shaped like letter H, see photo above right) can be fitted instead of the in ground mount.

       Portable Weather Station Data click here  

Mini Portable Weather Station

Smaller cross-arm, smaller anemometer & wind vane, smaller sensor shelter & case for logger.
Easier to pack.     Larger Picture  
The cables can go throught the mast or be run on the outside of the mast for fast assembly.
The cross-arm is held by just one bolt.
The main mast is in two halves, fixed together with one bolt.
Component parts: WD2 (wind dir.) + AN3 (anemometer)
    + HT1 (humidity & temp. also dew point)
    + LH1 (logger housing )  + SS1 (sensor shelter) + SL5-1L (10ch logger)
    + MM14 ( all mounting hardware, free standing base and 2 metre mast with special cross-arm)

Windows Hyperterminal (supplied with Windows) is all that is needed in a notebook computer for unloading.

Portable Environmental Monitor Station

ME1  200 Channel data logger, memory for 512K readings,   Temperature, Relative Humidity, Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge
Mast and Sensor Shelter, Battery Charger,   Data: click here    

Optional Extras:    Solar panel and mounting kit, Tripod Mount, or Pole Mount, see above.

Portable station for the Fire Service

The cross arm will be half the normal size (450mm) and the wind vane is cut down to 290mm.
It will come with the short arm anemometer (AN3) to further reduce size.
Also the small SS1 shelter and small LH1 logger housing.
  Includes:
 SL5-1L Logger,  WD2 (Wind Direction),  HT1 (Temp, Humidity and Dew Point),  AN3 (Wind Speed),
LH1 (Logger Housing),   SS1 (Sensor Shelter),
MM14 Metal Mast, includes all mounting hardware, free standing base and 2 metre mast with special cross-arm.

Weather Station Components & Equipment

Masts, with cross arm at the top:

  MM5 In-ground Mast 2m with cross arm at the top. The in-ground type extends 350mm below ground level.
  MM8 Field Equipment Housing (LH3), & post with in-ground mount
  MM9 Free Standing Mast 2m high with cross arm at the top
                Base, H shape: 550mm wide, 900mm deep,  
                Cross arm: 904mm total length x50mm wide x40mm high
  MM7 Farmers Mast 1.9m with short upper mast &
      cross arm (holds one wind sensor, solar radiation sensor & solar panel), in-ground mount.

  MM12 10m Hinged Mast with guy wires
Comes with flat Aluminium plate (450mm square) which can be spiked to the ground.
The 3 guy wires require 3 star pickets (with holes), or concrete blocks (size of 20litre bucket)(with loops) supplied by customer.
Extra cable is required to go up the mast $POA

Before raising the mast, you lie it down pointing North.
The cross arm is then East - West.
You mount the wind direction sensor so it's North mark is facing into the ground.
Then, when you raise the mast, it will be facing North.

Wall Mounting Mast MM-LS Wall mounting mast with crossarm, 1.5m high   Diagram of MM-LS
Solar Panels:        SP5 5 watt (300x300mm)     SP10 10W, 21V open circuit (400x400mm) used when there is communication equipment to be powered. Solar Panel Mounting Kits    Picture: click here     MK1 for 5W panel & 2m mast      MK2 for 10W panel & 2m mast     MK3 for 5W panel & 10m mast      MK4 for 10W panel & 10m mast      MK15 for 40W

Lockable Housings for data loggers, with hinged door (see pictures above):
  LH3 medium 300mm wide, x 350mm high, x 220mm (front to back)
  LH5 large      450mm wide, x 400mm high, x 340mm (front to back)
                        LH5 has provision for modem or radio telemetry.

Sensor Shelters  

    Data on Sensor Shelters  (opens new window)

Sensor Shelter has to mount on top of either a
  LH3 or LH5   Logger Housing (see above) or

  MK11            Side mounting arm for Sensor Shelter ,
                              used when there is no logger housing to mount the sensor shelter on.

Sensor Shelters

for air temperature, humidity,
barometric pressure sensors.
The sensors are strapped with cable ties to an internal vertical bracket (not shown)

   Data: click here (opens new window)

SS4 suits 3+ sensors
     Internal: 270mm height, 150mm dia
     External: 365mm height, 285mm dia
     The sensors are strapped with cable ties to an internal vertical bracket (not shown).

SS3 suits 3 sensors
     Internal: 230mm x 150mm dia

SS2 suits 2 sensors
     Internal: 200mm x 75mm dia

SS1 for one sensor (small), sensor may be affected by sun

SS6 Aspirated Sensor Shelter
to suit 3 sensors, Has aspiration fan: 12v, 200ma. Otherwise similar to SS4

Note: above part numbers were changed in Feb 2008

Battery Charger Mains Adaptor is supplied with the data logger
Batteries as required

Cables: appropriate length cables are included with the sensors; RS232 cable, 2m, is supplied with data logger

UHF Radio, Radio modem, industrial modem, GSM modem

GSM Terminal

Like a digital mobile phone but with a serial port, and no microphone or earphone.
Connect to a Datataker directly for dial-in, or use with Modem Manager for dial-out of alarms, data or pager call-out. 
For more information, jump to  "Modems - Industrial'  page: click here   

Antennas mount in a 12mm hole in a bracket or panel.  

CF1 shipping case, padded, for shipping weather station with mast, sensor shelter, etc.  
Dim: 1.62m x 0.48m x 0.5m deep.
For calculating cost of freight, the CF1 "cubes out" at 67kg, which is the equivalent weight on which carriers base their charges.
Actual weight is 30-35kg with weather station packed in it        

Full list of Weather Station Mounting hardware, etc: click here

Spares & Accessories: click here

Farmer's Weather Station

with data logger, memory for 120K readings, in lockable housing, sensor shelter, solar panel (5 watts),
MM7 Farmers mast, and 3 sensors: solar radiation, air temperature, rain gauge, & cables.
Uses Priestly-Taylor formula for evaporation calculation.

Mast MM7 is normally in-ground (usually with concrete surround).
Alternatively, MM9 is movable, as shown in the large colour photographs above.

With foam lined shipping case.

Wind Characteristics Station

provides real time information on wind speed, wind gusts, wind run and
wind direction with sine & cosine for sigma theta calc (std dev).
The base integrating period of 6 minutes may be altered to any multiple of 2 seconds.
Storage for 120 days of hourly wind run and direction data in data logger (expandable).
Windrose software SWR-01 is available for this system. Optional 10m mast. With Sigma Theta (std deviation) sensor.

Datapoll software is available for networking/automatic polling of stations.

WA1  Alarm Control Unit with LCD display (backlit) and push button menu system.
Connect any two sensors, such as wind speed and wind direction - useful on building sites, or temperature & humidity.
Gives audible alarm (beep-beep-beep) if over/under (or both) the preset points. Can set time delay before alarm proceeds.
The two channel LCD readout shows an asterisk next to the channel in an alarm condition.
Mount where personnel can see it.  Incl mains adaptor. 9-28VDC.
  WA1  Alarm Control Unit with LCD display:
Optionally, Can use solar panel and internal battery.
  Picture: click here     Right side      Left side
These pictures show a unit which has current loop output terminals for the two sensors (not shown).

Options:
Relay Output unit, 240VAC 10A (2 relays possible), for each relay 
AL1  Alarm Light, 12V rotating beacon for outdoor use
AL2  Alarm Light & Siren, Xenon flashing beacon, and multitone siren  
AL3  Alarm Light, Xenon flashing light for indoor use

Lightning Strike Station

Data: click here

LC1 Lightning Strike Control Unit

Rainfall Sentry Pump Controller

Allows irrigation or other systems (pumps) to be controlled by rainfall rate.   Data: click here (.pdf file)

RS2  Rainfall Sentry Pump Controller, 0.2 mm (with Rain Gauge)

The Monitor Sensors Sentry Rain Alarm and controller series provides an alarm relay
control when the rainfall intensity or volume exceeds the preset alarm thresholds. These
parameters are set by using the menu button on the controller in conjunction with the
up/down keys on the controller keypad.
In the Rainfall Sentry Pump Controller unit, the user has control over:
• The number of tips or volume of rainfall to initiate the alarm,
• The period of time in which the rainfall must occur,
• Duration of the alarm,
• The amount of additional rain to extend the alarm, and
• The period of time before the alarm deactivates.

Remote Monitoring & Comms

GSM (mobile phone) Data Modem, Radio Modems
IG6000 Industrial Modem, Solar panels

Radio: various options.

 

Other Systems Evapotranspiration station using the Penman/Monteith formula, incl 8 ch data logger Bush Fire Prediction Station, 8 ch Mobile Bush Fire Prediction Station with real time monitoring Lightening Strike Station Construction Site Station, 8ch Remote Monitoring/Comms Options: Telephone, Radio Modem Water Monitoring Station, 4 ch, pH, Water Level, Elec Conductivity (temp compensated)

Other Intelligent Sensor Systems. A very wide range of intelligent sensor systems may be assembled to produce specialised recordings such as Electronic Thermohydrographs, Water Quality Monitors, Degree Day Recorders.