Earth Networks Weather Station Installation, Operation, and Maintenance Manual for Weather Stations with Serial Number starting with 09 to present EN.PM.
Copyright Copyright 2014, by Earth Networks, Inc. WeatherBug is a trademark of Earth Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Earth Networks, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license or non‐disclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of this agreement. It is against the law to copy Earth Networks, Inc.
Table of Contents COPYRIGHT ........................................................................................... 2 DISCLAIMER ............................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 5 Weather Sensors Specifications .......................................................................... 5 SAFETY! ................................................................
DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR BOX 200’ DATA CABLE CONNECTION..............................26 LIGHTNING DSP, ANTENNA, & GPS CABLES ..................................................................27 LIGHTNING GPS CONNECTION .........................................................................................27 INSTALLING INDOOR COMPONENTS ................................................................. 30 Connecting the Indoor Weather Station Components ................................................
Introduction Congratulations on choosing an Earth Networks Weather Station, the premier automated weather system for educational and commercial applications.
Introduction (Continued) Your Earth Networks Weather Station is not difficult to install when all directions are followed carefully and the installation is well planned prior to assembly. Safety! While installation of the weather station is not particularly difficult, it does usually require installation on or near the rooftop, which presents some amount of risk. Installation must conform to national, state and local building code requirements; adhering to the most stringent guidelines.
TYPICAL WEATHER STATION INSTALLATION Outdoor Equipment Wind Sensor Optional Lighting Antenna Sensor Shelter Rain Gauge Optional Lighting Digital Signal Processor (DSP) EN.PM.
Getting Started First Things 1. READ THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY It is very important that you read this entire manual prior to installation. If all instructions are followed carefully, installation of the weather station should be straightforward and problem free! 2. UNPACK AND INVENTORY WEATHER STATION COMPONENTS Carefully unpack and check all weather station components. Report any damaged or missing components to Earth Networks ‐ WeatherBug Technical Support immediately. 3. INSTALL WEATHER STATION 4.
The Sensor Shelter (often referred to as an aspirated shelter) serves two primary purposes: Shields the TRH sensor from direct sunlight, which could yield inaccurate readings. The design minimizes heat build‐up by enabling air to flow through, resulting in "true" air temperature readings. Protects the TRH sensor from precipitation which could cause inaccurate readings as well as damage to the relative humidity sensor.
Indoor Components The weather station indoor components are as follows: Earth Networks Network Appliance (ENNA) LCD Display Optional Auxiliary Temperature Sensor Earth Networks Network Appliance (ENNA) The ENNA is a microprocessor‐controlled computer with battery backup that uses your existing high‐speed internet connection to transmit weather data out to the Earth Networks WeatherBug network.
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Installation Hardware and Tool Requirements The following hardware (equivalent or better quality) is required to install the Earth Networks Weather Station. If you are using an Earth Networks contracted installer, they will provide these materials. Required Parts Not Included Grounding cable and appropriate connectors Silicone caulk (to seal conduit and cable entry points into building) Mast o Galvanized Rigid Conduit (GRC) approximately 1/8 inch thickness (painted optional) o 1 ¼ inch/3.
Tools Required The following is a list of tools necessary to install the outdoor Earth Networks Weather Station and route the data cables into the building (actual tool requirements may vary depending on site configuration): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Site Evaluation Before installing your weather station, conduct a thorough site evaluation to identify the best location for each component, including both the outdoor sensors and ENNA. All sites have restrictions. The accuracy of weather readings can depend on the weather station's location. The importance of this step cannot be overemphasized. A well‐planned installation eliminates almost all problems that could be encountered later. It may also prevent having to move part or all of the weather station.
Finding the Best Location – Weather Station & Lightning System For the optional Lightning System it is imperative that the weather station and lighting equipment is placed away from any noise/interference sources.
SITE SELECTION OPTIONS Locating Your Outdoor Earth Networks Weather Station Components Grassy Expanse Main Roof (1 Story) N 1 Extended Roof (2Stories) Prevailing Winds (Westerly in Much of U.S.) 2 Parking Lot 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.
o o o o Staffed location to ensure equipment is operating year‐round Year‐round power and internet connection A secure area where equipment will not be tampered with or turned off Adequate ventilation (equipment must not get over‐heated) Installing Outdoor Components There are three basic steps after ensuring the selected location fulfills site criteria: 1. Installation of the Mast 2. Securing the Sensors to the Mast 3.
Installation of the Mast IMPORTANT: Ensure that all mounting equipment and mast components meet the local building codes. The installer is responsible for choosing the best mounting for the location. Earth Networks requires the wind sensor to be 10 feet above the roofline and the sensor shelter to be 8 feet above the roofline, and both free of horizontal obstructions to ensure accurate data collection. The mounts must withstand harsh environments, including high winds.
shelter is upright so that precipitation cannot fall inside. Do not connect cables yet. EN.PM.
Installing Outdoor Components 4. Carefully remove the Wind Sensor from its box and place it on the top of the mast so that the black junction box will face SOUTH when the mast is raised. Use a compass to verify location of black box. Securely tighten pipe clamp. Do not secure or connect the Wind Sensor cable at this point. 5. Adjust the sensor shelter to ensure it will be a minimum of 8 feet from the roof’s surface and is rotated so that it hangs over the ground or lowest roof.
7. If optional Lightning System was purchased, install Lightning Antenna onto the mast using 2 included Hose Clamps. Ensure that the Lightning Antenna is facing away from the building/rooftop and that the top of the lightning cylinder is level with the black box on the Wind Sensor. Attach the bottom Hose Clamp 2 inches/5 cm from the bottom of the Antenna and top Hose Clamp 2 inches/ 5 cm from the curve in the Antenna mast. Do not secure or connect the Lightning Antenna cable at this point. 8.
9. If optional Lightning System was purchased, install Lightning Digital Signal Processor (DSP) as low as possible on the mast. Install the DSP on the mast so that accessing the internal components is feasible. Using the enclosed U‐bolts tool tighten the DSP box to the mast. OPTIONAL LIGHTNING DSP Connecting the Weather Sensor Cables Follow the steps below to connect the sensor cables to the Temperature/Relative Humidity (TRH) sensor (inside Sensor Shelter) and to connect the Data Cable to the ENNA.
3. Route the wind cable down the mast and through the opening in the bottom plate of the Sensor Shelter. Connect the yellow end of the wind cable to the WIND connector in the center on the TRH. Insert the cable into the socket. Rotate the connector clockwise to lock it. (The WIND connector has a yellow washer that matches the yellow band of the wind cable.) 4. Using the table below, select the proper Data Cable for your installation.
6. Replace the bottom plate and tighten mounting nuts. CONNECTING CABLES TO THE TRH EN.PM.
7. Secure the three cables below the Sensor Shelter connectors with a cable tie. Form a drip loop with the three cables (see Connecting Cables to the TRH). 8. Raise top section of mast and secure in place by inserting bolt(s) through aligned holes in top and bottom section of mast. Tool‐tighten the bolts. 9. Using a 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). 10.
12. If optional Lightning System was purchased, verify that the 8 pin connector is visible on the side of the Lightning DSP. If it is not visible, use a 13/16 wrench or adjustable wrench to remove the black plastic nut and white washer from the box. Open the DSP box by unscrewing the 2 screws on the front right hand side of the box and push/pull the 4 pin connector back into the box.
14. If optional Lightning System was purchased, route the Lightning Antenna and GPS cable into the DSP box. Remove the water tight cable connector from bottom of DSP box by unscrewing. Push the Lightning Antenna cable and GPS cable through the cap and seal; work the plug through as the fit is tight. Push the cables into the bottom of the box allowing extra cable inside the box to make connections. Tighten the water tight cap and verify that the water tight seal tightens around the cables.
16. If optional Lightning System was purchased, connect the Lightning Antenna Cable into the jack on the board. 17. If optional Lightning System was purchased, connect the green grounding wire from the Lightning Antenna Cable to a U‐bolt on the Rain Gauge or Sensor Shelter. IMPORTANT: Grounding the Lightning Antenna to the mast and the mast to a secure ground in/on the building is necessary to protect the system from lightning strikes and to ensure the data is without noise and usable. 18.
Installing Outdoor Components NOTES: Earth Networks recommends that you tape the connector ends together before running them inside the building (tape them fully to prevent damage or loosening individual wires). Do not cut connectors off. A single loose cable connection can cause system errors. Route Data Cable through 1¾ inch/4.445 cm outside diameter conduit on exterior of building (not included). Seal building hole and both ends of conduit using caulk/putty.
responsible for this procedure and for ensuring that materials and methods conform to all applicable building codes. Installing Indoor Components The installation of all indoor components, including the ENNA and Digital Display, is covered in this section. EN.PM.
Connecting the Indoor Weather Station Components 1. Open the ENNA by removing the 2 screws on each side of the side of the box. Lift off the lid to expose the circuit board. Before touching the circuit board, touch something metal to remove any static charge from your body; this will prevent damage to the board.
Installation Jumper Location Weather Station & Lightning System – 4 Pin Data Cable Used ***This Configuration is NOT covered in the manual LX Boost Jumpers Illustration RBB‐09‐XXXX – RBB‐10‐2085 Switch Illustration > RBB‐10‐2086 2. If the jumper is not in the appropriate location, relocate by pulling up on the jumper, moving to the appropriate pins, and pushing down gently. Or if the switch is not in the appropriate location, using a small paperclip, gently push the switch to the appropriate location.
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7. Using the supplied Ethernet LAN Cable, plug the ENNA into your Local Area Network (LAN) or Internet Connection. 8. Plug the ENNA and Digital Display Power Supplies into the Power Strip. INDOOR WEATHER STATION CONNECTIONS EN.PM.
System Start‐up Assuming that your site network is configured with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) where you are automatically assigned an IP address, your station is ready to be turned on. If your site network is currently using DHCP with a Proxy or Static IP addresses, please refer to the appropriate section below. DHCP Network Your ENNA should be connected and ready to be turned on (before powering any component, check to ensure that all connections are correct). 1. Turn on the Power Strip.
4. Verify that the Green LED lights on the back of box, next to the “LAN” connection, are illuminated or flashing to indicate a live internet connection. 5. Using another PC computer on the network (same subnet), download the latest WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program from http://download.earthnetworks.com/ and save it to the computer desktop. NOTE: If your current network setting does not allow downloads of .EXE files please download either the .ZIP file or the .EX file. If the .
8. Select the MAC address for the ENNA. EN.PM.
NOTE: If DHCP is enabled on your network, the ENNA may appear with another IP address. 9. Verify that the “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically” checkboxes are selected. 10. Using the boxes on the right side of the screen, type in the Proxy information obtained in Step 1. NOTE: Proxy address can be set using standard IP format (ex. 209.249.20.202) or DNS proxy. DNS proxy must be less than 75 characters and contain at least one period/dot. EN.PM.
11. If your proxy requires a login, enter the User name and Password in the appropriate boxes. NOTE: The User name is limited to 50 characters and Password fields is limited to 20 characters. If no Username and Password are required leave fields blank. 12. Select the Change button from the center hand portion of the WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program. NOTE: After the Change button is selected the box will automatically restart and will take a few minutes to reappear on the network. 13.
Static IP Network 1. Talk to your Network Administrator to determine the following for the ENNA: IP Address Subnet Mask Default Gateway Primary DNS Secondary DNS Proxy Settings 2. Determine if Proxy Settings are necessary: a. Open Internet Explorer web browser. b. Select Tools from the Internet Explorer menu. c. Select Internet Options. d. Select Connections Tab. e. Select LAN Settings. f. Note any Proxy settings that appear in the Proxy Server Box at the bottom of the screen.
3. Using the “On/Off” switch, turn on the Power to the ENNA. 4. Five quick flashes of the status lights on the right hand side of the front of the ENNA will occur. 5. Verify that the Green LED lights on the back of the box, next to the “LAN” connection, are illuminated or flashing to indicate a live internet connection. 6. Using another PC computer on the network (same subnet), download the latest WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program from http://download.earthnetworks.
8. Using the WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program, select Search to seek out all BugBoxes on the network. NOTE: If the WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program was unable to find your ENNA select the Options button, change the number of seconds from 5 to 50, and select OK. Select Search again from the WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program. 9. Select the MAC address for the ENNA with the IP address of 192.168.237.227 (the default IP address for the ENNA).
10. Using the boxes at the bottom of the screen, type in the following obtained in Steps 1 and 2: IP Address Mask Gateway Primary DNS Secondary DNS Proxy (if applicable) Proxy User name (if applicable) – NOTE: Limit of 50 characters Proxy Password (if applicable) – NOTE: Limit of 20 characters 11. Select the Change button from the lower center portion of the WeatherBug Network Appliance Config program.
System Operation Under normal conditions, your Earth Networks Weather Station should never be turned off. It is designed to operate 24 hours daily, every day, without operator input or assistance. Network and Software Configurations The ENNA requires that the Port 80 (http) and Port 9500 UDP outbound must be open for live weather data to transmit to the WeatherBug network. For sites with the optional Lightning System Port 9500 TCP must also be opened.
Meta Data Collection The metadata could be considered as important as the data collected from your weather station. Earth Networks collects metadata from all of our weather monitoring stations. This will help ensure that your weather station can continue to offer the highest quality weather information to your community. Your metadata will be used to ensure that your site's weather readings are as accurate as possible, as well as to verify its calibration and to detect any problems.
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Maintenance Under normal conditions, your Earth Networks Weather Station will require very little maintenance. Most maintenance issues can be evaluated and diagnosed remotely by the Earth Networks ‐ WeatherBug Quality Control Team. All components are “Plug‐ and‐Play”. Defective sensors can be removed simply by disconnecting them from the cable connections. The Rain Gauge normally requires the most maintenance.
