WatchDog 3349SS Product Manual

Sprayer station

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Sprayer Station

PRODUCT MANUAL

Item # 3349SS

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Summary of Contents for WatchDog WatchDog 3349SS

Page 1 ® Sprayer Station PRODUCT MANUAL Item # 3349SS...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Contents Introduction Components Installing the Station Installing SpecWare Mobile Software Configuring the WatchDog Weather Station Using the WatchDog Weather Station Logging Weather and GPS Data Log File Format Troubleshooting How the Sprayer Station Works Specifications Copyright 2008 Spectrum Technologies, Inc. Updated Feb 19, 2008 for 2nd Generation Connector Box...
Page 3: Introduction
Introduction Thank you for purchasing the WatchDog Sprayer Station. The Sprayer Station is designed to provide an accurate indication and record of the environmental conditions around a vehicle, whether it is stationary or in motion. It allows for real-time measurement of weather data before, during, and after a field operation.
Page 4: Installing The Station
Installing the Station Caution: The blue metal plate and the blue film found in the wind channel of the Sensor Unit are essential to its operation. Be careful not to scratch the plate, puncture the film, or damage them in any way. Choosing the Mounting Location The Sensor Unit must be mounted in “clear air”—away from obstructions in any direction that will interfere with...
Page 5 Because the Sensor Unit has an electronic compass, it should be at least 3' (1 m) away from strong magnetic fields from equipment such as radio transmitters. Since it has a GPS, be sure it is as far as possible from high- powered transmitting antennas to avoid mutual interfer- ence.
Page 6 Assembling the Sensor Unit, Cable, and Mount 1. Gather the Sensor Unit, Mounting Post, and Cable Assem- bly. 2. With the nut assembly on the cable near the Sensor Unit connector, slide the cable into the cable exit slot at the top of the Mounting Tube.
Page 7 careful NOT to rotate the Sensor Unit or loosen the nut as- sembly from the antenna mount/extension tube. Double check to be sure the alignment tabs are still facing forward. Alignment Please note that for clarity the above diagram shows the sensor alignment tabs and the cable exit both facing forward, it is un- common for the cable to run forward from the sensor.
Page 8 Permanent Mount The Cable Assembly will have to be disassembled in order to thread the cable through a hole in the wall or roof of the cab. Although the cable will fit through a ¼” hole, a larger hole is recommended to fit a grommet, to help ensure a watertight seal.
Page 9 To reassemble the Cable Assembly: For a first generation box, thread the cable end through the strain relief (it can help to remove the outer strain relief nut completely, slipping it over the cable, and reattaching it after the cable has been threaded through the strain relief). Thread the six wires into the holes on the side of the termi- nal block, and tighten the screws to secure the wires.
Page 10 Connecting to your PDA or Laptop Connect your PDA cable to the 9 pin serial connector on the connector box. If you are using a laptop or other PC, the power cable will prevent a direct connection. You must use either a 9 pin M-F serial extension cable, or if your laptop does not have a serial port, a USB to Serial converter cable (available from Spectrum Technologies as Item # 3661USB).
Page 11 4. Attach your cable to the 9 pin serial connector, and tighten the two screws to securely hold your cable. 5. Replace the back of the connector box, and secure it with the four screws removed earlier.
Page 12 In the Cab Attach the Vehicle Power Cable to the connector box. Determine a location for the PDA that will provide the best visibility and access. Next decide where the connec- tor box will be mounted, based on the length of the PDA cable, and the distance to the nearest power outlet.
Page 13: Installing Specware Mobile Software
Installing SpecWare Mobile Software Insert the SpecWare Mobile installation CD in your com- puter’s disk drive. On most machines, the software instal- lation will begin automatically. If it does not, run the Setup.exe program on the CD. Follow the screen instruc- tions to complete the installation.
Page 14: Configuring The Watchdog Weather Station
Configuring the WatchDog Sprayer Station Connect your PDA or PC/laptop to the Sprayer Station using the cable you attached to the Connector Box earlier. Ensure that the Sprayer Station is receiving power (there is a pilot light on the side of the Vehicle Power Cable; the light should be lit).
Page 15 The first step you must take is tell the PDA or PC where to find the Sprayer Station. This is done by identifying the communications (or “serial”) port the Station is plugged into. For most PDAs, the serial port will be “COM1”.
Page 16 Tap (or click) on “Configure Station”. The following...
Page 17 On a PDA, a pull-down box will list the available commu- nications ports. Select the one you are using. On a PC, there is a text box to type in the number (without the “COM”). Next select the measurement system you wish to use. English selects mph, degrees Fahrenheit, and in-Hg.
Page 18 Snapshots and data logs can be stored in one of three locations on a PDA (these options are omitted from the PC version, as “My Docu- ments” only available option). Choosing “My Documents” places the files in the same- named folder in the main memory of the PDA. In Micro- soft ActiveSync, checking “Files”...
Page 19 cards, others support one type or the other. You can change the location at any point in the future, but existing files will not be automatically moved from the old to the new location. The WatchDog Sprayer Station can log location and weather data continuously, at a specified interval.
Page 20: Using The Watchdog Weather Station
Using the WatchDog Sprayer Station Start SpecWare Mobile using the menu or icon. The “No data” screen, below, will display until the program re- ceives weather data from the Sprayer Station Sensor Unit. If this does not occur within 10 seconds, please refer to the “Troubleshooting”...
Page 21 The standard display view screen is updated once every 5 seconds, averaging the data received during that time. The above image shows weather data without GPS infor- mation. This will be displayed until the GPS obtains a position fix. The GPS time to first fix is one minute. Note that a GPS fix will not be possible when there is not a clear view of the sky, such as indoors, or in a heavily forested location.
Page 22 Weather Values The current temperature, relative humidity, and baromet- ric pressure are displayed on the third line. Relative hu- midity is displayed as a percent. Temperature is displayed in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius, and barometric pressure in inches or millimeters of mercury, based on whether English or Metric units were specified in the Station Con- figuration.
Page 23 ellites are being received, and the more satellites, the more accurate the position fix, and the computation of the vehi- cle and true wind speeds. Monitor On the far right of the fourth line is a small letter (a “W” on the previous screen image).
Page 24 Control Buttons The control buttons are large enough to be pressed by a fingertip. The stylus should only be needed when config- uring SpecWare Mobile. View Button Pressing the View button cycles between the standard dis- play, a GPS-oriented display, and a record count display (which is used for problem resolution).
Page 25: Logging Weather And Gps Data
Logging Weather and GPS Data SpecWare Mobile stores logged data in one of three loca- tions, as specified in the Logging Configuration. These are “My Documents”, “SD Card”, and “CF Card”. See the Configuration section for more details on these op- tions.
Page 26 named “Sprayer.Log.yyyymmdd.txt”. Similarly, the “Configure Logging” option “New File Each Log” creates a new file each time logging is started using the “Log” button. The files are named “Sprayer.Log.yyyymmdd.hhmm.txt”. Sprayer.Snap.txt When the SnapShot button is pressed, a record is written to the “Sprayer.Snap.txt”...
Page 27: Log File Format
Log File Format The Log and SnapShot files contain the following data values, separated by tabs. Date and Time Temperature Relative Humidity Dew Point Barometric Pressure Apparent Wind Direction Apparent Wind Speed Apparent Wind Gust If a GPS position fix is available, the records will also contain: True Wind Direction True Wind Speed...
Page 28: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting If the station does not seem to be working at all (the display shows “No data” unless the view is changed, or the temperature, wind, etc., do not change from “0”): Check that the pilot light is lit on the Power Adapter. If you have a second generation connector box, confirm that the “PWR”...
Page 29 • Disconnect the power cable from the connector box, and use a continuity tester to check that all wires are intact between the sensor module connector and the screw terminals in the connector box. If Step 4 above shows that signal is present, but it is not ap- pearing on the PDA screen: 6.
Page 30 If a GPS position fix is not made after several minutes: 1. Ensure you are outdoors with a clear view of most of the sky. Being able to see some sky through the trees is usu- ally not enough. 2. Use menu option “View Station Counts”. All six record types should have counts within one of each other.
Page 31: How The Sprayer Station Works
How the Sprayer Station Works About the Ultrasonic Wind Sensor The ultrasonic wind sensor (an ultrasonic anemometer) measures ap- parent wind speed and direction. The Sprayer Station contains four ultrasonic transducers, visible through the four holes in the top of the sensor’s wind channel.
Page 32 Consider the case of a vehicle proceeding at a speed of 15 mph in calm air. An observer on board would experience a wind of 15 mph from dead ahead. This apparent wind would be due solely to the mo- tion of the vehicle.
Page 33 the Sprayer Station. From these measurements, it calculates the resul- tant magnetic heading angle, thereby providing a built-in electronic compass. Like all magnetic compasses, the Sprayer Station compass will be affected by any ferrous or magnetic materials in the vicinity, such as metal structures, motors, speakers, etc.
Page 34 north. To convert this magnetic heading to true heading (that is, head- ing with respect to true north), the magnetic variation must be added to the measured magnetic heading value. Because magnetic variation changes with location and gradually over time, it is necessary to calculate the magnetic variation using the user's present position and the current date.
Page 35: Specifications
or more satellites, then the unit is additionally able to calculate the altitude of the receiver. This is known as a 3D, or 3 dimensional fix. On average, the GPS receiver in the Sprayer Station takes approxi- mately one minute to achieve a position fix after power is first ap- plied.
Page 36 This equipment has been manufactured for Spectrum Technologies, Inc. 12360 S. Industrial Dr. East Plainfield, IL 60585 USA The Manufacturer’s DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY is on file at the above address, and certifies conformity to the following: Model Number: 3349SS Description: WatchDog Sprayer Station Directive: EN 60945:1997-EMC Art 3.1b 00/05/CE...