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Columbia Weather Systems Orion 420 User Manual

Orion 420 weather station user manual
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Orion 420 Weather Station
1
________________________________________________________________________
Orion 420 Weather Station™
User Manual
Version 2.03
Serial Number: ___________________
Date Purchased: __________________
All specifications subject to change without notice.
Printed in U. S. A.
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Summary of Contents for Columbia Weather Systems Orion 420

  • Page 1 Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Orion 420 Weather Station™ User Manual Version 2.03 Serial Number: ___________________ Date Purchased: __________________ All specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in U. S. A. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
  • Page 2 Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2005 - 2015 Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary Notice: Orion, Orion 420, Capricorn 2000, Capricorn 2000EX, Capricorn FLX, Magellan, Vela and Pulsar Weather Stations are trademarks of Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. The information and drawings contained herein are the sole property of Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 3: Welcome

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Welcome! Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion 420 Weather Station. Please read this manual completely prior to installation. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
  • Page 4 Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 5: Important Notice: Shipping Damage

    3. Request the transport company’s representative inspect the shipment personally. 4. After inspection, request a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) from Columbia Weather Systems by calling (503) 629-0887. 5. Return approved items to us at the following address: Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 6: Esd Protection

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ ESD Protection Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can cause immediate or latent damage to electronic circuits. Vaisala products are adequately protected against ESD for their intended use. However, it is possible to damage the product by delivering electrostatic discharges when touching, removing, or inserting any objects inside the equipment housing.

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    ................ 19 RION ENSOR RANSMITTER Sensor Transmitter Components ..............19 Mounting Adapter ..................21 Internal Terminal Block ................21 Heating (Optional) ..................22 Orion 420 Enclosure .................. 23 ..............24 URGE IGHTNING ROTECTORS SECTION 3: INSTALLATION ------------------------------------ 25 ..........25 EATHER...
  • Page 8 Installing the Mounting Adapter ..............29 North Alignment ..................30 Installing the Surge Arrestor..............31 Connecting the Sensor Transmitter to the Orion 420 Enclosure ....32 Connecting the 420 Enclosure to the PLC ..........33 SECTION 4: OPTIONAL MOUNTING HARDWARE ------ 35 Sensor Mast ....................
  • Page 9 Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Heat Index ....................55 Pyranometer ....................55 Relative Humidity..................55 Sea Level Pressure ..................55 Solar Radiation ..................55 Wind Chill ....................55 ..................56 ONVERSION Speed ......................56 Temperature ....................56 Distance ..................... 56 Pressure .....................

  • Page 10: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 11: Section 1: Introduction

    – all in a single sensor module. The Orion 420 provides 4-20mA current output for the eight weather parameters. High accuracy and fine resolution make this system ideal for precision weather monitoring.

  • Page 12: Specifications

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Specifications Operating Conditions Temperature Operation: -52 to +60° C (-61 to +140° F) Relative humidity: 0 to 100% Pressure: 600 to 1100 hPa Wind: 0 to 60 m/s Wind Speed Range: 0-135mph (0-60 m/s) Accuracy: ±3% at 10 m/s...

  • Page 13: Temperature

    Range: cumulative Collection Area: 602cm Accuracy: ±5% (spatial variations may exist) Resolution 0.01 in. (0.254mm) Units Available: mm, inches Input Voltage The Orion 420 is powered with an internal switching power supply Input: 120/240 VAC, 60 Hz Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 14: Sensor Housing

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Sensor Housing Protection class: IP66 (with mounting adapter) Materials: Polycarbonate + 20% glass fiber, stainless steel (AISI 316) Weight: 650 g (1.43 lbs) Heating Power Source Input: 5 to 30 VDC (1.1 A at 12 VDC)

  • Page 15: Principles Of Measurements

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Principles of Measurements Wind Measurement Both wind speed and direction are measured using advanced ultrasonic technology. The sensor utilizes ultrasound to determine horizontal wind readings. The array of three equally-spaced ultrasonic transducers on a horizontal plane is an ideal design that ensures accurate wind measurement from all directions, without blind angles or corrupted readings.

  • Page 16: Pressure, Temperature, And Relative Humidity (Ptu) Module

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ direction reported indicates the direction that the wind comes from. North is represented as 0° , east as 90° , south as 180° , and west as 270° . The wind direction is not calculated when the wind speed drops below 0.05 m/s.

  • Page 17: Rainfall Measurement

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Rainfall Measurement Rainfall is measured with an impact sensor, which detects the size and impact of individual rain drops. The signals resulting from the impacts are proportional to the volume of the drops. Hence, the signal from each drop can be converted directly to the accumulated rainfall.

  • Page 18: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 19: Section 2: Physical Description

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 2: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Orion Sensor Transmitter The Orion Sensor Transmitter is an all-in-one sensor unit containing ultrasonic wind speed and direction sensor, temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, barometric pressure sensor and an impact rain sensor.

  • Page 20: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Cut Away View 1: Wind Transducers (3 pcs) 2: Precipitation Sensor 3: Pressure sensor inside the Sensor Module 4: Humidity and temperature sensor inside the Sensor Module Bottom of the Transmitter 1: Alignment direction sign...

  • Page 21: Mounting Adapter

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Mounting Adapter To facilitate easy installation and north alignment, the Orion Sensor Transmitter comes standard with a mounting adapter. The mounting adapter is easily connected to the end of the mast and the sensor transmitter simply snaps into it. The north alignment needs to be performed only once.

  • Page 22: Heating (Optional)

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Heating (Optional) Heating elements located below the precipitation sensor and inside the wind transducers keeps the precipitation and wind sensors free from snow and ice. A heating temperature sensor (T ) underneath the precipitation sensor controls the heating.

  • Page 23: Orion 420 Enclosure

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Orion 420 Enclosure The Orion 420 Enclosure contains the following: 1. AC power supply with +24 VDC output 2. AC power filter and suppressor 3. Two RS-232 to 4-20 mA converters 4. Sensor connection terminal block The enclosure used is UL 508 Type 4, NEMA/EEMAC Type 4.

  • Page 24: Surge/Lightning Protectors

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Surge/Lightning Protectors A nearby lightning strike may induce a high voltage surge which the internal suppressor of your weather instrument may not be able to withstand, causing significant damage to the weather station. Protect your weather station investment with the Orion Surge Protector. This...

  • Page 25: Section 3: Installation

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 3: INSTALLATION Weather Station System Configurations Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 26: Installation Overview

    Dropping the device can break or damage the transducers. If the antenna bends or twists, the re-aligning can be difficult or impossible. Unpack the Orion 420 weather station and verify that all parts are included. 1. Standard system includes:...

  • Page 27: Installing The Mast

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Installing the Mast There are three acceptable methods for mounting the mast to a roof or building structure: Sloped roof mounting, flat roof mounting or wall mounting. See Optional Sensor Mounting Hardware for more information.

  • Page 28: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ the sensors and/or console. This could damage the system in the event of an electrical storm. Note: If the standard 50 ft. cable provided with the sensor transmitter is not long enough, it may be extended by splicing on an appropriate length of 22-gauge, stranded, seven conductor shielded cable with the same color code.

  • Page 29: Installing The Orion Sensor Transmitter

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Installing the Orion Sensor Transmitter Site Selection Finding a suitable site for the sensor transmitter is important for getting representative ambient measurements. The site should represent the general area of interest. The sensor transmitter should be installed in a location that is free from turbulence caused by nearby objects, such as trees or buildings.

  • Page 30: North Alignment

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ North Alignment To help with alignment, there is an arrow and text North on the bottom of the transmitter. The transmitter should be aligned in such a way that this arrow points to the north.

  • Page 31: Installing The Surge Arrestor

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Installing the Surge Arrestor 1. Attach the unit to the mast close to the weather sensor with the adjustable mounting clamp, see figure above. 2. Slide the steel strip beneath the latch on the back of the enclosure.

  • Page 32: Connecting The Sensor Transmitter To The Orion 420 Enclosure

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Connecting the Sensor Transmitter to the Orion 420 Enclosure Using a #1 Straight Slot screwdriver, attach the wires from the end of the sensor cable to the terminal block screws as shown below: For heated sensor transmitters, connect the brown wire along with the red wire to position 1 and connect the blue wire along with the white and bare to terminal 2.

  • Page 33: Connecting The 420 Enclosure To The Plc

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Connecting the 420 Enclosure to the PLC 4-20mA cables are user supplied. The 4-20mA converters source power to the load. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 34: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 35: Section 4: Optional Mounting Hardware

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 4: OPTIONAL MOUNTING HARDWARE Sensor Mast 10-foot steel mast available for use with Roof Mount Hardware Kit (Part No. 88002) or Wall Mounting Kit (Part No.88003). Roof Mounting The Roof Mounting Kit (Part No. 88002) is suitable for both a slanted and flat roof installation.

  • Page 36: Wall Mounting

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Steel Guy Wire, Galvanized 50ft. 88080 Eye Bolt Wood Screws, 1/4" x 3" 88090 Turnbuckles, 6" open x 4" closed (not shown) 3 88100 Wall Mounting The figure and table below illustrates and describes the individual parts in the Wall Mounting Kit (Catalog No.

  • Page 37: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 38: Telescoping Tripod And Tiedown Kit

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Telescoping Tripod and Tiedown Kit The tripod is designed to provide up to 10 feet of stable, secure support for your meteorological sensors. Constructed from welded aluminum and powder coated for appearance and longevity, the 15-pound tripod can easily support up to 60 pounds of equipment.

  • Page 39: Specifications

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Tripod Parts List: Description Ref. Qty. Body/Mast Assembly Legs Retainer Pins Guy Wire Ring with 3 Wires and Turnbuckles Anchor Screw with Chain Clamp with Strap Specifications Capacity: Supports up to 60 lbs. Shipping Weight: 17 lbs Shipping Box Dimensions: 71"...

  • Page 40: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 41: Section 5: Operation

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 5: OPERATION The Orion 420 outputs the following 8 parameters in 4-20 mA current signals: Channel 1: Wind Direction Description: Instantaneous wind direction. Range: 0 to 360 degrees Channel 2: Wind Speed Description: Instantaneous wind speed.

  • Page 42: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 43: Section 6: Monitoring Options

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 6: MONITORING OPTIONS In addition to the 4-20mA outputs the Orion 420 system can be configured to connect to optional weather monitoring devices. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 44: Weather Display Console (Optional)

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Weather Display Console (Optional) Displays weather information • Designed to be viewed clearly from a distance • Industrial grade WVGA touchscreen. Seven-inch, TFT color LCD panel with 800 x 480 pixel resolution. Performs computations for wind chill, heat index and other calculated parameters •...

  • Page 45: Weather Microserver (Optional)

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Weather MicroServer (Optional) The Weather MicroServer uses a small computer board that runs an embedded Linux operating system. The MicroServer has 32MB flash memory for operation and 8 GB SD card for data logging. The Orion transmitter connects to the MicroServer via COM1.

  • Page 46: Weather Master ™ Software (Optional )

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ WeatherMaster™ ™ ™ ™ Software (Optional) WeatherMaster is professional grade weather monitoring software. This software package is designed for specialized markets that require robust weather calculations, interoperability with computer models, and data interfaces to other industrial systems. WeatherMaster utilizes Microsoft Access database for easy data access and manipulation.

  • Page 47: Section 7: Maintenance

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 7: MAINTENANCE This chapter contains instructions for the basic maintenance of the sensor transmitter. Cleaning To ensure the accuracy of measurement results, the sensor transmitter should be cleaned when it becomes contaminated. Leaves and other...

  • Page 48: Factory Calibration And Repair Service

    7. Re-install on mounting adapter and reconnect cable connector. Factory Calibration and Repair Service Send the device to Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. for calibration and adjustment, see Section 9: USER SUPPORT INFORMATION for more information. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

  • Page 49: Section 8: Troubleshooting

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 8: TROUBLESHOOTING This chapter describes common problems, their probable causes and remedies. Problem Possible Cause Action Wind measurement Blockage (trash, Remove the failure. Both the leaves, branches, blockage. speed and direction bird nests) between...

  • Page 50: Loss Of Communication With Orion Sensor Module

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Loss of communication with Orion sensor module: Check the Interface Module. If the Green Power LED and Red • Power LED are off then it is possible that the fuse has blown. Disconnect power and then remove the four screws on the front panel of the Interface Module to check the fuse.

  • Page 51: Section 9: User Support Information

    Follow the packing instructions carefully to protect your instrument in transit. Limited Warranty Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. (CWS), warrants the Orion Weather Station to be free from defects in materials and/or workmanship when operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s operating instructions, for one (1) years from date of purchase, subject to the provisions contained herein.

  • Page 52: Return For Repair Procedure

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Return for Repair Procedure In the event of defects or damage to your unit, first call the...

  • Page 53: ________________________________________________________________________

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Send to: Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. 5285 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite C100 Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 C.O.D. shipments will not be accepted. If your unit is under warranty, after repair or replacement has been completed, it will be returned by a carrier and method chosen by Columbia Weather, Inc.

  • Page 54: Reference

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Reference Glossary Aspirating Radiation Shield A device used to shield a sensor such as a temperature probe from direct and indirect radiation and rain while providing access for ventilation. Barometric Pressure The pressure exerted by the atmosphere as a consequence of gravitational attraction exerted upon the “column”...

  • Page 55: Global Radiation

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Global Radiation The total of direct solar radiation and diffused sky radiation received by a unit horizontal surface. Global radiation is measured by a pyranometer. Heat Index The heat index or apparent temperature is a measure of discomfort due to the combination of heat and high humidity.

  • Page 56: Unit Conversion

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Unit Conversion Speed Kilometers per hour = 1.610 x miles per hour Knots = 0.869 x miles per hour Meters per second = 0.448 x miles per hour Feet per second = 1.467 x miles per hour Temperature Temperature in °...

  • Page 57: Tables And Formulas

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Tables and Formulas Wind Chill Chart In 2001, NWS implemented an updated Wind chill Temperature (WCT) index. The change improves upon the former WCT Index used by the NWS and the Meteorological Services of Canada, which was based on the 1945 Siple and Passel Index.

  • Page 58: Wind Chill Equation

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Wind Chill Equation 0.16 0.16 WC = 35.74 + 0.6215 T -35.75(V ) + 0.4275 T(V Where: WC = wind chill temperature in ° F V = wind velocity in mph T = air temperature in ° F Note: Wind chill Temperature is only defined for temperatures at or below 50 degrees F and wind speeds above 3 mph.

  • Page 59: Heat Index

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Heat Index Temperature in ° F 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 103 107 111 117 120 102 107 111 116 122 126 100 105 111 116 123 131 102 108 115 123 131...

  • Page 60: Dew Point

    Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Dew Point B = (ln (RH/100) + ((17.2694*T) / (238.3+T))) / 17.2694 Dew Point in °C = (238.3 * B) / (1-B) Where: RH = Relative Humidity T = Temperature in °C Ln = Natural logarithm...
  • Page 61 Orion 420 Weather Station ________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. 5285 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite C100 Hillsboro, OR 97124 Telephone (503) 629-0887 (503) 629-0898 Web Site http://www.columbiaweather.com Email info@columbiaweather.com Catalog Number: 81655 Version 2.03 Printed in U.S.A. Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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