If you want to create or setup a wx station compliant to the standards
used by NOAA, a good read and place to start is the 'Federal Standard
for Siting Meteorological Sensors at Airports', FCM-S4-1994 (Rev Dec
2016), 27 pages. Good info on the standard height of sensors, distances
to place sensors from objects, where NOT to place them, etc. A
significant number of the NOAA/NWS reports seen on news programs come
from NWS wx stations sited on airport property. A number of state
offices such as Oregon's Dept of Transportation also have similar
standards for the wx monitoring sites they install along the highways
and byways.
The latter manual, besides providing siting data, explains why certain
siting of particular sensors is so important. However, for most hams
with Peet, Davis or other 'home' stations where some of the sensors are
often 'tied' together in one physica lpackage, the NOAA siting standards
may not be achievable. The most important one and one that can usually
be met would be the height for the wind sensor.
Another useful manual is the NOAA Federal Meteorological Handbook titled
'Surface Weather Observation and Reports', FCM-H1-2005, some 104 pages,
but really good info if into the weather scene.
Both of these I would think are available online through the Dept of
Commerce/NOAA Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological
Services and Supporting Research website or other sites.
Of course one can only do what works best for the locations and
conditions one has to deal with. In my case my temp and humidity sensors
are one board housed in a Peet pagoda in free air, open space, away from
anything that would influence it such as under an eave or on the lee of
a house (or on a roof top).
Like several of you, I'd like to know what the wind speed and temp is at
the top of my tower, but it would require separate sensors to do that.
I'd have to think through creating a process for switching back and
forth without interrupting my 'standard' data being logged and sent on a
5 minute basis to MesoWest. I know for sure that the speeds (and temp
maybe) at the tower top probably often differ from those at the NOAA
standard wind sensor height I use.
Good to see what various hams have done and their experiences with
different products. Knowing what is happening up at a tower top is
important but it appears few have taken the effort to achieve that,
including me.
Don W7WLL
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