NCAR Weather Station Sensor Specifications
Barometer
The barometer is a monolithic piezo-resistive device with lazer-minimal
temperature compensation.
- Range:
- 600 to 1100 millibars
- Resolution:
- 1 millibar reported
- Accuracy:
- 3 millibars
- Operation Temperature:
- -40 to 85 Degrees C
- Compensated Temperature:
- 0 to 50 Degrees C
- In Accuracy Specification:
- 0 to 50 Degrees C
Humidity Sensor
The humidity sensor is a Vaisala Humicap thin film device.
- Range:
- 0 to 100% Relative Humidity
- Accuracy at 20 degrees Celcius:
- +/- 2 percent (0 to 90% RH)
- +/- 3 percent (90 to 100% RH)
- Temperature Coefficient:
- +/- 0.04% RH/Degree C
- 90% Response Time:
- 15 seconds
- Long Term Stability:
- < 1% RH/year
Temperature Sensor
The temperature sensor is a powder metal oxide thermistor device.
- Range:
- -50 to +50 degrees Celsius
- Accuracy:
- +/- 0.15 degrees Celsius
- Time Constant:
- 3.0 seconds
Wind Sensor
The wind sensor is an R. M. Young prop-vane device with a helicoid propeller.
- Range:
- 0 to 60 meters per second (0 to 134 miles per hour)
- Threshold:
- 1.0 meters per second (2.2 miles per hour)
Rain Gauge
The rain gauge is a Texas Electronics Inc TR525I tipping bucket collector.
With all tipping bucket rain gauges, there may be some inaccuracy at the
beginning of a rainfall event as the collection funnel gets wet. Partially
full buckets also account for some inaccuracy at the beginning and end of
a rainfall event. We are not currently heating the rain gauge so snowfall
will show up after the event when the temperature warms up enough to thaw
the snow, and the amount reported may be inaccurate due to overflow of the
collection funnel and wind effects. The Rain Accumulation data is reset to
zero every day at midnight.
- Resolution:
- 0.01 inches reported per tip
- Accuracy:
- 1% at 2 inches/hour or better
- Temperature Limits:
- 0 to 50 Degrees C
- Humidity Limits:
- 0 to 100 percent C
- Receiving Orifice Diameter:
- 15.4 cm (6 inches)