Campbell Scientific PWS100 Present Weather Sensor - Manual (Page 101)

Section 9. Maintenance
9.1 General
The PWS100 Present Weather Sensor is a robust instrument that will provide
years of uninterrupted weather monitoring. Calibration of the instrument is
carried out at the factory and can be redone easily on site with the optional
calibration kit or carried out by Campbell Scientific if required. Only general
cleaning of the lenses is required to keep the sensor working efficiently.
9.2 Cleaning
Cleaning of the PWS100 will be required from time to time to ensure that the
lenses are free from contaminants. The frequency of required cleaning depends
on the exposure of the instrument to such contaminants. This will vary
depending on the site location. The PWS100 is capable of self diagnosing dirty
lenses and will indicate in its output when the lenses are contaminated to such a
degree that its particle measurements may be affected.
Campbell Scientific suggests 6 monthly intervals for locations not prone to
contaminants and monthly intervals for those prone to contamination (roadside
or airport use). In some cases more frequent cleaning may be required where
there are high levels of contaminants and high dependency on the instrument
output.
If the lenses require cleaning, it is very important that only
a proper lens cloth or lens tissue be used. The use of
inappropriate materials to clean the lenses can
permanently damage or reduce the effectiveness of the
lenses leading to errors in measurement of precipitation
and visibility. CAUTION
The baffle in the front of the laser head and lower head housing are easily
removed by unscrewing the retaining screw and carefully removing it, ensuring
that the nylon washer remains with the screw, as shown in Figure 9-1.
FIGURE 9-1. Baffle removal and fitting
9-1