Campbell Scientific PWS100 Present Weather Sensor - Manual (Page 105)

Section 10. Troubleshooting
checked that there are no spider’s webs on the instrument, especially in and
around the detection volume and hoods of the unit. If spider’s webs are present
they should be removed as they can collect condensed water vapor to form
droplets on the strands which may give rise to spurious signals. Secondly
flying insects may cause spurious signals; however these are likely to be
disregarded by the instrument and are unlikely to lead to classification of
precipitation. If insects become a problem then it may be necessary to use
insect deterrents or re-site the instrument away from any areas where insects
gather.
If insects are a persistent problem two other techniques can be used to dissuade
them for living on or near the sensor. One is to spray the baffle plates and end
of the sensor with a waterproof insecticide, taking great care not to spray the
lenses. The insecticide may need to be reapplied on a regular basis. The other
technique is to turn on the hood heaters and adjust the temperature to a high
level which can deter some species. If doing this in summer months it is
advisable to turn off the dew heaters to prevent excess heat building up inside
the sensor housings.
10.2.7 The OS update did not work
Ensure that the upload is not being carried out with an NL100 network link
interface in the communications pathway as this will prevent the OS update
from working due to the NL100 being incompatible with the Xmodem protocol
for the OS download. In such an instance it will be necessary to connect
directly to the PWS100 with, for example, a laptop computer.
If the OS update fails and there is no physical barrier for the upload, then check
the speed of the communications link. With slow links the system may drop the
connection causing the upload to fail. In this instance try the upload again,
possibly at a time when the communications link may run faster.
If the OS update still fails after checking the above then the OS file may be
corrupt and a new file may be required. Contact Campbell Scientific if this is
the case.
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