Casella CEL Automatic weather station - Manual (Page 9)

2. ASSEMBLY & COMMISSIONING
All Casella CEL Automatic Weather Stations are fully assembled and tested as an
integral system prior disassembly and to dispatch from the factory.
WARNING !
Before attempting to assemble and commission this CASELLA
CEL Automatic Weather Station, please carefully study the
installation procedures and drawings provided in this
handbook. For specialised systems, supplementary assembly
notes are also provided at the back of this book.
Contact your supplier immediately, should any parts be missing or
damaged.
2.1 Transporting The System
WARNING !
Neither the small (landline backup) nor the large (solar
battery) are secured in their respective enclosures.
ALWAYS DISCONNECT AND REMOVE the batteries to prevent
electrical and physical damage when transporting the system.
The solar battery is not sealed and must remain in an upright
position to prevent acid spillage.
2.2 Siting
The measurements used in meteorology are intended to represent general
conditions over as large an area around the measuring point as possible.
To achieve the most representative of local conditions, the weather
station should be sited in an unobstructed area open to the sun and wind. This
also maximises the efficiency of any solar-panel power supply when fitted. Sites
sheltered by trees or buildings, in hollows or on the sides of hills are not
recommended, neither are sites on buildings, as none of these locations will give
truly representative surface measurements.
The Automatic Weather Station is designed to meet these conditions.
Typically, it’s sensors should be mounted on a cross-bar located at least 2.0 m
above the ground, for example on the support frame, on a properly designed
base or on some other structure. The data acquisition unit enclosure, which also
houses control and communication systems may be mounted on the frame, or
on a suitable nearby building or structure.
A suitable concrete base to support the frame would be 1.5 metres
square and approximately 20 to 30 cm thick. When installing on a tower or
building, the fixing technique used must also pay consideration to the material
type, building structure and material thickness available at the installation site.
For systems utilising solar power, the orientation of the frame is
important. In the northern hemisphere the rear of the main enclosure must face
south while in the southern hemisphere it must face north. This allows the solar
panel to be aligned to face the mean position of the sun in its daily and yearly
path. (Please refer to the “Power Supplies” section for further details).
The U.K. Meteorological Office (Met Office) recommends that the
instruments be installed over closely mown grass. For further guidance, refer to
the Met Office leaflets:
Commissioning
Page 9 of 34
Automatic Weather Station
Assembly & Commissioning Handbook