. . . Here's a close-up of the array:
. . . The wind vane and anemometer are not at the NWS "regulation" height of 10 meters, at least not in this iteration, but after checking my data for a week, and by my interpretations, it produces good representation; its current height is about 5 meters. The "pagoda" on the left is the meager radiation shield provided with the kit that houses the temperature, humidity, barometer, and wind sensors and data transmitter, the square unit to the right is the rain gauge . . .
. . . With the provided radiation shield, it appeared my temperature readings were rolling-up about ten degrees Fahrenheit too high, and it looked like it was likely skewing humidity and barometer data, as well. The picture below shows the larger radiation shield (not fan-aspirated) that I purchased and installed, with the assembly at a more "regulation" height:
. . . Note that the shield is much larger than the "stock" unit, and a week's worth of comparisons shows good data representation, matching closely, if not exactly, with other nearby stations (some with much more expensive equipment). I'm especially pleased by how closely the barometer follows the reportings from the station at SMF.
I do have a complaint with having to purchase the extra shield to augment the station, a sentiment shared by many others, I have found. It is obvious the provided shield is woefully inadequate, and the larger unit (basically a stack of oval UV-resistant plastic pie plates hollowed-out for sensor accommodation), costs over 30% of the original weather station purchase price!
. . . It may be hard to see in the picture above (click it for a larger rendering), but note that I moved the rain gauge down lower after becoming familiar with a new term: "undercatch." This is a phenomenon experienced by a rain gauge up too high in the wind. After reading about that, I quickly relocated down the mast to a more "regulation" position . . .
This photo shows the console provided with the station kit and my other laptop running the software app that uploads my data to the Web:
The software is called "Cumulus," and it seems to run well. The setup easy and intuitive and upload was near-instant. This setup is still a work in progress . . .
. . . My station can be seen "in action" with these links:
Sacramento Area: This is a Weather Underground overview map, my station should show at the southeast of the I-5 and I-80 interchange . . .
Weather Underground Data Display: My stations data on Weather Underground . . .
PWS Weather: The station's data on another service . . .
APRS/MADIS Data Collection: This one I just registered my station for and am still checking it out. Apparently it allows NOAA/NWS to use my data . . . like I actually have something relevant to offer!
