Coastal ZENO User manual

820 First Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134 USA www.CoastalEnvironmental.com
[phone] [phone] Fax: [phone] ISO 9001:2008 Certified
ZENO®Weather Station
Manual
May 2012
©2012 Coastal Environmental Systems, Inc. P/N: 0302-116-017, Rev: 0

ZENO®Weather Station Manual
2
To check for additional technical notes, please visit our Technical Notes web page:
http:www.coastalenvironmental.com/service-technical-notes.shtml
Table of Contents
1. Set-Up Guides ...........................................................................................................................4
2. ZENO®3200 Weather Station.................................................................................................9
2.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................9
2.2 ZENO®Electronics .............................................................................................................9
2.3 Power Source/Supply ........................................................................................................10
2.4 Memory/Data Storage/Display and/or Telemetry.............................................................10
3. How and Where to place a Weather Station and the Sensors:...........................................11
3.1 Wind Speed and Direction ................................................................................................11
3.2 Temperature and Relative Humidity .................................................................................11
3.3 Precipitation ......................................................................................................................11
3.4 Pressure .............................................................................................................................12
3.5 Solar Radiation..................................................................................................................12
3.6 Soil Temperature ...............................................................................................................12
3.7 Visibility............................................................................................................................12
3.8 Cloud Height .....................................................................................................................12
3.9 Lightning/Thunderstorm Detection...................................................................................12
3.10 Ice Accumulation ..............................................................................................................13
3.11 Gamma Radiation..............................................................................................................13
4. Weather Station Assembly.....................................................................................................13
4.1 Locate the Tower Site and Assemble the Tower Base......................................................13
4.2 Attaching the NEMA Box.................................................................................................14
4.3 Wind Monitor Alignment Guide.......................................................................................15
4.4 Attach the Sensors to the Tower .......................................................................................17
4.5 Locate and Install the Ground Sensors..............................................................................17
4.6 Earth Grounding the Tower...............................................................................................18
4.7 Attaching Sensor Cables to ZENO®.................................................................................18
4.8 Attaching the Battery ........................................................................................................18
5. Routine Maintenance .............................................................................................................19
6. Connecting to the ZENO®– Overview .................................................................................20

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ANNEX 1. Procedure to Download Data Files.......................................................................23
ANNEX 2. Procedure to Change the Sample Period .............................................................25
ANNEX 3. Procedure to Update the Clock.............................................................................27
ANNEX 4. Procedure to Upload a Configuration File ..........................................................29
ANNEX 5a. Procedure to Download a Configuration File .....................................................32
ANNEX 5b. Procedure to Download a Configuration File using X-Modem .........................36
ANNEX 6. Procedure to Verify Barometer Accuracy...........................................................39
ANNEX 7. Procedure to Enter Elevation Offset for Pressure Sensor .................................41
ANNEX 8. Procedure to Enter Magnetic Deviation for Wind Direction.............................43
Table of Figures
Figure 6-1: ZENO®3200................................................................................................................20

820 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] www.CoastalEnvironmental.com
ZENO® Permanent Weather Station Set-Up Guide 1
See alignment sheet
for correct alignment
This is a generic overview of a permanent ZENO®tower
installation. Your system may not include all of the
components listed, or may have different components. Please
refer to the installation documentation
provided for each component in
your system or contact Coastal for
assistance.
TOWER
1. (Detailed tower assembly instructions
can be found in the Tower Installation
Package.) Attach two legs of the bottom
tower section to the “front” anchors. Lay
the tower base on its side.
2. Align the top two tower sections end to end in line with the
tower base. Connect the sections together, and tighten.
Temperature
and Humidity
Sensors
Rain
Gauge
Lightning
Rod
Wind Sensor
ZENO®
Enclosure
typically houses
the data logger,
power supply,
back-up battery
and barometer.
1
2a
2b 2c 2d
2e 2f
4

GROUNDING ROD
3. Approximately two feet from the tower
base, insert the grounding rod into the
earth until approx. six inches remain above
ground.
4. Attach a grounding wire to the tower base
with the provided clamp. Connect the other
end to the grounding rod, leaving enough
slack that the tower can be tipped down for
maintenance. If preferred, the ground rod
can be driven below the surface.
LIGHTNING ROD & MOUNT
5. Attach the lightning mount to the top of
the tower, just below the rst horizontal
bar, using two u-bolts. Secure a short
grounding wire to one of the u-bolts and
then to an adjacent tower leg.
6. Install the Lightning Rod on the mount.
The top of the Lightning Rod should be
higher than the top of the Wind Sensor.
WIND SENSOR
7. Mount the one-inch extension pipe to the top of the tower, then attach the Wind Sensor to the
top of the extension pipe. See the Wind Sensor Alignment sheet to correctly align your Wind
Sensor (when the tower is upright).
TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY SENSORS
8. Attach the Temperature and Humidity Sensor assembly to the tower base two meters above
ground.
SOLAR RADIATION SENSOR
9. The solar radiation sensor should be installed on the SOUTH* side of the tower, slightly above the Temperature
and Humidity Sensor assembly, and in a manner so that it is never shaded by the tower or other sensors.
(*NORTH side in the southern hemisphere)
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ZENO® Permanent Weather Station Set-Up Guide 2
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7d7c7b7a
6b6a5
4b4a3a 3b
ZENO® Permanent Weather Station Set-Up Guide 2
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820 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] www.CoastalEnvironmental.com
ZENO®ENCLOSURE
10. Bolt the two mounting plates to the top and bottom of the ZENO®enclosure.* Install the
enclosure to the tower base at eye level using four u-bolts. (*Rotate the mounting plates 180
degrees to t narrower towers.)
11. Attach one end of a small grounding wire to the base of the ZENO®enclosure and the other
end to an adjacent tower leg.
RAINFALL SENSOR
12. Mount the Rain Gauge to a sturdy support, with nothing over the top. Remove the top funnel
from the sensor and verify that the tipping
mechanism moves freely. Remove any
device used to hold the tipping mechanism
in place during shipping.
OTHER SENSORS
13. Carefully insert or bury the Soil
Temperature Sensor in the area of soil to
be monitored and attach the cable to the
enclosure.
14. Fully insert the Soil Moisture Sensor
prongs into the area of soil to be monitored
and attach the cable to the enclosure.
15. Attach the Solar Panel to the tower base above the ZENO®enclosure so that it is facing
toward the Sun (SOUTH*). *In the southern hemisphere, align the Solar Panel to face
NORTH.
ATTACH WIRES TO TOWER
16. Run all sensor wires down the nearest tower leg to the ZENO®enclosure, Using cable ties,
attach every six to eight inches. When installing cables for power, communication, rain gauge
or any other connection which is separate from the tower: leave enough slack in the cable to
allow the tower to be lowered properly.
16
12c12b12a
11
10a 10b 10c 10d
ZENO® Permanent Weather Station Set-Up Guide 3
6

RAISE THE TOWER
17. Once all sensors are attached and the wires are secured to the
tower, slowly raise the tower. While one person steadies the
tower, insert the nal bolts in the third tower leg and secure.
FINISH WIRING
18. Run all cables through the gasket feedthroughs and attach to
the ZENO®as shown in the wiring diagram. Tighten gasket
feedthroughs by hand.
820 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] www.CoastalEnvironmental.com
18a 18b
17d
17c17b
17a
ZENO® Permanent Weather Station Set-Up Guide 4
7

ZENO® Portable Weather Station Set-Up Guide
820 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] www.CoastalEnvironmental.com
FACE SOUTH*
Place
1.5 METERS
above
ground
Wind Sensor
Solar
Radiation
Sensor
In Northern Hemisphere
Net Radiometer
Sensor
ZENO®
Enclosure
also holds the
Barometric
Pressure
Sensor
Soil Moisture
Sensor
Rainfall
Sensor
Soil
Temperature
Sensor
Humidity and
Temperature
Sensors
1. Select a level piece of ground about 4 meters in
diameter.
2. Assemble the lower tower section: Insert the three
legs into the tower base and secure with a turn
clockwise, forming a tripod. Place the tripod in the
center of the 4-meter diameter area.
3. Attach the ZENO®3200 Enclosure to the tower
base using the clamps on the rear of the enclosure
as shown.
4. Mount the Wind Sensor on the extension pole for the
top of the tower, then attach the extension pole to the
top of the tower base. The face of the small junction
box on the Wind Sensor should face due South*.
5. If you have one, mount the Net Radiometer Sensor
on the extension pole so that the sensor and rod
point due South*, with the sensor facing upward.
The sensor must be mounted 1.5 meters above
the ground.
6. If you have one, attach the Solar Panel below the
Net Radiometer Sensor so that it is facing toward
the Sun.
7. Attach the Humidity and Temperature Sensors
assembly just above the Net Radiometer Sensor.
8. If you have one, attach the Solar Radiation Sensor
on the tower extension pole several centimeters
above the Humidity and Temperature Sensors
assembly as shown. The sensor must point
South* and face upward.
9. If you have one, carefully insert or bury the Soil
Temperature Sensor in the area of soil to be
monitored and attach the cable to the enclosure.
10. If you have one, fully insert the Soil Moisture Sensor
prongs into the area of soil to be monitored and attach
the cable to the enclosure.
11. If you have one, place the Rainfall Sensor on level
ground near the tower, but with nothing over the top.
Remove the top funnel from the sensor and verify that
the tipping mechanism is able to move freely. Remove
anything used to hold the tipping mechanism in place
during shipping.
12. Run all Cables through the Gasket Feedthroughs
and attach to the ZENO®as shown in the Wiring
Diagram. Tighten gasket feedthroughs by hand.
*In the Southern Hemisphere, align these sensors
to FACE NORTH.
4
8
7
5
3
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2. ZENO®3200 Weather Station
This is a generic manual for most 2, 3 and 10 meter ZENO®Weather Stations.
2.1 Overview
A ZENO®weather station can serve many purposes, come with a variety of sensors and perform a
number of functions depending on the customers’ needs and uses.
Essentially your ZENO®weather station consists of the following components:
1. Sensors (to take measurements of the environment)
2. ZENO®electronics to process/store/forward or compute the measurements from the
sensors
3. A Power Source/Supply
4. Memory/storage of data, display of data and/or one or both of the former plus
sending the data somewhere else (telemetry).
Your station may also include a tower or other peripheral accessories.
The sensors may consist of basic to exotic depending on your application and need. Below is a
partial listing of the most common sensors:
•Wind speed and direction
•Temperature and Relative Humidity (Dew Point can be calculated)
•Barometric pressure (as well as altimeter settings)
•Rainfall/Precipitation amount
•Solar radiation (of various types; there are many)
•Soil Moisture
•Soil Temperature
•Visibility
•Cloud Height
•Lighting/Thunder storm detection
•Freezing Rain
•Ice Accumulation
•Gamma Radiation
2.2 ZENO®Electronics
The ZENO®electronics carries out the following functions:
•controlling and providing power to all attached sensors;
•gathering data continuously for all connected sensors (18 bit analog resolution);

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•carrying out self-tests to monitor the condition of the sensors and electronics for
possible problems;
•processing gathered data;
•checking the data for any alarm conditions;
•prepare data for immediate retrieval by a PC computer by means of cellular telephone
interface (optional);
•logging historical data for later retrieval.
The ZENO® 3200 has an extremely robust design. Each input and output, including the serial
communication ports, has lightning protection. Extensive hardware and software self-checks are
carried out. Surface mount technology is used to give a high degree of resistance to mechanical
and thermal shocks. This is a system that can be installed in remote sites with confidence.
2.2.1 ZENO®3200 Software
All of the features contained in the ZENO® 3200 software are easily modified. The user can
change sample periods, adjust the system clock, and even test individual sensors – one can
actually obtain analog voltage outputs, or isolate the output of a single sensor using the
ZENO® 3200 test menu. The menus are password-protected to avoid accidental or unauthorized
changes of the ZENO® 3200’s configuration. A true real-time clock achieves multi-tasking that
the ZENO® 3200 samples and communicates simultaneously.
2.3 Power Source/Supply
Typically your weather station will be supplied with either an AC mains power supply, with or
without a back-up battery, or a solar power/charging system.
2.4 Memory/Data Storage/Display and/or Telemetry
The ZENO®can come with a large amount of data storage. This may be used if there is no
method of communication between your weather station and you (a PC). It is not recommended to
rely on storing large amounts of data over long periods of time as your only source of data storage.
A display built into the enclosure can be ordered if you wish to or have someone view the data on
site. A push button activates the display, which will shut off automatically after a set period of
time.
If you have telemetry communications with your ZENO®, you will likely also have Coastal’s
INTERCEPT®software that will contact the station or stations automatically and download the
data at set periods of time.
There are several communications devices commonly used:
•Radio (VHF, UHF or Spread Spectrum)