Columbia Weather Systems Pulsar 10 User manual

User Manual
Pulsar Weather Station

Pulsar Weather Station 1
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Pulsar Weather Station™
User Manual
Version 1.14
Serial Number: ___________________
Date Purchased: __________________
All specifications subject to change without notice.
Printed in U. S. A.

2 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
© Copyright 2018 Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Proprietary Notice: Pulsar Weather Station, Orion Weather Station,
Capricorn 2000 Weather Station, Capricorn 2000MP Weather Station,
Capricorn 2000EX Weather Station, Magellan MX Weather Station,
Magellan Weather Station, Vela Weather Station and Weather
MicroServer are trademarks of Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. The
information and drawings contained herein are the sole property of
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. Use of this publication is reserved
exclusively for customers of Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. and their
personnel. Reproduction of this material is forbidden without the express
written consent of Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pulsar Weather Station 3
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Welcome!
Congratulations on your purchase of a Pulsar Weather Station.
Please read this manual completely prior to installation.

4 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pulsar Weather Station 5
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Important Notice: Shipping
Damage
BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER, please inspect all system
components for obvious shipping damage. The Pulsar is a high
precision instrument and can be damaged by rough handling. Your unit
was packaged to minimize the possibility of damage in transit. Please
save the shipping container for any future shipment of your Pulsar
sensor.
In the event your order arrives in damaged condition, it is important that
the following steps be taken immediately. The title transfers automatically
to you, the customer, once the material is entrusted to the transport
company.
NOTE: DO NOT RETURN THE INSTRUMENT TO COLUMBIA
WEATHER SYSTEMS until the following steps are completed. Failure to
follow this request will jeopardize your claim.
1. Open the container and inspect the contents. Do not throw away
the container or any damaged parts. Try to keep items in the
same condition as originally received.
2. Notify the transport company immediately.
3. Request the transport company’s representative inspect the
shipment personally.
4. After inspection, request a Return Materials Authorization (RMA)
from Columbia Weather Systems by calling [phone].
5. Return approved items to us at the following address:
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
5285 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite C100
Hillsboro, OR 97124
6. After a repair evaluation, an estimate of the cost of repair will be
sent to you.

6 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
ESD Protection
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can cause immediate or latent damage to
electronic circuits. The Pulsar is adequately protected against ESD for its
intended use. However, it is possible to damage the product by
delivering electrostatic discharges when touching, removing, or inserting
any objects inside the equipment housing.
To avoid delivering high static voltages to yourself:
1. Handle ESD sensitive components on a properly grounded and
protected ESD workbench. When this is not possible, ground
yourself with a wrist strap and a resistive connection cord to the
equipment chassis before touching the boards. When neither of
the above is possible, at least touch a conductive part of the
equipment chassis with your other hand before touching the
boards.
2. Always hold the boards by the edges and avoid touching the
component contacts.

Pulsar Weather Station 7
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Table of Contents
WELCOME! ..................................................................................3
IMPORTANT NOTICE: SHIPPING DAMAGE .......................5
ESD PROTECTION ............................................................................................. 6
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................11
THE PULSAR WEATHER STATION ................................................................... 11
SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................. 12
Operating Conditions ................................................................................. 12
Wind Speed ................................................................................................ 12
Wind Direction ........................................................................................... 12
Relative Humidity....................................................................................... 12
Temperature ............................................................................................... 12
Barometric Pressure .................................................................................. 13
Precipitation .............................................................................................. 13
Compass ..................................................................................................... 13
Solar Radiation .......................................................................................... 13
Input Voltage .............................................................................................. 14
Heating....................................................................................................... 14
Heating Power Source ............................................................................... 14
Power Consumption (without heating) ...................................................... 15
Power Consumption (@ 24VDC - with heating) ........................................ 15
Dimensions & Weights ............................................................................... 16
Sensor Housing .......................................................................................... 16
Electrical Conformity ................................................................................. 17
PULSAR 10 SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................... 18
Operating Conditions ................................................................................. 18
Wind Speed ................................................................................................ 18
Wind Direction ........................................................................................... 18
Relative Humidity....................................................................................... 18
Temperature ............................................................................................... 18
Barometric Pressure .................................................................................. 18
Precipitation .............................................................................................. 19
Compass ..................................................................................................... 19
Solar Radiation .......................................................................................... 19
UV Index .................................................................................................... 19
Dimensions & Weight ................................................................................ 19
Sensor Housing .......................................................................................... 19
PRINCIPLES OF MEASUREMENTS ..................................................................... 20
Temperature & Relative Humidity ............................................................. 20
Wind Speed & Direction ............................................................................ 20
Barometric Pressure .................................................................................. 20
Precipitation .............................................................................................. 20

8 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Solar Radiation .......................................................................................... 21
(501 Model) ................................................................................................ 21
(700 & 800 Model)..................................................................................... 21
Lightning Detection ................................................................................... 21
Compass ..................................................................................................... 21
Ventilation Fan .......................................................................................... 21
GPS (Global Positioning System) Pulsar 10 Only ..................................... 22
SECTION 2: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ...............................23
PULSAR SENSOR TRANSMITTER ...................................................................... 23
Pulsar 10 .................................................................................................... 25
Pulsar 100 .................................................................................................. 27
Pulsar 200 .................................................................................................. 28
Pulsar 500 .................................................................................................. 29
Pulsar 501 .................................................................................................. 30
Pulsar 600 .................................................................................................. 31
Pulsar 601 .................................................................................................. 32
Pulsar 700 .................................................................................................. 33
Pulsar 800 .................................................................................................. 34
INTERFACE MODULE ...................................................................................... 35
SURGE/LIGHTNING PROTECTOR ...................................................................... 36
WEATHER MICROSERVER (REQUIRED) .......................................................... 37
WEATHERMASTER SOFTWARE (OPTIONAL) ................................................ 38
WEATHER DISPLAY CONSOLE (OPTIONAL) .................................................... 39
SECTION 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS ..........................41
Cabled System COM2 Connection ............................................................. 41
Cabled System COM1 Connection ............................................................. 42
System with Weatherproof Enclosure ........................................................ 43
4-20mA Industrial Interface ....................................................................... 47
SECTION 4: INSTALLATION .................................................51
INSTALLATION OVERVIEW .............................................................................. 51
UNPACKING THE UNIT .................................................................................... 51
Installing the Pulsar Sensor Transmitter ................................................... 53
Site Selection: ............................................................................................ 53
Installing the Mast ..................................................................................... 53
Location ..................................................................................................... 53
Mounting Method ....................................................................................... 53
Routing Cable ............................................................................................ 54
Sensor Mounting Hardware ....................................................................... 55
Mounting Adapter ...................................................................................... 56
Installation Procedure ............................................................................... 56
North Alignment – Integrated Electronic Compass ................................... 57
Manual North Alignment (Optional Procedure) ........................................ 57
Installing the Surge Arrestor...................................................................... 59

Pulsar Weather Station 9
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Connecting the Sensor Transmitter to the Interface Module ..................... 60
OPTIONAL SENSOR MOUNTING HARDWARE ................................................... 61
Tripod and Tiedown Kit ............................................................................. 61
Specifications ............................................................................................. 62
Sensor Mast ................................................................................................ 63
Roof Mounting ........................................................................................... 63
Wall Mounting ........................................................................................... 64
PULSAR 10 INSTALLATION .............................................................................. 66
SECTION 5: CALIBRATION & MAINTENANCE................67
FACTORY CALIBRATION AND REPAIR SERVICE .............................................. 67
CLEANING....................................................................................................... 67
SECTION 6: TROUBLESHOOTING .......................................69
Loss of communication with Pulsar sensor transmitter: ............................ 70
SECTION 7: USER SUPPORT INFORMATION ...................71
LIMITED WARRANTY ...................................................................................... 71
EXCLUSIONS ............................................................................................ 71
RETURN FOR REPAIR PROCEDURE .................................................................. 72
REFERENCE ...............................................................................74
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................... 74
Aspirating Radiation Shield ....................................................................... 74
Barometric Pressure .................................................................................. 74
Celsius Temperature Scale......................................................................... 74
Dew Point .................................................................................................. 74
Density Altitude .......................................................................................... 74
Fahrenheit Temperature Scale ................................................................... 74
Global Radiation ........................................................................................ 75
Heat Index .................................................................................................. 75
Pyranometer ............................................................................................... 75
Relative Humidity....................................................................................... 75
Sea Level Pressure ..................................................................................... 75
Solar Radiation .......................................................................................... 76
Wind Chill .................................................................................................. 76
UNIT CONVERSION ......................................................................................... 76
Speed .......................................................................................................... 76
Temperature ............................................................................................... 76
Distance ..................................................................................................... 76
Pressure ..................................................................................................... 76
TABLES AND FORMULAS ................................................................................. 77
Wind Chill Chart ........................................................................................ 77
Wind Chill Equation .................................................................................. 78
Heat Index .................................................................................................. 79
Dew Point .................................................................................................. 80

10 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pulsar Weather Station 11
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
The Pulsar Weather Station
The Pulsar is a highly accurate weather station designed around an all-
in-one sensor module and the Weather MicroServer.
The Weather MicroServer is available for Ethernet connectivity,
Modbus/TCP, Modbus RTU, SNMP V2/V3 interface, DNP3
Ethernet/Serial, BACnet, CWS Weather Server, Weather Underground,
Anything Weather and CWOP interface, XML weather data, and FTP.
Please see the MicroServer user manual for more information.

12 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Specifications
Operating Conditions
Temperature Operation: -58 to +140°F (-50 to +60°C)
Relative humidity: 0 to 100%
Wind Speed
Range: 0 to 167 mph (0 to 75 m/s) (WS 601: 0 to 67 mph (0 to 30 m/s))
Accuracy: ±0.67 mph (±0.3 m/s)
or ±3% 0 to 78 mph (0 to 35 m/s) ±5% >78mph
Resolution: 0.2 mph (0.1 m/s)
Units Available: knots, mph, km/hr, m/s
Wind Direction
Measurement Range: 0 to 360°
Accuracy: < 3° (>1 m/s)
Resolution: 0.1°
Response threshold: 0.01 mph (0.3 m/s)
Units Available: degrees
Relative Humidity
Range: 0 to 100%
Accuracy: ±2% RH
Resolution: 0.1% RH
Units Available: %RH
Temperature
Range: -58 to 140°F (-50 to +60°C)
Accuracy: ±0.36°F (-4 to 122°F) otherwise ±0.9°F (> -22°F)
Resolution: 0.18°F (-4 to 122°F) otherwise 0.36°F
Units Available: °F, °C

Pulsar Weather Station 13
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Barometric Pressure
Range: 8.85 to 35.4 inHg (300 to 1200 hPa)
Accuracy: ±0.015 inHg (0.5 hPa) (32 to 104°F)
Resolution: 0.003 inHg (0.1 hPa)
Units Available: kPa, hPa, mbar, inHg
Precipitation
Doppler Radar
Measurement Range (drop size): (0.01 to 0.2 in) (0.3 to 5 mm)
Resolution: 0.0004 in (0.01 mm)
Precipitation types: Rain, snow
Reproducibility: Typical > 90%
Response threshold: 0.002mm
Units Available: mm, inches
Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge (601 Model)
Resolution: 0.2 mm / 0.5 mm
Accuracy: ±2%
Precipitation type: Rain
Units Available: mm, inches
Compass
Measurement Range: 0 to 359°
Resolution: 1.0°
Sampling rate: 5 minutes
Solar Radiation
(501 Model)
Measurement Range: 0.0 to 2,000 W/m2
Resolution <1 W/m2
Response time (95%): 18 seconds
Non-stability (change/year): <1%
Non-linearity (0 to 1,000 W/m2): <1%
Directional error (at 80° with 1,000 W/m²): <20 W/m²

14 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Temperature dependence of sensitivity: <5% (-10 to +40°C)
Tilt error at 1,000 W/m²: <1%
Spectral range (50% points): 300 to 2,800 nm
Maximum irradiance: 2,000 W/m²
(700 & 800 Model)
Measurement Range: 0.0 to 2,000 W/m2
Response time (95%): < 1 sec
Spectral range 300 to 1100 nm
Input Voltage
The Pulsar is supplied with a wall mount switching power supply
Input: 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 HZ, 0.6A
Output: 24 VDC, 2.5A
The Pulsar can also be powered directly using a DC voltage source
Input: 12 to 24 VDC (1.7 A at 24 VDC) when heater is activated
Heating
The precipitation sensor and wind sensors are heated for operation in
winter.
The heater will be enabled when the ambient temperature falls below
41°F (5°C). The heater will maintain a temperature of 122°F (50°C) to
prevent the effects of ice and snow on the ultrasonic wind sensor and the
Doppler radar precipitation sensor.
Heating Power Source
Input: 12 to 24 VDC (1.7 A at 24 VDC)
To ensure full functionality of the heater, a voltage of 24VDC is advised.
When the sensor is powered at 12VDC the functionality of the heater is
limited (i.e., heater may not be able to keep the sensor completely ice
free during winter operation.)

Pulsar Weather Station 15
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Power Consumption (without heating)
Model 24VDC 12VDC
10 230mA 460mA
100 42mA 82mA
200 16mA 25mA
500 140mA 80mA
501 145mA 85mA
600 160mA 130mA
601 140mA 85mA
700 160mA 130mA
800 160mA 130mA
Power Consumption (@ 24VDC - with heating)
Model 24VDC Wattage
100 380mA 9.1W
200 833mA 20W
500 833mA 20W
501 833mA 20W
600 1.7A 40W
601 833mA 20W
700 1.7A 40W
800 1.7A 40W

16 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Dimensions & Weights
Model Height Width Weight
10 5.11 in
(130 mm)
5.7 in
(145 mm)
1.10 lb
(0.5 kg)
100 7.4 in
(190 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
1.32 lb
(0.6 kg)
200 7.6 in
(194 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
1.76 lb
(0.8 kg)
500 11.3 in
(287 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
2.64 lb
(1.2 kg)
501 13.07 in
(332 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
3.3 lb
(1.5 kg)
600 13.5 in
(343 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
3.3 lb
(1.5 kg)
601 17.5 in
(445 mm)
6.4 in
(164 mm)
3.75 lb
(1.7 kg)
700 13.5 in
(344 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
3.3 lb
(1.5 kg)
800 13.5 in
(344 mm)
5.9 in
(150 mm)
3.3 lb
(1.5 kg)
Sensor Housing
Protection type: IP66 (Pulsar 10; IP67)
Protection class: III (SELV)

Pulsar Weather Station 17
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Electrical Conformity
The Pulsar series of sensors conform to the following specific EMC
Standards:
EN 61000-6-2:2005Part 6-2: Generic Standards - Immunity for Industrial
Environments
EN 61000-4-2 (2009-12) ESD
EN 61000-4-3 (2011-04) Radiated electromagnetic field
EN 61000-4-4 (2011-10) Burst
EN 61000-4-5 (2007-06) Surge
EN 61000-4-6 (2009-12) Conducted disturbances, induced by radio-
frequency fields
EN 61000-4-8 (2010-11) Power frequency magnetic field immunity
EN 61000-4-16 (2011-09) conducted, common mode disturbances
EN 61000-4-29 (2001-10) Short interruptions and voltage variations on
DC input
EN 61000-6-3:2007Part 6-4: Generic Standards - Emission Standard for
Industrial
Environments
EN 55011:2009 + A1:2010 (2011-04) Line-conducted disturbances
IEC / CISPR 11:2009 and changes 1:2010 Class B
prEN 50147-3:2000 Radiated emission

18 Pulsar Weather Station
____________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Pulsar 10 Specifications
Operating Conditions
Temperature Operation: -40 to +140°F (-40 to +60°C)
Relative humidity: 0 to 100%
Wind Speed
Range: 0 to 90 mph (0 to 40 m/s)
Accuracy: ±2.2 mph (±1 m/s) or 5%, the larger value is valid
Units Available: knots, mph, km/hr, m/s
Wind Direction
Measurement Range: 0 to 360°
Accuracy: ±10°
Units Available: degrees
Relative Humidity
Range: 0 to 100%
Accuracy: ±5% @ 68°F and < 80% RH
Units Available: %RH
Temperature
Range: -40 to +140°F (-40 to +60°C)
Accuracy: ±1.8°F (41 to 140°F), otherwise <±3.6°F
(±1°C (5 to 60°C) otherwise < ±2°C)
Units Available: °F, °C
Barometric Pressure
Range: 8.85 to 32.48 inHg (300 to 1100 hPa)
Accuracy: ±0.015 inHg (0.5 hPa) @ 77°F
Units Available: kPa, hPa, mbar, inHg

Pulsar Weather Station 19
___________________________________________________________________
Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.
Precipitation
Measurement Range: (0 to 0.04 in/hr) (0 to 100 mm/hr)
Accuracy: 20% under laboratory environment
Resolution: 0.0004 in (0.01 mm)
Units Available: mm, inches
Compass
Measurement Range: 0 to 359°
Resolution: 1.0°
Sampling rate: 1 second (mean value over 16 measurements)
Solar Radiation
Measurement Range: 0 to 1,500 W/m2
Accuracy: 10% or ±120 W/m2, larger value is valid
UV Index
Measurement Range: 0 to 15
Dimensions & Weight
8.9 in x 5.7 in x 5.1 in (227 mm x 145 mm x 130 mm)
1.10 lb (0.5 kg)
Tube size diameter: 1.37 in (35 mm)
Sensor Housing
Protection type: IP67
Protection class: III (SELV)