QuantAQ supports the integration of Gill MaxiMet weather stations with MODULAIR (X-series) products. Gill MaxiMet sensors are robust and have no moving parts. The stations are directly integrated with MODULAIR for direct data communication and fully integrated into the QuantAQ Cloud.
QuantAQ currently supports two weather station models (GMX200, GMX500) as documented in the table at the top of this page. The GMX200 offers wind speed and wind direction measurements, whereas the GMX500 offers wind speed and wind direction as well as ambient temperature, pressure, and relative humidity.
Gill products carry FCC, CA, and CE certifications for the MaxiMet product line.
1.4 Instrument Overview
Figure 1.1: A labeled diagram of the GMX500 weather station (WS-GMX500)
2. Installation and Hardware Setup
The Weather Station is shipped partially pre-assembled to ensure a quick and easy installation process. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Siting. Avoid turbulence caused by surrounding structures that will affect the measurement, such as trees, buildings, or even posts or poles. The exact location and manner in which you site your weather station depends on your constraints and measurement goals. Please see section 2.3 for more information and guidance.
Orientation. The weather station should be mounted horizontally and vertically as level as possible.
Pole or Post Diameter. The mounting bracket that ships with the weather station is designed to sit at the top of a pole or post with diameters between 1.5" and 2.5" in diameter. If this does not work for your use case, please contact QuantAQ Support for further information and drawings.
2.1 Unboxing
When your weather station arrives, it will be packaged in its shipping box, partially pre-assembled. Once the box is open, remove the mounting bracket, cable, and parts bag and set them aside. In the box, you should expect to find:
Gill MaxiMet Weather Station (separately packaged within the box)
Parts bag including:
Four (4) 1/4"-20 2.5" bolts
One (1) mounting back plate
Three (3) 10MM M5 screws
Three (3) M6 single-wave washers
9-pin clipper connector cable to 4P M12 cable
Assembled mounting bracket and post
Figure 2.1: Unboxing the Weather Station, you will find four items: (1) Gill MaxiMet weather station; (2) 2M, 9-pin cable; (3) parts bag; and (4) the pre-assembled mounting bracket and post.
Figure 2.2: Unpackaging the parts bag, you will find: (1) 4 1/4"-20 2.5" bolts; (2) 3 10MM, M5 screws; (3) 3 M6 single wave washers; and (4) the mounting back plate.
2.2 Installation
Tools required:
Adjustable or 3/8" wrench or socket for the 1/4"-20 bolts
4MM hex driver to secure the mounting screws between the weather station and mounting post
zip ties to secure the cable to the mounting bracket
1
Connector Assembly
Connect the 9-pin clipper connector to the base of the MaxiMet weather station. To do so, align the 9-pins to the 9-pin connector on the base of the weather station and twist the top part of the clipper connector until it locks.
Figure 2.3: Connect the 9-pin connector to the weather station.
2
Weather Station Assembly
This step can be done before or after mounting the bracket to the post or pole for final installation.
Once the cable is connected to the weather station, place the M12-end of the cable through the top of the mounting post, allowing the cable to drop through the bottom of the mounting post. Orient the weather station such that the three holes along the bottom of the weather station align with the three tapped holes in the mounting post. Secure the weather station using the three M5 screws and single-wave washers.
Using a zip-tie or similar, secure the cable to the mounting bracket to provide strain relief.
Figure 2.4: Provide strain relief to the cable using a zip-tie and the zip-tie slot of the mounting bracket.
3
Mounting
Using the four (4) 1/4"-20 bolts, secure the Back Plate to the main Bracket by tightening the four bolts evenly until the Bracket is secured. For recommendations on siting, please see Section 2.3. Directionality of the sensor does not matter.
All supported MaxiMet weather stations contain a 2-axis flux gate compass. The internal compass electronically senses the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field. Information from the compass is used to correct the wind direction in instances where the weather station is not aligned to North.
4
Connect to MODULAIR
Connect the M12 end of the cable into the 4-pin, M12 connector on your MODULAIR, located on the right side of the base of the instrument.
2.3 Siting
When siting an ultrasonic wind sensor, it is important to ensure that the location is free from obstructions such as trees, buildings, and other structures that might cause wind disturbances. The sensor should be positioned at a height that is representative of the area’s typical wind conditions. Proper alignment and leveling of the sensor will further enhance the accuracy of wind speed and direction measurements. By taking these factors into account, you can ensure that the ultrasonic wind sensor provides reliable data for meteorological analysis.
The World Meteorological Organization makes the following recommendations:
The standard exposure of wind instruments over level open terrain is 10m above the ground. Open terrain is defined as an area where the distance between the sensor and any obstruction is at least 10 times the height of the obstruction.
If mounting on a building, then theoretically the sensor should be mounted at a height of 1.5 times the height of the building.
While the above recommendations are worth considering, it is likely you will need to find a site and mounting strategy that is practical without perturbing your measurement too much. If you are mounting the weather station such that a pole extends beyond the height of the weather station, the boom (distance from the pole or post) should be at least twice as long as the diameter of the pole.
For further recommendations on siting weather stations, please see the following resources:
