Call for a quote 1-888-508-7375 or Email

What’s New ~ January - May 2010

Magellan Weather Station participates in Gulf oil spill monitoring efforts

May 2010 – While crews in the Gulf of Mexico are working to mitigate the damage caused by the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists aboard the R/V Pelican research vessel are taking samples from the sea floor to analyze for changes in chemicals and marine organisms. (HoumaToday.com)

The Magellan Weather Station by Columbia Weather Systems provides weather data aboard the R/V Pelican. With its internal compass and rugged metal construction, the Magellan is well-suited to mobile weather monitoring.

The R/V Pelican is operated by LUMCON, the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Formed in 1979, LUMCON provides coastal laboratory facilities to Louisiana universities, and conducts research and educational programs in the marine sciences.

(R/V Pelican photo courtesy of LUMCON.)

Magellan Weather Station: Wind Direction Aligned to True North

May 2010 – Standard factory setup for the Magellan Weather Station provides wind direction alignment to True North. The internal compass reading is aligned to Magnetic North. At the factory, the declination angle is entered to offset wind direction output to True North based on the "Ship To" address.

A new tutorial on our Resources page describes how to easily reset the declination angle. This would need to be done only if the weather station was installed in a significantly different geographic location, or if alignment to Magnetic North was desired.

New Collapsible Roof Mount Mast Option for Vehicle-Mount Stations

April 2010 – If your vehicle doesn't have a place for the standard side-mount pole, this new collapsible roof mount mast may be just the ticket. The pole is designed to be permanently mounted on a flat surface (such as a vehicle roof) and folded away into the stored position.

Shown at right with the Magellan Weather Station sensor, the collapsible roof mount mast is suitable for any CWS weather station.

weather station collapsible roof mount

New Weather Master™ Software Netbook Package

March 2010 – Taking advantage of the affordable netbook computers, Weather Master™ Netbook Edition is a new weather monitoring option for use with any CWS weather station. Ideal for applications requiring a dedicated computer or mobile applications where size and weight are an issue. The display screens are optimized for the smaller screen size.

Full featured Weather Master Software with

Real-time sensor monitoring plus calculated parameters
Data logging and reports
Email/text weather reports to multiple recipients
Alarm notification and relay control
CAMEO/ALOHA auto-interface for HazMat
Multi-station monitoring
Auto-update weather data for web page

$1199 package price includes netbook computer, Weather Master Software with setup and configuration to your weather station parameters including cables. (Note: Price does NOT include the weather station.)

Got your own netbook? Simply specify the Weather Master Software-Only Netbook Edition for $395.

Photo by Colleen Collyer,
courtesy of Dixon Weather Service, Inc..

Dixon Weather provides "potentially life-saving" weather information.

March 2010 – Using a fully-loaded Capricorn 2000 weather station, this local, not-for-profit weather service provides weather forecasts, current readings, and warnings to Central Missouri. Administrator Tim Brandt explains, "Our mission is to provide the citizens of the Dixon, MO area a source to obtain the most accurate, real time and potentially life saving weather warnings as issued by the National Weather Service."

"Our relationship with CWS has been an excellent experience for us!" Brandt says. "We have received excellent support and services from CWS and we highly recommend CWS."

Which Weather Station Is Right for You?

February 2010 – Thinking about an Orion all-in-one weather station? What about that new Magellan with internal compass? Don't need a compass, but maybe you need three different temperature readings? Are you wondering which CWS weather station is best for your weather monitoring requirements?

We've implemented a new comparison chart to help you make an informed decision.

From any page on our website, click on the Products tab. Scroll down a bit to see the chart that compares Orion,™ Magellan™ and Capricorn™ Weather Stations:

Meteorological sensors, standard and optional
Display options
Warranty
Starting price

And, as always, if you have additional questions, please contact us.
Toll-free: 1-866-625-8620 (US and Canada)
Phone: (503) 629-0887
Email: sales@columbiaweather.com

Saddlebrook Joint Facility Monitors Green Roof

February 2010 – An innovative building project in the community of Omaha, Nebraska incorporates a green roof on one section of the building. Two Capricorn 2000 EX™ Weather Stations monitor the differences in meteorological parameters for the two different roofs using a customized WeatherMaster Software.™

The facility incorporates an elementary school, a public library and community center.

Visit the Applications page for more information: https://columbiaweather.com/applications/green-roof-facility-management/

Photo by Kessler Photography / courtesy BCDM Achitects.

How to Display Weather Data on Your Web Page

January 2010 – A new tutorial is available for uploading weather data to your website.

Displaying your weather station’s data on the Internet is a great way to disseminate it — whether for general public information or to make it available simultaneously to multiple parties involved in an Incident Response for example, responders, dispatchers, and commanders.

Columbia Weather Systems offers two options for posting weather data to the Internet – WeatherMaster Software™ and the Weather MicroServer.™ Both of these options can automatically upload weather data to your website. Additionally, the MicroServer offers automatic upload to CWOP and Weather Underground websites.

The new tutorial gives step-by-step instructions for setting up your web page and configuring the Weather MicroServer to automatically FTP XML files to it.

New connectors offer maximum protection and ease of installation.

Continuing Commitment to Product Development: Large and Small

January 2010 – Evidence of our commitment to product development takes several forms at Columbia Weather. One is responding to expressed customer requests - for example the portable and vehicle-mount system configurations. Another is taking advantage of the latest new technology 1) to create new products like the Magellan Weather Station and the Weather MicroServer, and 2) to improve our existing meteorological products. This announcement falls into the latter category.

For Orion and Magellan exterior cable connections, CWS has upgraded to an IP68 connector ~ the maximum level of Ingress Protection. These connectors are even more resistant to dust, oil and salt water, making them ideal for use in hostile environments such as hazmat, marine, process industries and manufacturing.

Additionally, these new connectors improve the ease of installing your weather station. The connectors are keyed for easy alignment. A screw-on collar secures the connection and provides additional protection from the elements.