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We are growing and moving! Effective December 15, our new address will be:

Columbia Weather Systems
5285 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite C100
Hillsboro OR 97124-6640

All other contact information remains the same.

We appreciate your patience as we transition.

Annual Closure: Our facilities will be closed December 25 through January 1. Phone and email messages will be monitored in case of emergency.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and prosperous New Year!

Nov. 2014 -- The relatively new field of DCIM (data center infrastructure management) employs weather monitoring to help manage operations, improve efficiency, and plan for the future. GoDaddy, a leader in internet domain sales and web hosting, and Vantage Data Centers both use weather stations from Columbia Weather Systems to accomplish these objectives.

Justin Harp, Director of Operations Engineering for Vantage, reports, “In the Data Center industry, accurate monitoring of weather conditions is crucial to operate the facility within ASHRAE specifications, while maintaining low PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness.)”

Two sensor options have been added for the Weather MicroServer.

1) Particle Concentration: A laser optical sensor is used to detect and measure particulate concentrations up to 100 milligrams per cubic meter. The continuous flow optical sensor is combined with purge air to ensure accurate measurements in adverse environments.

2) UV Radiation: Measures ultraviolet radiation between 250 and 400 nanometers. The measurement includes both UV-A and UV-B radiation to provide a total combined measurement.

The Weather MicroServer can be used with any CWS weather station model.

Click for more information:
Weather MicroServer

As a global company, it’s not often that we get to meet our customers face-to-face. Last week we had a visit from Aaron Randall of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue with their HazMat vehicle which boasts a nine-year-old Orion VM Weather Station.

This particular crew is part of the Oregon Fire Marshal’s HazMat team and is responsible for Western Washington County through to the coast which includes a section of an important pipeline as well as several large manufacturing plants.

Randall reported that the HazMat crew conducts drills and responds to incidents about twice a month, the most recent being a semi-truck fire with fuel spill on Hwy 26 between Hillsboro and Beaverton.

Just about the time we introduced the Capricorn FLX, this weather station console came in for repair from a customer in California. It's an original Capricorn weather station pre-1980.

Says the owner: "Thank you for taking the time to even look at these Vintage units. They were the best you could buy at one time and they worked great." Unfortunately this one can't be repaired, but we should be able to fix up his 1980s Capricorn II.

Legacy Weather Stations

For more information:

Capricorn FLX Weather Stations

Capricorn FLX 420 Weather Stations

Introducing the Capricorn FLX™ – the new generation modular weather station from Columbia Weather Systems. Replacing the Capricorn 2000EX model, the “Flex” maintains the modular system of individual sensors with mechanical wind speed and direction.

Sensor options include:

• wind speed and direction
• temperature (up to four ambient air, soil, and/or water)
• humidity
• rain gauge (tipping bucket)
• solar radiation sensors (up to two)
• barometric pressure (in Control Module)
• two general purpose analog channels for additional sensors.

The updated control module takes advantage of new technology to minimize power consumption. Its automated output does not require polling. The new model also allows for 4-20 mA signal output for applications that require it.

The Capricorn FLX Weather Station is available in fixed-mount, vehicle-mount, and portable configurations. The Flex continues the Capricorn tradition, the flagship brand of reliable weather stations for over 35 years.

The Orion is a maintenance-free weather station that will provide you with years of operation. However, there are some simple steps you can take to extend the life of your sensor module.

Periodic cleaning - To ensure the accuracy of measurement results, the sensor module should be cleaned when it gets contaminated. Leaves and other such particles should be removed from the precipitation sensor and the transmitter should be cleaned carefully with a soft, lint-free cloth moistened with a mild detergent. Be careful when cleaning the wind sensors as they should not be rubbed or twisted.

Replacing the PTU module - The PTU module contains separate sensors for pressure, temperature and humidity. Sensors can drift over time and the manufacturer recommends replacing the PTU module once every two years to ensure that your unit meets its stated accuracy. This can be done in the field.

PTU modules are calibrated when they are manufactured. No additional calibration is required.

CWS offers several options for mounting weather stations.

• The Roof Mount Kit includes hardware and guy wires necessary to mount and stabilize a mast to a rooftop. It can be used with either optional 10-foot fiberglass or steel mast, sold separately.
• The Wall Mount Kit includes the hardware to mount a mast to the side of a building. It can be used with the optional 10-foot steel mast, sold separately.
• For mounting to an existing mast or tower, the Universal Mount can be used either vertically or horizontally.
• Our Tripod Mast can also be used for permanent installations.

Click for Mounting information.

Nader and Martha (left) representing Columbia Weather at the recent Celebrate Trade Gala, a partnership of the Oregon Consular Corp, the State of Oregon and the City of Portland. Thanks to Peter Pomponi (right) of Met One, one of our sensor suppliers, which received the Oregon Export Leader Award. Congratulations!

We are pleased to partner with world-class leaders in the field.

DNP3 ethernet communication is available through the Weather MicroServer. Distributed Network Protocol is used primarily in SCADA process automation systems used by electric and water utilities.

Additional information:

• Read Full DNP3 Article
• PDF Application Note

Universal Space Network, Inc. (USN) provides ground network services that support telemetry, tracking and control, and data downlink operations for satellites and launch systems. USN uses Orion LX Weather Stations at their operation sites in Hawaii, Alaska, and Australia.

“We use the weather station at our satellite tracking stations to monitor wind speed, barometric pressure and precipitation,” says Don Gittle, Ground Systems Manager. “If wind speed is too high, it could affect the tracking performance of our large dish antennas. This helps us protect satellite data. The other parameters help with determining the atmospheric conditions that are useful for correcting very accurate tracking data supplied to our customer.”

USN is a subsidiary of the SSC Group, a comprehensive space contractor active in many fields of space technology and services from the development of novel space subsystems to launch, tests and operations.

For more information:

Orion Weather Stations

Universal Space Network

Columbia Weather Systems has developed interfaces for our weather stations to be used directly with common industrial automation systems such as SCADA, DCS, and PLC systems. These systems are used in industrial manufacturing, as well as government facility and infrastructure operations and maintenance. This new application note describes the options with diagrams.

"Industrial Automation: Interfacing CWS Weather Stations to SCADA, DCS, and PLC systems"

Read about Industrial Automation

Industrial Automation PDF for download