The versatility of fire weather stations allows them to serve multiple objectives. Our equipment has been used for prescribed burns during fire studies and to monitor conditions in the vicinity of fires. A properly sited fire weather station can also be used for winter avalanche forecasting, or with the addition of a water depth sensor as a year-round hydrological monitoring station.

Sensors for Fire Weather Stations

Our Fire Weather Station is equipped with a set of high quality weather sensors for monitoring wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. Sensors that measure fuel moisture, fuel temperature, soil water content, soil temperature, and solar radiation can also be added to the fire weather station. SmartSolo Scientific data loggers can be connected to many different output types of sensors and can measure a large number of sensors.

Telemetry

Data can be transmitted by a variety of communication methods, including satellite, telephone, cell phone, and radio. In the United States, GOES1 satellite telemetry can be collected by NIFC2 and stored on WIMS3, or directly from NESDIS4 using Remsoft's WeatherPro and NESDIS modules. The NFDRS5 index was calculated using WIMS or WeatherPro. Our high data rate GOES transmitter TX320 has transmission rates of 1200bps, 300bps and 100bps.

Rapid deployment of weather stations

Our RAWS-F Fire Weather Rapid Deployment Station is ideal for prescribed burn or other temporary installations. Customers can set up the workstation in 10 minutes and no tools are required. Each RAWS-F weather station is pre-programmed to monitor wind speed and direction, air temperature and relative humidity, precipitation, air pressure, and solar radiation sensors. This procedure complies with the National Fire Hazard Rating System (NFDRS) standard for weather stations.

A RAWS-F station consists of an aluminum environmental enclosure mounted on a 6-foot tripod. The enclosure houses and protects the M1000 data logger and a 12 V battery charged by a solar panel or AC transformer. To facilitate sensor connection, there are color-coded keyed connectors on the outside of the housing. A wiring panel is also provided to allow the RAWS-F to measure additional sensors.

RAWS-F usually communicates via our GOES satellite transmitter. It is also compatible with other communication devices such as telephones, digital cellular transceivers, and radios.

Permanent weather station

SmartSolo Scientific offers a wide range of sensors and data transfer peripherals for configuring custom workstations to match the exact requirements of the application. Our Fire Weather Stations feature simplified installation and operation, including a standard set of sensors, a pre-wired data logger housing, color-coded sensor connectors, and a fixed program in the data logger. Custom weather stations are configured with a wider range of sensors and data transfer peripherals, allowing greater flexibility to match the exact requirements of the application. Permanent fire weather stations typically use 20-foot tall instrument towers, and 10- and 30-foot instrument towers and 10-, 15-, and 20-foot tripods are also available.

Data recorder for fire weather station

Our measurement systems are based on pre-configured data loggers that measure sensors and then process, store and transmit the data. We offer a range of rugged, reliable data loggers. The M1000 is generally suitable for fire weather applications. Our data loggers feature optional measuring intervals, wide operating temperature ranges, on-board commands, and ample input channels for commonly used sensors. Our data loggers connect directly to most sensors, eliminating the need for external signal conditioning.

Data is typically viewed and stored in units of your choice (e.g., wind speed in mph, m/s, knots). The measurement rate and data logging interval are independently programmable, allowing the calculation of 15-minute, hourly, and daily data values from 1-minute or 1-second measurements. Conditional outputs, such as rainfall intensity and wind gusts, can also be recorded. The program can be modified at any time to accommodate different sensor configurations or new data processing requirements. If desired, the channel capacity can be expanded using multiplexers, including models specifically designed for thermocouples.

• Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

• National Interagency Fire Center

• Weather Information Management System (Database)

• National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service

• National Fire Hazard Rating System.