Pegasus Portable Weather Station, FlyAway Kit User Manual

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 1
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Pegasus FlyAway Kit

A Portable Weather Station

User Manual

Version 1.10

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Printed in U. S. A.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 2
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© Copyright 2002 Columbia Weather Systems, Inc. All Rights

Reserved.

Proprietary Notice: Pegasus FlyAway Kit, Capricorn 2000 and
Capricorn 2000MP 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.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 3
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Welcome!

Welcome to the Pegasus family of users and congratulations on
your purchase of the Pegasus FlyAway Kit Portable Weather
Station.

The Pegasus FlyAway Kit is quite easy to install and you may be
tempted to skip the installation procedure or other portions of this
manual. We recommend that you resist that urge. A thorough
knowledge of these installation and calibration procedures will
greatly increase the usefulness and the accuracy of your instrument.
In particular, a proper installation will help prevent problems with
both operation and maintenance.

Please read this manual completely prior to installation.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 4
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Important Notice: Shipping
Damage

BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER, please inspect all system
components for obvious shipping damage. The Pegasus

FlyAway Kit is a high precision instrument and can be damaged by
rough handling. Your unit was packaged to minimize the possibility
of damage in transit. Therefore, we recommend that you save the
shipping container for any future shipment of your Pegasus unit.

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 in writing,
preferably by facsimile, about the shipping damage.

3. Wait for the transport company’s representative to inspect
the shipment personally.

4. After inspection, request permission from Columbia
Weather Systems for return of the damaged instrument by
calling the Capricorn Service Department, [phone].

5. Return approved items to us at the following address:

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

2240 NE Griffin Oaks Street, Suite 100

Hillsboro, OR 97124

6. After return authorization is issued and we receive the
instrument, an estimate of the cost of repair will be sent to
you for submittal to the transport company as a claim.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 5
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Table of Contents

WELCOME! .......................................................................... 3

IMPORTANT NOTICE: SHIPPING DAMAGE............... 4

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................... 8

THE CAPRICORN 2000 SYSTEM................................................................ 8

SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................8

Temperature ........................................................................................8

Barometric Pressure............................................................................ 8

Wind Speed.......................................................................................... 8

Wind Direction ....................................................................................9

Relative Humidity................................................................................ 9

Wireless Transceiver ........................................................................... 9

Battery Power...................................................................................... 9

Control Module ................................................................................... 9

System Weight ..................................................................................... 9

SECTION 2: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION....................... 10

CONTROL MODULE ................................................................................ 11

Control Module Connections ............................................................ 11

Wind sensor components................................................................... 13

TEMPERATURE SENSOR .......................................................................... 15

RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSOR ................................................................ 16

TRIPOD................................................................................................... 17

Specifications .................................................................................... 18

WEATHERMASTER 2000 SOFTWARE (OPTIONAL) ............................... 19

WEATHER VIEW 32 SOFTWARE (OPTIONAL)....................................... 20

RETRIEVERCC PALM OS SOFTWARE (OPTIONAL) .............................. 21

Features............................................................................................. 22

Requirements..................................................................................... 22

WEATHER DISPLAY CONSOLE (OPTIONAL)............................................ 23

SECTION 3: INSTALLATION ......................................... 24

SECTION 4: DISPLAY CONSOLE AND SOFTWARE

INSTALLATION................................................................. 27

WEATHER DISPLAY CONSOLE................................................................ 27

WEATHERMASTER 2000 SOFTWARE .................................................. 27

WEATHER VIEW 32 SOFTWARE .......................................................... 27

RETRIEVERCC PALM SOFTWARE ....................................................... 27

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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SECTION 5: OPERATION................................................ 28

RS-232 MODEM SERIAL PORT ................................................................ 28

RS-232 AUX SERIAL PORT ..................................................................... 28

COMMUNICATION .................................................................................. 28

SETTING DATE AND TIME........................................................................ 29

DISPLAYING DATE AND TIME.................................................................. 29

DISPLAYING CURRENT SENSOR READINGS.............................................. 29

The POLL command.......................................................................... 29

The SAMPLE command..................................................................... 30

The Short commands ......................................................................... 30

DATALOG............................................................................................... 31

SETTING DATALOG INTERVALS .............................................................. 31

SETTING HI/LO INTERVALS .................................................................... 31

DISPLAYING THE DATALOG ....................................................................32

RESETTING HI/LO .................................................................................. 32

RESETTING THE DATALOG ...................................................................... 33

DISPLAYING CURRENT HI/LO ................................................................. 33

SETTING BAROMETRIC PRESSURE ALTITUDE AND OFFSET ...................... 33

DISPLAY CURRENT SETTINGS ................................................................. 34

CONTINUOUS DISPLAY OF DIRECTION..................................................... 34

CONTINUOUS DISPLAY OF WIND INFORMATION ...................................... 34

SECTION 6: CALIBRATION ........................................... 37

CALIBRATING THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SENSOR ............................. 37

Altitude Setting .................................................................................. 37

Optional Calibration Procedure .......................................................37

CALIBRATING THE WIND SENSORS ........................................................ 38

CALIBRATING THE TEMPERATURE SENSORS .......................................... 38

CALIBRATING THE HUMIDITY SENSOR ................................................... 39

SECTION 7: MAINTENANCE ......................................... 40

CONTROL MODULE ................................................................................ 40

TEMPERATURE SENSOR MAINTENANCE .................................................40

WIND SENSOR MAINTENANCE ............................................................... 40

RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSOR MAINTENANCE ....................................... 41

SECTION 8: TROUBLESHOOTING............................... 42

TEMPERATURE SENSOR TROUBLESHOOTING.......................................... 42

COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS ................................................................ 42

SECTION 9: USER SUPPORT INFORMATION ........... 44

LIMITED WARRANTY ............................................................................. 44

EXCLUSIONS ...................................................................................44

RETURN FOR REPAIR PROCEDURE.......................................................... 45

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 7
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REFERENCE....................................................................... 47

GLOSSARY ............................................................................................. 47

Aspirating Radiation Shield .............................................................. 47

Barometric Pressure.......................................................................... 47

Celsius Temperature Scale................................................................ 47

Dew Point.......................................................................................... 47

Fahrenheit Temperature Scale.......................................................... 47

Heat Index ......................................................................................... 47

Relative Humidity.............................................................................. 48

Sea Level Pressure ............................................................................ 48

Wind Chill ......................................................................................... 48

UNIT CONVERSION................................................................................. 49

Speed ................................................................................................. 49

Temperature ......................................................................................49

Distance............................................................................................. 49

Pressure............................................................................................. 49

TABLES AND FORMULAS ........................................................................50

Wind Chill Chart ...............................................................................50

Wind Chill Equation.......................................................................... 50

Heat Index ......................................................................................... 51

Dew Point.......................................................................................... 52

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 8
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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

The Capricorn 2000 System

The Pegasus FlyAway Kit portable weather station combines digital
quality and professional-grade equipment with the need for a highly
mobile weather station to create a state-of-the-art, rapid deployment
weather monitoring system for Emergency Operations.

Pegasus is specifically designed for firefighters, HazMat,
Emergency Management, and Disaster Preparedness personnel
when weather monitoring is crucial to the public’s safety.

Pegasus allows Accident and Incident Commanders to create a fully
functional weather operation within minutes, automatically collecting
weather data and providing a cost-effective force-multiplier not
available in any other portable weather station.

Specifications

Temperature

Type: digital semiconductor

Range: -67° to 257°F

Accuracy: ±0.9°F

Resolution: 0.01°F

Barometric Pressure

The barometric pressure sensor is located inside the Control
Module and is part of the weather station circuit board.

Type: silicon shear stress strain gauge; temperature compensated
and calibrated

Range: 27 to 33.96 in. Hg

Accuracy: ±0.03 in. Hg over range (at sea level, with temperature
between 32° and 182°F)

Resolution: 0.01 in. Hg

Wind Speed

Type: chopping disc anemometer, three cups

Range: 0 to 125 mph

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Accuracy: ±1 mph from 5 to 20 mph, ±5% from 20 to 125 mph

Mechanical Threshold: 0.5 mph

Resolution: 1 mph

Wind Direction

Type: wind vane using digital gray code

Range: 360 degrees.

Relative Humidity

Type: Capacitance

Range: 0 to 100%

Accuracy: ±3% (or better) from 10 to 90% RH at 68° F

Temperature Effect: <±1.5% RH from 14° F to 140° F

Stability: ±2% RH over 2 years

Resolution: 1% RH

Wireless Transceiver

Frequency: 2.402 - 2.478 GHz, FHSS (license-free)

Range: Up to 500 feet (152 m) indoors; Up to 10,000 feet (3050 m)
line-of-sight

Output Power: 200 mW

Battery Power

Output: 12 VDC, 12 AH, 32-hour operation

SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) Gel Batteries

Control Module

Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 6.5 inches

Weight: 6.7 lbs/3 kg.

System Weight

Weather station and caring case: 38 lbs

Tripod and canvas bag: 17 lbs

Battery system and case: 23 lbs

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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SECTION 2: PHYSICAL
DESCRIPTION

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Control Module

The Control Module consists of the System board and a 2.4 GHz
transceiver housed in a weatherproof fiber glass enclosure with
external sensor and power connectors.

The System board has an on-board barometric pressure sensor and
a system fuse (including a spare fuse). The System board also has
in-line rechargeable batteries to preserve the datalog and system
configuration when power is absent.

The Control Module dimensions are: 14 x 11 x 6.5 inches and
weighs: 6.7 lbs/3 kg.

Control Module Connections

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Wind sensor

The wind speed and direction sensors use a solid state, infrared
optical design to decrease wear and improve reliability. These
rugged sensors, with a design incorporating years of experience
and testing, are enclosed in a rugged PVC housing surrounding
stainless steel parts. These sensors operate in extreme temperature
and wind conditions for years.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Wind sensor components

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Hardware Kit Assembly Kit

8

SHEET METAL SCREW
FOR CROSS-ARM SUPPORT,
STAINLESS STEEL (QTY 2)

7

TOP SCREW
FOR DIRECTION VANE,
STAINLESS STEEL

10

TOP LOCK NUT
FOR WIND SPEED SENSOR,
STAINLESS STEEL

9

INTERNAL STAR WASHER
FOR WIND DIRECTION SENSOR,
STAINLESS STEEL

6

BLACK PLASTIC TIE-WRAPS (QTY 6)

1. Cross Arm Support

2. Wind Cup Hub Assembly (with spare top lock nut)

5

U-BOLT

ASSEMBLY

PLATED STEEL

3. Wind Direction Vane (with spare top screw)

4. 10-foot wind sensor cable with connector assembly

4a. Wind Direction sensor body (white, T-shaped, heavy duty PVC

fitting with two cables protruding)

4b. Wind Speed sensor body (white, T-shaped, heavy duty PVC

fitting with one cable protruding)

5. Hardware Assembly Kit

6. Black plastic tie wraps (UV-resistant)

7. Top screw (for clamping the direction vane shaft to the vane
holder), stainless steel

8. Stainless steel sheet metal screws (for mounting wind sensors
to Cross Arm Support)

9. Top lock nut (to be placed on threaded shaft of wind speed
sensor, above wind cup assembly

10. Top lock nut (to be placed on threaded shaft of wind speed
sensor, above wind cup assembly), stainless steel

11. Wind Sensor Cable Connector

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

Pegasus FlyAway Kit 15
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Temperature sensor

The Pegasus comes standard with one temperature sensor with 10
feet of cable. This digital, semiconductor-type probe reduces
susceptibility to noise interference, and increases accuracy. The
sensor is calibrated at the factory traceable to NIST standards.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.

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Relative Humidity sensor

This optional capacitive relative humidity sensor is compact and
easy to use. It is easily installed in the self-aspirating radiation shield
for protection from the sun and rain. This sensor offers long-term
stability with minimal drift. Because the sensor is a capacitive
device, it will not be affected by surface contamination in unclean
environments. Since the sensor element is socketed and laser
trimmed it can be easily replaced in the field without any additional
calibration. The relative humidity sensor comes with a standard 10­foot cable and a quick disconnect connector.

Columbia Weather Systems, Inc.