GROWEATHER SYSTEM ™ C ONSOLE U SER ’ S M ANUAL Product # 7450 & 7455
Product Numbers: 7450/7455 Davis Instruments Part Number: 7395-070 GroWeather™ Console, Standard & Industrial Rev. C Manual (7/16/99) This product complies with the essential protection requirements of the EC EMC Directive 89/336/EC. © Davis Instruments Corp. 1997. All rights reserved. GroWeather™ is a trademark of Davis Instruments Corp. ® WeatherLink is a registered trademark of Davis Instruments Corp. Windows™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
GROWEATHER SYSTEM ™ C ONSOLE U SER ’ S M ANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRODUCTION TO THE G RO W EATHER S YSTEM . . . . . . . 1 O PTIONAL S ENSORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 O PTIONAL A CCESSORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 G RO W EATHER S YSTEM O VERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 T HE K EYBOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 W EATHER C ONDITIONS M EASURED /C ALCULATED . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A IR , S OIL , AND A PPARENT T EMPERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Viewing Air and Soil Temperature, T-H Index, and Wind Chill . . . . . . . . 25 Selecting Units of Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 High and Low Air and Soil Temperature, T-H Index, and Wind Chill . . . 27 Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 W IND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T IME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Displaying Time Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Selecting Display Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Entering Time, Date, or Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Setting the Time for AutoClear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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1 Chapter INTRODUCTION TO THE GROWEATHER SYSTEM For gardeners, growers, forestry or public-safety agencies, golf course managers, parks departments, and commercial landscape managers, the GroWeather system (simply referred to as “GroWeather” in this manual) measures environmental conditions which affect plant, pest, and livestock development.
Introduction to the GroWeather System O PTIONAL S ENSORS The following optional sensors enable the GroWeather to measure and calculate specialized weather information. All optional sensors are available from your dealer or may be ordered directly from Davis Instruments. • Anemometer Enables you to measure and display wind speed, wind direction, wind chill (with temperature sensor), and wind run. Also required for calculating ET.
Optional Accessories • GroWeatherLink Software Logs data gathered by the GroWeather, downloads it to your PC, and generates reports and graphical displays. Storage interval (1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes) is set by the user. The data logger will store 16 hours or 3, 7, 10, 21, 42, or 85 days worth of data depending on storage interval. Windows™-compatible software enables you to analyze, plot, print, sort, and summarize the data. Calculate, view, and print crop or pest-specific degree-day totals.
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Chapter 2 GROWEATHER SYSTEM OVERVIEW T HE K EYBOARD The GroWeather’s keyboard contains two types of keys: function keys and operation keys. The larger and more square keys (e.g., TEMP, RAIN, WIND) are the function keys and are used to display the various conditions measured and calculated by the GroWeather. The smaller and more rounded keys (e.g., Enter, Units, Alarm) are operations keys and are used to view or use the various features of the GroWeather.
GroWeather System Overview W EATHER C ONDITIONS M EASURED /C ALCULATED This section outlines each of the weather conditions measured/calculated by the GroWeather. Each section includes a brief discussion of the weather condition and a listing of the various ways in which the unit displays or stores that condition. Be aware that some of the weather conditions require an optional sensor in order to measure/calculate a value (see “Optional Sensors” on page 2).
Weather Conditions Measured/Calculated Growing Degree-Days (Heat Units) Because temperature plays an important part in the rate of development of plants and many pests (especially insects) a measurement which takes into account the accumulation of heat with passing time is necessary to predict maturation. Growing degree-days provide a measure for calculating the effect of temperature on the development of plants and/or pests.
GroWeather System Overview Air, Soil, and Apparent Temperature The GroWeather uses the primary temperature sensor to measure the outside air temperature. The second temperature sensor can be used to measure the soil temperature or to measure the air temperature in a second location. Although it is referred to as “soil” temperature, you may use this sensor to measure whatever auxiliary temperature you see fit (including water temperature).
Weather Conditions Measured/Calculated Wind The GroWeather measures wind speed, wind direction, and wind run. Wind run is a measurement of the “amount” of wind which passes a given point (the anemometer) during the measurement period. It is expressed as either “miles of wind” or “kilometers of wind” and is determined by calculating the integral (summation) of wind speed multiplied by the time of the measurement period.
GroWeather System Overview Rainfall The GroWeather provides two separate registers for tracking rainfall totals. One is referred to as “daily” rainfall and the other is referred to as “total” rainfall. In truth, these registers can be used to record rainfall over any period of time you desire.
Weather Conditions Measured/Calculated Relative Humidity Humidity itself simply refers to the amount of water vapor in the air. However, the amount of water vapor which the air can contain varies with air temperature and pressure. Relative humidity takes into account these factors and offers a humidity reading which reflects the amount of water vapor in the air as a percentage of the amount the air is capable of holding.
GroWeather System Overview Time The GroWeather has a clock and a calendar for tracking time and date. The calendar automatically adjusts during leap years, providing you enter the current year (see “Entering Time, Date, or Year” on page 43) when you apply power to the unit.
AutoClear A UTO C LEAR The GroWeather’s AutoClear function may be used to automatically clear some or all of the “daily” values at the same time each day. The time at which values are cleared is the same for all values and may be set by the user (default is midnight). The AutoClear function may be enabled/disabled individually for the values listed below.
GroWeather System Overview The table below summarizes the highs and lows stored by the GroWeather.
Alarms The three special alarms are described below: • ETo ETo is updated only once an hour, on the hour. If during a given hour the ETo value exceeds the alarm threshold, that information causes the ETo alarm to sound at the end of that hour. This is true for both the “daily” and Total ETo alarms. In addition, for the “daily” alarm, the GroWeather automatically subtracts the ETo alarm threshold value from the “daily” ETo amount after the alarm is triggered.
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Chapter U SING THE 3 USING THE GROWEATHER E NTER K EY The ENTER key is used to enter or change data (such as an alarm threshold setting). You should become familiar with the use of this key, since it serves many purposes in operating the GroWeather. The ENTER key has two basic modes of operation, each of which is explained below. • Press and release In general, each digit in a value is changed separately.
Using the GroWeather • Press and hold Pressing and holding ENTER makes the next digit in the value active and to begins cycling through all available entries for the active digit (or digits). As long as you hold ENTER down, the station will continue to cycle through all possible entries for that digit. When the desired entry appears, release ENTER.
Using the Enter Key 6. Press and hold ENTER down. The “tens” digit will begin to cycle through the possible entries (0 to 5). ENTERING THE “TENS” DIGIT 7. Release ENTER when the correct entry appears. 8. Press and release ENTER to move to the next digit, the “ones” digit. The “ones” digit begins to flash. 9. Press and hold ENTER down. The “ones” digit will begin to cycle through the possible entries (0 to 9). ENTERING THE “ONES” DIGIT 10. Release ENTER when the correct entry appears. 11.
Using the GroWeather E VAPO T RANSPIRATION The GroWeather displays the daily ETo sum, the total ETo for the period, and the average ETo per day during the period (see “Period” on page 12). You may display ETo in inches or millimeters. Viewing ETo 1. To display the daily ETo sum, press ET. The daily ETo sum appears on the right of the display.
EvapoTranspiration 4. To display the date on which the current period started and the number of days in the period, press ET again. The date on which the period started appears on the right of the display. The number of days in the period appears on the left of the display. PERIOD DISPLAY 5. To display the status of the AutoClear function for ETo (On/Off), press ET again. If the AutoClear function is enabled, the word On appears on the right of the display.
Using the GroWeather Clearing Daily ETo Sum You may clear the daily ETo sum at any time to begin a new “daily” ETo total. 1. Press ET as necessary to display the daily ETo sum. 2. Press and hold down CLEAR until the ETo sum resets to zero. DAILY ETO CLEARED Alarms You may set a high alarm for both daily and total ETo (see “Alarms” on page 47).
Growing Degree-Days 2. To display the total degree-days for the period, press DEG DAYS again. The total degree-days for the period appear on the right of the display. The base threshold setting appears on the left of the display. TOTAL DEGREE-DAYS DURING PERIOD Total degree-days for the period represents the number of degree-days which have accumulated since the start of the period.
Using the GroWeather 6. To display the date on which the current period started and the number of days in the period, press DEG DAYS again. The date on which the period started appears on the right of the display. The number of days in the period appears on the left of the display. (See “ Period Display” on page 21.) 7. To display the status of the AutoClear function for degree-days (On/Off), press DEG DAYS again. If the AutoClear function is enabled, the word On appears on the right of the display.
Air, Soil, and Apparent Temperature Clearing Daily Degree-Days Sum You may clear the daily degree-days sum at any time to begin a new “daily” degree-days total. 1. Press DEG DAYS as necessary to display the daily degree-days sum. 2. Press and hold down CLEAR until the degree-days sum resets to zero. DAILY DEGREE-DAYS CLEARED Alarms You may set a high alarm for total degree-days during the period (see “Alarms” on page 47).
Using the GroWeather 2. To display the current soil temperature, press TEMP again. The current soil temperature appears on the right of the display. CURRENT SOIL TEMPERATURE 3. To display the current T-H Index, press TEMP again. The current T-H Index appears on the right of the display. CURRENT T-H INDEX 4. To display the current wind chill, press TEMP again. The current wind chill appears on the right of the display. CURRENT WIND CHILL 5.
Air, Soil, and Apparent Temperature Selecting Units of Measure To select the desired unit of measure, simply press UNITS while viewing any of the temperature or apparent temperature displays (except AutoClear). As you press UNITS, the GroWeather alternates between ˚F and ˚C. (If viewing air or soil temperature, you may also select between 1˚ and 0.1˚ resolution.) All degree-day and temperature information (including dewpoint) will appear in the units of measure you select.
Using the GroWeather W IND The GroWeather displays current wind speed, daily wind run, average wind run per day during the period, and wind direction in degrees on the right of the display. In addition, you may view the high wind speed along with the direction of the gust and the time and date at which it occurred. The table below summarizes the units of measure in which wind run and wind speed may be displayed.
Wind 3. To display the average daily wind run during the period, press WIND again. The average daily wind run appears on the right of the display. AVERAGE DAILY WIND RUN 4. To display the wind direction, press WIND again. The wind direction (in degrees) appears on the right of the display. WIND DIRECTION 5. To display the date on which the current period started and the number of days in the period, press WIND again. The date on which the period started appears on the right of the display.
Using the GroWeather Selecting Units of Measure To select the desired unit of measure and resolution, simply press UNITS while viewing the wind speed or wind run displays. As you press UNITS, the GroWeather cycles through the available units of measure. SAMPLE UNITS OF MEASURE High Wind Speed The GroWeather displays the high wind speed along with the time and date at which it occurred and the direction of the gust.
Solar Radiation S OLAR R ADIATION The GroWeather displays the current solar radiation intensity, the daily incident solar energy total, and the average daily incident solar energy per day during the period. (Note that this manual refers to incident solar energy as simply solar energy.) Solar radiation is displayed in Watts per square meter (W/m2) and solar energy is displayed in Langleys (Ly). Viewing Solar Radiation 1. To display the current solar radiation intensity, press SUN.
Using the GroWeather 5. To display the status of the AutoClear function for daily solar energy, press SUN again. If the AutoClear function is enabled, the word On appears on the right of the display. If the AutoClear function is disabled, the word OFF appears on the right of the display. (See “Enabling/Disabling AutoClear” on page 51 for instructions.) 6. Continuing to press SUN will cycle through the solar radiation displays in a continuous loop.
Rainfall Viewing Rainfall 1. To display daily rainfall, press RAIN. The amount of daily rainfall appears on the right of the display. The current rate of rainfall appears on the left of the display. DAILY RAINFALL Daily rainfall represents the amount of rainfall since the last time you (or AutoClear) cleared the daily rainfall register. For instructions on clearing daily rainfall, see “Clearing Daily and Total Rainfall” on page 34. 2. To display the total rainfall, press RAIN again.
Using the GroWeather Selecting Units of Measure To select the desired unit of measure, simply press UNITS while viewing any of the rainfall displays (except AutoClear). As you press UNITS, the GroWeather alternates between inches and millimeters. Rate of rainfall switches correspondingly from inches per hour to millimeters per hour automatically.
Barometric Pressure Alarms You may set a high alarm for daily rainfall. (See “Alarms” on page 47.) B AROMETRIC P RESSURE The GroWeather displays current barometric pressure in inches of Hg (in), millimeters of Hg (mm), and hectoPascals (hPa). You may also store a barometric pressure value at any time for use in determining the barometric pressure trend.
Using the GroWeather • Falling Barometric Pressure If barometric pressure fell by 0.02 inches of Hg (0.5 mm, or 0.7 hPa) or more over the past hour, the falling barometric pressure indicator appears. FALLING BAROMETRIC PRESSURE INDICATOR Viewing Barometric Pressure 1. To display current barometric pressure, press BAR. The current barometric pressure appears on the right of the display.
Barometric Pressure Entering Barometric Pressure Because atmospheric pressure varies with both altitude and local weather conditions, you must enter the current barometric pressure for your location. Wait at least one hour after powering the GroWeather (to allow the circuit a chance to stabilize) before you enter barometric pressure.
Using the GroWeather 4. To view the date on which the barometric pressure was stored, wait four seconds without pressing a key. The date on which the barometric pressure was stored will automatically appear on the right of the display. As long as you do not press a key, the GroWeather will continue to alternate between the stored value, the time, and the date. 5. To store a new barometric pressure, see “Storing Barometric Pressure” on page 38.
Dew-Point and Leaf Wetness 2. To display the status of the AutoClear function for relative humidity (On/Off), press HUM again. If the AutoClear function is enabled, the word On appears on the right of the display. If the AutoClear function is disabled, the word OFF appears on the right of the display. (See “Enabling/Disabling AutoClear” on page 51 for instructions.) 3. Continuing to press HUM will alternate between the two relative humidity displays.
Using the GroWeather 2. To display leaf wetness, press DEW again. Depending on which sensor you have selected, the display will either read SOIL or LEAF. If the display reads SOIL, you will need to press ENTER to select the leaf wetness sensor. The word LEAF appears on the right of the display and the leaf wetness reading (0-15) appears on the left. Pressing ENTER again will select the soil temperature sensor.
Time T IME The GroWeather displays the current time, date, year, and the time at which the GroWeather performs the AutoClear each day. You may display time in either 12-hour (AM/PM) or 24-hour (24h) format. You may display date in either Month-Day (Mo-Day) or Day.Month (Day.Mo) format. You may set the time, the date, the year, and the time at which you wish the GroWeather to perform the AutoClear each day. In addition, you may begin a new period, erasing all information from the previous period.
Using the GroWeather 4. To display the time at which the GroWeather executes the AutoClear function each day, press TIME again. The time at which the GroWeather executes the AutoClear function each day appears on the right of the display. TIME OF AUTOCLEAR 5. To display the period information, press TIME again. The date on which the period started and the number of days in the period appears on the display. PERIOD INFORMATION DISPLAY 6.
Time Selecting Display Format To select the desired display format, simply press UNITS while viewing either the time or the date. As you press UNITS, the GroWeather alternates between the available time/date formats. SAMPLE DISPLAY FORMATS Entering Time, Date, or Year 1. Press TIME as necessary to display the time, date, or year, as desired. 2. Use ENTER to set the time, date, or year. If using the 12-hour format, make sure you correctly set the time to AM or PM. 3. Press any function key to exit.
Using the GroWeather 3. Press any function key to exit. The GroWeather saves the AutoClear time. At the set time each day, the GroWeather clears those functions for which AutoClear is enabled (See “Enabling/Disabling AutoClear” on page 51). Clearing Period Information/Starting a New Period When you begin a new period, all information which is listed as being “over the period” or “during the period” is cleared so new period totals and averages may be accumulated/calculated.
Highs and Lows H IGHS AND L OWS The GroWeather stores highs/lows for many of its functions. The table contained in “Highs and Lows” starting on page 13 lists all of the highs and lows stored/displayed by the GroWeather. The procedure for displaying and clearing highs and lows is the same for each high/low. The general procedure is covered below. SAMPLE HIGH/LOW DISPLAYS When viewing high wind speed, the direction of the high gust appears as a steady (not flashing) diamond at one of the points.
Using the GroWeather 4. If a function stores/displays both a high and a low, press Recall again to view the low. The low reading appears on the right of the display. 5. To view the time at which the low occurred, watch the display without pressing a key. After approximately four seconds, the time at which the low occurred will appear on the right of the display. As long as you do not press a key, the GroWeather will continuously alternate between the low reading and the time.
Alarms A LARMS All alarms (except ETo, barometric pressure, dew-point, and time) behave in basically the same way. The general procedure for displaying and setting alarms is covered below. The Alarm Display When an alarm is triggered, the GroWeather beeps and immediately displays the weather function triggering the alarm. The word ALARM flashes on and off in the display. The alarm display continues until alarm conditions are no longer met (see “Alarms” on page 14) or until the alarm is reset.
Using the GroWeather Setting a Normal Alarm Threshold Follow the procedure below for instructions on setting a standard high or low alarm threshold. Specific instructions for setting the barometric pressure and dew-point alarm thresholds are explained separately below. 1. Press the appropriate key(s) to display the desired weather condition. 2. Press ALARM as necessary to display the desired alarm threshold. 3. Use ENTER to set the alarm threshold (see “Using the Enter Key” on page 17). 4.
Alarms “Daily ” ETo Alarm The “daily” ETo alarm may be displayed and set as described in “Alarms” starting on page 47. However, unlike standard alarms, when the “daily” ETo alarm is triggered, the GroWeather automatically subtracts the ETo alarm threshold value from the “daily” ETo amount. (Effectively, this simulates the console clearing “daily” ETo at the moment that the alarm was triggered.
Using the GroWeather Setting the Dew-Point Alarm The dew-point alarm is a special alarm that is triggered when the temperature comes within 2˚F of the dew-point. 1. Press DEW to display the current dew-point. 2. Press ALARM to display the dew-point alarm threshold. 3. Press ENTER to activate the alarm. There is only one threshold for the dew-point alarm (2˚F/1˚C) which appears in the display when you press ENTER. Pressing ENTER again has no effect. DEW-POINT ALARM (2˚F) 4. Press DEW to save and exit.
Enabling/Disabling AutoClear 3. Press and hold down CLEAR until a series of dashes replaces the alarm threshold on the display. Dashes in an alarm display indicate that the alarm is not active. ALARM CLEARED 4. Press any function key to exit. Each alarm threshold is independent of every other. For instance, clearing the high air temperature alarm does not clear the low air temperature alarm. You must clear each alarm individually.
Using the GroWeather G ENERAL H IGH /L OW C LEAR The GroWeather includes a general clear feature which enables you to quickly clear most of the high and low registers. The general clear feature, however, will not clear any high/low value for which AutoClear (see “AutoClear” on page 13) has been turned on.
Display Scan D ISPLAY S CAN The GroWeather comes with two pre-programmed scan routines which continuously cycle through various displays. The short scan routine displays the current value of every condition measured or calculated by the GroWeather. The long scan routine displays the current value of every condition measured or calculated and every high/low stored by the GroWeather. The long scan routine does not show the times at which highs/lows were recorded. Starting the Scan Routines 1.
Using the GroWeather Wind Speed You may change the wind CAL to adjust the wind speed readings according to the equation shown below. If you change CAL for wind speed, any calculated data which uses wind speed (wind chill, for example) will also be affected. Calibrated Wind Speed = Revolutions * (1600/CAL) Default CAL = 1600 (for mph), 995 (for kph), 1843 (for knots), or 3578 (for m/s). Rainfall Rainfall CAL determines how much rainfall each increment (pulse) represents.
Calibration Numbers Changing Calibration Numbers 1. Press the appropriate function key as necessary to display the reading for which you wish to change the CAL. Hold down the function key after pressing it for the final time. For example, if you want to change the CAL for soil temperature, press TEMP until the air temperature appears. Then press and hold TEMP to display soil temperature.
Using the GroWeather P RIMARY P OWER AND B ATTERY B ACKUP I NDICATORS The GroWeather display contains two “troubleshooting” indicators which help protect against accidental interruption of power. Both indicators appear in the upper left hand corner of the display and they may appear singly or together. Flashing of the POWER indicator indicates low power state or a disruption of the primary power source (the power source connected to the POWER jack on the bottom of the unit).
G RO W EATHER S YSTEM C ONSOLE Q UICK R EFERENCE F UNCTION K EYS The lists below indicate what condition appears when you press each function key. Each time you press the key, the next item in the list appears.
