Installation Instructions

functions, insure proper operation, and familiarize you with the weather station and

calibration procedures. This will also allow you to test the wireless range of the weather station.

4.2 Site Survey

Perform a site survey before installing the weather station. Consider the following:

1. You must clean the rain gauge once per year and change the batteries every two years.

Provide easy access to the weather station.

2. Avoid radiant heat transfer from buildings and structures. In general, install the sensor

array at least 5’ from any building, structure, ground, or roof top.

3. Avoid wind and rain obstructions. The rule of thumb is to install the sensor array at least

four times the distance of the height of the tallest obstruction. For example, if the building

is 6m tall, install 4 x 6m = 24m away. Use common sense. If the weather station is installed

next to a tall building, the wind and rain will not be accurate.

4. Wireless Range. The radio communication between receiver and transmitter in an open

field can reach a distance of up to 100 m, providing there are no interfering obstacles such

as buildings, trees, vehicles, high voltage lines. Wireless signals will not penetrate metal

buildings. Most applications will only reach 30m due to building obstructions, walls and

interference.

5. Radio interference such as PCs, radios or TV sets can, in the worst case, entirely cut off

radio communication. Please take this into consideration when choosing console or

mounting locations.

4.3 Best Practices for Wireless Communication

Wireless communication is susceptible to interference, distance, walls and metal barriers.

We recommend the following best practices for trouble free wireless communication.

1. Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). Keep the console several feet away from

computer monitors and TVs.

2. Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). If you have other 433 MHz devices and

communication is intermittent, try turning off these other devices for troubleshooting

purposes. You may need to relocate the transmitters or receivers to avoid intermittent

communication.

3. Line of Sight Rating. This device is rated at 100 m line of sight (no interference,

barriers or walls) but typically you will get 30 m maximum under most real-world

installations, which include passing through barriers or walls.

4. Metal Barriers. Radio frequency will not pass through metal barriers such as aluminum

siding. If you have metal siding, align the remote and console through a window to get a

clear line of sight.

The following is a table of reception loss vs. the transmission medium. Each “wall”or

obstruction decreases the transmission range by the factor shown below.

Medium RF Signal Strength Reduction

Glass (untreated) 5-15%

Plastics 10-15%

Wood 10-40%

Brick 10-40%

Concrete 40-80%

Metal 90-100%