Topic: How do you mount WS80 and WH40 rain to the same mast? Both want to be on top.

[horseflesh]

My WS80 wind sensor arrived yesterday so I immediately mounted it to the mast where my WH40 rain sensor is. (It's not a great spot for wind so I will be remounting it but of course I wanted it live ASAP!)

But, I realized that it is hard to get both sensors to share the same mast. The rain sensor must be at the top. The wind sensor has to be mounted low enough that its metal pole bends away from the rain sensor clamp. That puts the sensors about at the same overall level. This seems like it would interfere with wind readings.

All I can think of is adding some kind of shim to the WS80 clamp, so it doesn't interfere with the WH40 clamp. Is there some official method I am overlooking?

[Bashy]

My WS80 wind sensor arrived yesterday so I immediately mounted it to the mast where my WH40 rain sensor is. (It's not a great spot for wind so I will be remounting it but of course I wanted it live ASAP!)

But, I realized that it is hard to get both sensors to share the same mast. The rain sensor must be at the top. The wind sensor has to be mounted low enough that its metal pole bends away from the rain sensor clamp. That puts the sensors about at the same overall level. This seems like it would interfere with wind readings.

All I can think of is adding some kind of shim to the WS80 clamp, so it doesn't interfere with the WH40 clamp. Is there some official method I am overlooking?

In this situation i would place the rain gauge below the wind at around 2-4ft off the ground at the same position as it is now. Back gardens all mostly always a compromise for at least one sensor, with the all in one, it will always be temp for wind or wind for temp unless you splt the temp from it. In your case its the wind/temp and rain, once you move the all in one then your rain will be ideal as long as there's nothing in the way from whats hidden from the camera?

[horseflesh]

In this situation i would place the rain gauge below the wind at around 2-4ft off the ground at the same position as it is now.

Ah but that is the problem: the rain gauge can't move down. Its mount is like an upside-down cup that sits on the very end of the post.

Here's an image from the other angle.



Hmm, maybe I can put the post on the outside, blocking the battery compartment. It isn't meant to work that way, I think it will be hard to tighten the bolts on the other side... but maybe I can make it work. I guess it is OK to block the battery compartment since I only need to get in there once a year or so.

Anyway as you said, lowering the rain sensor is probably the better way to go. Then it's easy to make wind higher.

... once you move the all in one then your rain will be ideal as long as there's nothing in the way from whats hidden from the camera?

In the pictured location the rain is probably OK, but the wind accuracy is probably suffering pretty badly from things you can't see well in this image. So, this is definitely temporary.

There is a better place in the middle of the flat grassy area, and I plan to move both sensors there, but what remains is the problem of how to get them to share the same post. But I have a new idea thanks to your suggestion of lowering the rain sensor.

(I have a separate outdoor temp sensor in a sheltered area so the system is ignoring the WS80 temp sensor.)

[davidmc36]

Put an extension on your pole down lower. 'J' shaped with vertical stub to mount rain gauge. Extra bonus of spacing it away from the main pole a bit.

[Gyvate]

have a look into satellite dish mounting accessories or the like - you will find many solutions.
e.g. this one
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or just take a double mast clamp and some aluminum/steel pipe whose diameter fits
make a related search at ebay or amazon 

[horseflesh]

I'll figure something out. It's just odd that they didn't allow for this from the factory. Making the WS40 with a mount that let the mast pass through seems like it would have no downsides.

[DelChard]

I'll figure something out. It's just odd that they didn't allow for this from the factory. Making the WS40 with a mount that let the mast pass through seems like it would have no downsides.

There would be a small degree of sheltering from the mast.
Mine is located separately on top of a block of wood screwed down using the 2 lugs at the sides.

[alanb]

You could use an antenna mount similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068YUN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes with U bolts so it can be attached to another pole. I used this to mount my Ambient WS-2000 array and it worked well, although I bolted it to my wooden fence post rather than attaching it to a pole with the u-bolts.

[horseflesh]

I had the stuff on hand to remount the wind sensor, so here's the new location. It's not great because there are tall trees all over, but it is the best I can do. The trees to the right are about 35 ft away. The treeline in the background is about 80 ft away. The sensor is about 8-9 ft off the ground.

The pole is bamboo, I had some in my yard junk pile. I was able to screw it into the wood where water/power supplies are mounted, so when it gets cold again I can power the heater.

The bamboo might be too wobbly in high wind, we'll just see what happens. If it's no good I will get a fiberglass pole, I guess. But, I had the stuff on hand so I might as well try it out.



I lowered the rain sensor so I can clean the cup more easily. It is about 20 ft away from trees and the patio cover. If that's too close I guess I can always put it down by the wind mast.

[Gyvate]

The roof might be another option for the WS80 ...
or what looks like a chimney - 2,3 meters above the end. (Picture 2)

[horseflesh]

Roof could be good -- but I just don't want to get up there. Getting to the second story roof is an adventure that I don't care for!

[box]

The roof might be another option for the WS80 ...
or what looks like a chimney - 2,3 meters above the end. (Picture 2)

Yes  gable end bracket that is used for TV aerials etc could work there and probably accessible by ladder, depending on where the porch is ( or at the other end of the house)

Who owns the field you are taking the photos from? Would they be amenable to a polemast? You can share the data . 

[horseflesh]

The house is pretty tall and there is no location reachable by ladder which is not at a lower elevation than another part of the roof nearby, meaning the sensor would be partially shielded. So it seems best to go all the way to the top, or settle for wind out on a pole.

But getting to the highest point on the roof is not something I'm gonna do, haha. I never go up there, I happily pay someone to do it if needed! It's way up there and steep, gives me the willies!

The field is just my back yard.

Here is a different view of my yard, including some of the neighbors so you can see the tall trees all around.

https://i.imgur.com/SqjJkBT.jpeg

The green X is the rain sensor, mounted to a fence. The red X is now the wind sensor, on a pole by a power source. (The white blob is a temporary sun shade which was coincidentally there when this image was taken.)

Hopefully the wind sensor is not badly compromised there as it is the best location I have. The only other locations with power for the heater are much closer to the house, where shielding from the house and trees would have to be worse.

[box]

I think you have achieved a reasonable compromise, given the closest trees are presumably the smallest

The only other option is a taller pole, which would need to be guyed

Which way is the prevailing wind as a matter of interest?

[horseflesh]

The prevailing winds are from the south to southeast. Here's the pic annotated with a magnetic North arrow.

https://i.imgur.com/jCdlua9.jpeg

So, unfortunately, those trees ~35 ft from the sensor are in the direction of the prevailing breeze.

(Hmm I aimed the sensor to magnetic north, should it be true north?)

[Gyvate]

(Hmm I aimed the sensor to magnetic north, should it be true north?)

I guess magnetic North should do 

[Rover1822]

Wind is difficult to measure as you have found out. Some areas regardless of placement , without expending a lot of $ just can't. I'm one of those unfortunate ones. You do what you can. It is hard  enough for me to find open areas for rainfall.  Odds of me comparing wind speed to another station are taken with a huge grain of salt.

Them is the breaks...

And yet I have a wind turbine , go figure....

[box]

The prevailing winds are from the south to southeast. Here's the pic annotated with a magnetic North arrow.

https://i.imgur.com/jCdlua9.jpeg

So, unfortunately, those trees ~35 ft from the sensor are in the direction of the prevailing breeze.

(Hmm I aimed the sensor to magnetic north, should it be true north?)

Depends on the height of those trees but you have got as far away as you can from the taller ones and your house so  I think you have come up with a pretty good compromise

On the True/Mag north issue it depends on magnetic variation in your area - where I am variation is so low mag and true are effectively aligned

[Platokidd]

You could use an antenna mount similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068YUN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes with U bolts so it can be attached to another pole. I used this to mount my Ambient WS-2000 array and it worked well, although I bolted it to my wooden fence post rather than attaching it to a pole with the u-bolts.

X2
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[davidmc36]

The prevailing winds are from the south to southeast. Here's the pic annotated with a magnetic North arrow.

https://i.imgur.com/jCdlua9.jpeg

So, unfortunately, those trees ~35 ft from the sensor are in the direction of the prevailing breeze.

(Hmm I aimed the sensor to magnetic north, should it be true north?)

Depends on the height of those trees but you have got as far away as you can from the taller ones and your house so  I think you have come up with a pretty good compromise

On the True/Mag north issue it depends on magnetic variation in your area - where I am variation is so low mag and true are effectively aligned

Mag Dec is over 15 degrees for Washington State area. Too much for my taste, I would set it True.

[horseflesh]

Yeah I just looked it up too, that's a lot. I'll go fix it when the weather is better.

[Gyvate]

you can fix it in the WS View (Plus) app by entering a correction ("calibration") angle for the wind direction. For everything else it doesn't matter. Don't need to move the array.

[horseflesh]

Thanks @Gyvate, I should have though to look in those settings!

[slybarman]

My WS80 wind sensor arrived yesterday so I immediately mounted it to the mast where my WH40 rain sensor is. (It's not a great spot for wind so I will be remounting it but of course I wanted it live ASAP!)

But, I realized that it is hard to get both sensors to share the same mast. The rain sensor must be at the top. The wind sensor has to be mounted low enough that its metal pole bends away from the rain sensor clamp. That puts the sensors about at the same overall level. This seems like it would interfere with wind readings.

All I can think of is adding some kind of shim to the WS80 clamp, so it doesn't interfere with the WH40 clamp. Is there some official method I am overlooking?

Hi. I quickly ran into the same issue when I received the WS80 and WH40 a couple months ago. I had planned to use a single pole and realized this was poorly thought-out/engineered by Ecowitt. My solution was to add a tee fitting and a couple elbows to make "arms" so each could be on their own short mast and the wind sensor would be slightly higher and not shadowed by the rain sensor. (photo below looks all wonky on my PC until you click on it).

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