The New Mountain Innovations NM150WX Ultrasonic Weather Station is the perfect choice for mobile professionals who require accurate real-time wind measurements while on the go, such as hazmat and fire mobile command centers, storm chasers, chemical spray operations, remote severe environments, maritime operations, and many more.
It is the only all-in-one weather sensor that calculates true and apparent wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point and wind chill temperature. The internal compass and Global Positioning System, calculates true wind speed and direction. The UV stabilized; compact housing is fully waterproof and resistant to chemicals.
The cabled (not wireless) PC-based NM150WX Ultrasonic Weather Station comes with the professional version of Weatherview32 software. Data can be viewed in both digital and analog format and can be continuously saved to a file. A display console is not available for this weather station, a personal computer is required.
How the New Mountain NM150WX Ultrasonic Weather Station Works
The New Mountain NM150WX ultrasonic wind sensor (ultrasonic anemometer) measures apparent wind speed and direction. The weather station contains four ultrasonic transducers, visible through the four holes in the top of the sensor’s wind channel (see figure 1 above). These transducers operate in pairs - one transducer injects a pulse into the air, and the other (directly opposite to it) listens for the arrival of that pulse (see figure 2 above). Each pulse bounces off the anodized aluminum plate at the bottom of the wind channel and is carried by the wind to arrive at the opposing transducer a short time later. When there is no wind, the pulse travels at the speed of sound from the sender to the receiver. Whenever the wind is blowing in that direction, the pulse will arrive sooner than if the air is still. Similarly, whenever the wind is blowing in the opposite direction, the pulse will arrive later than if the air is still. The four transducers take turns in sending and receiving pulses to cover all eventualities of wind direction. A built-in microprocessor combines the measurements from all four transducers to calculate the resultant wind speed and direction. The sensor monitors the air temperature, to compensate for the fact that the speed of sound in air changes with temperature. (The aluminum plate heats up to prevent frost and moisture from altering the wind readings.) Flow disturbances caused by the five posts are compensated for in software.
Every NM150WX ultrasonic wind sensor is individually calibrated in New Mountain's state-of-the-art wind tunnel, whose wind measurements are traceable to a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material. This testing provides compensation for variations in production as well as asymmetry in the airflow channel. The NM150WX has the unique ability to display both true and apparent wind. True wind is the actual motion of the air relative to the earth. Apparent wind is the wind which an observer experiences while moving or on a moving vehicle. It is the result of these two motions - the actual motion of the air (the true wind) and the motion of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not moving, then the true and apparent wind will be the same.
The New Mountain NM150WX utilizes a standard 1-14” UNS thread connection to accommodate standard mounting hardware. The waterproof base connector assures trouble-free installation and servicing, while a quick disconnect feature allows for easy removal. The NM150WX ships with a 82 foot (25 meter) data cable, RS485 to RS232 converter, data cable serial interface adapter, 12 volt power supply, and owners guide. A number of optional accessories are also available, including a serial to USB converter.
Computer Requirements (Professional version of Weather View 32):
For Window Vista users (per Weather View 32 Help):
Some Vista setups seem to be affected by a known Microsoft issue which causes your computers desktop to act strange and requires a re-boot after 1 to 3 hours of use. If this is occurring on your system click here to get a fix from Microsoft. If the problem is not resolved, call Tech Support at 503-864-3217.