Section 6. Maintenance and
Troubleshooting
These guidelines apply to several Campbell Scientific weather stations.
6.1 Maintenance
Proper maintenance of weather station components is essential to obtain accurate data. Equipment must be in good operating condition, which requires a program of regular inspection and maintenance. Routine and simple maintenance can be accomplished by the person in charge of the weather station. More difficult maintenance such as sensor calibration, sensor performance testing (i.e., bearing torque), and sensor component replacement, generally requires a skilled technician, or that the instrument be sent to Campbell Scientific or the manufacturer.
A station log should be maintained for each weather station that includes serial numbers, dates that the site was visited, and maintenance that was performed.
6.1.1 Instrumentation Maintenance
The instrumentation requires a minimum of routine maintenance. A few preventative maintenance steps will optimize battery life and decrease the chances of datalogger failure.
6.1.2 Batteries
Rechargeable power supplies should be connected to an AC transformer or unregulated solar panel at all times. Be aware of battery voltage that consistently decreases over time, which indicates a failure in the charging circuitry.
6.1.3 Desiccant
Enclosure humidity is monitored in the ET Enclosure systems by an RH chip incorporated into the connector board. Change the desiccant packs when the enclosure RH exceeds 35%.
Desiccant may be ordered through Campbell Scientific (DSC 20/4) or item #4905.
Desiccant packs inside of the dataloggers do not require replacement under normal conditions.