AIR & SKY Device Siting and Installation Follow

Looking for info on Tempest?

Siting and Installation for AIR & SKY

AIR and SKY can be easily sited and installed at various locations around your property. The sensor devices are able to maintain a connection to the Hub up to 1000 ft (300m) away with no obstructions.

AIR (temp, humidity, pressure & lightning)

For proper measurement of temperature, humidity, pressure, and lightning, locate your AIR as follows:

• At least 3 feet off the ground
• In full shade or in a radiation shield
  If you don't have a location that's in full shade all day, the small and wireless form factor allows you to move the AIR unit easily from season to season as the sun angles change.
• Away from potential sources of heat and moisture (sprinklers, vegetation, air vents, brick and other dark surfaces)
• Away from nearby sources of electromagnetic interference (antennas, electric fences, boilers, furnaces, outdoor speakers, motion lights)

Mounting: AIR can stand alone or be mounted in an upright position using the keyhole slot or by 1/4"-20 thread. A simple mount for AIR that we recommend: http://a.co/9mBeXGv

Orientation: AIR should be vertical for the most effective lightning detection. Proper moisture shedding requires the AIR to remain upright unless the AIR is shielded from water and condensing dew.

Note on Relative Humidity: If your humidity reading seems high (or low), remember that AIR is reporting hyper-local conditions. An accurate measurement may differ dramatically from other sources you're used to. Remember, this is YOUR WEATHER, not the weather from the Airport that your phone or the TV news reports. Your yard has its own 'micro-climate' and will report the truth of the exact location where your AIR is sited: that means it will be wetter near things like trees, ground cover, wet decks, dryer vents, etc. and ambient temperature will be higher closer to surfaces receiving direct sun.

Note on Lightning detection: While your AIR should detect most lightning, it may not record every strike. The lightning sensor is relatively sensitive to both position and direction. If your AIR detects regular "false positive" strikes, this may be due to another source of electromagnetic interference (motors, fluorescent lighting, radios, computer electronics, etc.). Be sure to locate your AIR away from these sources. On the other hand, if you feel your AIR is detecting fewer real lightning strikes than you experience, try moving it, or rotating it slightly. Subtle changes in the positioning of AIR can make all the difference.

SKY (wind, rain & UV/solar)

Your SKY will report accurate data from wherever it’s installed.  Your SKY does not need to be installed on a tall mast or on the roof - it’s perfectly okay to install it on a fence post or a shed, for example. For ideal measurement of wind, rain, and solar conditions, try to site your SKY as follows:

• Ensure the mount and mast do not transfer vibrations...
  Any vibrations felt by the SKY unit may be recognized as rain.
• With full exposure to the sun and sky...
  Shade from trees and buildings can block the light and rain sensors.
• With unobstructed exposure to wind...
  Obstacles upwind of your SKY will affect wind measurements.. Try to install SKY above nearby obstacles in as many directions as your location will allow. SKY also needs at least 15 cm (6 in) of horizontal clearance from any object for the wind sensor to operate properly.

Mounting: Be sure the structure (post, pole, mast roof, wall, railing, etc.) to which you mount your SKY does not move or rattle or otherwise transfer motion or vibration to the SKY unit. If you can trigger false rain readings easily by jostling the mount or mast you may want to consider adjusting your setup. There are two standard ways to mount your SKY:

• The pole mount is designed to fit a standard “one-inch” nominal pole (outer diameter = 1.315 inches, or 33.4 mm) as well as a 1.25 in (32 mm) outer diameter pole, and anything in-between. You can find a length of mast at your local hardware store or order one online.
• The flat base mount attaches to a horizontal surface via 1/4"-20 threaded insert (standard camera mount) or the keyhole slot over a screw or nail.

Orientation: SKY should be as level as possible with the side marked "N" facing true North, not magnetic North.

Note on Rain: The haptic rain sensor in SKY detects rainfall by sensing the vibration caused by individual rain drops impacting the top surface. There are filters in place to identify and correct for non-rain sources of vibration (loose mounting, birds landing, etc), but these filters err on the side of caution. That means some sources of vibration can appear to the sensor as real rain. If you encounter this "false rain" phenomenon, you may need to adjust your installation to prevent whatever motion or vibration may be causing it.

Looking for info on Tempest?