NIWOT: instrument problems Messages: 2 Entries..

May 28th Morning (~11am).

Started up the ATI using mini-com as per Gordons e-mail.  Notes:

1. stop data system and then comment out the ati channel on
russter (channed_config).

2. use minicom to communicate with the ATI.  if the ati is on
channel 206 then this would be, 

                    minicom USB6

To communicate with the ati the minicom ettings need to be 
changed to 9600,E,7,1  (even parity).  (I think this is option
"R" after doing ctrl-A followed by P.)  Note that help is
ctrl-A, followed by plain Z.

3. Now that one can communicate with the ATI (enter ESCAPE at
the main menu) the parity needs to be changed to NONE.  after
done with changing this then exit from the ATI communication
and quit without saving from minicom.

for more details about this see Gordons e-mail (logbook entry #27).

 

Date:    Wed, 14 May 2003 12:22:54 MDT
To:      Sean Burns 
From:    turnipseed andrew a 
Subject: Re: 16m windspeed...

The 16 m propvane (it is a vane) has been screwing up intermittently on
the wind speed for a long time (months, maybe years).  Its not an oil fix.
My best guess is that it somehow builds up charge in the sensor and that
somehow kills the output voltage.  If you go up and cycle the power (12V
DC) on the vane - it usually comes back and starts responding.  I've left
it up there because the wind direction seems to be OK.

In fact - just had an idea on how to fix this - we could let the data
logger cycle the power on the vane when it gets a long string of null
values (or whatever values the vane spits out).  I'll have to think about
the control part of it, but the data logger has a switched 12V that it can
turn on and off.  It will just be a matter of programing the logger at
that point to control it.

We could also send it back to RM Young - but we have a 3rd propvane down
on campus that we should send back first - it had the same problems -
signal just "dropped out" on both the wind speed and direction.  Its
upstairs somewhere - could send that one back and then switch it out with
the 16 m vane that's running.

andrew