Low power, compact, and simple for easy installation in remote locations
Overview
The ClimaVUE™50 is an affordable all-in-one meteorological sensor that fulfills your common weather monitoring needs with simplicity, when paired with any of Campbell Scientific's highly flexible and scalable data collection platforms. This sensor uses SDI-12 to report air temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure, barometric pressure, wind (speed, gust, and direction), solar radiation, precipitation, and lightning strike (count and distance). It does this with no moving parts, while consuming little power. A built-in tilt sensor assures long-term data integrity. This diverse product is great for quick deployment, for remote locations, for large networks, as part of a more complex system, or if you just need something simple.
Read MoreBenefits and Features
- All the common meteorological measurements with one simple digital (SDI-12) output
- Less than 1 mA at 12 Vdc average current, making it ideal for solar-powered sites
- Integrated tilt sensor helps assure that the sensor stays level over time
- Low maintenance—no moving parts significantly reduces maintenance cost and time
- 304 stainless-steel hardware for minimal surface staining in marine environments
- No sensor configuration required
- Compact design for quick, low-impact installation
- Compatible with all modern Campbell Scientific data loggers
- Detachable cable facilitates field replacement
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Detailed Description
Sensors
All sensors are integrated into a single, small form-factor unit, requiring minimal installation effort. With a robust, no-moving-parts design that prevents errors because of wear or fouling, the ClimaVUE™50 is ideal for long-term, remote installations.
Pyranometer
Solar radiation is measured by a pyranometer that is integrated into the lip of the rain gage funnel at the top of the ClimaVUE™50. The miniature pyranometer uses a silicon-cell sensor to measure the total incoming (direct and diffuse) solar radiation. Silicon-cell sensors have excellent response time to changing radiation conditions and acceptable sensitivity across the solar spectrum, which make them well-suited for use on the ClimaVUE™50.
A carefully developed cosine-correcting head ensures accurate readings regardless of sun angle, while the painstakingly researched optical filter material balances cost and performance to ensure the silicon-cell provides the ClimaVUE™50 with good accuracy regardless of temperature or sensor age.
Anemometer
The space underneath the rain gage is where the ClimaVUE™50 measures wind speed. Ultrasonic signals emitted from transducers at right angles to each other bounce off the porous sintered glass plate and back up to the opposite sensor. The speed of sound is affected by the wind, and the wind speed is calculated by measuring differences in the time it takes for sound to travel from the transmitters to the receivers.
Temperature Sensor
The ClimaVUE™50 temperature measurement is made in the center of the anemometer area where a small stainless-steel needle containing a tiny temperature sensor (thermistor) extends from the middle of the four sonic transducers in the center of the anemometer.
Unlike most air temperature measurements, the temperature sensor is not covered with louvered plates to protect it from solar heating. Instead, it sits in open air, susceptible to solar heating of the instrument body. However, the ClimaVUE™50 accurately corrects the measured air temperature because solar radiation and the wind speed are known. These two are the main variables that determine the error between measured air temperature and the actual air temperature. An energy balance equation is then used to calculate what the actual temperature should be to an accuracy of ±0.6°C.
For more information, see the "ClimaVUE™50—Correction of air temperature measurements from a radiation-exposed sensor" technical paper.
Relative Humidity Sensor
The relative humidity sensor on the ClimaVUE™50 is located behind the circular Teflon™ screen close to the sonic transducers. The Teflon screen protects the sensor from liquid water and dust while allowing water vapor to freely pass to the sensor. The ClimaVUE™50 measures relative humidity and temperature and computes vapor pressure.
Drip Counter Rain Gage
The ClimaVUE™50 contains a 9.31 cm (3.67 in.) diameter rain-collection funnel. A spring in the funnel acts as a filter to keep out large particles while allowing enough flow so water does not back up. Rain collected by the funnel exits the funnel through a precision flared hole that forms the rain into drops of a known size. The falling drops hit and momentarily bridge the gap between two gold pins, creating an electrical pulse.
The ClimaVUE™50 counts the pulses (drops) and calculates the water volume. As the rain intensity increases, the drops become smaller, but the ClimaVUE™50 firmware contains an algorithm to automatically compensate for drop size as the rain increases.
Note: This non-heated sensor is not suitable for solid precipitation measurements or riming environments.
Tilt Sensor
The ClimaVUE™50 is also equipped with a tilt sensor. The primary use of the tilt sensor data is to ensure the ClimaVUE™50 remains level at all times. Regularly check X and Y tilt data to ensure the ClimaVUE™50 is level; if it has tilted, return to the site and level again. Three degrees off level can cause errors in the rain and solar radiation measurements. Although this sensor's readings may be used to level the instrument during installation, it is much easier to use the small bubble level on the bottom of the anemometer plate.
Mounting
The ClimaVUE™50 includes a V-bolt for mounting to a pipe with a nominal outer diameter of 31.8 to 50.8 mm (1.25 to 2.0 in.). This allows the sensor to mount directly to a tripod mast or CM300-series mounting pole, or to a crossarm using the 17387 mounting pipe kit.
Specifications
| Measurements Made | Air temperature, barometric pressure, lightning average distance, lightning strike count, precipitation, relative humidity, solar radiation, tilt, wind direction, and wind speed. |
| Output | SDI-12 |
| Operating Temperature Range | -50° to +60°C (Except the barometer and RH: -40° to +60°C.) |
| Minimum Supply Voltage | 3.6 Vdc continuous |
| Maximum Supply Voltage | 15.0 Vdc continuous |
| Minimum Digital Input Voltage |
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| Typical Digital Input Voltage |
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| Maximum Digital Input Voltage |
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| Typical Current Drain @ 12 Vdc | < 1 mA (average) |
| Typical Measurement Duration | 110 ms |
| Maximum Measurement Duration | 3,000 ms |
| Maximum Polling Frequency | 10 s |
| Application of Council Directive(s) |
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| Standards to Which Conformity Is Declared |
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| Connection Description | 25 mm (10 in.) pigtail with M12 male 5-pin 316 stainless-steel knurl |
| Diameter | 10 cm (4 in.) including rain gage funnel |
| Height | 34 cm (13.4 in.) including rain gage funnel |
| Weight | 839.15 g (1.85 lb) |
Power Consumption |
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| Quiescent | 0.3 mA |
| Maximum Peak Current | 33 mA |
| Average Using the R7! Command every 10 s | 1.0 mA |
| Average Using the R7! Command every 60 s (or slower) | 0.4 mA |
Air Temperature |
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| Measurement Range | -50° to +60°C |
| Resolution | 0.1°C |
| Accuracy | ±0.6°C |
Relative Humidity |
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| Measurement Range | 0 to 100% |
| Resolution | 0.1 |
| Accuracy | ±3% RH typical (varies with temperature and humidity) |
Barometric Pressure |
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| Barometer Operating Temperature Range | -40° to +60°C |
| Measurement Range | 500 to 1100 hPa |
| Resolution | 0.1 hPa |
| Accuracy |
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Vapor Pressure |
|
| Measurement Range | 0 to 47 kPa |
| Resolution | 0.01 kPa |
| Accuracy or Repeatability | Varies with temperature and humidity; ±0.2 kPa typical below 40°C. |
Wind Speed |
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| Wind Speed Maximum | 10 s gust |
| Measurement Range | 0 to 30 m/s (0 to 67 mph) |
| Resolution | 0.01 m/s (0.02 mph) |
| Accuracy or Repeatability | 0.3 m/s or 3% (0.67 mph or 3%), whichever is greater |
Wind Direction |
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| Measurement Range | 0° to 359° |
| Resolution | 1° |
| Accuracy | ±5° |
Solar Radiation |
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| Measurement Range | 0 to 1750 W m-2 |
| Resolution | 1 W m-2 |
| Accuracy | ±5% of measurement (typical) |
| Spectral Range | 300 to 1150 nm |
Precipitation |
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| Measurement Range | 0 to 400 mm/h (15.75 in./h) |
| Resolution | 0.017 mm |
| Accuracy | ±5% of measurement (from 0 to 50 mm/h or 0 to 1.97 in./h) |
Tilt |
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| Measurement Range | -90° to +90° |
| Resolution | 0.1° |
| Accuracy | ±1° |
Lightning Strike Count |
|
| Measurement Range | 0 to 65,535 strikes |
| Resolution | 1 strike |
| Accuracy | > 25% detection at < 10 km typical (variable with distance) |
Lightning Average Distance |
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| Measurement Range | 0 to 40 km (0 to 24.9 mi) |
| Resolution | 3 km (1.86 mi) |
| Accuracy | Variable |
Documents
Technical Papers
Downloads
ClimaVUE 50 Example Program v.1 (3 KB) 07-08-2021
An example CR1000X program that uses the R7! SDI-12 command to retrieve data. The program adjusts the barometric pressure measurement to sea level. The adjustment is entered as a constant in the beginning of the program. It assumes the site elevation is 1382 m, and a different value is required for different site elevations.
This program also includes instructions that set wind measurements that are less than 0 to the last valid measurement. These instructions are needed because high winds with rain can temporarily interfere with sonic wind measurements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Number of FAQs related to ClimaVUE50: 10
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Internally to the ClimaVUE™50, precipitation is continually measured. Solar radiation, wind, and air temperature are measured every 10 seconds; orientation, vapor pressure, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity are measured every 60 seconds. Querying the sensor more often than two times the measurement interval will return raw values. Querying more often than the measurement interval will result in duplicate values and may cause timing problems in the data logger.
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The ClimaVUE™50 is a microclimate sensor, so you should position it to be representative of the climate relevant to the research questions you are asking. FAO56 gives specific guidelines to the positioning and field size of sensors. If you intend to use the sensor for reference ET, follow those guidelines.Refer to the following: http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0490E/X0490E00.htm.
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The average current drain for the ClimaVUE™50 during the quiescent state and routine 10 s wind measurement is on the order of 300 µA. Polling with the aR7! command every 60 seconds increases the average current drain to 0.4 mA. Polling with the aR7! command every 10 seconds increases the average current drain to 1 mA.
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The ClimaVUE™50 mounting type can be a meteorological stand, pole in cement, or tripod: 31.8 to 50.8 mm, 1.25 to 2.0 in. diameter. The ClimaVUE™50 is fitted with a V-bolt, allowing it to be mounted on top of most posts, poles, tripods, etc. Use a wrench to tighten the bolts, securing the ClimaVUE™50 flat and tight against the top of the stand.
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The ClimaVUE™50 collects all the information necessary to correct for absorbed radiation using an energy balance approach.
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The SDI-12 bus is capable of having at least 10 sensors connected to it, each with 200 feet of cable. With fewer sensors, longer cable lengths are possible.
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We do not have a heated version of the ClimaVUE™50 at this time. The model to correct the air temperature is based on the energy balance and should be good in all situations in which the radiation and wind sensors can collect reliable data; however, unintentional burial in snow and ice may impede the function of both. The ClimaVUE™50 will not be a universally great fit for all climates. If the winter precipitation is critical for your study, other instruments will be necessary.
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See the maintenance section of the manual for recommendations.
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Not every sensor has different cable termination options. The options available for a particular sensor can be checked by looking in two places in the Ordering information area of the sensor product page:
- Model number
- Cable Termination Options list
If a sensor is offered in an –ET, –ETM, –LC, –LQ, or –QD version, that option’s availability is reflected in the sensor model number. For example, the 034B is offered as the 034B-ET, 034B-ETM, 034B-LC, 034B-LQ, and 034B-QD.
All of the other cable termination options, if available, are listed on the Ordering information area of the sensor product page under “Cable Termination Options.” For example, the 034B-L Wind Set is offered with the –CWS, –PT, and –PW options, as shown in the Ordering information area of the 034B-L product page.
Note: As newer products are added to our inventory, typically, we will list multiple cable termination options under a single sensor model rather than creating multiple model numbers. For example, the HC2S3-L has a –C cable termination option for connecting it to a CS110 instead of offering an HC2S3-LC model.
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The ClimaVUE™50 does need to be powered continuously to make the routine wind measurements (every 10 seconds) that are combined to give the wind speed and direction. If you only power up and quickly grab a measurement, those wind speed and direction measurements will be of little value, given the inherently variable nature of wind. Campbell Scientific highly recommends that you power the ClimaVUE™50 instruments continuously for reliable wind measurement. The average current drain for the ClimaVUE™50 during the quiescent state and routine 10 s wind measurement is on the order of 300 microAmps, so battery drain from continuous power should be minimal.
Case Studies
Summary Problem The University of Birmingham had set up and was operating 26 weather stations across the......read more
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