Trixology

Weather => Weather Hardware/Measurement => Topic started by: elagache on May 19, 2016, 11:22:50 PM

Title: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: elagache on May 19, 2016, 11:22:50 PM
Dear WeatherCat Station caregivers,

This morning there is a noticeable breeze, but my weather station stubbornly insisted that there was no wind speed.  The wind direction was moving as usual, but no wind speed.  The winds were a bit light and I could see that the cups were bouncing a bit but not turning, but this looked worrisome.  Finally I looked at my wind run graph and it looked very suspicious.  There was an abrupt end of wind on Tuesday afternoon as you can see:


(http://www.canebas.org/misc/Capto_images/Wind%20speed%20failure%202016-05-19.png)

(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/scratch_head.gif) . . . But doesn't the wind run start up again this morning? . . . . .  ???

Let's not get ahead of the story!  ;D

Well my anemometer assembly is almost 7 years old, so it was possible it had failed.  Still, before giving up all hope I decided to give the anemometer cups a quick bump and see if that would solve the problem.  I got my lopper pole and as I looked up at the anemometer mast, I sure thought I could see a small black object hanging off the cups.  I have the cups a nudge and . . . . hurray!   [bounce]  Immediately, WeatherCat reported wind.  So that small black object must have been . . . . .

(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/angry_spider.gif)

So the next time somebody complains about a weather station having "bugs" perhaps it is best to ask - which kind!?!??  [lol2]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

P.S.  It is the first time a spider has locked up my anemometer.  I guess the San Francisco bay area has enough wind most of the time to prevent those critters from ever lassoing an anemometer.
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: xairbusdriver on May 20, 2016, 02:58:50 AM
"They" say spider silk is stronger than steel! :o I'd suggest some "Sticky Traps" mounted around the  pole.
flexible cardboard traps (http://www.amazon.com/Trapper-Insect-Great-Spiders-******roaches/dp/B002Y6JHES/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463709159&sr=8-2&keywords=sticky+spider+traps)
And for larger 'critters': Jawz Plastic Mouse Trap (http://www.amazon.com/Eaton-409BULK-Plastic-Mouse-Liquid/dp/B00DLKKYRU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463709434&sr=8-3&keywords=Eaton+traps)
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: Felix on May 20, 2016, 11:21:09 AM
I had a similar thing happen one morning last summer. Predominantly calm with light wind gusts, <2 mph, but my website was showing weird reports. After troubleshooting everything I could do from inside the house, I headed outside and found that a spider had spun a web around the anemometer cups overnight. But what really caught my attention was as the wind would pick up a bit the cups would rotate slowly until the tension of the web stopped the rotation. And then when the wind died off, the cups would rotate in reverse to relieve the web tension.


Unfortunately, I didn't take out my smartphone and video it before I got out the ladder and climbed up there to dispose of the spider's web. Would have made a great YouTube post as that anemometer went through cycle after cycle of winding up in response to to the wind picking up and then rotating in reverse as the wind died off and the web pulled the cups back.
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: xairbusdriver on May 20, 2016, 12:30:29 PM
Quote
rotating in reverse as the wind died off and the web pulled the cups back.
Was the station smart enough to know the wind wasn't blowing "backwards"? ;)
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: Blicj11 on May 20, 2016, 04:08:51 PM
I too have seen spider webs bind the anemometer overnight. Apparently spiders are attracted to wind flowing around plastic.
Title: Must be global warming! (Re: PWS suffer from so many *bugs*! )
Post by: elagache on May 20, 2016, 11:55:31 PM
Dear Felix, X-Air, Blick, and personal weather station caregivers,

Thanks for the story Felix!  Indeed it was too bad you didn't take a video, that would have been quite a site.  I wish I had taken my camera with my longest telephoto lens to see if I could see any details of the spider web.  However, at the time I assumed my anemometer was busted and turning it wasn't going to have any effect.  I'll be more careful next time.

Blick, I know that getting spider webs in your wind instruments is relatively common.  What surprised me is that for almost 7 years I had never had the problem and assume the weather conditions made it too difficult for the darn critters.   ;) . . . . It must be global warming!  With warmer air temperatures, the spiders can work faster! . . .  [lol2]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]
Title: Spiders got my anemometer again! (Re: PWS suffer from so many *bugs*! )
Post by: elagache on September 05, 2020, 09:37:44 PM
Dear WeatherCat station caregivers,

Yes it has been over 4 years, but this morning once more my anemometer reported no wind speed.  That's really unusual so I got concerned.  We are in another nasty heat wave and this appears to have given one my station's enemies the opportunity it (or they) were looking for:

(https://photos.smugmug.com/House-tlc-and-upgrades/Weather-Station-work/Misc-Weather-Station-photos/i-HNx5gfj/0/a3fb3973/X2/Anemometer%20stopped%20by%20spider%20webs-X2.jpg) (https://canebas.smugmug.com/House-tlc-and-upgrades/Weather-Station-work/Misc-Weather-Station-photos/i-HNx5gfj/A)

It is well known that spider webs are the strongest materials by weight known to humanity.  This point was verified when I attempt to use a garden blower to free up the cups - no dice.  When sophistication fails, force prevails.  I have pole from a broken tree saw and that freed my anemometer at last.

Considering the present weather trends, I might need to keep that pole handy!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]
Title: Another spider! (Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*! )
Post by: elagache on April 29, 2023, 10:19:25 PM
Dear WeatherCat station caregivers,

Sadly an almost identical repeat of the scenario that allowed a spider to tangle up my anemometer 2-1/2 years ago.  We had spell of relatively warm and calm weather, and of course, spiders are cold-blooded. 

This morning no wind speeds reported so I got suspicious.  Here is what I found:

(https://photos.smugmug.com/House-tlc-and-upgrades/Weather-Station-work/Misc-Weather-Station-photos/i-c27tWwg/0/43efec66/XL/Anemometer%20with%20spider%20webs-XL.jpg) (https://canebas.smugmug.com/House-tlc-and-upgrades/Weather-Station-work/Misc-Weather-Station-photos/i-c27tWwg/A)

The same broken tree lopper came to my rescue.  It is a good thing I kept it!

Cheers, Edouard
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: xairbusdriver on April 29, 2023, 10:45:00 PM
You need to install some "spider cones"* on the curved mount. [lol] They are probably available at Amazon or Ebay. The closer to the bottom of the mount the better; those tiny suckers can jump quite a distance with the right wind!! [bounce] [banghead]

*They are similar, but smaller, than the cones you'll see on a dock ship to keep rats from boarding. ThU32:-)
Title: Spider cones? (Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!)
Post by: elagache on April 30, 2023, 10:26:48 PM
Dear X-Air and WeatherCat station caregivers,

Quote from: xairbusdriver on April 29, 2023, 10:45:00 PM
You need to install some "spider cones"

That's an interesting idea.  However a quick Google search didn't bring up any such thing.  Do spider cones actually exist?  I suppose I could attempt to make one if they don't.

Cheers, Edouard
Title: Re: Personal weather stations suffer from so many *bugs*!
Post by: xairbusdriver on May 01, 2023, 12:00:58 AM
Be careful, they are probably patented. You do not want to get a repent and detest letter!!!!😳