TAHMO

Station Maintenance

Weather station cleaning checklist

We have provided a manual to help you in your station cleaning process.

If followed correctly, you should be able to have your stations cleaned perfectly with no technicians assistance

Cleaning Instructions

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STATION CLEANING

The TAHMO station needs to be checked every month to verify there are no obstructions and all instruments are clean. When you clean the station, you will need to bring a chair/stool to reach the station, a damp cloth, and paperclip or stick.

Steps to take in cleaning your station.

Go to the location of your TAHMO weather station. Enter the fenced area, closing the gate after you, and set up the chair or stool securely so you can reach the top of the weather station. To clean the weather station, complete the following three tasks:

  • Wipe off the solar panel on the data logger box using the cloth.
  • Wipe off any dust from the solar sensor using the cloth. The solar sensor is located on the side of the rain funnel and is a small circle.
  • Remove any leaves, bugs, or bird droppings from the rain funnel using the cloth. The rain funnel is located on the top of the weather station. You can use a paperclip or stick to remove any twigs from the spring.

Only remove the rain funnel if is very dirty and needs more extensive cleaning. You can remove the top of the rain funnel by pressing down and twisting it off counterclockwise. Use caution when opening the device to be careful not to break the wires connecting the solar sensor to the main body of the TAHMO station.

Carefully disconnect the wire and continue cleaning.

You can remove the metal spring in the center of the rain funnel in order to remove any pieces blocking the funnel. Re-secure the metal spring by gently pressing and turning the spring into the funnel hole. When you replace the funnel onto the weather station, plug back in the wires then align the funnel by pressing down and twisting clockwise.

Remember to close and lock the gate when you leave. Thank you for helping to keep the station running and producing quality data for use in agriculture, disaster management, and climate adaptation!

If you have concerns about your station or are having problems cleaning your station including finding the rain funnel, solar sensor, or solar panel on your station, please email your TAHMO country representative for help or email info@tahmo.org or S2S@tahmo.org. Additionally, please contact us if you have any other concerns about your station.

We provide a checklist and a cleaning schedule that should be filled out each month to ensure regular cleaning. Please place the day of the cleaning and a check or remark in each box when the function is performed

Video Instructions on station cleaning

Cleaning taking place on some stations