Overview
The CS125 is an infrared forward-scatter visibility and present weather sensor for stand-alone use or with automatic weather stations including those for road, marine, and airport applications. The CS125 has an attached 5 m (16.4 ft) cable and DB9 connector.
Technical Description
The CS125 uses the well-established forward scatter system for visibility measurement, using a 42° scatter angle, which gives accurate estimates of Meteorological Observable Range (M.O.R.) for fog and snow.
It identifies precipitation particles from their scattering properties and fall speeds, and combines this with a temperature measurement to identify the weather type. It has downward-pointing optics that reduce the risk of contamination of the optics and blockage with snow. Interference to the sample volume from the sensor by flow distortion or heat is minimized.
It also provides reliable present weather information in the form of SYNOP codes, including information on the intensity of precipitation. Accumulation can also be reported.
The CS125 uses continuous high-speed sampling to reduce errors during mixed-weather events and events that return intermittent signals, such as rain and hail, while still providing reliable readings during more stable events, such as fog and mist. The CS125 has high immunity to interference from the visible and infrared warning lights used to mark obstructions, such as wind turbines.
The sensor can be set to a lower sampling frequency to save power, if required.
The CS125 incorporates low-power dew prevention heaters, as well as higher-power anti-icing heaters for the hoods as standard.