Universal installation best practices

Follow these procedures for 'All-in-one' and modular weather station models.

1. Put the weather station at least 100 feet (30 meters) from any buildings, trees or pavement.
2. Use a sturdy fence post or tripod (supplied by the vendor), that is properly leveled, to mount the weather station.
3. Peform routine maintenance on your weather station.
4. Keep the weather station footprint clear of debris, weeds, grass, brush or any other obstructions that might influence readings from the weather station.

Best practices for 'All-in-one' weather station installation

Follow these additional steps if your machine shipped as a single integrated unit and individual sensors cannot be removed or adjusted from the unit.

1. Mount the station so the solar panel faces due south.
2. Place the machine vertically so the lip of the rain gauge stands at 5ft (1.5m)
3. Check that the station is level both horizontally and vertically before tightening your mounting hardware.
4. Follow supplier instructions for activating and connecting the weather station to the cloud.
5. Request a connection to the NEWA platform.

Best practices for modular weather station installation

Follow these additional steps if your machine uses sensors that can be individually connected or disconnected with a wire or radio signal (modular).

1. Review all steps below to install sensors before fixing the base unit to your mast.
2. Attach sensors in the specified order and height (table 1) to your mast before attaching the base unit.
3. Place and install the weather station base unit on the mast at a location that is not crowded by other sensor attachments.
4. Check that all sensor wires reach the base unit and can be plugged in. Make placement adjustments as needed.
5. Unplug the sensor wires from the base unit to organize sensor wires with zip ties.
6. Reconnect all sensors to the base unit and follow supplier instructions for activating the weather station system.
7. HOBO machines only. Create a NEWA data feed.

8. Request a connection to the NEWA platform.

   Table 1. Order and height of sensor placement while installing a modular weather station for NEWA.

   Sensor	Order	Height	Notes
   Required measurements
   Wind speed and direction (anemometer)	1	10ft (3m)	Read the directions carefully. This sensor must be mounting in a specfic orientation, often indicated with special marks on the sensor itself and/or on the mast provided by the supplier. If this sensor is mounted incorrectly, Wind speed will be incorrectly records. For example, easterly winds are reported as westerly winds and so on.
   Solar radiation	2	10ft (3m)	Mount the solar radiation sensor on the special bracket provided by the supplier. The sensor needs to face exactly due south and must be placed above all other sensors to avoid any shading. Though tight, there should be space to properly mount this sensor close to the anemometer because they align in different directions on the mast.
   Air temperature + relative humidity	3	6ft (1.75m)	Temperature and relative humidity are captured from a single sensor. Always house the sensor inside the solar radiation shield provided by the supplier.
   Rain gauge	4	5ft (1.5m)	The the gauge opening should be placed at the specified height in a direction that minimizes obstruction to the sky by previously mounted sensors.
   Wetness (Leaf wetness proxy)	5	1.5ft (0.5m)	Place the surface at a 45° angle to the ground, facing north. This measures the amount of moisture on the sensor surface.
   Optional measurements
   Soil temperature	6	2in depth (5cm)	Place the probe horizontally in the soil profile, or according to the supplier instructions
   Soil moisture	7	2in depth (5cm)	Place the probe horizontally in the soil, or according to the supplier instructions

Updated 7/31/2025 by Dan Olmstead