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sailworksman
Joined: 26 Jul 2000 Posts: 58
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Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:33 pm Post subject: New Viento sensor |
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A big thank you to iWindsurf/Weatherflow for the new Viento wind sensor. West wind building/dying in the corridor? Now you can check. This will be awesome for east wind foil sessions too.
Nice work guys!
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:28 am Post subject: |
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Hi Gang!
We all have to thank Stuart of the Sensor Install crew for installing this new sensor on the Coast Guard Nav. Aid as well as Matt and Ben who did the endless paper work with the Dept. of Defense to get permission for this installation.
And thanks for Guy who has camped at Viento for years and often sails there in the morning before heading to the Hatch. He was the one who met with us at Viento and confirmed that the sensor Nav. Aid location would be useful. Basically the sensor will read low compared to the wind mid river but once you figure out the correction factors it should be useful.
Below are images of the sensor and its location.
How to use the Viento sensor:
http://blog.weatherflow.com/west-coast-wind-blog-i-dont-sail-at-viento-so-why-should-i-care-about-the-new-viento-sensor/
1. Most days the winds build at Viento before reaching the Hatch, Swell, Event Site launch sites. So the Viento sensor gives you an early hint for planning your day.
2. Likewise a mid day fade at Viento often gives a hint of an upcoming fade at the Hatch and Swell.
3. Often on light wind 4.7 - 5.2 days there is not much swell and people do not make the drive to Hatch and Swell. On these small swell days the wind is concentrated just in the Hatch and Swell zone. But other times on light wind days there is great swell at Hatch and Swell IF Viento is also blowing. Even mild wind can make good swell if the entire corridor is blowing making for a long fetch.
4. And for those who are here only for a short time... they can now catch the early morning winds at Viento before the Hatch and Swell zone becomes reliable.
5. Lastly this sensor will help forecasting since it is an additional pressure reading in the corridor.
At present you can access the Viento sensor at:
http://wx.iwindsurf.com/map#45.695,-121.623,13,1
We will soon have this sensor on the Classic IW map.
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
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Last edited by windfind on Thu Nov 02, 2017 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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Hi AirTym,
The Roosevelt sensor did not belong to us. We put it on our sites as a Public Domain sensor as a service to our customers. Unfortunately the owners of the sensor did not repair it when it failed. So far we have not found a property owner next to the river at Roos who will host one of our sensors. So we moved the Arlington sensor to a new location right next to the water and closer to the water surface. That it is a bit more useful for the Roos launch.
I also miss the Roos sensor but frankly there are very few sites where we have 2 sensors just across the river from each other.
Incidentally we have over 700 of our own weather stations just in the USA. At any given time about 99% of them are operational. That still means that at any given time about 5-10 of then are down somewhere in the USA due to lightning, corrosion, boat collisions with Nav. Aids, fallen trees, fishing or kite line etc. So we have East coast and West coast repair crews flying around the USA repairing sensors or installing new sensors like the Viento. Unless there is an unusual circumstance like our needing to charter a boat or gaining access to a site we usually have sensors back in operation in a couple weeks or sooner.
Here is a video I shot over one especially busy weekend to give customers an idea of what sensor installation and repair entails.
https://windnotes.smugmug.com/1-Videos-WindsurfKite/1-Gorge-Videos/i-CN8Fm92/A
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
Last edited by windfind on Sun Oct 22, 2017 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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H2OJoe
Joined: 20 Aug 2002 Posts: 112
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks to you and your team for all the great work and effort!
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AlexM
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 49 Location: Mosier, Oregon
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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The new sensor shows Viento cranking in the upper 20's today, so I showed up, only to discover that the park is closed. How the heck was the sensor installed given that there's no open access road?
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Alex,
Road access would not help since the Coast Guard Nav. Aid. where the Viento sensor is located is out in the river. The sensor crew uses boats to access the Rooster Rock, Dougs, The Wall and 3 Mile Canyon sensors since they are all out in the river.
That is why those sensors sometimes take longer to repair when they are down. We have to obtain a boat and wait for a day with no wind or swell. Plus it takes a larger repair crew.
We are lucky here in the Gorge since Stuart lives here and can do repairs quickly unless he is out of state repairing sensors in Texas or Maui or drill down by double clicking repeatedly on this map link to see where Stuart might be:
http://wx.iwindsurf.com/map#39.51,-99.534,5,1
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
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AlexM
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 49 Location: Mosier, Oregon
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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@AirTym, there is great big "ROAD CLOSED" sign on the road heading down to the river. That's in addition to the "Park Closed" sign posted on the other road heading inland on the other side of the interstate. Are you suggesting that sailors just squeeze right by that "road closed" sign on their way to the water? Have you ever done that?
If you have personal knowledge that the road closed sign can be safely ignored, please confirm. Otherwise I think it might be prudent to avoid this launch for the time being....
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AlexM
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 49 Location: Mosier, Oregon
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:18 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, airtyme, I'll be brave and bypass the sign next time...
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Alex,
Our entire IT team is focused on our consumer "smart weather stations" so it will take a long time to get new features on the web and apps.
Water temperature sensors are very hard to install and maintain. Most of the sensors are a ways from the water and cabling is not practical over concrete and rock. And sensor corrosion and build up of algae and damage from debris would be constant issue. So is would greatly increase our maintenance costs.
And I doubt customers would pay for the increased service since free information is readily available.
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
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AlexM
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 49 Location: Mosier, Oregon
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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@windfind, I think you were responding to Airtym. I don't see any need for a water temp sensor at your weather stations - I'm sure the posted temperature at the dam is a pretty good proxy for temps at any of the launches. I sure do appreciate the effort you make to install and maintain all your wind sensors, though!
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