Snow Depth Stand

Current Parts List

• Snow Depth Sensor
  • 1 SR50A
• Snow depth sensor pipe mount
• Horizontal top pipe
  • 1pcs 5' 3/4 schedule 40 pipe / rigid electrical conduit.
• Vertical adjustable elevation pipe
  • 1pcs 6' 3/4 schedule 40 pipe / rigid conduit (short stand)
  • 1pcs 10' 3/4 schedule 40 pipe / rigid conduit (tall stand)
• Diagonal support pipe
  • 1pcs 4' 3/4 schedule 40 pipe / rigid conduit
• Ground support
  • 2pcs 5' Slotted Unistrut
• Main Vertical piece
  • 6' 4x4 Wooden lumber
• Cast Hardware
  • Found a bunch @ Lowes (Steeltek brand) : https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-3-8-in-90-Degree-Silver-Galvanized-Steel-Structural-Pipe-Fitting-Tee/1000422029
  • 2pcs 3/4" flush pipe mounts
  • 1pcs 3-way Tee
  • 1pcs pipe to pipe swivel fitting
  • 1pcs wood to pipe swivel fitting
• Guy Wires
  • 15ft 3/16" wire rope
  • 4pcs 3/16" wire rope clamps
• Nuts and Bolts
• 2pcs 4.5" x 1/2" coarse thread bolt
• 4pcs 1/2" washer
• 2pcs 1/2" nylock nut
• 4pcs 5" x 5/16" coarse thread bolt
• 8pcs 5/16" washer
• 4pcs 5/16" nylock nut
• Anchors
  • 3pcs 1/2" or smaller x at least 18" rebar / stake of some kind
  • 1 pcs screw in anchor

Preparation before field

• Drill a 5/16" hole on both sides of the 5 ft pipe
• Drill a 1/2" hole at one end of each piece of unistrut
• Assemble SR50A & mounting bracket
• Drill holes in 4x4 in proper place for the unitstrut stabilizers (a bit open ended here)

Procedure in the field

• Find suitable location
• Put vertical 4x4 about 1.2m from the point to measure & hold it there vertically.
• Use the 1/2" bolts and washers to secure the unistrut to the lumber.
• After the two unistruts are installed, plumb the lumber to vertical and then pin each unistrut to the ground
  • Using the rebar / L shaped pins, pound through the single hole in the unistrut at the bottom.
• With the stand now self-supported, put together the pipe.
  • In the short configuration, the horizontal pipe is five feet long, the diagonal support is four feet long and the vertical pipe is six feet long.
  • In the tall configuration, the horizontal pipe is the same but the diagonal support pipe is six feet long and the vertical pipe is ten feet long.
• If this is a site with wind, slide the cross piece for the anemometer onto the horizontal pipe and align vertically.
• Mount the snow sensor bracket and snow sensor to one end of the horizontal pipe. Just beyond that attach a XXXX ft guy wire.
  • the guy wire hole in the pipe should point to the ground.
• Slide the Tee connector onto the horizontal pipe and then the swivel socket on second. They should each roughly point towards the ground. Secure the swivel socket about three inches from the end of the pipe. Secure the tee at about the twelve inches from the end position ( snow sensor will be about forty two inches away).
• Next connect the vertical pipe to the bottom of the tee and if it seems like the tee is aligned correctly, tighten all connections.
• Connect the diagonal pipe to the swivel socket.
• from the bottom of the vertical pipe slide on the two offset flanges. Make a note of the direction they should be seated on the wood.
• Pause on stand construction briefly to wire up the snow transducer and anemometer. Next, cable tie the sensor cables across the horizontal pipe and down the top section of vertical pipe.
• secure the offset flanges to the lumber.
• raise the horizontal pipe to the proper elevation and then secure allen wrench set screws in the offset flanges.
• slide the swivel base piece onto the diagonal support pipe.
• position the swivel base piece on a face of the lumber perpendicular to the side the offset flanges are attached.
• drill a 5/16" hole in the lumber at the lower hole of the swivel base piece.
• bolt the swivel base piece to the lumber.
• tighten all connections.
• with the snow sensor in final position over the measuring point secure the guy wire to the ground someplace outside the measurement circle of the snow sensor.

Tools in the field

• Hand maul (in Nome)
• 2 pcs 3/4" box wrench / socket
• 2 pcs 1/2" box wrench / nut driver
• level
• 1/4" allen wrench (need to double-check the print is rubbing away)
• Drill with 5/16" bit (long enough to go through lumber)

Extras

For main site snow stand there are some bonus items:

• Instrument box
• Data logger
• Solar Panel
• 12v battery
• flex conduit
• wood screws for securing radiation shield to stand
• radiation shield for air temperature
• air temperature thermistor
• precision resistor for air temp thermistor
• solar panel mounting bracket
• Instrument box mounting bracket