Station AHAB

This station was established in May of 2003 on a ridge behind the moraine camp on McCall Glacier. Approximate elevation is 7930 feet (2417 meters). This ridge leads to a peak locally known as Ahab, which overlooks the Hanging Glacier. This site was selected as a comprimise between convenience of access and sampling of the general weather pattern (particularly wind) in this region of the Brooks Range. It initially measured air temperature and relative humidity at two heights, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, net radiation, and rain. Another major siting consideration was to ensure a line-of-sight link with Kaktovik, so that our radio telemetry would work, as well as a good view of the surrounding glacier so that additional repeaters would not be required.

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Overview

Location: 69d 18m 01.8sN 143d 49m 20.7sW elevation: 2417m

Program May 2003 - Aug 2003
Program Aug 2003 -

Wiring diagrams

Wind vane malfunctions:
- missing much of June - Aug 2003
- missing December 2003 - May 2004
- missing June? 2004 - not replaced

AT/RH 3m: missing December 2003 - May 2004

Net rad: missing December 2003 - permanently removed

24 May 2003: Initial installation

May 2003 equipment list:
- Tower: 3 m tripod, leftover from PCMS
- CR10X datalogger
- AT/RH: Nominal 1m, actual Vaisala HMP45AC (s/n not recorded, leftover from PCMS)
- AT/RH: Nominal 3m, actual Vaisala HMP45AC (s/n not recorded, leftover from PCMS)
- Barometer: Vaisala CS105
- Wind Set: Met One 034B
- Tipping Bucket: TB4
- Net Rad: REBS
- Solar panel: 75 Watt
- Battery: 90 AH, left inside logger box (Campbell type)

Notes. Telemetry link was confirmed to work from this location to Kaktovik, but telemetry system not installed until August.

15 Aug 2003: Modifications and download

- Wind vane missing- probably blew off within a few weeks of initial installation; replaced.
- Installed a radomed yagi antenna for telemetry on rocks nearby station
- Replaced wind set with a freshly calibrated Met One 034B
- Downloaded new program. Eliminated Table 2, which was not being used, and has standard telemetry code with safeguards
- Installed Freewave radio. Jumpered control port 8 to 12V Control and positive from Freewave radio to 12V power.
- Telemetry designed to pull data every hour at noon, with checks to retrieve any missed data; program is pulled and archived once per week.
- Closed box 5:15PM

Tipping bucket; note rocks holding down tripod legs; this tripod is very stable.

16 May 2004: Modifications

- 3 m AT/RH, net rad, wind and solar panel were missing. This likely occurred during a storm in December or January.
- replaced solar panel with 20W unit, attached to ground facing south
- replaced 3m AT/RH (serial #u2340018; leftover from PCMS, no recent calibration)
- checked pressure -- same as watch
- CR10X time 1 minute fast, did not reset
- pulled net rad wires from cr10x
- replaced wind vane
- closed box 4:10PM

Note the 3m AT/RH handle dangling and the missing solar panel, net rad, and wind vane.

The fixed station; note the location of the solar panel attached to the rocks; note also that the tipping bucket is free of snow and scoop has formed around it. This is a very windy spot.

August 2004: Notes

- The met station was visited only briefly during this trip and the logger box never opened. Bernhard noticed the wind vane was missing (never replaced), but all else looked ok.