Mast Installation for the AcuRite Professional Weather Center 02032C

The plastic mast that comes with the AcuRite Professional Weather Center 02032C is sufficient, if mounting on a fencepost is acceptable.  In this case it wasn’t as there are squirrels to contend with and it was actually over a walkway.  And at just a little over six feet off the ground, eventually this would become and issue.  The previous weather station, a La Crosse Technology Wireless Weather Station c84612, was mounted on a piece of 3/4 EMT (electrical conduit).  That worked well, so why re-invent the wheel.

The plastic mast has an outside diameter of just over an inch, which makes the conduit too small by about an 1/8″ (remember that the 3/4″ refers to the inside diameter, the outside is slightly larger).  To make up the difference, a Hubbell 3/4″ set screw coupling was purchased from Home Depot (I would link it, but they don’t have Hubbell EMT hardware via their website).  The only modification required is that the screw threads need to be filed down smooth.

AcuRite_Mast_6 AcuRite_Mast_1 AcuRite_Mast_2

This particular model is nice in that it only has a dimple to prevent it from sliding too far onto the conduit. For this purpose, it’s easy to use a hammer and a block of wood to move it down further that was intended.  To complete the project, a small hole must be drilled into the pipe for a mounting screw.  Put the weather sensor on the pipe to locate the hole, drill a pilot, remove the sensor and finish the hole, making it large enough that the screw will fit.

AcuRite_Mast_4 AcuRite_Mast_3 AcuRite_Mast_5

Attaching it to a trellis post requires a few EMT strap and deck screws.  A few nuts were used as spacers to makes sure the pipe was plum and level.  Visible in the first picture above, the spacer on the conduit inside the weather station.

Now it’s up and out of the way, about nine feet up, it will probably get more accurate readings.  The only downside is when the batteries have to be replaced.  But that’s what ladders are for.  In the spring I’ll create a different mast system that will mount in the yard.

 

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