Equipment
Each GPS installation includes 5 basic components for operating, a GPS receiver, GPS antenna, weatherproof enclosure, power system, and communications equipment. In addition there can be additional equipment/sensors added to a station as needed such as Meteorological equipment, web cams, tilt-meters, etc.
Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- GPS receiver: The PBO network was constructed using the Trimble NetRS at all 1100 of its GPS stations. Moving forward, as the life of the NetRS receiver ends maintenance replacements are migrating to the newer generation of Trimble receivers.
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Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- GPS antenna: PBO uses Trimble choke-ring antennas and SCIGN radomes at all 1100 of its GPS stations, The newer generation of choke-ring antennas, and replacement elements for repaired antennas are all GNSS capable.
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Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- Enclosure: The PBO network primarily uses the SunWize Premium F-Series battery enclosure in one two and 4 battery configurations. In Alaska and some harsher environments in the contiguous US fiberglass huts with large battery capacity are used to protect equipment and provide power through harsher winters.
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Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- Power: PBO uses a combination of solar and battery power at its remote GPS stations. The number of solar panels and batteries required to run a station continuously throughout the year depends on factors such as site latitude, weather conditions, and other instrumentation located on the site. AC power is an option as well with many stations, using a combination of battery power with special chargers to keep the systems running.
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Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- Communications: A variety of communications devices/methods are used to provide data communications with the PBO network. Cellular modems are the primary method used throughout the network, along with radio modems, and satellite modems. In many instances a combination of communications methods are used to relay data, such as radio networks to cellular/satellite modems or a network hub.
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Completed PBO Geodetic and Seismic Instrument Network
- Meteorological instruments: The PBO network utilizes meteorological instruments at a subset of its stations to provide surface measurements of atmospheric conditions at that given location. The PBO network contains a combination of Vaisala WTX510 and WTX520 instruments, which are low power devices with temperature, pressure, humidity, rain intensity, wind speed, and wind direction sensors.
Overview
2010