WINDCRANE Weather Monitoring used at Summer and Winter Sports Event in 2021 / 2022

''The kit and your service and back-up has been brilliant. The parts, cabling and connectors etc. have been through some tough conditions with assembly by our climbing riggers who are not technical specialists when it comes to this kind of kit. Temperatures from -30 C to +40C were experienced between the two sets of events. We had no problems. When the systems needed re-programming we had immediate support with software sent overnight.''

​​​​​Unusual Rigging - Mark Priestley, Director

Project Requirements

The client required weather monitoring for five cable-suspended camera systems, used in a major summer and winter sports event that took place in Asia. The cables used by the camera buggies were suspended between pairs of towers, having a height of up to 100 metres and a separation of up to 2 kilometres.

Ongoing weather monitoring was necessary for personnel safety (especially when climbing a tower), and also to prevent equipment damage. The client required a tough and durable system capable of measuring four key variables: wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity.

The weather monitoring systems were required for three main purposes:

• Assessment of weather conditions before climbing towers: Technical personnel often had to climb 100 metres by ladder to service the cable camera systems. Before climbing, they had to determine if wind and temperature conditions were safe.
• Continuous weather monitoring while operating the cable cameras: The camera buggy can only operate below a specified wind speed. In extreme cases, the buggy must be pulled back to one of the towers and the cables derigged. For this reason, weather monitoring was required whenever the cameras were in operation. Remote communication with the operator’s cabin at the tower base was also required.
• Historical record of overnight weather conditions: If any of the cable camera systems was exposed to wind gusts the previous night, it had to be fully inspected for safety. This included checking the cable rigging and camera buggy.

Local weather forecasts were of limited use in this application, since wind conditions are site-specific, and influenced by terrain and buildings. Onsite monitoring was especially important when winter events were carried out in the mountains, since the cable cameras were exposed to more extreme conditions. Typhoons were a major concern during venues, since the gatherings took place during the monsoon season.

The Weather Monitoring Solution Delivered by WINDCRANE

We had WINDCRANE Max system with an anemometer and wind vane for each of the towers, which could operate with either a built-in solar panel or the local AC voltage. The units were also equipped with temperature and relative humidity sensors to monitor the full range of weather variables required by the client. Real time wind displays were used in the operator control cabins at the tower bases. WINDCRANE provided monitoring systems that could switch between solar power or local grid voltage, since not all sites had a power supply available from day 1. Thanks to their dual power design, the weather monitoring systems could start operating away, ensuring safety even if the mains power was not yet available.

Results achieved

The client was very satisfied with the WINDCRANE kit and our service. Since the event included both summer and winter sports, the units operated at a temperature range from -30°C to +40°C, and the client had zero issues. The equipment was exposed to harsh conditions and handled by technical and non-technical personnel, without suffering damage. Special reprogramming was required for locations, and WINDCRANE provided immediate support, sending the new software overnight. Technical support was provided on demand whenever the client reported issues with remote displays, and any necessary replacements were made available without delay.

Winded off Report