Forward Scatter Visibility Sensors

Yes. The OWI-430, OWI-430-RH, and AWOS-AV systems comply with FAA AWOS present weather requirements. The AWOS-AV is the fully FAA-certified station. All sensors are designed to meet NWS and WMO weather code reporting standards, making them suitable for use in certified aviation weather observation systems across the United States and internationally.

OSI forward scatter visibility sensors can identify and report over 60 NWS and WMO weather codes, including rain, snow, drizzle, freezing drizzle, freezing rain, hail, ice pellets, sleet, and mixed precipitation. The integration of acoustic detection on select models further enhances discrimination between precipitation types, particularly in ambiguous conditions such as freezing rain versus sleet.

No field calibration is required. OSI's all-digital DSP processing and environmentally adaptive algorithms automatically compensate for dust, water droplets, and ice or snow accumulation on lenses. Dual self-regulating lens heaters prevent frost and dew buildup. The sensors are designed for unattended 24/7/365 operation with MTBF well in excess of 80,000 hours.

OSI sensors offer flexible power configurations. The OWI-430 and OWI-430-RH support standard AC, battery, and solar power. The LP-WIVIS is specifically engineered for low-power, battery-operated, or solar-powered off-grid deployments with intermittent mode operation. The MAWOS and AWOS-AV systems operate on nominal 12 VDC and are solar compatible for remote installations.

OSI forward scatter visibility sensors are deployed in aviation and airport weather monitoring, highway and road weather information systems (RWIS), military weather observation, railway icing detection, marine and oceanographic data buoys, environmental research stations, solar and wind farm monitoring, and avalanche risk assessment. They operate reliably from Antarctica to tropical rain forests.

OSI sensors and weather stations support RS-232 as standard, with options for RS-485, Ethernet, cellular modems, spread spectrum radios, satellite communication, and GSM. The MAWOS outputs ASCII data strings in polled or unpolled modes and MODBUS RTU over serial RS-232, enabling seamless integration with existing SCADA, ATC, and data acquisition systems.