Rain and Snow Sensors & Gauges

Optical scintillation technology eliminates all moving parts, which means there are no tipping buckets, float mechanisms, or mechanical components to jam, clog, or wear out. This results in continuous 24/7/365 operation with an MTBF exceeding 80,000 hours, virtually zero scheduled maintenance, and reliable performance even in extreme conditions ranging from -50°C to 60°C — making OSI sensors far more dependable for unattended deployments than traditional gauges.

OSI rain and snow sensors detect a full range of precipitation types including rain, snow, drizzle, freezing drizzle, freezing rain, hail, sleet, ice pellets, and mixed conditions. Advanced models like the OWI-430 and APG-815-DS report over 60 NWS and WMO weather codes, covering virtually every precipitation scenario encountered in operational meteorology.

Yes. The AWOS-AV is a fully FAA-certified Automated Weather Observing Station compliant with FAR 91.171, FAR 91.175, and ICAO standards. The OWI-430 and OWI-430-RH sensors also comply with FAA AWOS present weather requirements. These certifications make OSI systems suitable for official use at airports, helipads, and aviation facilities.

OSI optical rain and all-precipitation gauges achieve 5% accumulation accuracy with a resolution of 0.001 mm. They measure rain rates from 0.001 to 500 mm/hr and snow rates from 0.03 to 500 mm/hr, with an optional extended range over 500 mm/hr available on the APG-815-DS for extreme precipitation environments.

Yes. Several OSI products, including the LP-WIVIS, ORG, and APG-815-DS, operate on nominal 12 VDC with a maximum draw of 400 mA, making them fully compatible with solar panels and battery power supplies. This enables deployment in remote locations such as ocean data buoys, mountain weather stations, and unattended highway monitoring sites.

Most OSI sensors require no field calibration thanks to all-digital DSP processing and environmentally adaptive algorithms that automatically compensate for dust, water droplets, and ice or snow on the optics. The ORG and APG-815-DS gauges typically require a simple field calibration only once every two years.

Yes. OSI sensors support multiple communication interfaces including RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, MODBUS RTU, cellular modems, satellite, and spread spectrum radios. Modular products like the MAWOS and OWI-432 are factory-configurable to add wind, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure sensors, enabling seamless integration with existing data acquisition and SCADA systems.