Expert Avalanche Monitoring Systems & Services

An avalanche monitoring system can include weather observation sensors, precipitation measurement, visibility monitoring, wind or turbulence sensing, data acquisition hardware, power systems, communications, enclosures, and software integration. OSI supports the engineering, sensor selection, mounting design, commissioning, and training needed to turn these components into a dependable operational monitoring solution.

Yes. OSI’s systems integration team designs complete environmental monitoring systems around site requirements, available power, communications constraints, mounting needs, and data delivery objectives. Solutions may include solar, cellular, satellite, or other communications options, along with third-party meteorological instruments integrated with OSI optical sensing technology.

Yes. OSI Field Engineering provides on-site installation, commissioning, calibration verification, troubleshooting, and field support for OSI sensors and integrated systems. Engineers verify alignment, system integration, data acquisition connections, and operational performance before handoff, helping reduce startup risk for critical monitoring deployments.

OSI’s optical sensing technologies are designed for long-term reliability with no moving parts, built-in self-test and diagnostics, and optics that are insensitive to dirt buildup. The company’s algorithms include over 800 million field hours of data, and selected designs achieve MTBF performance in excess of 80,000 hours.

Maintenance requirements depend on the final system configuration, but OSI’s core value proposition emphasizes virtually zero maintenance and 24/7/365 operation. Many OSI optical instruments require no scheduled or regular cleaning of optics and are designed to avoid common mechanical gauge issues such as wind effects and evaporation errors.

OSI provides technical support for product troubleshooting, problem analysis, operating advice, manuals, technical bulletins, and documentation. Customers contacting support about a sensor issue should provide the model number, serial number, and a complete description of the problem so the team can diagnose it efficiently.

Yes. OSI provides training in operation, maintenance, service, troubleshooting, and integration for sensors and systems in its portfolio. Training may be conducted at OSI’s Gaithersburg, Maryland facility or, for select systems such as optical flow sensors, at the customer’s site depending on project requirements.

Repairs require an RMA number before equipment is returned to OSI. Warranty service is handled according to warranty conditions, while out-of-warranty service requires a purchase order or credit card for billing. Repair work is performed at the Gaithersburg facility, with calibration verification completed before equipment is returned.