Decades of data.
It starts with the first reading.
Research-grade 3-axis wind measurement, reference weather, optical precipitation and calibration for flux towers, environmental monitoring networks, field campaigns and long-term reference sites.
A dataset is an asset, and its weakest season sets its value
Environmental research runs on continuity. A flux record, a reference series or a monitoring network is worth what its least reliable period allows, because a gap or a step change has to be declared every time the data is used.
That puts instrument selection somewhere unusual: the decision is made once, and its consequences are argued over for a decade. A sensor that drifts, ices or changes model mid-series creates work in every paper and every report that follows.
The measurement has to survive the study, not just the deployment.
The measurements behind environmental research
A research site depends on a network of measurements. High-rate three-dimensional wind above and below the canopy, a vertical profile across several heights, reference temperature, humidity and pressure, solar radiation, precipitation, and the power and telemetry that keep it all running unattended.
Different questions need different measurements, rates and locations. The instrumentation has to work as a system, not as a collection of individual sensors.
Where independent verification is required, Labcal provides UKAS-accredited calibration for equipment from multiple manufacturers across six measurement parameters, so a group can keep a mixed instrument estate on one traceable schedule.
The science sets the data rate
Eddy covariance and turbulence work need the vertical wind component resolved at high frequency. A sensor chosen for robustness rather than rate will produce a record that cannot answer the question it was deployed for.
R3-100 and HS-100 output at 100 Hz
Continuity beats peak accuracy
A very accurate instrument that fails for a winter is worth less than a slightly less accurate one that does not. Gaps have to be declared, and they narrow what the dataset can support.
No moving parts to seize or replace
The site is remote and the power is finite
Solar and battery sites trade measurement against endurance. Power draw, not price, is often what decides which instruments make it onto the mast.
Research range draws under 4 W in operation
The method section gets read closely
Peer review, regulators and funders all ask how the measurement was verified. Traceable calibration is what converts an instrument reading into a defensible figure.
UKAS-accredited, ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Every research question starts at a measurement point
A research site measures across the whole landscape. Three-dimensional wind above and below the canopy. A vertical profile across several heights. Reference conditions, radiation, precipitation and the river the catchment drains to.
Above-canopy flux measurement
Eddy covariance resolves the vertical wind component fast enough to see the flux itself, which is a data-rate problem before it is anything else.
Sub-canopy and understorey measurement
Below the canopy the flow is slow, sheltered and three-dimensional, and a sensor designed for storm survival will not resolve it.
- HS-50 horizontal head, minimal geometric disturbance to vertical flow
- WindMaster HS horizontal head, 32 Hz, stainless steel
- WindMaster 3-axis to 20 Hz with a 32 Hz option
Profile mast at several heights
A vertical profile is what turns a point measurement into a gradient, and the sensors have to be separated properly rather than stacked.
- MetConnect THP WMO-compliant separation, Pt100 and analogue inputs
- WindSonic 60 0.5 kg, low cost per additional level
- WindObserver 70 heated head for the exposed upper level
Reference weather enclosure
The reference station is the record everything else is compared against, so siting and continuity matter more than headline accuracy.
- MetConnect THP temperature 0.2 degrees C, humidity 1.5 percent RH, pressure 0.5 hPa
- MaxiMet GMX551 wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall in one housing
- MaxiMet GMX300 temperature, humidity and pressure only
Precipitation measurement
A tipping bucket blocks with leaf litter and under-reads in drizzle, which on a ten-year dataset is a systematic error rather than a gap.
- TruMet PW100 optical, 0 to 200 mm/hr, 5 percent, 0.1 mm resolution
- MaxiMet GMX603 integrated optical rainfall, 5 percent or better
- MetConnect THP contact-closure input for the TruMet pulse output
Surface energy balance plot
Closing the energy balance needs radiation, soil and turbulent fluxes measured together, and the wind term is the one most often under-resolved.
- R3-50 50 Hz 3-axis for the turbulent flux terms
- MaxiMet GMX301 solar radiation, 0 to 1600 W per square metre
- MetConnect THP four-wire Pt100 input to IEC 60751 for soil probes
Canopy roughness and footprint
The flux footprint moves with wind direction and stability, so the tower has to see the whole rose rather than one prevailing sector.
- R3-100 100 Hz for high-frequency loss correction
- WindMaster Pro symmetrical head for all-direction work
- WindMaster asymmetrical head where the flow has a known direction
Crop and land-use plots
Comparing plots only works if the meteorology over each is measured the same way, with the same instrument and the same calibration history.
- MaxiMet GMX551 one unit per plot, one cable, one output string
- MaxiMet GMX550 wind, T, H, P and rainfall without solar
- WindSonic 60 a repeatable wind reference at plot scale
River gauging and hydrometeorology
Catchment work pairs rainfall with what the river actually does, and both records have to be continuous through the events that matter.
- TruMet PW100 no moving parts, less to block at a remote gauge
- MetConnect One SDI-12 v1.3 into an existing hydrometric logger
- MaxiMet GMX400 temperature, humidity, pressure and rainfall
Air quality and dispersion
A concentration reading without the meteorology beside it cannot be attributed to a source, and attribution is usually the point.
- WindMaster Pro 3-axis to 32 Hz for dispersion and turbulence
- MetConnect THP two analogue inputs for third-party gas analysers
- WindObserver 75 long-duration wind reference on the same mast
Remote power and telemetry
On a solar and battery site the power budget decides what can be measured at all, so draw is a specification, not a footnote.
- R3-50 9 to 30 V DC, under 4 W in operation
- MetConnect THP 5 to 30 V DC, less than 70 mA at 12 V DC
- MaxiMet GMX200 0.5 kg, wind only, for a minimal-power node
Portable and campaign deployments
A field campaign is judged on whether it came back with a complete record, and setup time in bad weather is where records get lost.
- MaxiMet GMX200 0.5 kg, wind only, quick to mount on a temporary mast
- WindUltra compact 2-axis, IP69k, low power, built for mobile use
- WindSonic 60 0.5 kg, straightforward to configure with MetSet
UAV atmospheric profiling
Airborne profiling puts the sensor on a platform where every gram is traded against endurance.
- WindUltra compact 2-axis, IP69k, low power
- WindSonic 60 0.5 kg ground reference for launch and recovery
- MaxiMet GMX200 portable wind reference at the operating site
Cold climate and harsh sites
The seasons that break the instrument are usually the seasons the study is about, and a gap in winter is a gap in the conclusion.
- WindObserver 75 heated, icing tested to MIL-STD-810F
- WindSonic M heated aluminium body, operating to -40 degrees C
- R3-50 operating -40 to +60 degrees C
Logging, outputs and data continuity
A dataset that changes instrument or protocol mid-series carries a step change that has to be explained in every paper that uses it.
- R3-100 14-bit digital, RS422 native, RS232 and analogue via PCI
- MetConnect One ASCII, Modbus RTU and ASCII, NMEA 0183, SDI-12 v1.3
- MetConnect THP MetSet and MetView configuration and logging software
Calibration and traceability
Published work is defended on traceability. An accredited certificate is the part of the method section nobody argues with.
- UKAS-accredited air velocity calibration traceable certification for anemometers
- Multi-parameter calibration six parameters, equipment from any manufacturer
- Recalibration scheduling intervals, reminders and turnaround
insight
Why output rate, not accuracy, is usually the deciding specification
Most sensor comparisons start with accuracy. For flux and turbulence work that is the wrong first question. The eddies that carry the flux are short-lived, so the instrument has to sample fast enough to resolve them before its accuracy is relevant at all.
The Research range answers that directly. The R3-50 and HS-50 output at 50 Hz, the R3-100 and HS-100 at 100 Hz, all across 0 to 45 m/s with wind speed accuracy under 1 percent, 0.01 m/s resolution and individual calibration supplied as standard.
Head geometry is the second question. Symmetrical heads suit all-direction work, horizontal heads suit vertical-flow analysis with minimal disturbance from the sensor itself, and the HS models carry a built-in inclinometer to help get the set-up right on a tower.
Rate and geometry are therefore selection decisions, not specification details. They decide whether the instrument can answer the question the study was designed to ask.
Find your research application
Six research and environmental monitoring applications where measurement, integration and calibration meet the demands of a dataset that has to last.
Eddy Covariance and Flux Towers
Resolve the eddies that carry the flux
Flux measurement stands or falls on sampling rate and on how little the instrument disturbs the flow it is measuring. Above-canopy and sub-canopy positions ask different things of the head geometry, and the tower has to keep running through the seasons that define the record.
Engineering: Research-grade 3-axis anemometry, head geometry selection, traceable calibration.
Reference and Long-Term Monitoring
The record everything else is compared against
A reference site is judged on continuity and siting rather than headline accuracy. WMO-compliant separation of sensors by height, third-party instrument integration and a calibration history that survives staff changes all matter more than a specification sheet.
Engineering: Separable weather stations, WMO siting, multi-parameter calibration.
Air Quality and Dispersion
Attribution needs the meteorology beside it
A concentration measurement on its own cannot be traced to a source. Wind speed, direction and turbulence recorded at the same location and the same time are what turn a reading into an attribution, and the analysers usually need to feed the same station.
Engineering: 3-axis turbulence measurement, analogue and Pt100 inputs, systems integration.
Catchment and Hydrometeorology
Rainfall that keeps measuring when it matters
Catchment studies pair precipitation with river response, and both records have to survive the events they exist to capture. At a remote gauge the maintenance burden of the instrument is part of the measurement quality.
Engineering: Optical precipitation measurement, SDI-12 integration, remote deployment.
Field Campaigns and Portable Deployments
Come back with a complete record
A campaign has a fixed window and no second chance. Weight, power draw, setup time and configuration in poor conditions decide whether the dataset is complete, which is the only measure of success that counts afterwards.
Engineering: Compact and low-power sensing, portable stations, rapid configuration.
UAV and Airborne Profiling
Every gram is traded against endurance
Atmospheric profiling from an uncrewed platform puts hard limits on mass, power and ingress protection before accuracy is even discussed, and the ground reference has to be there at launch and recovery.
Engineering: Compact low-power anemometry, portable ground references, integration support.
Research and environmental technologies
Products and services engineered for research and long-term environmental monitoring, spanning research-grade anemometry, reference weather measurement, optical precipitation and calibration across Gill.
Meteorological Technology
Research range
R3 and HS 3-axis ultrasonic anemometers
The highest data rates in the range, with individual calibration supplied as standard. Chosen where the measurement will be published.
WindMaster
3-axis ultrasonic anemometer
Where the work needs the vertical component but not the highest data rate. Symmetrical, asymmetrical, horizontal and right-angled heads.
MetConnect
Separable weather station with third-party inputs
The station for WMO-compliant siting and for bringing existing instruments into one record.
MaxiMet
All-in-one weather station, no moving parts
One unit, one cable, one output string, which is what makes plot-scale replication and short campaigns practical.
Precipitation and compact sensing
TruMet PW100
Infrared optical rain gauge
A solid-state alternative to the tipping bucket, with a pulse output that replicates one so it joins an existing hydrometric record without a step change.
WindUltra
Compact 2-axis wind sensor
Built for platforms where weight, power draw and ingress protection decide whether a sensor can be carried at all.
WindSonic
Lightweight 2-axis ultrasonic anemometer
The economical way to add measurement levels to a profile mast, with a heated variant for cold sites.
UKAS-accredited calibration for six measurement parameters
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited calibration laboratory, Lab 0625, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. It provides calibration across gas and air flow, air velocity, liquid flow, pressure, temperature and humidity, all under one roof.
For research and environmental measurement that includes anemometers, Pitot tubes and thermal probes, alongside pressure gauges and transducers, thermometers, temperature and humidity probes and data loggers. Labcal supports equipment from Gill and other manufacturers, which matters on a site where the instruments arrived over twenty years and several projects.
01 · Gas and air flow
Gas meters · Mass flow controllers · Dispensing systems · Low-flow laboratory to higher-flow industrial
02 · Air velocity
Anemometers · Pitot tubes · Thermal probes
03 · Liquid flow
Flow meters and sensors · Process control equipment · Water used for the accredited capability
04 · Pressure
Gauges · Transducers · Manometers · Transmitters
05 · Temperature
Thermometers · Probes · Thermocouples · Data loggers
06 · Humidity
Hygrometers · Probes · Transmitters
The measurement has to reach the logger that keeps the record
A research measurement is almost never read at the instrument.
It feeds loggers, acquisition systems and monitoring networks, often ones that are already running and cannot be interrupted without breaking the series. That makes the interface part of the specification rather than something to solve after the instrument has been chosen.
Whether the requirement is SDI-12 into a hydrometric logger, RS422 at 100 Hz into an acquisition system, or third-party analysers feeding the same station, Gill engineers can support integration from specification through commissioning.
Outputs and options
- RS422 & RS232 : High-rate digital acquisition, RS232 via the PCI interface
- SDI-12 & Modbus : Hydrometric and environmental logger networks
- Analogue & Pt100 : Third-party analysers and soil probes on the same station
- MetSet & MetView : Free configuration, display and logging software
Why research groups specify Gill
Data rates the science actually needs
The R3-100 and HS-100 output at 100 Hz, the R3-50 and HS-50 at 50 Hz, with wind speed accuracy under 1 percent and 0.01 m/s resolution.
Individual calibration as standard
Every Research range instrument is individually calibrated, so the traceability question is answered before the instrument reaches the tower.
Head geometry for the flow you have
Symmetrical for all-direction work, horizontal for vertical-flow analysis with minimal disturbance, with a built-in inclinometer on the HS models for tower set-up.
Built for unattended service
No moving parts, heated options across the 2-axis range, and a Research range that draws under 4 W in operation on a 9 to 30 V DC supply.
Designed to join an existing record
RS422, RS232, SDI-12 v1.3, Modbus and NMEA 0183, with analogue and Pt100 inputs so third-party instruments feed the same station rather than a parallel one.
Traceability that survives review
Independent UKAS-accredited calibration across six parameters, for equipment from any manufacturer, so a mixed estate stays on one schedule.
Research and environment application notes
3 application pages and 21 numbered application notes for this sector. The pages describe the measurement problem and the instruments that answer it; the numbered notes are the original engineering documents, each with its PDF.
- ApplicationMeteorological instruments for data capture in pollution and environmental studies
- ApplicationAir quality monitoring
- ApplicationMeteorological instruments for local authority air quality monitoring systems
- Application note AN0006WindSonic used as part of entertainment monitoring
- Application note AN0007CAP437 North Sea Meteorological data for Wind, Temperature, RH & Pressure
- Application note AN0008Accurate Air Quality Monitoring WindSonic, WindObserver, WindMaster, Research, MaxiMet & MetPak
- Application note AN0010Power Line Monitoring using WindSonic, WindObserver, WindMaster & MaxiMet
- Application note AN0014WindSonic & MetPak integrated into OEM product lines
- Application note AN0015WindMaster, WindMasterPro, WindMasterHS and Research used in Eddy Covariance & Flux Measurement
- Application note AN0017Advanced Sensor Network developed for Heathrow Airport incorporates Gill WindSonic Sensors
- Application note AN0021MetPak – Monitoring for weather & climate effects on stone structure
- Application note AN0022Gill’s Anemometers help to understand forest ecosystems
- Application note AN0028Publically accessible real-time data will empower all kinds of applied environmental research:
- Application note AN0032WindMasterPro to locate underground water sources
- Application note AN0035MaxiMet provides measurements to support a solar car race
- Application note AN0041Bioethanol process from Pannonia Ethanol in Hungary monitored by MaxiMet
- Application note AN0043WEATHERPAK protects the US President
- Application note AN0044WindSonic single channel tunnel mode 4-20mA
- Application note AN0045University of Bristol monitoring bee activity with MaxiMet
- Application note AN0049A new paradigm in Remote Monitoring Netronix’s IoT solution
- Application note AN0050Remote data collection – Meteor Communications
- Application note AN0051Remote data collection – Data Monitoring Systems
- Application note AN0055Transmitting sensor data back from extremely remote locations – Rock Seven
- Application note AN0057Remote data collection & local / remote alarms using RPR Weather File
Research measurement questions, from data rate to traceability
High enough to resolve the turbulent eddies carrying the flux, which for most surfaces means tens of hertz. The R3-50 and HS-50 output at 50 Hz and the R3-100 and HS-100 at 100 Hz.
Where accurate vertical-flow analysis matters and the sensor geometry itself would otherwise disturb the flow being measured. The HS-50 and HS-100 use a horizontal head, as does the WindMaster HS.
0 to 45 m/s across R3-50, R3-100, HS-50 and HS-100, with 0 to 359 degrees on direction. These are accuracy and data-rate instruments rather than storm-survival sensors.
Among other things, sensors separated by height rather than grouped in one housing, and placement clear of obstructions. MetConnect exists for exactly this: it separates the sensors and accepts third-party analogue, Pt100 and contact-closure inputs.
The Research range runs from 9 to 30 V DC, drawing less than 150 mA at 24 V DC and under 4 W in operation. MetConnect runs from 5 to 30 V DC at less than 70 mA at 12 V DC.
RS422 is native on the Research range. RS232 and analogue outputs are available through the PCI or PCIA interface, which needs to be specified alongside the instrument.
Yes. MetConnect accepts a four-wire Pt100 to IEC 60751, two analogue inputs at 0 to 5 V or 4 to 20 mA, and a contact closure for a tipping-bucket rain input, with 5 V power available on the additional sensor connectors.
Both measure three axes. The Research range goes to 50 or 100 Hz with individual calibration as standard and is built for measurement quality. WindMaster tops out at 32 Hz and covers general 3-axis work, site survey and OEM integration.
Wind speed, direction and turbulence alongside the concentration measurement, at the same location and time base. Without the meteorology, a concentration cannot be attributed to a source.
Tipping buckets have moving parts, block with debris and under-read in light precipitation. The TruMet PW100 measures optically with no moving parts, 0 to 200 mm/hr at 5 percent accuracy and 0.1 mm resolution.
Match the output format and the calibration traceability, and where possible run the old and new instruments in parallel for a season so the relationship between them is measured rather than assumed.
The 2-axis range has heated variants: the WindObserver models are heated, icing tested to MIL-STD-810F and operate to -55 degrees C with heating, and the WindSonic M is heated aluminium operating to -40 degrees C. The Research range operates from -40 to +60 degrees C, except the HS-100 which is 0 to +50 degrees C.
Set by the group, the network protocol and what the data is used to argue. Where results are published or used for regulatory reporting, an annual traceable calibration is common.
Labcal is UKAS-accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and calibrates air velocity, temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas and liquid flow.
Six: gas and air flow, air velocity, liquid flow, pressure, temperature and humidity. Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited laboratory, Lab 0625, and calibrates equipment from any manufacturer, not only equipment supplied by Gill.
MetSet for configuration and MetView for display and logging are free. Budget configuration time rather than software cost.
Yes. Alongside the standard range, Gill engineers develop embedded and integrated solutions where an off-the-shelf instrument does not fit the platform or the acquisition system.
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