Flood Warning Systems (ALERT/ALERT2)

Campbell Scientific manufactures versatile and reliable flood warning stations and systems. We offer standard ALERT systems for monitoring and transmitting precipitation and water level, as well as hybrid ALERT stations that can monitor additional parameters like wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, temperature, soil moisture, or water quality. We also manufacture customizable, high-speed, networked systems that take advantage of the latest communications technologies to provide advanced solutions for flood warning. Our customers benefit from the experience we've gained over the last 35 years in designing and supporting a wide variety of reliable, standalone monitoring systems.

Benefits of our Flood Warning Systems

1. A choice of the standard ALERT, hybrid ALERT, or a customized flood warning system is provided.
2. Our systems support both the standard ALERT 300 baud rate and a new 3000 baud rate that improves bandwidth use during storms.
3. Smart, remotely-configurable, ALERT repeaters provide an adaptable network for stations in the same general area.
4. Existing ALERT stations can be upgraded with additional sensors or an updated datalogger or transmitter.
5. Open design allows a high level of station customization.
6. LoggerNet management software simplifies operation and data retrieval across our customized flood warning networks.
7. Batteries/solar panels support long-term operation.
8. Systems operate reliably in harsh environments.

ALERT Stations

Our ALERT stations match all standard ALERT protocols. Our dataloggers, proven in thousands of applications world-wide, provide multiple types of inputs (pulse, analog, SDI-12, and others), which allows use of almost any type of water level sensor including pressure transducers, shaft encoders, bubblers, and ultrasonic distance sensors. Onboard algorithms can calculate hourly and daily minimums, maximums, averages, totals, flow, or any other statistical value. These values can be stored on-board the station, providing a backup of data. A solar panel can provide continuous charge to the battery for extended unattended monitoring.

Additional sensors to measure soil moisture, water quality, or meteorological conditions can easily be integrated. We can upgrade older stations, even those from other manufacturers, with the latest datalogger and transmitter, often allowing you to use the same sensors and standpipe or enclosure.

Hybrid ALERT Stations

Our hybrid stations consist of an ALERT station integrated with additional sensors and communications peripherals. One or two radio frequencies can be used, depending on your needs. With a single frequency, two-way communications would be avoided during storm events to allow more bandwidth for one-way ALERT communications. However, some customers choose to use two frequencies: one for ALERT and the other for a fully-functional, two-way communications network. This provides the following inherent advantages:

• Retries of missed packets
• Diagnostics
• Clock synching
• Re-programming from the base station
• Historical data collection (no holes in the data)
• Interactive control capability
• Voice modem call-out of alarms

The ability to measure additional parameters at an ALERT site, or integrate ALERT capabilities with another type of measurement site can lead to collaboration between organizations that can help keep costs down.

Customized Flood Warning Network Using LoggerNet Software

A flood warning network that uses LoggerNet software takes advantage of two-way RF communications and the latest in network management software. LoggerNet is a client/server software program used for managing large networks of monitoring stations. A LoggerNet-based system is a viable solution to flood warning applications because of the speed with which LoggerNet can poll multiple RF stations and the speed and versatility with which LoggerNet can make the data available to multiple interested parties. For example, DIAD has a client that links DIADvisor to the LoggerNet server.

When a "send data" command is broadcast to a group of remote stations, the stations transmit predefined data to the LoggerNet server in their own time window. Transmission windows can be as short as 100 mS, allowing multiple sites to be polled per second. As the data is collected, LoggerNet clients can access it from LANs or via the Internet, making data available to multiple users/agencies in near real time.

Other Resources and Options

To meet customer needs, other resources and communications options can be combined with flood warning systems. Commonly, local governments will combine resources to obtain the best possible system. In other situations, federal agencies can be involved to increase system coverage and robustness, and even help with the budget. For example, GOES satellite transmitters can be added to stations to provide automated data archival through the National Weather Service (NOAA/NESDIS) and the US Geological Survey. Multiple purpose data collection systems bring to bear the resources and expertise of environmental data experts.

ALERT System

Our ALERT systems match all standard ALERT protocols, including ALERT2. Our data loggers, proven in thousands of applications worldwide, provide multiple types of inputs (pulse, analog, SDI-12, and others), which allow you to use almost any type of water-level sensor (including pressure transducers, shaft encoders, bubblers, and ultrasonic distance sensors). The onboard algorithms are able to calculate hourly and daily minimums, maximums, averages, totals, flow, or any other statistical value. These values can be stored onboard the system, providing you with a backup of the data. A solar panel provides continuous charge to the battery for your extended, unattended monitoring needs.

If you need additional sensors to measure soil moisture, water quality, or meteorological conditions, it is easy to integrate them. We can upgrade older systems—even those from other manufacturers—with the latest data logger and transmitter, often allowing you to use the same sensors and standpipe or enclosure.

ALERT2 Systems

The added performance of ALERT2 systems makes them a logical choice for new systems and for upgrading existing networks. The main advantage is the ability to have larger networks and greatly reduced data loss. When you upgrade an older ALERT network to ALERT2, you don't have to update the complete system all at once. Rather, you can complete the upgrade in phases to ease the cost and labor burdens. All the other functions and features of the original ALERT systems are still available with ALERT2.

Campbell Scientific equipment has been used for some of the largest and most widely used ALERT2 networks in the country. For an example of the performance of these systems, read the "Texas: Transitioning to ALERT2" case study.

Note: ALERT2 is a trademark of the National Hydrologic Warning Council.

Hybrid ALERT Systems

Our hybrid systems consist of an ALERT system integrated with additional sensors and communications peripherals. One or two radio frequencies can be used, depending on your needs. With a single frequency, two-way communications are avoided during storm events to allow more bandwidth for one-way ALERT communications. You may, however, choose to use two frequencies: one for ALERT and the other for a fully functional, two-way communications network. This provides the following inherent advantages:

• Retries of missed packets
• Diagnostics
• Clock synchronization
• Re-programming from the base station
• Historical data collection (no holes in the data)
• Interactive control capability
• Voice modem call-out of alarms

If you are able to measure additional parameters at your ALERT site, or to integrate ALERT capabilities with another type of measurement site, it may be easier for you to collaborate with another organization. Collaboration may help keep your costs down.

Customized Flood Warning Network Using LoggerNet Software

A flood warning network that uses LoggerNet software takes advantage of two-way RF communications and the latest in network management software. LoggerNet is a client/server software program used for managing large networks of monitoring stations. A LoggerNet-based system is a viable solution for flood warning applications for two reasons:

1. The speed at which LoggerNet can poll multiple RF stations
2. The speed and versatility with which LoggerNet can make the data available to multiple interested parties 

When a "send data" command is broadcast to a group of remote stations, the stations transmit predefined data to the LoggerNet server in their own time window. Transmission windows can be as short as 100 ms, allowing multiple sites to be polled per second. As the data is collected, LoggerNet clients access it from LANs or via the Internet, making the data available to multiple users or agencies in near real time.

Other Resources and Options

To meet your application's specific needs, you can combine other resources and communications options with flood warning systems. It is common for local governments to combine resources to obtain the best possible system. In other situations, federal agencies are involved, which increases system coverage and robustness, and even helps with the budget. For example, GOES satellite transmitters can be added to stations to provide automated data archival through the National Weather Service (NOAA/NESDIS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Multiple-purpose data-collection systems bring to bear the resources and expertise of environmental data experts.