Vintage Maximum Weather Station

The Maximum Inc. GustMaster is the predecessor to the popular Merlin display. Like the Merlin, it displays current and peak wind speeds. However, it does not display the Merlin's 12-minute average or 'Forecast' (comparison of most recent 12-minute average with previous 12-min avg). This system is complete, professionally wired, and ready-to-go. All you need do is disconnect the cable from the convenient terminal strip, pass it through the wall, and re-connect. The System GustMaster display is mounted to an attractive wood panel with beveled edges. The brass is nicely polished, however, it does show signs of aging as to be expected.  Please look closely at the eight side-view photos so that you know exactly what you are getting. We want you to be thrilled with your purchase! Please note that the dark spot at the bottom of each of this photos is the reflection of the camera and not a blemish in the brass. Grey Cable  is approximately 12' and attaches directly to the GustMaster so that 1) you have only a single wire running up the wall and 2) you don't need to futz with the attachment to the GustMaster and getting the wires flattened out so that the display may be secured with the tiny wood screws. This cable is attached to a terminal strip via spade lugs for maximum reliability and strain-relief (an unintentional tug on the cabling won't break a wire) Power Supply  attaches to the terminal strip via spade lugs. Black Cable  is a 50', shielded, extremely high quality, outdoor rated cable. It attaches to the terminal strip with "tinned" wires. Thus, they may be easily removed from the terminal strip and passed through a hole in the wall no greater in diameter than the cable itself. These "tinned" wires will hold their shape and not fray as bare wires would with this kind of work. After passing through the wall, simply reconnect to the terminal strip as you found them and you are up and running. Anemometer  is a high-reliability substitute for the standard Type #40 and all its varients. This anemometer was developed by UMass for critical applications. The vast majority of the failures in the standard anemometer occur because the hair-thin wire in the vertically mounted coil oxidizes where the wire was kinked or there's an imperfection in the varnishing process. If you live on the coast, you are thoroughly familiar with metal oxidizing in the marine environment. UMass solved the problem of anemometer failures by mounting four coils horizontally so that they could be completely encapsulated in epoxy. The multiple coils provides an additional benefit for this system. The slower the cups spins, the lower the voltage output. At some point the signal is too weak to detect so the display reads zero. The the type #40, this occurs around 6-7mph. We tested this setup down to 4mph. It's not much of a difference, but in light winds, you'll have a non-zero display more often than your neighbor. As shown, the anemometer comes already mounted to the stainless steel straight-stub. Vane  is the standard five-terminal vane, "Wind Direction Sensor & Vane (Maestro)". Wires are terminated with crimped spade lugs which are then soldered for maximum reliability. After attachment, terminals and spade lugs are slathered in stop-cock grease to prevent corrosion. The vane comes mounted to the stainless steel 'Z'-stub. Point the stub true-north. Hose-Clamps are all-stainless steel for maximum life. Please note, we recommend using three rather than the standard two. Should one fail or vibrate loose, the other two will keep your instruments in place. Tighten the hose-clamps so that they are snug: the stainless steel stubs will deform if the hose-clamps are over-tightened... Tie-wraps  are professional grade. In addition to weathering blistering cold and heat, they are fully UV-stabilized for years of use. Moreover, they have stainless-steel teeth which bite into the band to hold it in place -- these will not loosen like the standard ribbed ties with plastic tongue do in this environment. When installing, we recommend mounting at least 5' above the roof line and preferably 10' for the best wind readings. When unpacking the box, you'll find everything individually wrapped, but tied together. So it's a bit of spaghetti coming out of the box. Once unpacked, just plug in the wall-wart and you'll be able to see the display and how the instruments work. Please note, the switch at the bottom of display may get switched to "Peak" during unpacking -- make sure it is pointed straight down for normal use. Questions? We'd be delighted to answer them. Want additional photos? Please let us know!