Spot the Tempest!! Sorry, it’s a fairly distant shot from our terrace but I wanted to give an overall impression of the environment (I may post a close up shot at a later date). The tempest is installed on the side of our driveway where it has the most open aspect and since wind is one of the main features of our weather here in the Azores, I wanted to make sure it was measured as accurately as possible. The Azores High is sitting right on top of us for now but we should see winds pick up significantly into next week so I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs. The tempest is installed on a 6m metal pole - the base is concreted into the ground but the pole can be detached for maintenance. It seems very sturdy so I’m hopeful there will be no false rain readings when winds eventually pick up here.
wow … gorgeous view! I’ll bet you get some interesting wind effects from the terrain. Thanks for sharing the pic!
The station was installed only a couple of days ago and winds are light for now but yes, I will be expecting some interesting effects/patterns. The area is characterised by several ridges that extend from the mountains to the coast. We have mountains on 3 sides and the sea to the front so it’s a bit like an amphitheatre!
I’d use aluminium or galvanised pole for strength.
Just got my Tempest in the UK after backing the crowdfunding campaign, a worthwhile wait and exciting (for ME) reading about the development of this product. Hats off to the weatherflow guys, cracking job. All installed and sharing data. It would be great if you could add windy.com support and while I have a website with weather station wordpress running, I have been able to share my data with pwsweather and the UK Met Office, though I know most people can’t, that would be a great feature to add for other Tempest users. I’m getting some great wind measurements, not so sure that the rainfall amount isn’t a bit overcooked though hopefully it will self calibrate. We have an unused telegraph pole on our property so that’s handy for mounting 
Thanks, slightly hesitant to use that living in the lightning capital but it would make me feel better around the high winds.
A plastic pole is more likely to generate static in the wind, if you earth the metal pole there should be no potential difference between it and the ground making a strike unlikely.
Sorry just saw this now… It is an old windsurfing mast and I don’t recommend it. Just replaced it today with a 10’ 1" schedule 40 steel pipe. The mast vibrated which gave false rain readings.
I took down the old TV antenna and replaced it with the Tempest on the metal pole about a month ago.
Finally, after about three weeks, I got my tempest installed in a proper location. On an 32 mm o.d. aluminium pole about 4.5 m above ground and 2 m above the shed roofs.
My station:
Received my Tempest on Monday Dec. 7th (Retirement & Christmas gift to myself!) 
Finally got it installed this afternoon here in Tampa, FL… Set up was extremely easy & painless!! I went with the white closet rod from Lowe’s that has been mentioned here & mounted to the vent pipe…very sturdy. Here is my station link https://tempestwx.com/station/34786 Looks great…Thanks
What model Heathkit do you have? That boom was used for 1890, 4001, and 5001 systems back in the day. Loved those! A fully working one today is a rare find. Lightning usually takes out the customized Z80 microprocessor in them and they aren’t made any more.
Here is my lightning rod, er. Tempest.
It’s on a Unarco Rohn 25G tower. The mast is a schedule 80 1 1/4" pipe with a bell reducer to 1" NPT. A 1" SCH40 nipple six inches long is screwed into that. All threads coated with Loctite Red and tightened in Ridgid threading lathe. I suppose I could have tack welded it too! 
A TB4 thrust bearing keeps it stable and that lives on a standard rotator plate all secured with grade 8.8 fasteners. Typically this hardware holds communications gear with lots of swept area and twisting force. Tempest on the end is not much more than a bare pipe!
Shouldn’t go anywhere, the top of the instrument pack is 41’ AGL and that value was determined with a Theodolite. No guesswork on the farm.
The HF antenna is missing 
We took down the 6M horizontal and 2M vertical and stacked horizontal arrays back in 2015 after lightning struck both towers the year before. ;-). That reminds me I need to find a HAM IV brake wedge. I’d love to put this up on 50’ of 65G in the pasture. Missed out on an auction of 140’ of 65G in good shape that went for $1500!
Got mine up today. Dublin, Ireland. Had some fun creating an ‘extension’ for my step ladder so I could reach the ridge.
Pole is 1.5 metre long galvanised recycled from an old trampoline. Was only 24mm outer diameter, so used plenty of duck tape around pole to thicken it for the adapter. Total height is about 4.5 metres.
Hoping the fittings are strong enough.
I’d do the same thing if I had too. 
They say that is why women live longer than men. 
Not just you that extended their ladder 
I strapped 2 extension ladders together.
(future phone conversation)
No.
He’s not here.
He fell off.
Yup - I told him it wasn’t a great idea beforehand.
No, we think it’s only a concussion.
Yes - wait til that idiot gets home.
I really need to tell him how accurate the wind readings are now…
Are you telling me that people actually PAY for towers??? 
Towers grow like weeds in these parts, and the going price is “come take it down” and make it go away…