Top 5 Mistakes Customers Make

Race Smart – avoid common pitfalls and get the most from your Altalab Instrument weatherstation. Here are the most common mistakes we see racers make with their weatherstations.

Number 5

Running the AltaCom II with NO ANTENNA CONNECTED. The transmitter inside the console will be damaged if it transmits with no antenna load. This is a rare occurrence, but a serious one.

Number 4

Leaving a battery in your pager during the off season. Batteries can leak and acid can corrode the inside of the pager. Always remove pager batteries at the end of the season.

Number 3

Procrastinating when you think your weatherstation may have a problem. All weatherstations need maintenance, repair and updating over time, especially after the three year warranty period. This is true of ANY hardware – from your car and trailer to your house. Call immediately for assistance rather than waiting until just before or during a race.

Number 2

Not keeping your Merlin Software up to date. Even if you are using a different software package for predictions and recordkeeping, Merlin offers useful functions such as setting time and date, and gives Altalab personnel information that can help troubleshoot problems in the field. Call us to get login credentials and make this easy.

Number 1

Using a regular 9 pin serial cable instead of, or in addition to the supplied Remote Sensor Cable from Altalab. While the pinout is correct, a standard serial cable does not have adequate grounding for the sensors, and racers will find their weather readings fluctuate and are inaccurate. Always use Remote Sensor Cables from Altalab, either with or without a connector panel.

  • What Racers Say:

    "You did a great job on the AltaCom 2. You were very informative and helpful when I called with some questions and to exchange the antenna and to order the console mounting bracket. Thanks for a fine product and your help." George Baltzer