Personal weather stations

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Message 1702600 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:12:16 UTC
Last modified: 6 Aug 2015, 12:34:55 UTC

My home weather station arrived today. I was surprised at how light it was, and tiny it was. Here's a picture:


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Message 1702601 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:13:47 UTC
Last modified: 6 Aug 2015, 12:35:24 UTC

I dug a hole for the post last weekend:







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Message 1702604 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:21:40 UTC

I used 100 pounds of cement to sink a 1 inch diameter galvanized pipe, 6 feet in length, burying it 3 feet. Atop that, I connected two 3/4 inch pipes, both 6 feet. The total finished height of the station is about 16 feet. The U.S. Nat'l Weather Service recommends 33 feet officially, but I'm not that serious. ;~)
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Message 1702605 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:23:37 UTC
Last modified: 6 Aug 2015, 12:38:20 UTC

Here's a picture of the station. It's actually several feet away from those power lines.


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Message 1702608 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:26:43 UTC
Last modified: 6 Aug 2015, 12:38:41 UTC

And a couple closer views:





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Message 1702609 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:28:12 UTC

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Message 1702611 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:29:13 UTC
Last modified: 6 Aug 2015, 12:36:39 UTC

I used a compass to orient it in the right direction. For maintenance, I'll just unscrew this fitting:


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Message 1702613 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:32:38 UTC

It has a Ethernet connection to my internet router, and will publish stats to Weather Underground, but it's in "learning" mode right now, so it may be a couple days before I can see real time of it on the web.

Just fun. :~)
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Message 1702614 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:32:49 UTC

Another Aerographer's Mate is born!
Good Luck...


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Message 1702616 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:44:23 UTC - in response to Message 1702613.  

It has a Ethernet connection to my internet router, and will publish stats to Weather Underground, but it's in "learning" mode right now, so it may be a couple days before I can see real time of it on the web.

Just fun. :~)

I'd have tried to use a wireless connection to the router, since that pole is metal and lightning likes poles, all it needs is the right amount of charge and, I hope you have some sort of heavy duty surge suppressor on that ethernet line to your router, since that link exposes all your PCs to any lightning strike or at the very least, your router. Good luck Gordon.
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Message 1702618 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 21:57:28 UTC - in response to Message 1702616.  

It has a Ethernet connection to my internet router, and will publish stats to Weather Underground, but it's in "learning" mode right now, so it may be a couple days before I can see real time of it on the web.

Just fun. :~)

I'd have tried to use a wireless connection to the router, since that pole is metal and lightning likes poles, all it needs is the right amount of charge and, I hope you have some sort of heavy duty surge suppressor on that ethernet line to your router, since that link exposes all your PCs to any lightning strike or at the very least, your router. Good luck Gordon.



Well, the signal from the station on the pole out in the yard is wireless. I should have clarified what I meant: The receiving base for the station is connected via Ethernet to my router.
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Message 1702651 - Posted: 17 Jul 2015, 23:57:06 UTC - in response to Message 1702618.  

It has a Ethernet connection to my internet router, and will publish stats to Weather Underground, but it's in "learning" mode right now, so it may be a couple days before I can see real time of it on the web.

Just fun. :~)

I'd have tried to use a wireless connection to the router, since that pole is metal and lightning likes poles, all it needs is the right amount of charge and, I hope you have some sort of heavy duty surge suppressor on that ethernet line to your router, since that link exposes all your PCs to any lightning strike or at the very least, your router. Good luck Gordon.



Well, the signal from the station on the pole out in the yard is wireless. I should have clarified what I meant: The receiving base for the station is connected via Ethernet to my router.

That's much better Gordon.
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Message 1702653 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 0:03:31 UTC
Last modified: 18 Jul 2015, 0:06:07 UTC

Gordon --

A question, and a comment:

1) How do you gather precipitation amounts?

2) Although I'm not a HAM radio operator, have DX'd a number of years.
Past issues of QST magazine showed a gap-type connection, to earth
ground, which should minimize lightening effects (plus, you'd want
to install other power/signal line filters, as well).

Good luck; it looks good.
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Message 1702775 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 10:04:13 UTC - in response to Message 1702653.  

1) How do you gather precipitation amounts?


The fatter portion of the station has a bowl for collecting rain. Reading 1.66 inches, overnight, currently.
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Message 1702777 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 10:50:05 UTC
Last modified: 18 Jul 2015, 10:55:51 UTC

ok. But, how does it get emptied, in between measurements? What sort of
release mechanism is there?
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Message 1702794 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 13:23:37 UTC
Last modified: 18 Jul 2015, 13:27:06 UTC

Thank you, Chris. The primitive weather station my folks had,
20yrs, ago, required manual emptying. I figured an improvement,
here, had to have been made.

I stand updated. :o)
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Message 1702801 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 14:23:48 UTC - in response to Message 1702794.  

Thank you, Chris. The primitive weather station my folks had,
20yrs, ago, required manual emptying. I figured an improvement,
here, had to have been made.

I stand updated. :o)



Well, I remember my old 1970's plastic rain gauge very well. It was pretty nice and sturdy, actually, but eventually became hard to read from being baked in the sun and stained with algae. My first anemometer was cool, but rusted out eventually.

I still have a great aneroid barometer, and hygrometer, that is also from the 70's. I'm a little dubious of the electronic barometer technology of my new unit.

The outdoor unit is communicating with an indoor display, but I'm having trouble getting the system to register itself online. It has an "internet bridge" plugged directly into my router, and I've typed the MAC address a million times, but so far no luck. :~( Customer service is not staffed on the weekends, so I'll just have to wait 'til Monday.
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Message 1702803 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 14:25:20 UTC - in response to Message 1702801.  

Thank you, Chris. The primitive weather station my folks had,
20yrs, ago, required manual emptying. I figured an improvement,
here, had to have been made.

I stand updated. :o)



Well, I remember my old 1970's plastic rain gauge very well. It was pretty nice and sturdy, actually, but eventually became hard to read from being baked in the sun and stained with algae. My first anemometer was cool, but rusted out eventually.

I still have a great aneroid barometer, and hygrometer, that is also from the 70's. I'm a little dubious of the electronic barometer technology of my new unit.

The outdoor unit is communicating with an indoor display, but I'm having trouble getting the system to register itself online. It has an "internet bridge" plugged directly into my router, and I've typed the MAC address a million times, but so far no luck. :~( Customer service is not staffed on the weekends, so I'll just have to wait 'til Monday.

Did you open the ports in the router's firewall?
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Message 1702813 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 14:47:00 UTC - in response to Message 1702803.  

Thank you, Chris. The primitive weather station my folks had,
20yrs, ago, required manual emptying. I figured an improvement,
here, had to have been made.

I stand updated. :o)



Well, I remember my old 1970's plastic rain gauge very well. It was pretty nice and sturdy, actually, but eventually became hard to read from being baked in the sun and stained with algae. My first anemometer was cool, but rusted out eventually.

I still have a great aneroid barometer, and hygrometer, that is also from the 70's. I'm a little dubious of the electronic barometer technology of my new unit.

The outdoor unit is communicating with an indoor display, but I'm having trouble getting the system to register itself online. It has an "internet bridge" plugged directly into my router, and I've typed the MAC address a million times, but so far no luck. :~( Customer service is not staffed on the weekends, so I'll just have to wait 'til Monday.

Did you open the ports in the router's firewall?



I checked to make sure MAC filtering is not enabled.

I'll look at the firewall.
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Message 1702820 - Posted: 18 Jul 2015, 15:03:49 UTC

Very nice-looking setup, Chris. I just felt better about sinking mine in the ground rather than mounting on my house, and I don't have a nice shed like that. Do you ever have need to clean out the rain gauge?
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Message boards : Cafe SETI : Personal weather stations


 
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