Author Topic: Help A New Guy  (Read 7756 times)

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Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #25 on: April 25, 2017, 10:17:50 AM »
10 second updates are great - as long as the  system  updates <= that time period.  Many of the FO stations are 30 second update for instance.
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Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #26 on: April 25, 2017, 10:20:08 AM »
So... why wouldn't I just go with something like this then:

http://www.ambientweather.com/amws1400ip.html

Is this really what I'm looking for?  Can I add a lightning sensor to this setup?
no - closed architecture.  You would have to use another system for lightning.  And then interface that to WU (if they'd let you)
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Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #27 on: April 25, 2017, 10:24:16 AM »
Ok... so this has taken a completely different turn than expected, but thats fine.  Let's explore this - for my educational purposes as well as the education of other newbies.

On a side note - I would like to thank everyone who has replied thus far, you all are very helpful!

So... here is what I (suppose) I am looking at for a pieced-together PWS:

- ISS
- Lightning detector
- Meteobridge (~$100 - $40 for HW & $70(?) for SW license)
- No console

If I want to keep the whole package at or under $250, what ISS should I look at, keeping in mind I would like fast updates at least for wind measurements?  Lightning detector - the AcuRite one I linked to before, is that good enough for now?

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #28 on: April 25, 2017, 10:30:02 AM »
With your budget, your choices are limited.  The Fine Offset stations (even though I think they are crap; Jacym has had great luck with them - go figure) is about your only choice for an ISS.

And I am not sure exactly how a Meteobridge would read/integrate the Acurite lightning detector.  I just got onto the global lightning network with TOA (free device!) so I cannot say how to use the one at which you are looking.
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Offline Jáchym

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2017, 10:33:02 AM »
Hi,
as you have said yourself, 100 is necessary and probably the cheapest way of getting data online (via Meteobridge)

That leaves you with 150 USD, which is going to be porbably just enough for something like I have, which has about 30s update intervals and no lightning detector - and as I mentioned previously, only very few stations will have this, vast majority of people use this separately and I am not sure how well Meteobridge works with this.

Bottom line - with your 250 budget, I dont think it is possible to get Meteobridge (license +HW), lightning detector and a good station with fast updates. Its just not enough. My budget was even lower, but I dont have 10s updates (meteobridge allows this, but my station does not have such fast update intervals) and I dont have lightning detector.

Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2017, 10:47:01 AM »
Just stumbled across this while searching the internet for more ways to do this...
http://madscientistlabs.blogspot.com/2011/10/build-your-own-davis-console-datalogger.html

Offline miraculon

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2017, 11:02:00 AM »
Wouldnt this work as well?

http://www.smartbedded.com/wiki/index.php/Meteostick

The MB Pro is a meteobridge with an embedded meteostick.

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Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2017, 11:18:05 AM »
Wouldnt this work as well?

http://www.smartbedded.com/wiki/index.php/Meteostick

The MB Pro is a meteobridge with an embedded meteostick.

Greg H.

It's also like $400.......

Offline Jáchym

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2017, 11:22:37 AM »
Hi,

yes, the MB Pro is totally different price range.

The main difference between MB and MB pro is that MB Pro has a built-in logger - i.e. memory.

Standard Meteobridge has no memory, it just reads data and sends it off to wherever you set it to send it to.

For me this is perfectly fine, I send data to my server, where my scripts/template saves it into a database. You can of course also send it to WU, where it will be saved. The only problem will be if your internet connection is down. In such case unless you have a station, which has its own memory (mine does), you will have no data for the period it was offline.

Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #34 on: April 25, 2017, 11:25:51 AM »
Hi,

yes, the MB Pro is totally different price range.

The main difference between MB and MB pro is that MB Pro has a built-in logger - i.e. memory.

Standard Meteobridge has no memory, it just reads data and sends it off to wherever you set it to send it to.

For me this is perfectly fine, I send data to my server, where my scripts/template saves it into a database. You can of course also send it to WU, where it will be saved. The only problem will be if your internet connection is down. In such case unless you have a station, which has its own memory (mine does), you will have no data for the period it was offline.

Ok... so a logger is not *required*, just recommended?

If that is the case, I could do the Davis 6250 & Meteobridge only (I am removing the lightning detection component for now).

Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #35 on: April 25, 2017, 11:26:26 AM »
With your budget, your choices are limited.  The Fine Offset stations (even though I think they are crap; Jacym has had great luck with them - go figure) is about your only choice for an ISS.

And I am not sure exactly how a Meteobridge would read/integrate the Acurite lightning detector.  I just got onto the global lightning network with TOA (free device!) so I cannot say how to use the one at which you are looking.

Good info... looking into TOA & already filled out the form to host a sensor.  Thanks!

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #36 on: April 25, 2017, 11:27:56 AM »
Whether you call it a logger or not, you need an interface from the Davis console to the PC/Meteobridge.  ^o or so USD if you go third party like Bellfryboy's "logger"
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Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #37 on: April 25, 2017, 11:32:56 AM »
Whether you call it a logger or not, you need an interface from the Davis console to the PC/Meteobridge.  ^o or so USD if you go third party like Bellfryboy's "logger"

Trying to do a setup without a console.  That may make it even harder, I don't know.

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #38 on: April 25, 2017, 11:39:15 AM »
Roll your own:  http://www.desert-home.com/2015/02/reading-acurite-5n1-sensor-set-this.html  Will be in your budget for sure.
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Offline mwall

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2017, 11:57:34 AM »
if you really want low budget (but not low quality), then roll your own:

- raspberry pi + power supply + enclosure $50
- software-defined radio (sdr) dongle $20
- davis instrument cluster $180
- acurite lightning sensor $20
- si1000 radio (3dr radio) $30
- weewx (free)

with this you get low power consumption (could easily run the whole thing on battery and solar panel), upload to any online service, use any existing display templates (leuven, meteotemplate, saratoga, steel series, etc) or build your own.

everything is well-documented and well-understood.

but you have to do it yourself.

m


http://weewx.com/

https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki

https://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Telescopic/dp/B011HVUEME/

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbypower-Wireless-Telemetry-915Mhz-Pixhawk/dp/B00Q7VC7AC

Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2017, 12:04:54 PM »
if you really want low budget (but not low quality), then roll your own:

- raspberry pi + power supply + enclosure $50
- software-defined radio (sdr) dongle $20
- davis instrument cluster $180
- acurite lightning sensor $20
- si1000 radio (3dr radio) $30
- weewx (free)

with this you get low power consumption (could easily run the whole thing on battery and solar panel), upload to any online service, use any existing display templates (leuven, meteotemplate, saratoga, steel series, etc) or build your own.

everything is well-documented and well-understood.

but you have to do it yourself.

m


http://weewx.com/

https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki

https://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Telescopic/dp/B011HVUEME/

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbypower-Wireless-Telemetry-915Mhz-Pixhawk/dp/B00Q7VC7AC

This might be the option I am looking for.  Would this setup be able to send data to WU without a computer?  I assume thats what the Pi is for.

Just out of curiosity, what are the SDR dongle & radio needed for?
« Last Edit: April 25, 2017, 12:11:27 PM by TexasPatriot »

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #41 on: April 25, 2017, 12:13:31 PM »
A Raspberry Pi *Is* a computer.  :)  And weewx supports Rapidfire posting to WU  The SDR radio receives the wireless transmissions from the ISSS.  You are basically building a console.
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Offline mwall

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #42 on: April 25, 2017, 12:14:19 PM »
This might be the option I am looking for.  Just out of curiosity, what are the SDR dongle & radio needed for?

the SDR picks up transmissions from the acurite lightning sensor (and from many, many other types of sensors, including many weather stations such as oregon scientific, fine offset, and lacrosse).  use the weewx-sdr driver.

the si1000 picks up transmissions from the davis instrument cluster.  use the weewx-si1000 driver.

you would also want a pressure sensor, but you can do that with a sensor directly connected to the pi, or using an old oregon scientific 9x8 sensor and the SDR dongle.  (one SDR dongle can capture data from any number of sensors, and the weewx-sdr driver sorts it all out for weewx to put into the database).

you can add other sensors too, such as snow depth, using maxbotix sensors and the weewx-maxbotix driver.

m

Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #43 on: April 25, 2017, 12:14:55 PM »
From an architecture standpoint, here is what I have been finding.... but please correct this if it is wrong!

ISS [WIFI]> Meteobridge > router > internet (WU, etc)

This would not perform any logging functions, I understand, but for now I am ok with that.

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #44 on: April 25, 2017, 12:15:55 PM »
From an architecture standpoint, here is what I have been finding.... but please correct this if it is wrong!

ISS [WIFI]> Meteobridge > router > internet (WU, etc)

This would not perform any logging functions, I understand, but for now I am ok with that.

Something radio is needed between the ISS and Meteobridge.
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Offline TexasPatriot

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #45 on: April 25, 2017, 12:16:51 PM »
From an architecture standpoint, here is what I have been finding.... but please correct this if it is wrong!

ISS [WIFI]> Meteobridge > router > internet (WU, etc)

This would not perform any logging functions, I understand, but for now I am ok with that.

Something radio is needed between the ISS and Meteobridge.


Ahhhhhhh.... ok.  I was under the impression that the Meteobridge had WIFI built in.

Offline Bushman

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #46 on: April 25, 2017, 12:18:20 PM »
MB does - but at 2.4 gHz to connect to your network.
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Offline Jáchym

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #47 on: April 25, 2017, 12:22:13 PM »
MB has a LAN port and a wi-fi built-in - standard and Pro version

Offline Jáchym

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #48 on: April 25, 2017, 12:22:38 PM »
Also remember that if you have your own server, or even just send data to WU, you in fact have logging already, you can always download it from there

Offline mwall

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Re: Help A New Guy
« Reply #49 on: April 25, 2017, 12:42:10 PM »
From an architecture standpoint, here is what I have been finding.... but please correct this if it is wrong!

ISS [WIFI]> Meteobridge > router > internet (WU, etc)

This would not perform any logging functions, I understand, but for now I am ok with that.

ISS -> meteostick -> meteobridge -> router -> internet

ISS -> 3dr -> raspberrypi -> router -> internet

ISS -> meteostick -> raspberrypi -> router -> internet

lightning_sensor -> sdr -> raspberrypi -> router -> internet

there are no weather stations that communicate with their sensors using wifi - they typically use unlicensed spectrum and proprietary protocols.  the 'wifi enabled' weather stations are actually a bridge between the sensors and wifi.  sometimes that bridge is built in to a console with a display, other times it is a little box with no display.

m

 

anything