Topic: Weather Station with usb, addl sensor logging & tablet interfaces?

[happyfirst]

Daughter wants a weather station for christmas. I could budget $250.  In shopping around, there are some things I'd really like to be able to accomplish at the same time. 

What I really want is some type of system where she can have the weather station display in her room, but then the rest of the family can still access all the data from our tablets & pcs.  In addition, I'd like to be able to report the temps from addl sources, I'm thinking at least 5 addl sensors for rooms, pool, etc.  I don't need internet remote viewing. I just want us to access the data from within our own home.

I don't think anybody offers any kind of tablet viewing except to go online to some website and view our data shared with everybody else.  LaCrosse does have some new remote feature but there's an annual fee, so that is out.  No Annual Fees!!!!!!

So far the only model that even comes close that I think can do all this is the OS WMR200.  And then, I'd still need to write my own software and a custom website for us to get at all this info from our other devices. Fortunately, for this part, I'm a senior .net developer so I think I can handle this as long as I can get to some updated log file with all the data. Another downside to the WMR200 is the remote sensors are expensive at $50 a pop. Is there any other device I may have missed? OS seems to be the only one that support enoough addl sensors and has pc logging. Or did I miss something in my price range?

I don't need the addl rooms/pool to actually be accessible on the weather station itself so that leads  me to another possible option which is to just go with a cheaper weather station like the Ambient Weather WS-2080 or even a LaCrosse model.  But then no addl sensors.  One nice plus for the LaCrosse is the remote USB interace, meaning I can leave the LaCrosse display in my daugthers remove but collect the data easily from the kitchen PC. All the other weather stations, I'd have to budget some type of USB extender. But then how can I solve the reporting of temps in the other rooms, the pool, etc? What's the most cost effective multi-room system with some type of local pc logging?

[Bushman]

You could check out the Acurite systems in your price range.

[happyfirst]

Wow.  Thanks!!!  How did I miss the brand?

Very cost effective remote sensors. But only 3 per bridge.  Always something.....  For the cost of a bridge and 3 sensors, I might as well just go with OS and have the one unit capture upto 10 sensors.

Plus, it looks like they update right to their website.  I wonder if I would be able to get at the data myself (or at least download in a readable format from their website without having to resort to screen scraping).

I see they have a model without the remote internet bridge, but that can be connected to a pc and then the pc software would upload to their website.  Just no addl sensors unless I buy the internet bridge.  And then I am relying on their website to put all the data together.

Thanks again! A new possibility....

[Bushman]

There's a thread in the Acurite forum that shows how to sniff the data from the bridge.  Might do what you want. 

[happyfirst]

Thanks.  Yeah, I'd already read and found that but it requires a PC be on 24/7

[Bushman]

Thanks.  Yeah, I'd already read and found that but it requires a PC be on 24/7

Isn't your kitchen PC 24/7?

[happyfirst]

Isn't your kitchen PC 24/7?

Well, it goes to sleep. 

I don't really want to turn off the sleep.  It does get used a lot and I'm sure it's on many hours throughout the day, but then depending on what approach I take, I'd have gaps in the data.

[Bushman]

I can think of a couple of ways to do what you want, but most involve some sort of 24/7 PC.  You could  run a server on something like a Sheeva Plug.  Or an Arduino based system.  Either should be able to rebroadcast to your tablets.

[happyfirst]

Another idea I had was to use one of the hackable linksys routers and just plug the acurite internet bridges into that. As a plus, I could then serve up my own custom web interface from that.  But unfortunately, those are not in a language I've dealt with in a long time.

I just don't understand why some company can't make

1) a $99 "hub" device that will gather info from upto 10 sensors/displays. Maybe even allow wired sensors? Seems today everybody is having to make their own hub out of a 24/7 pc.

2) offer any number of remote displays (wall, desk, bedside, etc) that instead of talking to a limited # of sensors directly, just talk to that "hub" and get their data from there. These displays would also send temp/humidity data from a single sensor in the display to the "hub".

3) "hub" can be plugged into a local network (or wifi) and then it also offers a locally served, customizable, home oriented website for home based pcs, tablets, etc

4) dedicated apps for android, ios, windows 8 rt, etc that support talking to a local "hub" for a better than web experience.

5) "hub" can optionally be configured to upload data to the internet. Then any number of additional websites can be used to look at the data.  The internet is NOT the hubs primary purpose though.  The hub's primary purpose is to gather data and serve to remote weather specific displays. Uploading that data to the internet is just a plus. 

6) "hub" is hobbyist friendly in that it allows access to any data it has stored. Even better, allow external tweaking of the website/data that the hub serves up to local pcs and tablets or even weather displays.

7) "hub" pulls down internet based forecasts for display in any locally served website or on remote weather displays.

The last one is something I don't get.  I've seen the internet enabled forecast displays, but I've yet to see a weather station that includes an internet based forecast. I have more faith in an internet forecast for 3-4 days out.  But I want the weather station for what's happening right now.

[Bushman]

For 1-6 :  http://www.practicalarduino.com/projects/weather-station-receiver  I know I've seen #7, just can't recall which vendor makes it.

[Skywatch]

The WMR200 actually isn't a bad station. Last year I bought a WMR200 to replace a WMR100 which gave me years of service. Works well. I've got a floating water sensor 2 temperature and humidity sensors and a UV sensor. The kit comes with a small length of pole. The display is a touch screen. The backlighting uses blue LED's which looks sort of like EL. Everything except the humidity seems accurate. I use Cumulus software which works excellent with the WMR200. IMHO it's worth the money.

[happyfirst]

I'd already stumbled onto that arduino project.  But it doesn't really do all of 1-6.

It seemed to me like it was just acting as a wireless receiver for remote sensors.  One thing I never was able to answer was how many sensors could it detect. Would I only have access to 3? Or infinite? Arduino seems like a complex path.  I'd still need a 24/7 pc, and for that, I would just get the OS WS and plug into a computer.

[Bushman]

Huh?  You can pretty easily set up a web server on an Arduino device.  No need for w PC then (essentially is IS a PC).  I really don;'t there is a chance you would see a $99 device to do what you want.

[SLOweather]

I just don't understand why some company can't make
(good stuff deleted...)

Limited market, low margins, huge upfront engineering costs, and a nightmare of support are some reasons I can come up with.

[happyfirst]

It seems to me they are almost there.

Probably the biggest thing right now that is missing is that it seems only one unit will talk to addl remote sensors. And it doesn't have any dedicated software/applets.

I think what I am going to do for now is just go with the Ambient Weather WS-2080.  This gives me two screens.  That way my daughter can have her screen in her room.  And then I can mount the other screen in the kitchen and connect that one to the PC via USB. I like that I only need to put batteries into one remote transmitter and that I can extend (what looks like a telephone cable), the other sensors.  My understanding is that the display will log and whenever the computer "wakes", I assume I can have it pull whatever data has been logged.  Then in time, I can write software to update webfiles on a netgear readynas for internally serviing up an interface to local pcs/tablets. Only thing I won't have is any other room temps, but the only product I can think of that would allow me to collect all those other rooms would be the OS WMR200.

[VaDeerHunter]

I have been looking at a similiar project but want USB connectivity to the sensors so I can buy an old Mac Mini and set it up as a server that can run 24/7 365 and then get multiple monitors off of it via an HDMI splitter or maybe a mod a sling box.

Pat

[Bushman]

I have been looking at a similiar project but want USB connectivity to the sensors so I can buy an old Mac Mini and set it up as a server that can run 24/7 365 and then get multiple monitors off of it via an HDMI splitter or maybe a mod a sling box.

Pat

1-Wire and  http://www.ibuttonlink.com/products/linkusb