Author Topic: DIY Personal Weather Monitoring Station using throw away tablet/phone  (Read 1714 times)

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Offline smithmal

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I wanted to find a relatively inexpensive weather station monitor that uses internet data to provide accurate forecast info.  Guess what?  It doesn't exist.  The cheapest I've found without needing to plunk down money for a subscription are the new Lacrosse models that are $200 or more.

So, I decided to turn an old tablet that I wasn't using anymore into a personal weather monitor and added a off-the-shelf bluetooth temperature/humidity sensor so I could not only view current/future weather info via internet data, but also could view and chart temperature readings in my own back yard.

The video below is a demo of the tablet-sensor combo along with various apps to allow me to obtain the following from my station:
1. Time and Date
2. Current Weather Condition Cartoon
3. Current Weather conditions
4. 4 day forecast
5. Local Radar
6. Backyard temperature/humidity readings
7. Hourly forecasts throughout the day
8. Audible Alarms for Severe weather heading to my area
9. Battery Condition

Please let me know your thoughts (good and bad).  Thanks!

smithmal

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzdrYiAxWQA[/youtube]

ps - almost forgot... bonus features include the ability to watch videos/movies, play games, check email or recipes, listen to internet radio and hang/place this pretty much anywhere you want.  Beat that Lacrosse!!
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 10:55:34 PM by smithmal »

Offline Bushman

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Re: DIY Personal Weather Monitoring Station using throw away tablet/phone
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2018, 12:18:14 AM »
Or you coulda bought an Acurite station, send to WU and display on the old tablet.  Well under $200 USD
Need low cost IP monitoring?  http://wirelesstag.net/wta.aspx?link=NisJxz6FhUa4V67/cwCRWA or PM me for 50% off Wirelesstags!!

Offline smithmal

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Re: DIY Personal Weather Monitoring Station using throw away tablet/phone
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2018, 03:42:04 AM »
Bushman,

Thanks for your response.  I was checking out the My Acurite app demo video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQlbENWOEl4).  Acurite certainly puts a wealth of information in that app but it's a bit too busy for what I need (i.e. passing the WAF).  I basically just need temp, forecast and radar.

In any event, the point of the video was to show how you can recycle an old tablet/phone to be used as a personal weather station monitor.  For the most part, all the hardware necessary to do this is free (since you are re-purposing an old tablet or phone).  Whether or not you want to add an outdoor sensor is up to you.  I'm actually still on the fence about its necessity with the way I've set up my tablet.

Also, if I've read the Acurite reviews and they indicate for it to work, you need to have your monitoring display system hooked to your PC and your PC continually running (i.e. it can never go to sleep) which is a bit of PIA.

smithmal

Offline Bushman

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Re: DIY Personal Weather Monitoring Station using throw away tablet/phone
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2018, 05:47:36 AM »
You got that last part at least partly wrong. You can use a 30 buck router running Meteobridge to post to wherever you want.  Also SQL Db etc.
Need low cost IP monitoring?  http://wirelesstag.net/wta.aspx?link=NisJxz6FhUa4V67/cwCRWA or PM me for 50% off Wirelesstags!!