Topic: Cheap station for wind speed/direction

[kavouras]

Hello there...

I want to buy a cheap simple station for measuring wind speed and direction.
I build houses on a very hot area, so i will put it in different locations and measure if the specific location has enough air. When i find the points with most air, i will put there a window of the house.
I have to leave the station on the specific point for one or more days and then download all the data to my computer. So i dont really need an lcd panel, unless its necessary.

Can you please suggest some simple models you can think of? Thank you so much...

[Bushman]

Define "cheap".  Lots of options like Inspeed, Onset/HOBO, Windlogger, Omega, etc.

[johnd]

It's quite amusing actually. So one day's worth of wind data is meant to be representative of a year (or several years)??? 

[CW2274]

It's quite amusing actually. So one day's worth of wind data is meant to be representative of a year (or several years)??? 

This is a first.
Just line the widows up with the closest airport's runways. 

[kavouras]

Define "cheap".  Lots of options like Inspeed, Onset/HOBO, Windlogger, Omega, etc.

I am not sure how the prices go...I need the cheapest i can find, that has the specification i need...
I will check the brands you told me...

It's quite amusing actually. So one day's worth of wind data is meant to be representative of a year (or several years)??? 

I didnt explain it well because my English are not so good.
I want to build a house for me. My area is really hot especially at summertime (usually 35-40 Celsius).
I noticed that in daytime there is a very light air wave, which i can take advantage of and build a window on that direction.
In nighttime there is another light air wave, that comes from another direction, which also i want to take advantage of.
The problem is that those waves change sometimes, depending on the general weather, the time of the year, the specific point of the field etc.
So i want to record data not only from one day, but from as much as i can...And then i can find where are the points that have the most air waves, so i can build windows on that direction and generally change the direction of the house.
One problem i notice is that those air waves i refer to are very soft. Not so much power of the air, so i think i need a very sensitive anemometer, that can work even with the lightest air.
This is something i thought, i havent heard about it, maybe its not gonna work, but i would like to try...Thats why i need something cheap, because i will use it for sometime until i build the house, and then i will not need it anymore...

[Bushman]

You really should record wind speed and direction over a longer period of time otherwise you are only get a very small possibility of being correct.  Hand held meters like the Kestrel are very sensitive.  Or something like this:  http://www.lightinthebox.com/digital-handheld-anemometer-wind-speed-temperature-measuring-equipment-holdpeak-816b_p2424086.html?currency=CAD&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=84538645514&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o3&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=1810908567_303092594_21769118714_pla-205120197674&gclid=CjwKEAjwiYG9BRCkgK-G45S323oSJABnykKAwiP0XX-jz6XCWApBNuCkDy0FRTLudGJy_uORlSlYHxoCFr_w_wcB

[pfletch101]

A potentially more serious problem, in terms of your reason for doing this, is your apparent assumption that the 'light airs' you are trying to measure will not be affected by the presence of the house that you are planning to put there. If you find that there is a prevailing wind over the site, even if it is light, then you may be able to place things to take advantage of it, but establishing that is unlikely to need measurements in multiple locations across the site - just observations over as much time as possible.

[Bushman]

I think the OP's thesis is sound:  we have a place on the downslope of a lake and at night the  cool air rushes down to the water.  I designed my bunkhouse to take advantage of that fact.

[kavouras]

Actually i noticed that, when a friend of mine mentioned that had a very hot room in his house...Then he created an extra window and only because of the new window the room got a much better temperature, especially at night and at siesta time, so he could sleep better. Before that he couldnt sleep without an A/C.

You really should record wind speed and direction over a longer period of time otherwise you are only get a very small possibility of being correct.  Hand held meters like the Kestrel are very sensitive.  Or something like this:  http://www.lightinthebox.com/digital-handheld-anemometer-wind-speed-temperature-measuring-equipment-holdpeak-816b_p2424086.html?currency=CAD&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=84538645514&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o3&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=1810908567_303092594_21769118714_pla-205120197674&gclid=CjwKEAjwiYG9BRCkgK-G45S323oSJABnykKAwiP0XX-jz6XCWApBNuCkDy0FRTLudGJy_uORlSlYHxoCFr_w_wcB

That is a very cheap one! I can get 3-4 of these and put them in separate places... The only negative is that i cant keep history with that...I can get only average speed, which is someting i need to think about if its gonna be useful for my case...

[weather34]

I think the OP's thesis is sound:  we have a place on the downslope of a lake and at night the  cool air rushes down to the water.  I designed my bunkhouse to take advantage of that fact.

hi your theory is good however also consider like we did is to have bedrooms and main lounge facing north (depending geo position) , our home in istanbul we chose specifically for that reason has the sun all day long is not on that side of the building, it rises in the east falls in the west  our bedrooms and lounge are cool with out AC we always every year get intense humidity periods often lasting months or weeks that feeling of continuous sweat regardless whether your doing anything or not.

also consider insulation we had this done 2 years ago http://www.beconstructiveltd.com/does-insulation-work-in-summer/  we chose this idea from that article.

so check the positioning of where the sun direction moves through out the day , if we reside on balcony or second lounge facing southeast its unbearable and irritable without an ac running however we hate the idea of AC allergies and or sorts crap is propagated through the air . food for thought as measuring the airflow/wind many products around just depends on your budget. never two places are the same..good luck ..brian

[Bushman]

Build an "ice house roof".  We did that and no AC needed in 40C summers. 

[kavouras]

Build an "ice house roof".  We did that and no AC needed in 40C summers. 

It sounds interesting...Can you please provide a link with info, because i found a lot of things called "ice roof".
Thank you very much

[Bushman]

http://designandenergy.com/icehouse-roofs-and-above-sheathing-ventilation/  I have seen this style in the tropics, too!  It is - pardon the pun - a cool idea that works extremely well and is not that much more moeny to build.  I did it myself (with a couple friends of course.)

[kavouras]

http://designandenergy.com/icehouse-roofs-and-above-sheathing-ventilation/  I have seen this style in the tropics, too!  It is - pardon the pun - a cool idea that works extremely well and is not that much more moeny to build.  I did it myself (with a couple friends of course.)

Great idea! Thanks for posting...
Dont you have problems with small animals (like rats etc), that can go between the outer and in roof? Or is there any kind of stop that avoids them of going in?

[Bushman]

The only place where creatures can enter is the roof venting if you do not use continuous venting.  In fact, I had a flying squirrel in mine until I was able to  chase it out and seal the opening at the ends. 

[kavouras]

The only place where creatures can enter is the roof venting if you do not use continuous venting.  In fact, I had a flying squirrel in mine until I was able to  chase it out and seal the opening at the ends.

Thanks so much for the reply!
One day if you have time can you please saw us some photos of the roof please?

[gginnj]

In fact, I had a flying squirrel in mine until I was able to  chase it out and seal the opening at the ends.

No Moose?? just the flying squirrel?

[Bushman]

In fact, I had a flying squirrel in mine until I was able to  chase it out and seal the opening at the ends.

No Moose?? just the flying squirrel?

LOL.  My wife named him "Rocky".    Had there been a female she would have been called Natasha.

[Bushman]

The only place where creatures can enter is the roof venting if you do not use continuous venting.  In fact, I had a flying squirrel in mine until I was able to  chase it out and seal the opening at the ends.

Thanks so much for the reply!
One day if you have time can you please saw us some photos of the roof please?

I will see if I can find the actual construction pics.  They are instructional. 

[kavouras]

I will see if I can find the actual construction pics.  They are instructional.

Thanks so much!