Topic: Ambient WS-DPT01 Snow Depth Sensor

[miraculon]

Does anyone have experience with this device?

WS-DPT01

http://www.ambientweather.com/amwsdpt01.html



It looks interesting and relatively inexpensive.

Greg H.

[catdon]

Hmmm looks interesting... noticed that it says out of stock. Is this a just introduced product or has it been out awhile ? Would like more info, the description doesn't give  a whole lot.

[CNYWeather]

I put my email in to notify me when it's back in stock. Guess I've done that before & didn't remember.
Seem to recall seeing this quite a while back.

Ambient posted about this to their FB page back in November 2012 

[miraculon]

I called Ambient and after a long time on hold while the agent was finding out, she came back and said that they should be getting some in soon. Yet, she asked for my number and will call me back. As soon as I hear something, I'll update here.

Greg H.

[Aardvark]

I added my name to the email wait list.  It sounds pretty cool to have.

[miraculon]

I called Ambient and after a long time on hold while the agent was finding out, she came back and said that they should be getting some in soon. Yet, she asked for my number and will call me back. As soon as I hear something, I'll update here.

Greg H.

Crickets...

Nothing from them yet. Admittedly, I have had some phone issues, but there doesn't seem to be any missed calls that might have been from them.

Greg H.

[Aardvark]

I sent them an email, they thought sometime in 2015

[miraculon]

I sent them an email, they thought sometime in 2015

Well, that dashes my hopes for having something up before winter....

Thanks for letting us know. Apparently they forgot about calling back.

Greg H.

[Aardvark]

From Ambient: "We have found that it is fine for tanks and lakes but not great for snow. It changes on a daily basis by up to 0.03" just because of temperature changes of the day.

Thus, we will need to remove this from the description"

although that amount isn't much in the long run of life,  I may still purchase one

[miraculon]

Not that I would use this for CoCoRaHS, but the snow depth there is reported to the nearest ½ inch. To worry about 0.03" seems a little ludicrous.

I found this MaxBotix one with RS232 output. Maybe a potential Raspberry Pi project is in my future....

http://www.maxbotix.com/Ultrasonic_Sensors/MB7534.htm


Greg H.

[miraculon]

I decided to give up on the Ambient sensor and ordered the MaxBotix one. I think that it will be a higher quality unit anyways...

I am planning on running the RS232 through the wall and directly to my Linux box. I'll just view the output with a terminal program. Now to cook up a mounting scheme. Hopefully "winter" will go away for a while and give me a chance to install/test it. I'll post some pics when I get it built up.



Greg H.

[Aardvark]

I saw that one,  but once again gravity has played a trick on me.  I have my hand in a cast so getting it to work would be a chore. I have my measuring stick.  I am still going to get the ambient one if it ever comes out.  they say there is a 0.03 inch error due to temperature flux, but if it comes out, I am grabbing it. they think by next spring. oh joy.

[DaleReid]

Darn,
I can't imagine a company going to the trouble to R&D something and then not producing it.

It currently was listed as IN STOCK at their site, but when I went to order it it said not currently available.

There are a couple other US sensors available for the Arduino stuff, and for those of us who would like to drive a post in the ground and do some real winter measures, I don't think that would be a choice for me right now.