Topic: VP2 shopping list

[wrz0170]

Alrighty, so I have the VP2 6153, wireless/aspirated radiation shield and the 6332 anemometer transmission kit ready to go in the shopping cart.  Using Scientific Sales as they appear to be rated highly and good prices. 

I’m ambivalent about the UV and solar radiation sensors for the moment.  The money could be used elsewhere for this project and I can always add later.  I realize at a higher cost...

In wanting to get my weather data out to the net, wireless and without the need for a computer 24/7. My understanding that Meteobridge will do the trick and a person can “make” one.  Or is the Pro version worth it or more geared for the Hardcore?

For Datalogging, many use Bellfryboy. 

Other than mounting hardware, am I missing anything in my shopping spree?

Thanks!

[Intheswamp]

I'll just respond to the UV/Solar thought. 

The Solar sensor can actually be useful for planning and monitoring of a solar power system and for trans-evaporation associated with crop/garden irrigation needs...those uses are off the top of my head, there's probably other uses. 

The UV is basically only good for warning you of have intensely you may get sunburned (or not).  Most people can tell when it's cloudy or not and which season it currently is.  Lots less useful than the solar sensor.  Lots more expensive than the solar sensor. 

I bought both sensors "after the fact", in other words I started out with a standard VP2 and later added (quiet painfully $$$) the two sensors.  The sum total is that the solar sensor is the cheaper, yet more useful of the two sensors.  If I was to do it over again I would most likely opt *not* to buy the UV sensor.  But, if I knew I would end up with both sensors I certainly would have bought a VP2+.

Having said that, it was (probably still is) much cheaper to buy a VP2+ with the two sensors included rather than to add them later. 

It's your call... 

Best wishes,
Ed

[LABob]

The UV is basically only good for warning you of have intensely you may get sunburned (or not).  Most people can tell when it's cloudy or not and which season it currently is.  Lots less useful than the solar sensor.  Lots more expensive than the solar sensor.

You might be surprised by when UV is high and when it's not. If you work outside a lot, it can be a handy reference. There are days that are bright and sunny and the sun feels so hot it burns, but the UV index is 2. There are other days that are partly cloudy and the sun isn't bothering me at all and the UV index is 8.

[archae86]

I have a six-year-old UV sensor which I am about to replace with a refurbished one because the original lost considerable sensitivity. I've reviewed reported values on cloud free days from over a dozen stations near me, and believe that most of them are reporting well below the true value. I don't know whether this degree of degradation is partly a response to New Mexico conditions, or typical.

I mention it here because in considering expense you may wish to factor in a higher continuing expense for refurbishment on the UV sensor than on other components of the system.

[wrz0170]

Thank you all for the great points regarding the UV/solar.   I’m going to hold off for the time being as I flesh out what else I need to get the system up and running.  I’ll probably regret it later in the wallet.  In any event, I finally DO have a VP2 6153 ordered!!!

So now it comes down to:

1. I have an existing Raspberry Pi3 (b) with a 32gb card that is not doing anything. Bought it for another project that never got off the ground.  Put WeeWX on and get a datalogger and hope I get through Linux.

2.  “Make” a Meteobridge per instructions.  Get a datalogger and still try to figure out Linux.

3.  Just buy a WeatherBridge Pro (Red) and be done with it. 

[johnd]

So now it comes down to:

1. I have an existing Raspberry Pi3 (b) with a 32gb card that is not doing anything. Bought it for another project that never got off the ground.  Put WeeWX on and get a datalogger and hope I get through Linux.

2.  “Make” a Meteobridge per instructions.  Get a datalogger and still try to figure out Linux.

3.  Just buy a WeatherBridge Pro (Red) and be done with it.

Any of those are viable options. Re [2], you don't need to know Linux to make and use a Meteobridge. There's some 'ABC' instructions around to actually make the MB and then actually using it is at two levels:

(a) Simple things like uploading Wunderground & similar weather networks, is just a matter of picking options off a web page;

(b) Slightly more advanced things requires some familiarisation with the MB scripting langauge, but you can take it in easy stages and it's really quite straightforward;

Beyond this, it's really just a matter of budget. There's no doubt that MB Pro Red is the neatest and closest to a turnkey solution, but inevitably it's got a higher price-tag.

[wrz0170]

So now it comes down to:

1. I have an existing Raspberry Pi3 (b) with a 32gb card that is not doing anything. Bought it for another project that never got off the ground.  Put WeeWX on and get a datalogger and hope I get through Linux.

2.  “Make” a Meteobridge per instructions.  Get a datalogger and still try to figure out Linux.

3.  Just buy a WeatherBridge Pro (Red) and be done with it.

Any of those are viable options. Re [2], you don't need to know Linux to make and use a Meteobridge. There's some 'ABC' instructions around to actually make the MB and then actually using it is at two levels:

(a) Simple things like uploading Wunderground & similar weather networks, is just a matter of picking options off a web page;

(b) Slightly more advanced things requires some familiarisation with the MB scripting langauge, but you can take it in easy stages and it's really quite straightforward;

Beyond this, it's really just a matter of budget. There's no doubt that MB Pro Red is the neatest and closest to a turnkey solution, but inevitably it's got a higher price-tag.

Again, thanks!  You have been a great help!   

I think I may start off with the obvious of what is in front of me.  I have an RP3.  WeeWx is free. There are step by steps on installing Rasbian and WeeWx. 

If that fails.  I’m sure someone will take my money for a MB Pro. 

[PraveenC31]

Go for raspberry. Its a lot fun doing it. I did it just last week. Not too difficult and you will get a lot of support in weewx google user group. I used help from the group to set up my raspberry pi in readonly mode also to avoid SD card wear and tear.

[ChinookCove]

So now it comes down to:

1. I have an existing Raspberry Pi3 (b) with a 32gb card that is not doing anything. Bought it for another project that never got off the ground.  Put WeeWX on and get a datalogger and hope I get through Linux.

2.  “Make” a Meteobridge per instructions.  Get a datalogger and still try to figure out Linux.

3.  Just buy a WeatherBridge Pro (Red) and be done with it.

Any of those are viable options. Re [2], you don't need to know Linux to make and use a Meteobridge. There's some 'ABC' instructions around to actually make the MB and then actually using it is at two levels:

(a) Simple things like uploading Wunderground & similar weather networks, is just a matter of picking options off a web page;

(b) Slightly more advanced things requires some familiarisation with the MB scripting langauge, but you can take it in easy stages and it's really quite straightforward;

Beyond this, it's really just a matter of budget. There's no doubt that MB Pro Red is the neatest and closest to a turnkey solution, but inevitably it's got a higher price-tag.

Again, thanks!  You have been a great help!   

I think I may start off with the obvious of what is in front of me.  I have an RP3.  WeeWx is free. There are step by steps on installing Rasbian and WeeWx. 

If that fails.  I’m sure someone will take my money for a MB Pro. 

Go with weewx. I have 2 weather stations running weewx on  Rapsberry. Setup using the setup.py so you have all your weewx installation in the /home/weewx/ path.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[wrz0170]

Go for raspberry. Its a lot fun doing it. I did it just last week. Not too difficult and you will get a lot of support in weewx google user group. I used help from the group to set up my raspberry pi in readonly mode also to avoid SD card wear and tear.

Thanks!  Just installed Rasbian.  Wasn’t too bad!  Now to try to install Weewx!   I was told since I don’t have my VP2 yet, I can use the simulator driver to learn the software and then transfer to the VP driver once it arrives.   

[PraveenC31]

I wouldn't bother with simulator. Weewx  is quite simple. Instead do the below to make sd card read only. Else your sd card may wear out in notime.

https://github.com/glennmckechnie/rorpi-raspberrypi/wiki/rorpi-raspberrypi-readonly

[ChinookCove]

I wouldn't bother with simulator. Weewx  is quite simple. Instead do the below to make sd card read only. Else your sd card may wear out in notime.

https://github.com/glennmckechnie/rorpi-raspberrypi/wiki/rorpi-raspberrypi-readonly

Haven't had any issues with corrupt SD card on any of my Raspberries running weewex..


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[wrz0170]

I wouldn't bother with simulator. Weewx  is quite simple. Instead do the below to make sd card read only. Else your sd card may wear out in notime.

https://github.com/glennmckechnie/rorpi-raspberrypi/wiki/rorpi-raspberrypi-readonly

Haven't had any issues with corrupt SD card on any of my Raspberries running weewex..


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

All good stuff!  How long have your Raspberries been running?  I won’t be running Simulator long.  Should have my VP2 in a couple of days!  Placement of the monster will be next challenge.

[PraveenC31]

My raspberry is just a week or two now. But I read many people saying sd card is weak link. Particularly so when you may have power outages often as for me. If raspberry is writing to sd card and it powers off abruptly it could corrupt the card i think.

VP2 placement should be easier than Vue i believe.

[johnd]

But I read many people saying sd card is weak link.

It is one of the few weaknesses of the Pi that it doesn't have a better interface to storage devices and so you only have 3 storage options: An SD card; a USB device like a USB stick, but could also be eg a USB SSD or hard drive; or storage across the LAN somewhere.

The problem with consumer SD cards and USB sticks is that they tend to use TLC NAND memory these days, which give good value for large capacity but do have limited life if used in applications where there's constant writing of data to the card/stick. There is a solution which is the use of so-called industrial or military cards or USB sticks, which use SLC (single cell) NAND memory but these are relatively expensive, eg:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/usb-flash-drives/7761945/

One configuration of the Pi which should work reasonably reliably is still to use an SD card as the boot device (but where it won't constantly be written back to) but use eg an industrial USB stick for storage of weather data. Although 2GB doesn't sound like much storage (except to old-timers  ) it probably will go a long way for storing the relatively modest quantities of weather data that are generated. I don't know for sure whether weewx supports this configuration, but I'm pretty sure that it would.

Of course, it's always sensible to back up data, whatever medium it's stored on.

[Mattk]

Anybody serious about data then SLC is the way to go, you do get what you pay for.

[ChinookCove]

I wouldn't bother with simulator. Weewx  is quite simple. Instead do the below to make sd card read only. Else your sd card may wear out in notime.

https://github.com/glennmckechnie/rorpi-raspberrypi/wiki/rorpi-raspberrypi-readonly

Haven't had any issues with corrupt SD card on any of my Raspberries running weewex..


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

All good stuff!  How long have your Raspberries been running?  I won’t be running Simulator long.  Should have my VP2 in a couple of days!  Placement of the monster will be next challenge.

One raspberry has been running two years and the other about a year. They also capture and save my webcam image every 15 min.


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[wrz0170]

So I know the connection of things and there are no surprises when I do get all my pieces parts:

VP2 Console >(wired) bellfryboy data logger > (wired) RP3 >  (wireless) router > weewx pushes to WU, etc.

How is the RP3 connected to datalogger?  USB?

Option to make SD card read only whilst using a plugged in thumb drive?

Other option is to leave it as is and SD read/write.

[PraveenC31]

You don't need a plugged in thumb drive to make SD card read only. You can use the RAM of raspberry instead. That is what the link I pointed to in an earlier post does.