Topic: The Dream Machine - Design Our Own PWS

[wxtech]

Xbee series 2, 2mw data transceivers are on order.  Each has a 40 meter range.  A more powerful 50mw 1 mile range is available.
They are addressed network devices to be set up as coordinators, routers, or end devices.  The network can be self healing if a radio is missing from the net.
The sensors can be independently sited and will communicate to a router.  The inside coordinator device will connect to the Arduino processor-logger-display.

[Skywatch]

What I'd like in a weather station,

Wind speed & direction
Temperature
Humidity
Air pressure
Rainfall
Solar radiation

Other things
Leaf wetness
Soil moisture
Soil temperature
UV index

Other features
PC interface
Touch screen controls
Data logger

Those other items arn't really nessisary so you don't have to worry about those. What would be cool is to have the console/display and have several sensor ports. And in the console the user selects the sensor used on that specific channel port and the console detects the signal from that sensor plugged in. That way the user can build the station anyway he/she wants with what sensors parameters meet the requirements.

[wxtech]

The 3 XBee radios arrived!  So I'm working on 2 different designs.  The XBee radios will be used to bring in data from individual sensors or I2C networks. 
My other design uses off-the-shelf wireless sensors, a modern version of http://www.practicalarduino.com/news/id/711
Both uses the Arduino Uno for processing-logging-display-connecting with the PC through a USB connection.

[linuxfreak]

Al,
Check out this guy's designs, if they might be useful to add:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Wind-Chill-Machine/

Looks like a multi-part story of him creating a weather station using the Arduino platform.

George

[wxtech]

I'm building version I which is a much simpler and more modern version of this one:
http://www.practicalarduino.com/projects/weather-station-receiver
Mine has fewer parts.
I'll start version II someday.

[wxtech]

It looks like no one is working on a weather dream machine.  I've shifted to higher priorities and haven't done anything weather related lately.  My wx eqpt and sites are all broken. 
FYI, Revolution Education has a more versatile version of the Arduino.  This one is programmed in basic.  http://www.picaxe.com/docs/axe401.pdf
U.S. Distributor of the axe401 shield:  http://www.phanderson.com/picaxe/
The Arduino is for non-technical folks and the books mostly begin with 'what's a wire'? 
I haven't been active on wxforum.  I'll leave these project ideas for someone else.  Anyone can build the dream machine.  I'm the only one who can finish the book that I started several years ago.