Topic: Newbie Looking For Hardware/Software Recommendations

[sidehowraheem]

Hello to all weather enthusiasts!

I've been spending a lot of time on the site, trying to absorb as much information as possible and am starting to suffer from analysis paralysis.

Here is what I am looking for:

• Standard temp, humidity, dew point
• Wind speed and direction
• Rain
• Barometer
• UV ratings maybe?
• Web cam for time lapses
• Pushed to raspberry Pi then to web

I'm in northern MN, temps can get down to -40F so I want to make sure the station can survive our winters. Initially I was looking at a Tempest but they can only handle temps down to -35F, and I've heard bad things about their rain readings.

Ideally my setup would look like this:
Weather station & WebCam -> Raspberry Pi -> Runs WeeWx -> Windy Maps Integration -> Push to website.

Any recommendations on hardware for the station and the webcam in my temps? I'm fairly tech savvy and should be able to configure and program my pi to push to a website correctly. Budget is flexible, I dont want to spend $2k but I DO want something durable.

Thanks in advance!

[vinceskahan]

I'd always suggest a Davis VP2 with that kind of budget and you'd have lots left to buy a separate solution for your webcam.  Personally I did it with 'motion' running on a 10-year old model-B pi with the camera being an off the shelf USB cam for a PC (so 100 bucks max for that part) but even a ZeroW would work there.

[Storm017]

For Davis WX Stations take a look here:

https://www.scaledinstruments.com/product-category/davis-instruments/complete-weather-stations/vantage-pro2-series/wireless/

[chief-david]

The davis pro stations are the best and should easily withstand anything northern MN throws at it.

Dont get a rain gauge heater. Mine is ok, but not effective in very low temps. Rarely snows then anyway.

Software--Weather display.

Hi from Minneapolis.

[davidmc36]

From weather station and camera to Pi running Meteobridge which can upload your weather data and camera images to a nice time lapse on Ambient Weather.

I'd you have electricity, a heater is cheap to make.

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=43129.msg446800#msg446800

[sidehowraheem]

Thanks for all the responses folks.

Now I just need to get a Pi for less than an arm and a leg.

[box]

Now I just need to get a Pi for less than an arm and a leg.

I got mine used from eBay, new are stupid money at the moment