Weather Station Hardware > Remote Weather Monitoring

Remote temperature monitoring

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metherb:
I'd like to take advantage of the knowledge base that everyone here seems to have and see if I can find a solution to a remote temperature monitoring problem.  I'd like to monitor the temperature (and ideally the humidity) at a remote site that does not have power or Internet.  In fact, it's out in the woods.  I make maple syrup and knowing what the temperatures are would really help me know when it's time to pick up sap.

The simplest idea that I have is a TX60U from LaCrosse (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/tx60/), but this requires a hard wired Internet connection.  Is there a cellular modem that I could connect this two and have it only utilize the Internet connection on-demand?  Ideally I'd like to replace the battery about once a week.

I'm probably missing some other ideas so I'm wondering what other ideas are out there that don't cost a lot to monitor the temperature at a remote site.  If there are no low cost solutions, what would be the cheapest way to monitor the temperature remotely?

Thanks for your help!

Bushman:
It ain't gonna be cheap or easy I fear.  Here's a full kit that goes 4 weeks on batteries.  http://www.temperaturealert.com/Remote-Temperature/Temperature-Alert-Cellular-Sensor.aspx

Bushman:
Or attach a cellular modem for something like this:  http://www.webio.us/sales/index.html

Another thought is that there are some smartphones (Nokia, Motorola) that have temp sensors built in.

Cynjut:
I could design something that would work, but I don't know how economical it would be.

You'll only need this for a few weeks/a couple of months while the sap runs, right?

Everything could run off batteries, but there are few communication devices that would let you run a remote Internet connection for a month without some kind of recharge.

Is the site line-of-sight to something you own, or are there hills in the way?  Can you get LOS communication?  How far is the site from power/LOS?  

Standard "ethernet" can be run using outdoor cable for up to 100 yards, and temperature and humidity aren't so localized that you shouldn't be able to set up some kind of weather station near where you want to be.  Serial and USB cables should never exceed 10 yards without 'regeneration'.

I guess, really, that a lot depends on the real numbers and conditions.  The terrain will determine the communication medium, and that will determine what kinds of temperature and humidity sensors would be appropriate.

ed2kayak:

--- Quote from: Cynjut on September 06, 2011, 11:27:55 AM ---  The terrain will determine the communication medium

--- End quote ---

right, is cell service available?

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