Future Modding Plans
Posted: Sun 23 Jan 2011 11:11 pm
I'm a newbie to the forums and this site but not to weather stations. I was drawn by the Cumulus software and the excellent comments I had heard about it from other sites.
I built my first weather station back in the mid '80s as an 'O' level CDT project it was ambitious as it was made from scratch from the sensors right upto the main control box. It never got totally finished though was fully functional, if I ever dig it out from the loft, I'll take some pics to post. It was equipped with the following:
Anenometer - IR TxRx with chopper disc
Wind Vane - 8 x reed switch (with 16 sensed positions - per FO etc)
External Temperature - Semiconductor: LM35Z
Internal Temperature - Semiconductor: LM35Z
Barometer - Variable inductance by bellows (bellows salvaged from old weather balloon radiosonde)
The control box housed the barometer and interface electronics and was wired directly to the instruments.
Since then things have moved on, but the weather station bug has bitten again. I'm considering getting a WATSON W-8681 (about £78 from CPC) as a modding platform. I'm an electronic design engineer but will be utilising 'off-the-shelf' components/module to enhance the weather station....slowly. Here's what I'm considering:
ZigBee style (2.4GHz) wireless link
Anenometer - no plans
Wind vane - 360degree hall effect sensor
Temperature - no immediate plans
Humidity - no immediate plans
Rain guage - electronic scale
Barometer - no immediate plans (though I d have an incredibly accurate altimeter sensor)
I don't have much spare time so progress will be very slow!
Jonathan
I built my first weather station back in the mid '80s as an 'O' level CDT project it was ambitious as it was made from scratch from the sensors right upto the main control box. It never got totally finished though was fully functional, if I ever dig it out from the loft, I'll take some pics to post. It was equipped with the following:
Anenometer - IR TxRx with chopper disc
Wind Vane - 8 x reed switch (with 16 sensed positions - per FO etc)
External Temperature - Semiconductor: LM35Z
Internal Temperature - Semiconductor: LM35Z
Barometer - Variable inductance by bellows (bellows salvaged from old weather balloon radiosonde)
The control box housed the barometer and interface electronics and was wired directly to the instruments.
Since then things have moved on, but the weather station bug has bitten again. I'm considering getting a WATSON W-8681 (about £78 from CPC) as a modding platform. I'm an electronic design engineer but will be utilising 'off-the-shelf' components/module to enhance the weather station....slowly. Here's what I'm considering:
ZigBee style (2.4GHz) wireless link
Anenometer - no plans
Wind vane - 360degree hall effect sensor
Temperature - no immediate plans
Humidity - no immediate plans
Rain guage - electronic scale
Barometer - no immediate plans (though I d have an incredibly accurate altimeter sensor)
I don't have much spare time so progress will be very slow!
Jonathan
You'll find masses of information on here, particularly on the Fine Offset stations (rebadged Watson etc.). I'm using these and also building my own.
