Remote weather station

[Timothy Murphy]

Does anyone have experience of a weather station sending back information over the internet, preferably by WiFi but possible by USB connection to a remote computer?

[Dave Liquorice]

Try uk.sci.weather (added to the Newsgroups: line).

Several weather stations have USB connectivity, a now reducing number have RS232. I've not come across one that supports ethernet or WiFi directly.

[Adrian Brentnall]

I've got one of the cheapy 'Watson' wireless weather stations. The sensor bit (rainfall, wind direction, windspeed, temperature) clamps to a mast up the top of the paddock - the base unit sits in the studio and connects via USB to an old PC that's out there, which in turn sits on the LAN and finds its way out to the web

All of this ends up at

website - must get round to sorting it out!)

Generally pretty reliable, wireless range isn't tremendous, from time to time the system gets its knickers knotted and has to be re-educated (usually a matter of dropping the power off the base station to reset it).

There are a whole host of more expensive weather stations - but this one was sub-100-quid - so I thought I'd give it a try

Email address works if you want to email direct Adrian

[prodata]

It depends hugely on what price bracket we're talking about, but certainly direct output on an Ethernet is possible, eg via a Davis WeatherlinkIP logger interface.

But the other option is simply to interface a logger with a USB or serial interface to an appropriate Ethernet adapter (for instance Silex make a suitable USB-to-Ethernet adapter).

So either way it's certainly possible in principle but with some work- up of detail required.

The catch often is in ensuring that there's sufficient electrical power at the remote site available for whatever data link technology you're using. The weather station itself is usually no problem - they're designed with autonomous operation (at least for several months at a time) in mind. But most data link transmitters require at least 5W power (at say 5-12v) and that's a non-trivial amount of power if a continuous 24/7 data feed is required. Of course you can use solar panels and/or wind turbines but to guarantee even 5W 24/7 over many consecutive gloomy days in midwinter takes a significant PSU.

John Dann

[Dave Cornwell]

This may not be quite what you are trying to achieve but could you not use one of the cheaper (but good) weather stations some of us have (e.g. Watson/Easy Offset type) which are wireless to console , then USB to PC which can then send data to web or say a network like Weather Underground, so that it can be accessed from anywhere. Live data down to one minute intervals is possible.

e.g.

or >

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 26/11/2009, Timothy Murphy supposed :

Mine does that.

Sensors outside, dedicated wireless link to the display unit indoors, then USB connected to the PC. Some software on the PC, reads and updates itself from the data stored in the display unit and the current data is uploaded to a website - simples.

[Steve Firth]

Are you asking as a weather enthusiast or as someone interested in a long-term monitoring project? If the former then Oregon Scientific make some fairly naff weather stations that might do what you want. If the later then the much more expensive Davis AP2 units which feature a data logger for transferring data to a PC and then live onto a website are probably what you are after.

[zaax]

There are a few but W ifi / ethernet = computer = expensive. I use a netbook for data logging and internet serving

[Graham.]

connected to the PC. Some software on the PC, reads

data is uploaded to a website - simples.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Graham. formulated on Thursday :

I'm not, it is calculated by the Cumulus software.

[Hugh Jampton]

I've got the wireless Davis VP2. Can't fault it - absolutely 100% perfect. Been using it for getting on for 3 years - no problems as yet.

Ummm sorry .... there is a problem - it costs a fortune :-(

[Graham.]

and connects via USB to an old PC that's out there,

you account for it?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Hugh Jampton has brought this to us :

I have the Fine offset one, which has worked fine for the past 18 months and only cost me £60 delivered from ebay. It's one failing is the display contrast is poor due to it's touch screen, but I understand they have since improved it a little.

[Harry Bloomfield]

The wind direction heads have a tendency to oscillate, even in a steady wind. The steadier the wind the more symmetrical it looks. They really need a small amount of damping to prevent the oscillation.

[Andrew May]

If you can't find one that goes to WiFi directly then how about one of these to keep the power down?

[Jules]

Get an old laptop, remove screen + hdd, boot from a CF card or USB stick...