Have ordered all the parts for the TX and RX and am waiting for them to arrive. I need to work out what sensors to use. I'd like something accurate, reliable, serviceable and so assume the most obvious choice is to purchase Davis sensors ? I need rain, wind direction and speed, temp and humidity. Might add solar radiation in future.
If so has anyone got advice on how to purchase these bits in Aus ?
I can ebay for secondhand sensors or weather stations which will probably be hit and miss ?
I can buy individual sensors and piece them together ? Maybe buying wind and rain and add a sensor to a separately purchased fan aspirated enclosure ?
More expensive would be to buy a new integrated sensor suite ? which I might end up having to do.
I figure some of you guys have worked this out before. Any thoughts appreciated.
I just use the Rain gauge and Anemometer that came with my Fine Offset (WH something from Bunnings) and it's been working great for 4 or 5 years now. But hey, if money is no object then there's the Davis and upwards.
Temp and humidity sensors, most of us have built our own.
Anyway, take a look around the forums here, there's plenty of info regarding this and where to source them.
Where about in Aussie are you?
(30-01-2018, 04:26)uncle_bob Wrote: [ -> ]I just use the Rain gauge and Anemometer that came with my Fine Offset (WH something from Bunnings) and it's been working great for 4 or 5 years now. But hey, if money is no object then there's the Davis and upwards.
Temp and humidity sensors, most of us have built our own.
Anyway, take a look around the forums here, there's plenty of info regarding this and where to source them.
Where about in Aussie are you?
At a place called Murgheboluc, just outside of Geelong in Victoria. I plan to use it to control my irrigation system at a small vineyard and winery so I want to build with the kids so they learn something, and use the soil moisture sensors on extra Tx's at the second stage in future. So while i'd like to control the costs its worth spending a bit more to get reliable data. If i tried to do this with a commercial system it would cost much more.
I used the rain gauge from my existing LaCrosse weather station and bought Davis wind instruments from Amazon (US).
(30-01-2018, 08:50)coupe pete Wrote: [ -> ] (30-01-2018, 04:26)uncle_bob Wrote: [ -> ]I just use the Rain gauge and Anemometer that came with my Fine Offset (WH something from Bunnings) and it's been working great for 4 or 5 years now. But hey, if money is no object then there's the Davis and upwards.
Temp and humidity sensors, most of us have built our own.
Anyway, take a look around the forums here, there's plenty of info regarding this and where to source them.
Where about in Aussie are you?
At a place called Murgheboluc, just outside of Geelong in Victoria. I plan to use it to control my irrigation system at a small vineyard and winery so I want to build with the kids so they learn something, and use the soil moisture sensors on extra Tx's at the second stage in future. So while i'd like to control the costs its worth spending a bit more to get reliable data. If i tried to do this with a commercial system it would cost much more.
Its a big problem here Pete to get good sensors at a reasonable price. I got a Davis VP2 for $400 off a guy and just used th davis sensors and works a treat. I have been looking for another set so I can make another one for my home...my current one is up at my farm. I was/am going to make the anemometer and windvane as that is reasonably easy the temp and hunidity sensors are again easy enough but the rain gauge is another issue although I suppose you can use a FO one easily enough as they are all just tipping buckets. There is one done on the web for anemometer and windvane made from copper tube and fittings and its just a 360deg pot you can get from Element14 and the speed is just as easy with a reed switch and magnet
https://www.wunderground.com/personal-we...44#history
Mark
(01-02-2018, 02:31)markkkk42 Wrote: [ -> ] (30-01-2018, 08:50)coupe pete Wrote: [ -> ] (30-01-2018, 04:26)uncle_bob Wrote: [ -> ]I just use the Rain gauge and Anemometer that came with my Fine Offset (WH something from Bunnings) and it's been working great for 4 or 5 years now. But hey, if money is no object then there's the Davis and upwards.
Temp and humidity sensors, most of us have built our own.
Anyway, take a look around the forums here, there's plenty of info regarding this and where to source them.
Where about in Aussie are you?
At a place called Murgheboluc, just outside of Geelong in Victoria. I plan to use it to control my irrigation system at a small vineyard and winery so I want to build with the kids so they learn something, and use the soil moisture sensors on extra Tx's at the second stage in future. So while i'd like to control the costs its worth spending a bit more to get reliable data. If i tried to do this with a commercial system it would cost much more.
Its a big problem here Pete to get good sensors at a reasonable price. I got a Davis VP2 for $400 off a guy and just used th davis sensors and works a treat. I have been looking for another set so I can make another one for my home...my current one is up at my farm. I was/am going to make the anemometer and windvane as that is reasonably easy the temp and hunidity sensors are again easy enough but the rain gauge is another issue although I suppose you can use a FO one easily enough as they are all just tipping buckets. There is one done on the web for anemometer and windvane made from copper tube and fittings and its just a 360deg pot you can get from Element14 and the speed is just as easy with a reed switch and magnet
https://www.wunderground.com/personal-we...44#history
Mark
Thanks Guys, I'll have to wait and see what pops up on ebay while getting the parts and completing the assembly of the boards.
There is basically no used equipment in Aus and very little in the US. At the moment the best approach seem to be to buy the full Davis Vantage pro 2 sensor and TX set in the US and see if I can find a friend to carry it back to Aus.
I notice that there are metric and imperial Davis rain gauges ? Does anyone understand the difference ? I assume weatherduino can cope with both ?
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I notice that there are metric and imperial Davis rain gauges ? Does anyone understand the difference ? I assume weatherduino can cope with both ?
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Yes there is a setting in the software. My Davis is a .1inch so you just put in .254 as the setting to make it a metric one
(01-02-2018, 03:30)coupe pete Wrote: [ -> ]I notice that there are metric and imperial Davis rain gauges ? Does anyone understand the difference ? I assume weatherduino can cope with both ?
If you can choose, go for the metric. You will get 0.2mm for each tip instead of 0.254
(01-02-2018, 04:48)Werk_AG Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2018, 03:30)coupe pete Wrote: [ -> ]I notice that there are metric and imperial Davis rain gauges ? Does anyone understand the difference ? I assume weatherduino can cope with both ?
If you can choose, go for the metric. You will get 0.2mm for each tip instead of 0.254
From the Davis website it seems that all rain gauges since 2003 can be converted to metric by fitting a small weight, which is included in the new purchases, or can be bought seperately for a couple of dollars.
In my humble opinion is better buy one already manufactured to 0.2mm than adding a height to each tip.
One year ago, I bought one at eBay from a German seller. Usually units for sale in Europe are metric units.