[AllanG]

One thing is sure: The cost of the Solar/UV interface does not reward the time and efforts that I have to spend to supporting it. So, once the board will be out of stock, it will not be publicly available again.

As well as the time, expense and effort it took you to develop the S/UV interface you have certainly given a lot more time here and in many other threads involving solar and UV measurements.

I will soon write up my experience and post it in a new thread, but basically I began work constructing the interface well over a year ago now. It has taken a very long time to calibrate it to what I believe is an acceptable level only because the weather here in my part of the UK has been not good and all through the summer, we have had just a few days of sunshine with (mostly) clear sky. I have now enclosed the interface and sensors in a weatherproof housing ready to be mounted on the roof of the house when I am able to, but here is a graph showing final tests mounted only about 8-10 feet, ~2.75 metres above the ground in my garden (the cause of very low readings between about 6.0 - 7.30 and also 17.30 - 19.30):

It may not be perfect, but I am very pleased with the results I have been able to achieve at extremely low cost. I am even more pleased with what I have learned in the process of building this device - for example the Ryan-Stolzenbach formula used to calculate the theoretical maxima has some weaknesses, that an apparently visible "clear sky" isn't always "clear" to solar radiation, etc., etc.

So I completely understand, Werk_AG, why you will withdraw this interface but I want you to know how much I, and I am sure others too, appreciate the considerable work you have done in developing and supporting this interface - which is only part of a truly amazing project. Thank you!!

Allan.

[danner]

@danner: you may like this:

Even "discarding" the readings below a certain threshold, we also can make that they "appear" that are starting at 1 W/m2.
We never know the source code of "commercial products", but I will not be surprised if "solutions", like the one presented below, would be frequently used, to avoid a more complex (expensive) hardware design.
Of course, this "solution" will introduce a minimal error to all readings.

Code:

#if (Solar_Sensor == 2)      // Apogee SP-110: Self-Powered Pyranometer (Solar / UV interface R2= 4700 Ohm)
 if (RX_Data[2] < 4) RX_Data[2] = 0;        
 SolarRad = map(RX_Data[2], 4, 1023, 0, 1750);
#endif

So that clips anything below 4, and the next line maps 4 to be the beginning of reading, or 1?

One thing is sure: The cost of the Solar/UV interface does not reward the time and efforts that I have to spend to supporting it. So, once the board will be out of stock, it will not be publicly available again.

Sorry to have caused that. I should have swapped out the TX board earlier in the troubleshooting process, but because the wind/rain "worked", and me not being familiar enough with it, I assumed the TX board was ok.

[werk_ag]

Sorry to have caused that. I should have swapped out the TX board earlier in the troubleshooting process, but because the wind/rain "worked", and me not being familiar enough with it, I assumed the TX board was ok.

You don't need to say sorry, nothing is your fault, and you haven't done anything wrong, much by the contrary, if something is wrong, its all my fault. I shouldn't never had make publicly available a system add on, like the Solar/UV interface (situation that is already corrected - Any add-on boards are only available for long time users, no exceptions).

By the way, likely there is nothing wrong with the TX unit you used originally, just the fact that with the change, some wires have may have been placed differently or having now a better contact, may have caused the change on the results. You can't imagine the quantity of problems that sometimes are solved by just changing the type of cable used.
Still regarding to this, at moment I think you are not using anything that is using the ADC1, remove the cable between the Solar/UV and the TX board, it is just acting as an antenna.

[werk_ag]

Btw., this weekend I would like to implement my new McVan Instruments Rimco / Middleton SP440 solar
silicon pyranometr ... 
I bought it in this Jun - it costed about USD 65 include shipping. And it does look very promising! It's a pitty
it's now sold.

Hi Zdenek,

Do you have the specs of it?
Could we talk about this on the Developers area?

[danner]

I will soon write up my experience and post it in a new thread, but basically I began work constructing the interface well over a year ago now. It has taken a very long time to calibrate it to what I believe is an acceptable level

That would be very interesting and I am looking forward to reading it. Would like to know the specifics of how you calibrated it.

[werk_ag]

As well as the time, expense and effort it took you to develop the S/UV interface you have certainly given a lot more time here and in many other threads involving solar and UV measurements.

.

I started it just by reading this simple documents from Charles G. Wright:
http://chuck-wright.com/projects/pv-measure.html

I remember that I have spend all the summer doing experiments. My garden seemed a laboratory, full of many types of solar cells, Arduino's for everywhere. Countless hours of work, but I like to do it... My process of doing things is by experimentation, and the best tools I have are patience and persistence.

So I completely understand, Werk_AG, why you will withdraw this interface but I want you to know how much I, and I am sure others too, appreciate the considerable work you have done in developing and supporting this interface - which is only part of a truly amazing project. Thank you!!

It will not be completely withdrawn, but from now one it only be available to veteran WeatherDuino users (I already have added a even more clear statement about this). The same will apply to the Soil / Leaf interface, which setup is a lot more complex, specially the mapping of the sensors on the software, something a experienced user will do alone, in a couple of hours.

Thank you Allan, I think your post is a proof of what I'm thinking right now about this matter. As stated :

"With the Solar / UV interface you can build a reasonable solar radiation sensor, but don't expect that this task will be just a matter of connecting the parts and that's all. You may need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to calibrate it."

My first computer was the Spectrum ZX81 (36 years ago), I bought it not fully assembled, but as a kit (less expensive). At the time I was 18 years old, I took two weeks to fully assemble it, carefully checking part by part, I could not risk doing something wrong because I would not have the money to buy another. At the first time I powered it, it worked. I still have the ZX81, and it still works, for me its a jewellery.

I'm not an engineer, I had never finished my studies at the University, had to start to work early. Despite I work with complex and very expensive electronic equipment's my professional life isn't in any way related to electronics or computers.
For me all this is a hobby, that I do to keep learning and for pleasure, not a job.
I'm aware that by exposing publicly my humble work, I'm risking that it be judged by lots of people, which are experts in electronics and or programming. That its natural and good. What its a pity is that most of the times, aren't presented easy to build, fully tested and functional alternatives (even if only just prototypes). As said, exposing our work its risky. Always there is someone which knows more than us.

I have a cousin who was a reputed investigator in maths, he have worked for University's all over the world, as EUA, Japan, Germany, etc, he used to tell me:
During my life I met lots of investigators far better than me, however they don't had the same success as me, mainly because they are much reluctant about publishing their work, always afraid of the judgement of their counterparts. I'm not afraid of doing it.

Sorry, for this off topic talk.

[werk_ag]

He said he was willing to ship to Europe so hope you can get a good deal from him.

He already added international shipping option for this item, at a reasonable price, lower than on our first talk.
I bought two units, what was motivated me to buy was the fact that the units come complete with the levelling plate and the hardware to mount directly on a mast.

[danner]

very nice!

[werk_ag]

Exactly one month after, I received today my two Apogee units. Seems that I will have extra work on the next weekend.
The customs clearance took more than two weeks (and 80€ in tax).

[danner]

mine has been working fine since I swapped out TX boards. have fun!