Open Source Weather Station
Contents
- 1 Basics
- 2 Off the Shelf Options
- 3 Existing Open Source Designs
- 4 Minimum Viable Product
- 5 Basic Design
- 5.1 General Overview/Conceptual Design
- 5.2 Sensor Modules
- 5.2.1 Air temperature
- 5.2.2 Relative humidity
- 5.2.3 Vapor pressure
- 5.2.4 Barometric pressure
- 5.2.5 Wind speed
- 5.2.6 Wind Direction
- 5.2.7 Solar Radiation (General Brightness, and/or UV brightness)
- 5.2.8 Precipitation (any form, with differentation)
- 5.2.9 Lightning Strike Counter
- 5.2.10 Lightning Strike Distance
- 6 BOM
- 7 CAD
- 8 Code
- 9 Internal Links
- 10 External Links
Basics
- A "weather station"
- Essentially a self contained sensor suite
- Is modular, but should measure most/all of these things:
- Air temperature
- Relative humidity
- Vapor pressure
- Barometric pressure
- Wind speed
- Wind Direction
- Gust/Gust Liklyness/Frequency (Via Software from other wind stuff)
- Solar Radiation (General Brightness, and/or UV brightness)
- Day/Night Time/Cycle (Via software from solar stuff)
- Precipitation (any form, with differentation)
- Lightning Strike Counter
- Lightning Strike Distance
- Seems to be a total cost of ~150-200 USD for a MAXED OUT Model
Off the Shelf Options
Closed Source
- The - unknown cost
Existing Open Source Designs
GreatScott
Open Green Energy
- A Youtube Video on Their V2.0 Design
- Probably the most "complete" ?
DigiblurDIY
University of Oklahoma
Minimum Viable Product
- "Self Contained" ie is one unit, often on a post
- Lots of Networking Options Via Modules (NONE (just storage on sd etc) , Wired XLR, Wired USB , CAN BUS or Ethernet etc
- All sensors are modular
- Can handle any* weather (* being whatever is desired by end user)
- Durable
- DIY (or premade)
- As low cost as possible
- Modular
Basic Design
General Overview/Conceptual Design
- Stacked "modules" similar to Arduino Shields and Rasberry Pi Hats
- Each is sealed (need to determine weatherproof connectors
- Either the modules are "flush" or there is a seperate shell/cover
- Arduino and/or Raspberr Pi as the core computer/microcontoller (unless a custom board is used)
- The main controlls and electronics are in one module
- Cables is in another
- Optional Onboard Storage is on another
- Each wireless thing is a module
- Max "stack" no more than 50cm excluding the pole for mounting, and any antennae etc
Sensor Modules
Air temperature
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- One Wire Temperature Sensor ~7.50 USD as of May 2020
Relative humidity
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Need to Make Decision Using This Link + Other Info
Vapor pressure
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Estimate with math, or use actual sensor?
Barometric pressure
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- SparkFun Atmospheric Sensor Breakout - BME280 - ~20 USD as of May 2020
Wind speed
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Via an ots or diy Ultrasonic Anemometer
Wind Direction
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Via an ots or diy Ultrasonic Anemometer
Solar Radiation (General Brightness, and/or UV brightness)
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- All that may be needed is a solar panel or two, and if two a UV filter on one
- Exerpt from This Article on Arduiono.com
- "The instrument for measuring solar radiation is called a Pyranometer. Pyranometers can cost anywhere from $200 -$800, even from Chinese suppliers, making them inaccessible for the average hobbyist. You can read more about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyranometer
I was recently looking into buying a solar panel for my home and wanted to know if it would be worthwhile and so wanted to estimate the amount of solar energy available where I live.
I wasn't interested in buying a Pyranometer so I thought I could save some money and have some fun at the same time by making my own. "
- Follow their directions + adapt to custom module
Precipitation (any form, with differentation)
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Via the Open Source Tilt Bucket Precipitation Gauge
Lightning Strike Counter
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Via the Open Source Lightning Sensing RDF Sensor
Lightning Strike Distance
- Standard PCB + Custom Mount / Leads for Module Specific Stuff
- Via the Open Source Lightning Sensing RDF Sensor
BOM
Initial Guess/Rough BOM
- Arduino ~20USD
- And/or Raspberry Pi anywhere from ~9 USD for a Raspberry Pi Zero to ~75 USD for the "max spex" Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (8 GB RAM version)
- PCB Blanks / copper plates etc for custom pb's ~X.xx USD for X many
- SMD's for sensors
- SMD a
- SMD b...
- Solder/Solder Paste
- 3D Printed Cases / Welded Metal Case Cost ~20 USD max for fdm print, metal would be ~?x USD
- All the Cables + Cable Breakouts/Adapter Plugs Needed ~20 USD -ish hard to estimate, also does not include long runs, also can be replaced by cheap wireless module for same ish cost
- Total of ~150-200 USD for a MAXED OUT Model
V-BOM
CAD
Code
- Weather Underground - for global upload
Internal Links
- Weather
- FeF Weather Station
- Ultrasonic Anemometer
- Open Source Tilt Bucket Precipitation Gauge
- Magnetometer Accelerometer Gyroscope 3-in-1 Sensor
- Lightning Detection
- Open Source Lightning Sensing RDF Sensor
- Sattelite Constellation GeoLocation Sensor
- LORAN Sensors
- Ethernet Sheild/Adapter?