[wxsig] Newbie question

[Jim Gurley]

My impression is the T238+ is just the modem.  I then need to add radio, right?
If I wasn't sure this package is going to be swept off the buoy 
during the odd gale...


At 02:29 PM 3/1/2007, you wrote:
>Any reason you wouldn't consider a 1-wire setup with T238+?
>
>Sounds like it has almost everything you need and be much simpler 
>and cheaper to implement.
>
>Rich
>
>-----Original Message-----
> >From: "Daron J. Wilson" <daron at wilson.org>
> >Sent: Mar 1, 2007 2:55 PM
> >To: 'TAPR Weather Station SIG Mailing List' <wxsig at lists.tapr.org>
> >Subject: RE: [wxsig] Newbie question
> >
> >> Our local sailing club would really like to know the wind
> >> speed/direction at a spot offshore.  NOAA doesn't have the budget to
> >> install a real weather buoy, so  it's up to me (us).  We think the
> >> USCG will allow us to place an instrument package on a navigation
> >> buoy in the area of interest, although installing it will be a good trick!
> >>
> >> Needs:
> >> 1) Wind speed/direction required
> >> 2) Able to communicate with base station about 1.8 miles away (good
> >> line of sight).
> >> 3) Solar panel operated. (Night time observations not important, so
> >> maybe no or very small battery?).
> >> 4) Marine environment (non freezing, but salt water and frequent gale
> >> conditions)
> >> 5) Low cost, since the USCG has a hard time just keeping the buoy in
> >> place, and it will probably be lost more than once.
> >>
> >> The Dallas Wind sensor seems like a reasonable input device, although
> >> sufficient accuracy might be possible with a wand with strain
> >> gauges.  I'm a competent PIC programmer, so that wouldn't be too
> >> challenging.  The 1.8 miles is the gotcha for me.  There are no
> >> available locations for repeaters, so I'm thinking it will have to be
> >> either a packet radio or possibly a cobbled-up FRS type personal walkie
> >> talkie.
> >>
> >> Any suggestions?
> >
> >I think a fiberglass watertight enclosure (Hoffman or similar) would be
> >where I would start.  Inside there I'd try to fit a low power VHF radio,
> >Kantronics KPC3+ TNC and possibly a Peet Bros Ultimeter 100 weather station.
> >Our APRS weather stations http://www.ocrg.org/telemetry_feed/ocrgwx.html use
> >commercial mobile radios for more power, the KPC3+ which has been modified
> >for our telemetry needs, our custom made telemetry adapter which gets a
> >digital input and a couple analog inputs, and a device we make called the
> >WeatherDOG which takes the Peet data stream and 'massages' it with a PIC
> >before sending it to the TNC.  This is done primarily to make the weather
> >data standards compliant so it will show up on the Kenwood APRS radio
> >displays (mobile and portable), but secondly we have an option in the
> >WeatherDOG that allows the data to be 'human readable' and spits out the
> >weather data in a UI packet with it in clear test format so you could easily
> >parse it or just read it on a computer screen.
> >
> >Many ways to do this of course, power will certainly be your challenge.  I'd
> >use some photo sensor to shut the thing off at night if you want to
> >conserver battery, using a couple of gel cells and a small solar panel for
> >maintenance.  If all you really want is wind speed and direction, I guess
> >you could take the output of the anemometer and feed it into the PIC, write
> >a bunch of code, and get what you want.
> >
> >Another off the shelf option (more power required) would be the CAT200
> >repeater controller with the computer interface, connects directly to the
> >Peet weather station and a two way radio, simple DTMF query to the radio and
> >the synthesized voice could read back the wind speed and direction for you.
> >
> >Sounds fun, good luck on the installation!
> >
> >73
> >
> >N7HQR
> >
> >
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>
>
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