[wxsig] Newbie question

[Jim Gurley]

Thanks!  Good pickup! The buoy is one of your typical channel 
markers.  Probably 10 feet above the water, must weigh a few 
tons.  It's short term stable, but might twist a little - maybe I 
need to add a flux gate compass. I think they've gotten pretty 
inexpensive, but I'm not sure.

If I'm using an FRS radio (or the HTX202), can't I do the modem work 
with the PIC controller and skip the T238+ ?

At 08:39 PM 3/1/2007, you wrote:
>Jim:
>
>To see if it makes sense, the T238+ information is at
>http://www.beals5.com/wx.  All you should need is the AAG sensor, the T238+,
>and a radio as mentioned below.  The T238 takes the raw pulses and A/D
>values from the sensors, converts it to human-understandable units, and does
>the modem function.  I do have some extra provisioning in the T238
>specifically for solar controllers, namely a control line to turn the radio
>off except for the actual transmission of the weather data.  It is based on
>a 6808 instead of a PIC, but all the source code is posted as well if you
>want/care to make mods.
>
>Out of curiosity, is the bouy always pointed in the same direction somehow?
>If not, wind direction is going to be really squirly!
>
>will
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: wxsig-bounces at lists.tapr.org [mailto:wxsig-bounces at lists.tapr.org] On
>Behalf Of wn0x at earthlink.net
>Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 8:37 PM
>To: Jim Gurley; TAPR Weather Station SIG Mailing List
>Subject: RE: [wxsig] Newbie question
>
>I think you will need a radio in both cases.  The old Realistic HTX202 are
>cheap, run off of twelve volts and have standard connectors for power and
>audio.  The nice thing about handy talkies in general is that they are
>designed to run on 12 volts or less, work with compromise antenna systems
>and are relatively inexpensive.
>
>The T238+ will obviate the need to perform any additional processing on the
>data from the weather station.  It performs the data collection, averaging
>and modem functions and will report in standard APRS format.
>
>There is a modification to turn on the radio a few seconds before you need
>to transmit, which would save battery power.
>
>You could also remove the backlighting on the LCD to save additional power,
>but I think the T238 will even run without the display.
>
>A down side is that the basic weather station from AAG is wind speed, wind
>direction and temperature only, they are only $88 bucks though.  I am not
>sure how they would hold up in a salty wet environment.  Other sensors are
>available as needed.
>
>You might consider a small solar controller like the MicroM+
>http://www.theheathkitshop.com/microm.html to charge your batteries. This
>unit draws very little power and will not discharge your batteries
>overnight.
>
>I am working on a similar project for land-based remote weather and really
>like the T238 as an option.
>
>To be fair, there are also PIC based projects like the OpenTracker that will
>perform a similar function to the T238+ and also supports Peet weather
>stations.  I believe the Byonics WxTrack is a pic based unit that supports
>Radio Shack WX200, the Oregon Scientific WM-918, and the Peet Brothers
>Ultimeter 100, Ultimeter 800, Ultimeter 2000, and Ultimeter 2100.
>
>This may be an option for you as well.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
> >From: Jim Gurley <jimg at cavenet.com>
> >Sent: Mar 1, 2007 5:38 PM
> >To: wn0x at earthlink.net, TAPR Weather Station SIG Mailing List
> ><wxsig at lists.tapr.org>
> >Subject: RE: [wxsig] Newbie question
> >
> >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
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >_______________________________________________
> >> >wxsig mailing list
> >> >wxsig at lists.tapr.org
> >> >https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wxsig
> >>
> >>
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