July 11, 2021 NOTE: I added a program flow-chart to the Station_Assembly_Docs folder that gives an overview of how the code parts fit together.
I just installed a DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor in WeatherPi. This sensor is more accurate than the BME280, apparently. My experience so far proves this out. I'm using the atmospheric pressure reading from the BME280, but now the temperature and humidity readings are coming from the DHT22. The updated code is posted here today.
I was very pleased to see how well all the pieces and parts of WeatherPi are holding up. Life outdoors can be brutal, but this little guy is doing well.
November 28, 2020 NOTE: The WeatherPi made it through Hurricane Sally and the rest of the hurricane season just fine. It recorded over two feet of rainfall, and winds in excess of 75mph before the power went out and the battery eventually died. I am very proud of the performance of the system and tickled pink that what has become the Pi-Net works so well.
Sept. 14, 2020 NOTE: The YuHan power supply died during a lightening storm. I replaced it with the guts from a dead inexpensive UPS and a 120VAC to 12VDC supply. I replaced the UPS's dead battery with a fresh 5AH battery (which was twice the size of the original.) If you're interested in this build, keep this in mind. I'll get those details updated here as soon as I can. (new photos in PICS folder)
Project Initialized October 2019.
Project opened to public on Github February 2020. As built: c.$470.00.
My station is up and running. It works. I get good, accurate, stable readings for temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and rainfall. I interact with my system by means of a web browser on my desktop or phone.
This project is not an easy one, but if I can build it, so can other people.
Here's what's where:
- Code: contains the Python3 code in the 'out' folder as well as the 'all' folder, which contains code for the mySQL server and browser front-end. This folder also contains 'The_Code_is_what_it_is.md' which provides more detail on all that.
- Component_Docs: contains collected documentation for the various hardware pieces of the station. The Station_Parts_List.pdf is there.
- Pics: contains pictures of the pieces and parts (640x480). Contact me if you want higher resolution pics.
- SKP_STL: contains the Sketchup and stereolithography files for the 3D printed parts I designed for this project.
- Station_Assembly_Docs: contains documents pertaining to the actual assembly of the station.
- There are no step-by-step instructions there. But there is a block diagram and a schematic diagram. And don't forget the Station_Parts_List.pdf in Component Docs.
This is not a quick-and-easy project. The station is powered by a remote 12VDC power supply with a battery backup. I dug a trench, put PVC conduit in it, and pulled 14AWG Romex into it. It's a good solution. I drove ground rods and put in-line lighting/surge protectors on both ends of that power run. I use the guts from a low-cost UPS feeding a Buck converter for power. By routing the 12V output of the converter through a relay (which is triggered by the PoolPi), I have a way to remotely power-cycle (reboot) the station. This was VERY handy during development.
The whole Weather Station package is really two computers (and interfaces with two more the way I have it set up here). The station acquires data from the sensors, makes necessary calculations and stores that data via WiFi to a mySQL server running in my house. That machine also serves web interface data to end-users using Python/Flask/Jinja/Gunicorn and nginx (webserver). Video from the Pi Camera gets sent to my Zoneminder system. That video can be viewed directly from the station using a web browser, but I already had Zoneminder going, so it just made sense to incorporate the feed from the WeatherPi. The front-end server ("all" is its name) also displays the temperature and humidity in my shop. That is gathered by another Pi with a DTH11 sensor on it. It also writes to the mySQL database.
No guarantees are made. None. That is normal in projects such as this.
I have a pretty complete parts list and the aforementioned block diagram and wiring schematic available in the repo here.
After throwing away my second Acurite weather station in only two years I decided I would build my own. It may be cheaper to buy a more expensive commercial brand like Davis, but honestly, I'm sick of the throw-away culture when I can do something about it.
The goal of this project is to take advantage of the availability of the modular Pi and Arduino sensors and boards to create a weather station that I could repair when something died. The Pi lives on the pole with the sensors, and communicates over WiFi.
The project is written in Python 3.
I don't try to make this system available to the Internet. It is intended to be viewed and used locally, or by means of a VPN. I do upload data to PWSWeather.com, which works really well.
I am making every attempt to provide enough documentation and schematics for anyone else to duplicate what I've done.
I am a self-taught coder, as anyone with experience can plainly see. What I know is what I've done so far works here, and provides me with reliable and accurate data as compared to all the local commercial and government data sources.
I use Visual Studio Code in Windows. I use Microsoft's Remote-SSH extensions to work with my code on the WeatherPi out on the pole in the backyard. The WeatherPi stores its data in a mySQL database running on another machine in the house. I use Filezilla to keep local copies of my code when I'm done editing and testing.
The system runs on a Pi 4 Model B. Rather than re-invent the wheel on environmental sensors, I bought Sparkfun's SEN-08942 Weather Meters. I have a DROK buck-converter DC-to-DC power board, a real-time clock module, a analog-to-digital module, and a BME280 temperature, pressure, humidity sensor module all living in the box on the pole. A Pi Camera v2 provides a 1280x720 view of the outdoor conditions.
I own a Prusa MK3S 3D printer which I use to make mounts and other custom parts for assembling the whole thing. Unlike many people who seem to think you can't use Sketchup for modeling for printing, I do it all the time with no problem. The .skp and .stl files are here for you to use as you see fit.