Weather station in Ballykeeran/Athlone

Pikeirl

Hi guys,
I only found this particular board now, but my weather station is online already since autumn last year. The station is an ELV WS 2500, it uploads 24/7, every 5 mins, and I am using Weather Display / Weather Display Live for the webpage. The result can be seen here:
http://www.killinure.net/weather
The sensors for temperature, brightness and rain etc can be seen on the webcam on the same webpage, the windsensor is mounted high up on the roof of our house
All the best from the sunny Midlands
Sven aka Pike aka Pikeirl

Snowbie

Replied to your PM
Good stuff, have added your station.

ch750536

Showing as 21.7c right now, an error methinks.



Surely?

Pikeirl

Showing as 21.7c right now, an error methinks

Yep - I get slightly higher readings on sunny mornings Have to make up some sort of a sun protector for the sensor still ... But then again - today that isn't too far off, it is nice and warm already Have a look at the other Athlone station:
http://dolanbaker.info/weather/wx.htm
pretty much the same !

Snowbie

Does the station have a radiation sheild for the sensors temp/hum?

Pikeirl

Does the station have a radiation sheild for the sensors temp/hum?

It has, but I think that shield isn't good enough. I have all the bits at home to make up one, but didn't get around to do that yet. The station is an ELV WS 2500, and the sensor can be seen here (sorry, page is in German ...)

ch750536

without the shield it's useless. Would be good to check it works with a traditional wet bulb side by side.

DOCARCH

Hi Pikeirl - I have the same unit as you have and even though I have it mostly in the shade, it still gives inaccurate readings on a sunny day!

I know this does not give an answer to the problem but if you find a solution let us know. The other problem with making up a radiation shield, is, unfortunatley these units are solar powered so if you shield them fully they will not operate - bad design in my view. :mad:

In the summer/sun I go by the Oregon unit.

Pikeirl

without the shield it's useless

I probably didn't make myself clear enough: it has a shield, as can be seen on that pic. But I reckon that the shield isn't good enough and that is why I am considering making up an extra shield around it. I had this sensor mounted on the wall of the house and the figures were all wrong then. It shows correct figures now and is mounted according to the international rules for weather stations. The only problem left is the early sunshine and later in the evening, when the temperature seems to be a little too high. Everything is fine during the day - I double-checked with a second, different unit

I found a solution to that problem on a German weather-page: a shield made from (white) trivets. The only problem is that I could only find light grey one's in Ireland. We'll see if that'll do the trick !

DOCARCH

Pikeirl wrote: »

I found a solution to that problem on a German weather-page: a shield made from (white) trivets. The only problem is that I could only find light grey one's in Ireland. We'll see if that'll do the trick !

Any chance of a link to that page? Will it compromise the solar power to the unit?

Pikeirl

Any chance of a link to that page?

If I could only find that page again ... I even had a print-out. I will publish it here whenever I find it or have made it up myself. And no - it will not interfere with the little solar panel.

DOCARCH

Thanks - would be interested to see.

Snowbie

Pikeirl wrote: »

I probably didn't make myself clear enough: it has a shield, as can be seen on that pic. But I reckon that the shield isn't good enough and that is why I am considering making up an extra shield around it.
I found a solution to that problem on a German weather-page: a shield made from (white) trivets. The only problem is that I could only find light grey one's in Ireland. We'll see if that'll do the trick !

Have a look at this. It will allow a passive flow of air and will sheild it directly from solar radiation. You can extract the sensors from that housing and place it in this one. Gives you a(fan aspirated radiation sheild) FARS unit with solar panel and fan for better accuracy, but you can leave the fan out if need be.An old PC fan can be used.

http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,23736.0.html

DOCARCH

Snowbie wrote: »

Have a look at this. It will allow a passive flow of air and will sheild it directly from solar radiation. You can extract the sensors from that housing and place it in this one. Gives you a(fan aspirated radiation sheild) FARS unit with solar panel and fan for better accuracy, but you can leave the fan out if need be.An old PC fan can be used.

http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,23736.0.html

Yeah - saw that before looks great but I was too frightened to dismantle the temp. unit - but might bight the bullet and do it as temp. unit is pretty useless giving incorrect temps!

This has been on reason for me not setting up weather station on-line (I didn't want any criticism over my temps ).

Should have gone the distance and bought a Davis!

Deep Easterly

Good Luck Pic with the station:), great to have some weather data from the belly button of Ireland. Will be interesting to compare your data with Danno's in the midlands as well.

Danno

I've been comparing mine to Oak Park Carlow for the last few days. The similarities are striking!

DAY CARLOW MAX MY MAX CARLOW LOW MY LOW
Monday 18.9 18.4 5.9 6.3
Sunday 18.7 18.8 8.6 9.3
Saturday 17.3 17.4 9.8 10.5

Carlow appears the colder at nights so far...

Hi pikeirl, it's good to see another weather station in the area.
I have similar problems with shielding the temperature sensor - just not got around to building a proper shelter for it yet.
As a useful comparison site http://www.nra.ie/RoadWeatherInfo/Map/data/htm/WeatherTable.htm there is a sensor on the N6 at the Tuam junction.

Mothman

Although I can see the limitations of that shield, the exposure, or the lack of can have a huge bearing as well.

I have a small hedge on east side of my weather station site. The Met Office screen is many meteres (I think 8m) from hedge. For a while my AWS was about 3 metres from hedge. The temperatures matched except in an easterly. During an easterly the AWS consistantly measured a max more 1C higher.

I think with many installations the limitations of the site may well have more of a bearing on readings than the equipment making them.

This is a general point and not directed at the specific installations in this thread.

DOCARCH

Pikeirl, if its any use to you in the short term, I just stuck a double layer tinfoil - shiny side out - loosly on the so called radiation sheild of my sensor. This has brought down the temperature a couple of degrees to something more on par with my Oregan unit and the mercury.