Home made weather instruments

Tactical

As a result of longing for a weather station and not being able to afford or justify the cost of one at the moment, I decided to have a look around to see what materials I had available to me and what I could reasonably construct from same.

I found I had enough materials to construct a standard rain gauge.

It was a great stress relief researching (thanks to all those who offered advice from boards.ie ) and constructing my rain gauge. So much so that I'm now going to consider what else I construct towards a weather station.

Ok, my efforts won't result in an automatic or wireless station but I think there's something nice about the "old school" instruments.

With that in mind, I'm curious to know if anybody else has constructed their own instruments and their experiences of the construction and outcome. Pictures would be nice too

Su Campu

I've often thought about that myself. I have an Oregon weather station, but the anenometer stopped working a year ago, and it's on my chimney so I still heven't made it up there to check it out. The rain gauge also only worked for around a week, despite me having it replaced. I also have a La Crosse rain gauge, which also is kaputt. So I obviously live in some sort of Bermuda triangle when it comes to weather stations.

I had an idea to make myself a hand-held anenometer using small styrofoam cups attached to thin sticks, the sticks inserted into a bushen that can freely rotate around a vertical pole. It would work by attaching a length of thread to the bushen and measuring the time taken for a given length of the thread to become wound around it. The quicker the thread winds up, the faster the windspeed. I was going to calibrate it using my Oregon anenometer, but of course it isn't working! I suppose I could use the Beaufort scale.

DOCARCH

Quite an easy DIY project to make a pretty good Stevenson Screen from louvered panels you can pick up in almost any DIY store (there are also lots of instructions/examples online as well to guide you).

You can then get quite good and relatively accurate (inexpensive) Max/Min thermometer and Wet/Dry thermometer.

I made one of these when I was about 14 (along with a rain gauge).

I tried and failed miserably to make an anenometer! But I'm sure if your any good with electrics/electronics it would be easy enough with some sort of small motor and some sort of meter and then callibrate (maybe by hanging out the car window on a calm day).

Luckily enough I now have a Davis VP2 weather station, a LaCrosse weather station and an Oregan weather station. This sounds great but it can in fact drive you mad from time to time wondering which one is more accurate!

Tactical

The Stevenson Screen is under serious consideration (cost dependant).

I have to room to section off an area specifically for a weather station, so I'd be easily able to accomodate such an item.

As for a anenometer, has anyone come across a "vaneless" unit?

Rougies

Just a thought about a DIY anemometer. What about using a speedo from a bicycle. You can pick them up cheaply and can be calibrated easily enough. They work using a reed switch and a magnet. You could get small magnets to attach to the bottom of each cup, (or probably just one cup and have counter weights on the others) and have the reed switch mounted on a small pole coming out perpendicular from the main pole. The computers do average speed and highest speed and all that.

Might try it myself actually...

Su Campu

Tactical wrote: »

The Stevenson Screen is under serious consideration (cost dependant).

I have to room to section off an area specifically for a weather station, so I'd be easily able to accomodate such an item.

As for a anenometer, has anyone come across a "vaneless" unit?

There are ultrasonic sensors which have no vane or moving parts. Very expensive though!

http://www.vaisala.com/en/products/windsensors/Pages/WMT52.aspx

gbee

Su Campu wrote: »

There are ultrasonic sensors which have no vane or moving parts. Very expensive though!

$1,080 worth !!!

http://www.fondriest.com/products/vaisala_wmt50aaa0.htm