Cell phone SMS remote weather station?

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Winston

Lorenzo von Matterhorn
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Anyone ever seen an Arduino-based DIY weather station system which uses cell phone messaging (SMS) for remote weather monitoring? All of the similar DIY weather station projects I've seen used wifi and commercial weather station equipment which uses SMS is very expensive. This would be useful for continuous hands-off remote launch site weather monitoring to provide an answer to the question - "Is it worth driving the significant distance to the weekend launch?". Solar power would be used and the system could be programmed to only report this data on launch days.

Of course, reporting of same by a club member via a manual reading of an off-the-shelf weather station at the launch site could be done, but it's amazing how resistant some clubs are to good ideas or reliably applying them.
 
Or you could look at the usairnet aviation weather report for the closest airport like this one. It won't be "on site" but winds, cloud ceilings, rain, etc. is usually regional so if you can find a report for a location within 20 miles or so, it's usually close enough to make a decision on.
 
Or ham radio APRS folks have a little weather thing going: https://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=11&call=a/PARS&timerange=3600&tail=3600 One might have to click "All" and change the time parameters but if lucky, some
weather stations may show up (WX).

True, it's based upon a voluntary system but there might be trouble with a portable station out in the open due to vandals. I've driven by a remote NWS station out in the countryside and it has something like an 8 foot fence topped
with barbed wire to deter "molesters".

One doesn't need to be a Ham radio operator to use Google APRS and I'd encourage anyone use it to go to their launchsites and diddle with the "show all" and the time frame settings. If somebody has a home weather station nearby it could certainly help getting an idea of local conditions. Of course, if a launch site is way out of the way, there might not be any APRS weather stations nearby.

Another strategy could be if a club has like an old shipping container at their launchsite for storage they could consider mounting an inocuous weather station on top of the container and be certain there would be no "easy" way to climb to the top of the
container. If one could cut a waterproof access hole in the roof to run power wires up and down and perhaps have solar panels lying flush on the roof (not optimal I know) they could achieve a self contained WX station that wouldn't attract attention of vandals. The key would be to keep it as low key as possible to avoid attracting someone who would steal or destroy it. (Again, if the site is "way" out in the boondocks, vandalism might not be as much of a concern.)
Something like this would probably have to be SMS based (something I dont' know is even possible) or Ham Radio APRS based using solar or batteries. Could perhaps program to come on via a timer when desired to monitor the WX.

Of course the easiest would be if a local flier, who lives nearby, would get a Tech license and setup an APRS weather station from home. That could be done cheaply with any old laptop, a weather station and perhaps with a cheap Chinese radio or terminal node controller to hit a nearby digipeater. Or they could just connect the WX station directly to the internet via a computer link. I "think" a person doesn't have to be a Ham to connect a WX station directly to the internet
but don't hold me to that. Perhaps someone who knows might be able to comment? If using Rf on the 2 meter band on 144.390 to send the data to an Rf Igate which in turn would get it on APRS.fi (Google APRS) would take a
Tech license. Kurt

Well used google and got this on SMS: https://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-Solar-Weather-Station/ I didn't see windspeed or direction on it. Would take some skills, building and programming to pull off.
 
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I'll second ksaves and say that it's a great idea and APRS is a great way to publish the weather data. I'd love to put one up at our field but I doubt it would last more than a month before being vandalized.
 
Another strategy could be if a club has like an old shipping container at their launchsite for storage...

+1 with Jackman -- would be riddled with bullet holes and everything inside destroyed or stolen.
 
Another strategy could be if a club has like an old shipping container at their launchsite for storage...

+1 with Jackman -- would be riddled with bullet holes and everything inside destroyed or stolen.

Oh yeah, I forgot about firearms but that is not usually a problem as much in some areas than others. If that's a concern a shipping container would not be viable. That would leave to chance having someone with a station running nearby or having a flier
nearby get a Tech ticket and set something up. Kurt
 
Anyone ever seen an Arduino-based DIY weather station system which uses cell phone messaging (SMS) for remote weather monitoring? All of the similar DIY weather station projects I've seen used wifi and commercial weather station equipment which uses SMS is very expensive.

Actually, voice+SMS only cell plans are dirt cheap these days. You can connect a NB-IoT or Cat-M wireless device for as little as $6/year !
SMS is also extremely RAN and battery friendly, and just about perfect for sporadic low bandwidth data transmissions.

Ping me offline if you want to learn more.


This would be useful for continuous hands-off remote launch site weather monitoring to provide an answer to the question - "Is it worth driving the significant distance to the weekend launch?". Solar power would be used and the system could be programmed to only report this data on launch days.

If you want to know the actual or predicted whether conditions at the launch site, weather.com, nws.noaa.gov, or aviation weather forecasts can't be beat.
All are very good, and the latter two are wonderfully detailed.

An amateur weather station might get you the exact temp, humidity, and wind speed reading at the exact launch spot, but will be worthless for hourly forecasts for the rest of the day, or cloud cover and .

As others mentioned, there are also issues of property rights and vandalism.


Of course, reporting of same by a club member via a manual reading of an off-the-shelf weather station at the launch site could be done, but it's amazing how resistant some clubs are to good ideas or reliably applying them.

Some new ideas might be bordering on splurging?
:confused2:

a
 
Your suggestions are all helpful, but not so much for middle of nowhere launch sites in mountainous regions (i.e. highly variable local conditions). An SMS/Arduino system would be dirt cheap hardware-wise being made from eBay Chinese modules (the cell phone contract could be one of the per-use ones) and would use a comm mode I know is available at the launch site - cell phone comm - and not just because there is a line of sight to a tower. I'm just surprised one doesn't already exist, at least none I've ever seen. Maybe I'll work on it.
 
Your suggestions are all helpful, but not so much for middle of nowhere launch sites in mountainous regions (i.e. highly variable local conditions). An SMS/Arduino system would be dirt cheap hardware-wise being made from eBay Chinese modules (the cell phone contract could be one of the per-use ones) and would use a comm mode I know is available at the launch site - cell phone comm - and not just because there is a line of sight to a tower. I'm just surprised one doesn't already exist, at least none I've ever seen. Maybe I'll work on it.

You're right, the key is having some sort of service out at the site. If really out in the middle of nowhere where it's unlikely someone will mess with the WX station, could do a solar/battery thing in a nearly inaccessible place on the side of a hill or mountain?
SMS? APRS? I'd say use whatever works for you and or your club. Kurt
 
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