Data Acquistion

[Geo K]

 This is my third try to post this so Ill keep it short without spell check.

My WALL-Mart Thermor Wireless Weather Station let out pixy dust at -20c.You don't get magic smoke at -20 so I connected the anemometer up to a $25.00 Dataq DI-194RS from

WWW.dataq.com. The DI-194RS will measure + or - 10 volts and frequancy.I set it up to

measure 26 pulses per minute for 1 mph wind speed.The anemometer used telephone cord to connect to the transmiter so I just bought a telephone cord to reach my computer.

Below is a screen shot of the Data file I made today.It shows that the wind gust at

02-02-05 (Feb 2nd 2005) at 10:43:28 was 25.24 mph

With signal conditionig (555 timer and some caps and Resistors)the pot in the wind vane could be used to show wind direction. The DI-194 has 4 channels so you could also record generator output with a shunt.

Hope this works

George K.

[PHinker]

Did you use the anemometer from the wondermagnet projects page?  How far can you run the telephone cable and still get a reliable signal?  This looks like a great way to monitor your wind gennie.

[picmacmillan]

thermor is giving out new monitors to those who bought there weather stations...the faulty monitors they were selling said the wind chill was -29 celcius all the time...if you email them, they will send you a new unit, free of charge..if in fact that was what was wrong with yours. pickster

[johnlm]

George,

Thanks for the info - on the DataQ module.  I have been thinking of getting one of those.  Any additional advice as to their performance?  Looks like a neat deal for the price.

Johnlm

[Geo K]

John

 The Dataq could also be used as a 4 channel oscilloscope so it could be used to check the wave form of a alternator. You would have to build voltage deviders if the voltage is over 10 volts.

[johnlm]

George,

Thanks for the info.  As for making an O-scope out of one, I suspect the thru-put rate of 240 samples / sec would only be ok for really low frequencies.  I seem to remember something from my past life about meeting the Nyquist critera for sampling theory to construct a waveform from vary limited samples.  However I think also from my past life I remember meeting some sales people from Dataq, as I still have a couple of those screwdrivers shown in your picture given to me as a sales gifts.  Once upon a time I sourced A-D converters (among other parts) for the Oscilloscope division of Hewlett Packard (now Agilent).  I think I need to get one of those kits.

Johnlm