WX station on the cheap

[monte350c]

I thought I'd alert you guys to this weather station.

It's a Thermor brand, available at the above mentioned big-box.

Cost is $97.00 in Canadian funds.

It tracks wind speed and direction, also rainfall, barometric pressure and temperature.

The outdoors part has a transmitter that is supposed to send the info up to 300' to the indoor display/readout.

About the only drawback I can see, well actually 2, it only updates once every 2 minutes, and there doesn't seem to be any provision for an output that would let you log any data.

But for the money not too bad...

I'll post once it's up and let you know how it works!

Ted.

ps.

Thanks for all the help from you guys since I joined the board. This is a great place to belong to.

All the best for the upcoming holidays, hope everyone gets everything they want under the tree. And let's hope next year is a good one!

[johnlm]

Ted,

Thanks for the heads up, I may go take a look at one.

And a Merry Christmas to you also.

Johnlm

[Gordy]

I don't know about that brand, But I've used the ACU-Rite brand thermomiters. The outside units don't like the cold here in central MN. The LCD display's freeze and brake (to be fair there was a warning about this, around 10 or 15 degrees), that would'nt have bothered me to much. But I have given up on them because of radio failure's (4 now)in the outdoor units :-(

God luck with yours,Gordy

[dinges]

Mercury takes a lot longer to freeze...

Seriously, I've been looking everywhere recently for plain old mercury (or even alcohol) filled glass thermometers; they're almost impossible to find, only a few industrial suppliers have them, at a price for which you could buy an entire weatherstation (the NOAA kind ;-) ).

I hate things that need batteries when there's an alternative that will do the job just as well (at least in my particular case). But then, I still use an old 'windup' clock/waking bell (term?).

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[BullCreek]

Has anyone tried out these weather stations:

http://www.aagelectronica.com/aag/index.html

The price seems right, and i have a friend that says the 1-wire stuff is good.  It also allows logging to a PC.  

I also have looked at:

http://www.peetbros.com/index.html

But their stuff is pretty expensive, and the brains has to go inside and long cable runs can be a problem for it.  One nice thing they have is a heated anemometer - because I'm pretty sure non heated ones would totally ice up in the winter otherwise.

[Nando]

BullCreek;

Those WX are supposed to be good and come in KITs, though it needs a computer for properly display the data.

Quite a few of those are being used & connected to Internet that send the weather for anyone to see.

If you are computer savvy, this one may be a one for you.

Nando

[strider3700]

I had thought about getting one of those but after some research I came cross this post

http://www.weathermatrix.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=885&

Basically the guy reports that it was total garbage and returned it.

[johnlm]

How many alcohol type thermometers do you want at $2.50 each?  You can get cheap but functional ones for 70 cents US all over the place here.

[dinges]

What temp.range are they?

I've looked at every possible store over here (garden, home construction/DIY, industrial suppliers...). My only hope now is a pharmaceutical supplier. He lists three types, but only with prices; not temp.range etc.... (guess that's what matters most in the medical world, the price ?!)

I need a range of about -10 (could live with 0 deg.C though) to about 130 deg. C for solar collector measurements (yes, I know 130deg.C would be steam...) (and -10 might be ice).

I think these are not outrageous spec's, but the prices are.

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[sahlein]

Peter,

There is NOTHING more reliable than a Gravity Powered alarm-clock!!

I have built several!

Did you find any use from the Matweb.com site?

Sahlein

[wdyasq]

Peter,

You will be talking Mercury then -

Alcohol has an boiling temp under 180F -80C?  When they go over temp range they go bad.  Why do I know this?

Ron

[sahlein]

Glass thermometers... -20 to +150C, red spirit filled, 300mm long.

$10.82Us... mcmaster-carr.com

Sahlein

[richhagen]

I saw a red one that went over that range, probably had ethelyne glycol or some lower vapor pressure, higher boiling temp alcohol in it.  Rich Hagen

[coldspot]

"for solar collector measurements"

Local Dollar Store Has "Meat Thermometer" @ $1.00.

Glass with metal end. High End range 140 F - 190 F  

I picked one up for Solar Water Heater I'm building.

[terry5732]

Another polluter using up the Earths precious gravity !

[elvin1949]

Peter

 My alcohol thermometer only goes up to 50 C.

you will need mercury

later

elvin

[dinges]

Matweb was interesting, esp. for quick lookups; however, it won't replace my steeltables; they don't show graphs/curves for heattreating the various steels, CCC-diagrams, etc.

But it is definately a helpful and handy website.

A gravity powered clock? Will have to do a google search on those, can't even begin to imagine what they are.

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[dinges]

Thanks for all the replies on thermometers; will check the mcmaster-carr website ASAP. Shipping costs will be the problem, but if they can deliver, I'll take it.

I was afraid that mercury would be the only way to go for my need (because of mercury poisoning & regulations, they are hard to find).

And then to think that in highschool (only 15 years ago) we got to play with a bottle of mercury. Though the teacher said it was not exactly legal; but when he said what they got to do as kids with mercury, we youngsters were amazed. BTW, we also did some experiments with radionucletides, beta-rays, etc. Also not exactly 100% legal, but still great fun & educative (plus the idea that you were doing something you weren't supposed helped a bit :-) ). We need more teachers like this...

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[Gordy]

Peter,

When they say gravity clock, I think of the Grandfather clocks with the hanging weights and swinging penduluim.

But I'm sure they are refering to wind up clock's.

Gordy

[sahlein]

LOL!!!  Just think of all the Gravity being used up by those Wasteful Hydro-guys!!!

Sahlein

[dinges]

Ah yes. Thanks!

I was thinking of new futuristic clocks (like the wristwatches that wind themselves up when you move), not of those antiques :-)  I had never before considered these clocks to be RE-devices; wait till I tell my parents about this (they have such a clock in the living room).

Peter,

The Netherlands.