Weather Station

[Red Dog]

Greetings Peeps,
We are looking for a nice weather station for our rig, but it is more difficult than I thought. The basic requirements are:

- Battery powered
- Indoor/outdoor readings
- Fit 7” x 7” area
- Flat back for mounting on wall

I thought I found the perfect one, but it runs on 120V and does not have a straight back. A little help, please?





Fred M.

[Jim Bennett]

Sorry Fred, I have no good ideas. I just suck on my index finger to wet it, then hold it up in the air outside to tell the weather.

Actually, we do just use a simple remote thermometer, but I always worry about leaving the remote sensor behind as mounted on the trailer would result in inaccurate readings.

[gbaglo]

Check Lee Valley Tools catalogue.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Sorry Fred, I have no good ideas. I just suck on my index finger to wet it, then hold it up in the air outside to tell the weather.

Not me, I leave the hatch open and when rain starts dripping in I know it's raining.

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Not me, I leave the hatch open and when rain starts dripping in I know it's raining.

Ron

That requires a lot more technology than my method.

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Check Lee Valley Tools catalogue.

Hmmm...my favorite store! I will actually do that. Thanks!



Fred M.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Fred
A very low cost and relatively accurate weather station can be easily made by a talented guy like you.
You'll need a piece of nylon cord and a smooth rock, preferably granite, about the size of your fist. Using a good Boy Scout lashing, tie a cradle for the rock with the cord. Suspend the cord off the corner of your awning.
Check rock every 4 hours.
1. Rock is wet, it's raining
2. Rock is white, it's snowing
3. Rock is hot to the touch it's +30C, comfortable to touch 20 C to 30C , cold to touch less than 10C.
4. Rock is swinging it's breezy
5. Rock is banging off the side of your Escape putting cracks in your gel coat it's very windy, call Reace immediately.
6. Rock is gone and awing all bent up, Tornadic or Hurricane force winds. Go to a hotel
Glad to help!
Iowa Dave

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Hi Fred
A very low cost and relatively accurate weather station can be easily made by a talented guy like you.
You'll need a piece of nylon cord and a smooth rock, preferably granite, about the size of your fist. Using a good Boy Scout lashing, tie a cradle for the rock with the cord. Suspend the cord off the corner of your awning.
Check rock every 4 hours.
1. Rock is wet, it's raining
2. Rock is white, it's snowing
3. Rock is hot to the touch it's +30C, comfortable to touch 20 C to 30C , cold to touch less than 10C.
4. Rock is swinging it's breezy
5. Rock is banging off the side of your Escape putting cracks in your gel coat it's very windy, call Reace immediately.
6. Rock is gone and awing all bent up, Tornadic or Hurricane force winds. Go to a hotel
Glad to help!
Iowa Dave

No one can say that we're not a helpful group.

Ron

[Steve Clark]

Fred, Without a beer in your photo for size reference, I can’t get a proper perspective, and am not much help.......

[fudge_brownie]

RedDog

In keeping with the advice you have received to date:

I like the Storm app on my iPhone for all weather. It has a new big brother called Storm Radar.

No mounting necessary, nothing to put out or take in, mindless in interpretation and works most of the time. Also this app gives you the opportunity to blame someone else when the forecast is wrong.

This message was brought to you by The Weather Channel, an IBM company.

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by Red Dog

I thought I found the perfect one, but it runs on 120V and does not have a straight back.

Hi Fred,

Most consumer devices such as this don't actually run on 120v AC. The power supply that plugs into the wall often delivers a lower voltage DC power to the device. Look at the fine print on the back of the power supply or the device to find the actual power needed (voltage, AC or DC, current in amps). If it is 12v DC then you can directly connect it to the trailer's 12v system. If it is some other voltage, then you might use something like this DC/DC power supply (with the appropriate ratings) to wire it to the trailer: http://a.co/9odDIW4

The easiest way to find a power connector to fit the device is to just cut off the cable from the included 120v AC power supply and splice that to the trailer or the above DC/DC power supply (which then connects to the trailer). A little wire stripping, soldering and heat shrink will be required. An inline fuse would be a good idea too.

[sclifrickson]

I’d really like to get one of these, but haven’t seen one in person, so don’t know if it has a flat back or not. Maybe Santa will bring me one and I will let you know!
https://www.ambientweather.com/dain6...w.html#caption

[Devil Dog]

Check these out .

https://www.weathershack.com/product...-330-2315.html

[cpaharley2008]

I have 2 of these, one at home and one in the trailer, for past 7 years. IT works off battery 12v and picks up local accuweather forecasts and can be programmed for most major metro areas. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Bushne....c100338.m3726

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by ThomasG

If it is some other voltage, then you might use something like this DC/DC power supply (with the appropriate ratings) to wire it to the trailer:

Or an adjustable one if you can't find one that matches the power supply output voltage.

( and No, this isn't how I wire things, it's only a test set-up)

Still like my weather system, barometer goes up, barometer goes down, no battery required.

Ron

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

I’d really like to get one of these, but haven’t seen one in person, so don’t know if it has a flat back or not. Maybe Santa will bring me one and I will let you know!
https://www.ambientweather.com/dain6...w.html#caption

Originally Posted by Devil Dog

Check these out .

https://www.weathershack.com/product...-330-2315.html

Pretty classy items. Maybe a little more upscale than my barometer. It looks like one of them operates on 3 AAA batteries so it wouldn't be difficult to hardwire it.

Don't know about the anemometer though. I've lost a couple from boats from high wind velocities. Not sure how it'd handle highway speeds if it was left on when traveling.

Ron

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Sorry Fred, I have no good ideas. I just suck on my index finger to wet it, then hold it up in the air outside to tell the weather.

Actually, we do just use a simple remote thermometer, but I always worry about leaving the remote sensor behind as mounted on the trailer would result in inaccurate readings.

I put my remote up outside under the bed area with tie wraps to the wiring. It is just a cheapo indoor outdoor thermometer. The indoor part lives in the drawer by the bed and goes on that counter when we are camped. It traveled 15000 miles that way in our Scamp and now seems happy in our Escape.

[Devil Dog]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Pretty classy items. Maybe a little more upscale than my barometer. It looks like one of them operates on 3 AAA batteries so it wouldn't be difficult to hardwire it.

Don't know about the anemometer though. I've lost a couple from boats from high wind velocities. Not sure how it'd handle highway speeds if it was left on when traveling.

Ron

I don't think you want to leave it on the roof of your RV while on the road.

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Don't know about the anemometer though. I've lost a couple from boats from high wind velocities. Not sure how it'd handle highway speeds if it was left on when traveling.



Ron

I have wondered about that. I have assumed that something made for boats would be able to handle the highway, but would appreciate any real world experience!

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

I have wondered about that. I have assumed that something made for boats would be able to handle the highway, but would appreciate any real world experience!

A 10 on the Beaufort scale is a whole gale, 63 mph (for those who may not know what a knot is That's highway speed when towing. I've lost one anemometer due to storm force winds and one due to slamming into a big head sea which launched it into space. I've also lost one wind direction vane. So if I was to spring for a nice set of instruments like that I wouldn't be driving down the hwy. with it out.

Ron