Weather Station with iOS app

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alexps

40 posts

Geek

#109149 13-Sep-2012 12:59

Hello all.
I wondered if anyone had any experience with home weather stations interfacing with an iPhone?
My need is relatively practical - I have a cable car that goes up to my house which is unsafe in certain wind directions & speed. At the bottom of the cliff by the road it is hard to judge the wind at the top as the exposure to the elements is completely different. I want to install an outdoors weather station that will be in range of my home wireless network (but not in range of my iPhone) that can broadcast this info to my home router that I can then read from the internet on my iPhone via an app.
I know this sounds a little odd!
Does anyone know of any external home weather stations that connect to home WiFi & can be accessed over the internet?
Thanks
Alex

rp1790

667 posts

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#685555 13-Sep-2012 13:18

If you integrate the weather station with Weather Undergound you can then install the IOS app and select your own weather station as a source.

have been thinking about doing this myself, just for the geek factor.

Sharesies

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spacedog

436 posts

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#687078 17-Sep-2012 12:40

I'd suggest using Weather Display software and then find a weather station of your choice. WD supports many types of weather stations. You could consider getting a Davis Vantage Pro wireless weather station, you just have to have it hooked up to a PC and have that PC running all the time with Weather Display.

Weather Display is a great product and the software designer is a Kiwi and he updates the software constantly. I have been using it for 8 years.

Weather Display can be set to upload to your website so that you can access all the data from any web browser.

BTR

1522 posts

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#687175 17-Sep-2012 15:39

You could always get a kite...

grant_k

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#687196 17-Sep-2012 16:19

spacedog: I'd suggest using Weather Display software and then find a weather station of your choice. WD supports many types of weather stations. You could consider getting a Davis Vantage Pro wireless weather station, you just have to have it hooked up to a PC and have that PC running all the time with Weather Display.

Weather Display is a great product and the software designer is a Kiwi and he updates the software constantly. I have been using it for 8 years.

Weather Display can be set to upload to your website so that you can access all the data from any web browser.

+1

Here's a link to the Weather Display FAQ:

http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php?board=33.0

The threads there will give you some clues about Weather Display and what it does. A wide range of stations are supported; from the cheapies like LaCrosse, Oregon Scientific etc, through some mid-range stations like the Irox and all the way up to Davis.

I started out with an Irox and now have a Davis, which seems to be the gold standard in personal weather stations worldwide. Some professional users also have them, and you will find much of the data is shared via Wunderground, or this Local Weather site:

http://www.localweather.net.nz/maps/meso/NZWN2.php

My station is the Russell one, near the top of the map. Have a look at my website via the link in my signature, for an idea of what Weather Display can do.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
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#687640 18-Sep-2012 11:50

I saw this a week or two ago - of interest to you?

http://www.netatmo.com/en-US/site

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/netatmo-urban-weather-station-tells-ios-users-when-its-safe/

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

myopinion

931 posts

Ultimate Geek

#687677 18-Sep-2012 12:36

eracode: I saw this a week or two ago - of interest to you?

http://www.netatmo.com/en-US/site

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/netatmo-urban-weather-station-tells-ios-users-when-its-safe/

That looks pretty cool.

spacedog

436 posts

Ultimate Geek

#687789 18-Sep-2012 16:09

eracode: I saw this a week or two ago - of interest to you?

http://www.netatmo.com/en-US/site

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/netatmo-urban-weather-station-tells-ios-users-when-its-safe/

Interesting, but not really a weather station. No measurement wind speed or direction.

Intersting device with the CO2 monitoring...

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
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#687969 19-Sep-2012 06:50

spacedog:
eracode: I saw this a week or two ago - of interest to you?

http://www.netatmo.com/en-US/site

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/netatmo-urban-weather-station-tells-ios-users-when-its-safe/

Interesting, but not really a weather station. No measurement wind speed or direction.

Intersting device with the CO2 monitoring...

Yep, not really a real weather station - and the exterior unit is not weatherproof, believe it or not. Has to be mounted in sheltered or dry place.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

LennonNZ

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#687971 19-Sep-2012 06:58

What about a much simpler way and place a physical flag or windsock up by the house you can view from the bottom?

naggyman

689 posts

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#687973 19-Sep-2012 07:38

LennonNZ: What about a much simpler way and place a physical flag or windsock up by the house you can view from the bottom?

Last I knew this site was called 'Geekzone' :)

Morgan French-Stagg

morgan.french.net.nz

spacedog

436 posts

Ultimate Geek

#687986 19-Sep-2012 07:54

naggyman:
LennonNZ: What about a much simpler way and place a physical flag or windsock up by the house you can view from the bottom?

Last I knew this site was called 'Geekzone' :)

yeah why do something simple and practical when we can over-engineer the solution?

;)

eracode

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#687993 19-Sep-2012 08:15

LennonNZ: What about a much simpler way and place a physical flag or windsock up by the house you can view from the bottom?

... and place a webcam looking up for those up-sock shots.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

alexps

40 posts

Geek

#688358 19-Sep-2012 18:10

Thanks all for your interesting & varied replies.
In turn...
- The Kite. I live in Wellington in the flight path to the airport. The CAA may frown upon any attempts to bring down incoming planes with string.
- The Windsock. Honestly did think about that. Then thought I want numbers/icons/graphics/things I don't understand. Seriously though the cable car is rated to be safe up to 70km/hr cross-winds (& is blown off the railings @ 170) so numbers may actually be helpful. I'm guessing the windsock looks the same at anywhere from 30km/hr upwards until the point its blown of its supports.
- CO2 monitoring. I haven't checked inside the winch box but don't think it runs on an oxidative process. I'm presuming therefore should work at a large range of CO2 concentrations.
- Weather Display. Looks good, especially with the graphic/chart overkill. Don't have a networked computer on all the time though & would prefer a box that feeds straight into my router wirelessly given the top landing is well in range (I only lose my signal halfway down the cliff). Some of the links on the site look really interesting though so I will explore further.

Thanks again for your help.
Cheers
Alex

spacedog

436 posts

Ultimate Geek

#688368 19-Sep-2012 18:34

alexps: Thanks all for your interesting & varied replies.
In turn...
- The Kite. I live in Wellington in the flight path to the airport. The CAA may frown upon any attempts to bring down incoming planes with string.
- The Windsock. Honestly did think about that. Then thought I want numbers/icons/graphics/things I don't understand. Seriously though the cable car is rated to be safe up to 70km/hr cross-winds (& is blown off the railings @ 170) so numbers may actually be helpful. I'm guessing the windsock looks the same at anywhere from 30km/hr upwards until the point its blown of its supports.
- CO2 monitoring. I haven't checked inside the winch box but don't think it runs on an oxidative process. I'm presuming therefore should work at a large range of CO2 concentrations.
- Weather Display. Looks good, especially with the graphic/chart overkill. Don't have a networked computer on all the time though & would prefer a box that feeds straight into my router wirelessly given the top landing is well in range (I only lose my signal halfway down the cliff). Some of the links on the site look really interesting though so I will explore further.

Thanks again for your help.
Cheers
Alex

ha! good post +1

If you find a device that can feed straight into a router via WiFi let us know!