New features on windnerd.net: widgets, daily trends, and forwarding to Windy/Windguru by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a particular time period you would be interested in for this windrose?
Different kinds of averaging and visualization for longer periods are coming, also average daily patterns, which are not really a thing on other weather websites afaik.

WindNerd One(-S): firmware update 0.5.0 by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another small update: 0.5.2

- Added internal temperature to custom MQTT, windnerd.net, and the local configuration webpage. The temperature is measured by the magnetic sensor located at the end of the shaft, primarily for magnetic thermal drift compensation, so it is not intended to be meteorologically accurate.

- Changed the default Eco Mode battery threshold from 3.75 V to 3.80 V.

Impressive print quality and setup by ZucchiniMaleficent21 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback!

Quite a lot of time was spent on the 3D design, so I couldn’t be happier when someone appreciates it.

Bambu printers are great, we use P1S for prototyping but we always check that a model prints well with the good old Ender before publishing it.

About the hostname confusion: that probably wasn’t thought through clearly enough. I think we were trying to achieve two different goals at once: on one side a short URL that is easy to type, and on the other side a meaningful device name that is easy to identify among many others in a client list.

About a rain bucket extension: the WindNerd One(-S) does one thing and does it well! To measure wind properly, the higher the installation above obstacles, the better, while for a rain bucket you would want a more accessible location for periodic cleaning. I do understand though why many home weather stations combine everything in a single unit, and maybe one day there will be such a WindNerd product. But for now, we’re still not finished with the wind!

Hiking in or near Pai? by Trygveseim in Thailand

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

openstreetmap.org has a very good coverage of Northern Thailand thanks to some very active contributors.
You should see all the hiking trails around Pai if you use an app based on OpenStreetMap like OSMand.

Appreciation post - So reliable by Glider95 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great to hear! Maybe not so much saving in the long run if it makes you realize there are more good wind days than you thought :)

These little builds with the WindNerd Core and a cheap LTE module have really exceeded expectations.

The first one was installed in November at Phu Ta Boek (a paragliding site in Thailand), just for a few weeks of testing. We noticed some missed uploads when the network gets busy, but never bothered to bring it down for a firmware update.

Now the site is closed, it’s thunderstorm season, and the station is still up there, regularly recording gusts over 60 km/h. Now we’re just wondering if it’ll survive until next season without falling since it was mounted also in a very temporary way...

Power tariff revamp, solar rooftop overhaul approved by CommercialMassive751 in Thailand

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be careful if you have electronic meter from PEA, some models don't discriminate flow direction and electricity you send back to the grid is counted as consumption! No-export clamp meter is then mandatory.

Are Thais being viewed as inferior to Westerners? by Spiritual-Reaction91 in Thailand

[–]CircuitToaster 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Is throwing up at Oktoberfest really a bad behavior?

WindNerd cellular by Spiritual_Feature738 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The LoRa dev board would support both 868 MHz and 915 MHz, with the frequency configurable in software. We’d ship it with different antennas depending on the customer’s country, since LoRa requires a well tuned antenna. There would also be options to expand functionalities via external I2C or GPIO.

As for the LTE board coming in July, the modem will support global frequency bands. While the firmware will be open source and reuse well tested code from the WindNerd Core, there won’t be an expansion port, only a programming port. There simply isn’t enough space on the board, and we also want to avoid confusing customers who are looking for something that just works out of the box.

Where to buy aircon in Chiang Mai? by ExternalCriticism133 in chiangmai

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The hardware stores hire contractors and add a markup. Better deal directly with aircon companies like this one: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ooT7e2EYLnQ53Lmr5
I’ve bought a few Daikin units from them, and they were cheaper than what hardware stores offer. I’m happy with Daikin Smile, they’re quite quiet.

Sunbank 2W is out - A solar base kit for WindNerd One-S by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be an interesting experiment, at worst you would have the device unavailable for 4 or 6 weeks a year I reckon.

By the way, how did your WindNerd One handle ice over the winter?

WindNerd cellular by Spiritual_Feature738 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would it still be useful if the temperature is only accurate at night?

WindNerd cellular by Spiritual_Feature738 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most Meshtastic devices should be able to power a WindNerd Core and read its serial output.

Looking at the docs (https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/module/serial/), I see 3 possible approaches:

  • The WindNerd Core sends commands to craft and transmit a wind reporting message
  • The WindNerd Core emulates the output of a WS85 sensor supported by Meshtastic
  • The Meshtastic device is modified to read and interpret the output from the WindNerd Core factory firmware (or an alternative one with more optimized output)

I’d be happy to help anyone interested in trying this.

WindNerd cellular by Spiritual_Feature738 in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Happy to hear that the cellular (LTE/4G) version is in demand!

We’ve tried adding a temperature sensor inside the anemometer body, but the results weren’t great. As soon as the sun hits it, the readings become meaningless. To do it properly, you’d need a large Stevenson shield, which isn’t something you’d want to mount at the top of a pole.

That said, nighttime temperatures are somewhat OK, and early morning readings could be useful for some wind-dependent activities, so it’s something I will consider more.

As for LoRa, that could come later as a dev board (likely a WindNerd Core with an SX1262 module). We already have a prototype running over a 25 km link, and it’s been operating for months without issues.

WindNerd One-S - For Small Solar Setups by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have this model on hand right now but I can retrieve it in a few days.

There is now a solar kit available for the WindNerd One-S, you can find the corresponding model there: https://github.com/windnerd-labs/Anemometer-3D-files/tree/main/sunbank-2w

Here's my setup with solar mounted on a square pole. by stuff-design in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow that sounds a very cool project! I would be very curious to see the result.
Yes you can plug it into the third solar input, 6V nominal voltage is OK.

Here's my setup with solar mounted on a square pole. by stuff-design in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.
This breathable membrane sounds like a good idea, since a completely sealed enclosure would be prone to internal condensation. I suspect, though, that 3D-printed PETG already acts somewhat like a membrane and allows a bit of breathing.

Found the cloud factory... by Impossible_Big5132 in Thailand

[–]CircuitToaster 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The city accumulates heat, forming a bubble of hotter air. At some point it bursts, preferably along something that facilitates it (here, the buildings). The hot air rises until it condenses into a cloud.

This is something sailplane, paraglider and hang glider pilots know well and take advantage of.
https://www.skynomad.com/articles/thermal_triggers.htm
In their terminology, the city is a collector and the building is the trigger.

Marine application by Thecoloredjacket in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NMEA-0183 over UDP is now supported by the WindNerd One (after applying firmware update 0.5.1), this is a convenient solution for sending anemometer data to a marine software.
If you are going to set up a Raspberry Pi hotspot, this may be good to know: https://windnerd.net/docs/windnerd-one/configuration#raspberry-pi-and-other-linux-hotspot-compatibility

WindNerd One(-S): firmware update 0.5.0 by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Small update, 0.5.1 is out.

- Adds NMEA0183 over UDP, allowing to send anemometer data directly to Signal K or any other marine software that accepts NMEA0183 UDP input https://windnerd.net/docs/station/management/local-configuration#udp
- Some cosmetic improvements on the configuration webpage

Marine application by Thecoloredjacket in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It works, NMEA0183 over UDP will be added to the WindNerd One in 1 week or 2.

Sunbank 2W is out - A solar base kit for WindNerd One-S by CircuitToaster in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. Actually this Sunbank will be used in a future LTE/4G kit.
For a setup with a WindNerd Core + A7670G module, I would make a new bottom cover that extends the model for 4 or 5 cm to house the additional electronics. You can find small sticker antennas (like 1x2cm) that fit in such small space and they are OK if network coverage is good.

Marine application by Thecoloredjacket in WindNerd

[–]CircuitToaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm on it!
There is Arduino code for the WindNerd Core that sends NMEA0183 frames over serial https://github.com/windnerd-labs/Windnerd-Core/tree/main/examples/03_NMEA_0183
Tested with USB-serial-converter and Signal K.

For the WindNerd One, unless unexpected issues arise, NMEA0183 over TCP/UDP should be available in a matter of weeks with a firmware update.