sunshine hour sensor

where can I buy an sunshine, or solar sensor. I have already wmr929n station, but would like to add a solar sensor.
Hi Jumans, From thread http://weather-watch.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2187
.....but you can use a extra temperature sensor with the wmr918 as a solar sensor: place it in a glass jar, and paint the bottom black, so it heats up in the sunlight....then set the max temperature reading to say 18, and the low at 1 , the fine tune to 1 and 1...then when the temp sensor in the jar is more than 18oc warmer than the station temperature, its 100 % sunshine...and you fine tune it, and you also set the thresholds

Good Luck

OR
you could use a Dallas 1 wire solar sensor
I have one, works good.
But you need a spare com port to use the dallas 1 wire com port adpator…
and then set wd to use this dallas sensor (com port setup, then dallas 1 wire setup)
once you have a dallas 1 wire com port adpator, you can add up to 10 dallas 1 wire temperature sensors adn 4 humidity sensors, a lightning counter, etc
anybody can use the dallas components with WD…
see:

http://www.buffalorun.com/boardlist.html

and

http://www.aag.com.mx/

Just following on from what Brian has Said, I have build a 1-wire USB to 1-wire interface and that also works with WD.

Jim Jennings designed and built a new Solar unit that Brian has also put support in WD for. I am currently building one but they are available from a new supplyer that Jim has passed the business onto. http://www.buffalorun.com/boardlist.html

Hope this helps.

derek, is it possible to use a usb to serial adapator with a standard dallas serial adaptor you think?

Brian, that would work. They are only about $47 at Disk Smith at the moment, I use them at work on modems and they install as Com4 or what ever you designate. :smiley:

Short answer is yes it would work, this would get around the additional Com-port problem that many have.

Problem with using the USB - 1-wire is that no one out there has a small commercial :idea: design, as I had to build my own. In saying that It does work well with WD, thanks Brian. 8)

derek, i have a usb to serial adaptor…and i just tested, and it doesnt work
there is someone here in nz that needs what you have derek
can you make him one (and he will purchase)
his email is
[email protected]
Russell is his name (and he is 80 something years young to boot to!)

http://www.buffalorun.com/boardlist.html
Does anyone know if there is a UK source for these boards? If I order them from the US, I'll be clobbered with 3.5% import duty plus 17.5% VAT (both of these on the P&P as well as the items themselves) and then whoever delivers it will rob me of a further

i have the same problem here
i paid 2x the cost of an item in courier and tax to get a solar panel for a weather station into the contry!

Brian & Chris

Firstly; Unfortunately there is not a big market for these devices in in the UK, NZ, EU or wherever so it doesn’t really make it worthwhile anyone stocking them.

Secondly; They are so low cost that there is hardly much margin, if any for a reseller.

Thirdly (and thanks for the opportunity to say this);

The USD price is always misleading as even folk in the States don’t pay that. They too often have to pay local taxes and any shipping.

Into Europe the importer, be they private individual or reseller must pay:- shipping, import duty, VAT, handling fee and currency exchange. A reseller then takes on the risk or handling cost of the 12 month warranty that they have to provide by law and has money tied up in product on which they need to make a profit.

Obviously we constantly get people telling us how much cheaper things are in the USA but they do not consider all those other factors.

As resellers anything we did buy from the US we would have to get a reseller discount then add back all of the costs involved to be able to express the price to the customer as “what you see is what you pay” inclusive. Hence in the UK the GBP price is often the USD you see on the web price and occasionally a little more. I am sure the same is true throughout Europe NZ, Aus and elsewhere.

So Chris it works out the same however you do it. $70 will turn into GBP70+ and the tax man, customs and excise, shippers and banks will all get their share.

The only problem you are left with is the warranty risk when buying from the US and at the item value you would probably have to write it off if it failed. Bear in mind that you are not automatically entitled to a 12 month warranty in the USA. If you did send it back you would just be incurring more cost and you wouldn’t get your shipping costs and tax back. In fact you may even have to pay them all over again for a replacement.

With the WMR918/968 I still like the extra temperature sensor in a jar. It works for me and I can see on the solar graph when ever anything gets between the sensor and the sun (on a sunny day). It even works on a foggy day. :smiley:

I wasn’t having a go at UK suppliers. I do understand the extras that have to be paid by suppliers…although some suppliers don’t have all the extra costs but still charge UK prices :x

I realise that the items I was interested in are relatively cheap and low volume, but the supply in the US appears to have been provided at least partly on a hobbyist basis and I wondered if perhaps someone in the UK (or Europe) was providing the boards/components on the same basis.

I just get fed up thinking about paying

With the WMR918/968 I still like the extra temperature sensor in a jar.

I’ve got one of those, but just wanted to try something different. I like dabbling more than just having a steady state system :wink:

I didn’t think you were having a pop at UK suppliers Chris. However, feel free at any time we are big and ugly enough to take our share on the chin. Without giving away any secrets I will happily explain things from this side of the fence.

As a business we spend far too much money on carriers and the system but that is the way it works.

At the end of the day ones man’s expense is another man’s income and we all need income to have expenses and visa versa ;=)

I agree with what you say but then we all live where we live and accept it for whatever reasons.

Yes I know...if I want cheap items I can go and live in the US :wink:
...and we would be happy to have you :) but you have to make some interesting trade-offs involving the cost of living, where you could get a job, and where you might want to live. It isn't all cheap, but I guess you generally get what you pay for.

Gents,

Lets not loose site of the original topic. Making reference back to the topic of the USB to 1-Wire (refering to the need for an additional Com port).

I am actively involved in the development of a USB to 1-Wire adaptor sourced and developed in New Zeeland. I already have a prototype working very nicely with WD, my thanks to Brian for support me on this and making the changes to WD. 8)

My aim is to source the parts and manufacture the boards for to keep the cost down as much as possible. I am aiming at producing a

where can I buy an sunshine, or solar sensor. I have already wmr929n station, but would like to add a solar sensor.
Hi Jumans, From thread http://weather-watch.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2187
.....but you can use a extra temperature sensor with the wmr918 as a solar sensor: place it in a glass jar, and paint the bottom black, so it heats up in the sunlight....then set the max temperature reading to say 18, and the low at 1 , the fine tune to 1 and 1...then when the temp sensor in the jar is more than 18oc warmer than the station temperature, its 100 % sunshine...and you fine tune it, and you also set the thresholds

Good Luck

Any idea on the size of the jar. Is it important? I am using a jam jar that is not at all elegant, but the sensor will go in there just, but obscures most of the black painted base. If I changed to a goldfish bowl type size and shape, would I benefit anything form it, as the black bass is more prominent, and the there is more glass to absorb UV and IR light to give the “greenhouse” affect. Your input would be most worthwhile on this topic

Andy,

I have used a small Ramekin dish, it is about 2" - 2.5" in width with a head sink and a black heat sink with Heat sink gue to the temp sensor. :idea:

Work very well. Only thing is to put it together in a warm low Humidity room as condensation will form on the top of the bolw.

Works very well. Taking what Brian has said to will take some tuning.

Any idea on the size of the jar. Is it important? I am using a jam jar that is not at all elegant, but the sensor will go in there just, but obscures most of the black painted base.
Hi Andy,

I think your Jam Jar is great.

For a solar sensor I am using a 1 quart (32 ounce US) jar. The jar has a plain metal lid. The bottom of the jar is painted flat black. I had two concerns when selecting the jar.
1- The extra sensor must fit inside the jar.
2- The top must be able to withstand the direct sunshine for an extended time.

I have no concern about the sensor obscuring most of the black painted base.
My solar settings are: -1.12 oC for 0% and 21.4 oC for 100%. It took me several weeks to set the 100% value as the sun is usually somewhat obscured by haze/fog/mist/smog. The

Thanks for your reply. The trouble is I do not really know what offsets I should tweak. Firstly, did you alter any of the settings for the clouds - which is done by the percentage from the solar.

Have you noticed any difference (or is it early days) when you have the sun, but little heat from it, as we have in our winters. You can have a really bright sun, but not so much heat, therefore causing an incorrect figure.

Can you elighten me the purpose of the temperature readings on the 0% to 100% with the %ratio of the clouds?

Thanks for your reply. The trouble is I do not really know what offsets I should tweak. Firstly, did you alter any of the settings for the clouds - which is done by the percentage from the solar.
I did not alter any of the settings for the clouds. What I did was tweak the 0% value for a reading of zero about an hour after sunset. I allowed the sensor to cool off after the sun went down. I then tweaked the 100% value on a very clear day, at Celestial Noon for a 100% reading. It will take some time (days) to do this. Also, wait between changing the settings. This will give the program time to update and settle down.

Try setting the maximum thresold (100%) to 13 /1 and the lower (0%) to 1 /1 and see what happens.

Have you noticed any difference (or is it early days) when you have the sun, but little heat from it, as we have in our winters. You can have a really bright sun, but not so much heat, therefore causing an incorrect figure.
No.

It appears to me if you want to measure total radiation, the 100% radiation should be measured on a very clear day, at Celestial Noon, on the longest day of the year (summer solstice).