Record Weather Data with Arduino and Solar Power: Use Sensors to Record and Analyze Meteorological Data

Make a stand-alone weather data recorder to collect air pressure, air temperature, and humidity data using only an Arduino, SD-card, LCD display, and solar power. Start with that base data. Then easily extend your project to include more such as an XBee radio and sensors for air quality and radiation. Chunyin has years of experience as a researcher in meteorology and oceanography. The projects in this book are based on actual deployable weather data recorders used for collegiate and professional applications. These weather recorders were deployed over coastal water and lands including the Arctic. And you can deploy your own finished model in your backyard, school yard, roof top, or even in the field to collect data at programmed intervals.

Don’t worry about powering all that tech. You’ll learn about solar controller, solar panels, and step-down DC transformers. You’ll also make a 30-60 W solor powered battery charger for a 12-VDC battery. Find out whathappens when you combine a simple Arduino with sensors one at a time toward a final model capable of multiple measurements and a longlife of use without recharging or requiring external power. Then add a GPS module so that you constantly have accurate time and position information to pair with your data.

Everything you need to know to integrate component and house them in an enclosure is covered. Photos of actual working units are provided, showing you exactly what your data collection station can look like. You’ll even go a step beyond to understanding meteorology information and how to use the collected data, as well as some data analysis. Build a station capable of real meteorological research and then go beyond to add more sensors and capabilities for your own projects and experiments!

What You’ll Learn

• Measure air pressure, temperature, humidity and more!
• Add an XBee radio and LCD display to a data recording project for interactivity and communication
• Work with basic meteorological principles to understand how your data can be used

Who This Book Is For

Meteorological hobbyists, Makers, and students interested in learning how to collect and analyze data with low-cost hardware.