A Weather Station For Whether It Rains Or Shines

An esp32 weather station with 3d printed anemometer, rain gauge and wind vane mounted on an aluminum frame sitting in an overgrown lawn

[Giovanni Aggiustatutto] creates a DIY weather station to measure rain fall, wind direction, humidity and temperature. [Giovanni] has been working on various parts of the weather station, including the rain gauge and anemometer, with the weather station build incorporating all these past projects and adding a few extra features for measurement and access.

An esp32 module connected to three level shifters inside of a grey utility junction box with a USB power connector coming in powering the ESP32 device and an external wifi antenna mounted on the outside of the junction box, all siting on a wooden table

For temperature and humidity, a DHT22 sensor is located in a 3D printed Stevensen screen, giving the sensor steady airflow while protecting the module from direct sunlight and rain. A mostly 3D printed wind vane is printed with the base attached to a ball bearing and magnet so that the four hall sensors positioned in a “plus” configuration at the base can detect direction. The 3D printed anemometer uses a hall sensor to detect the revolution speed of the device. The rain gauge uses a “tipping bucket” mechanism, with a magnet attached to it that triggers the hall sensor affixed to the frame. The rain gauge (or pluviometer if you’re fancy) needs extra calibration to adjust for how much water the buckets take on before tipping.

An ESP32, with additional level shifters and BMP180 atmospheric pressure sensor module, are placed in a junction box. The ESP32 is used to communicate with each of the sensors and allows for an external internet connection to a Home Assistant server to push collected data out.

[Giovanni] has done an excellent job of documenting each piece, including making the 3D STL files available. Weather stations are a favorite of ours with a lot of variety in what gets collected and how, from ultrasonic anemometers to solar powered weather stations, and it’s great to see [Giovanni]’s take.

Video after the break!

7 thoughts on “A Weather Station For Whether It Rains Or Shines

  1. We have a hard time keeping store bought weather stations running where I live. Scorching heat and at other times, torrential rains, seems to kill off most of them in less than a year. I’ve gotten good at repairing them. I think the trick is not building a weather station, but building one that lasts…

    1. Some of the “Store Bought” weather stations are cheap junk. Some are Chinese clones of name brand stations. Some offer “color” displays when all they have is a color film over a monochrome LCD. One labeled as a “Professional Weather Station” had an update time of 16 secs. It even boasted of 300 feet line of site wireless… that was only barely 30 feet if the console was in a window that was facing the outdoor station. There are some good brands that are durable and reliable such a Acurite, Davis, Rainwise, Ecowitt and a few others. I have a Davis Vantage Pro 2 and while the console is somewhat dated the whole station is durable and reliable. The 1000 ft range of the transmitter is real because it uses Spread Spectrum transmission unlike others that transmit on only one frequency. To get a decent station you need to spend a few more bucks. If you want to know more or ask questions stop in at www. wxforum.net .

      1. Problem with Davis in europe is an outrageous price, we arent talking about a few more bucks, its a few more hundreds. Your Pro 2 is around 700 €$. I admit 700 might not be a lot of money to some, but to me, it is.

      2. The only problem I’ve had with the cheap ($50-$100) weather stations is getting replacement parts. After 2-3 years, when the outdoor transmitter finally dies, you try to get parts and your model has been discontinued. This has happened to me twice. The stations themselves have worked fine otherwise.

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