shem
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 16:37 |
|
|
Weather station, again!!
having chated to a few guys on the beach last week, I was wandering how many users would chip in towards a internet linked weather
station?? It would cost about a grand to set up with software, etc. We could then go online and check the conditions at any time.
If we could get 50 of us to chip in £20 wed be sorted! What say yous??
[Admin]... To save you reading all of this thread, the weather station is now up and running. Page 3 or so of this thread covers what
is there and this link shows a thread which tells you a little more about some of the
weather station pages
Kite & SUP wales
Caravan decking wales
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 16:52 |
|
|
Thanks for reminding me Shem...
I was chatting to Shem about this the other day, and a couple of people on the beach yesterday. Basically, the weather station hardware
and software comes to about £1000, I can't afford to pay for that myself as I don't make any money from this site, but I am willing
to invest the time to set it up and keep it running if there is enough interest, and people are willing to pay an annual subscription
to cover the costs of setup and running it.
Obviously the data would then only be available to those who had paid the subscription. The data would be updated every few minutes
showing wind strength, direction, max gust etc along with rainfall, barometric pressure, temperature etc. There would also be a
graphical presentation of data from the last 24 hours or so to enable the current trends to be seen. It all looks pretty good and could
be useful to those of you who have a bit of a drive to the beach.
Lets see some names for people who would be interested in such a facility.
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
Pluto
A Force-of-Nature *  
Member #: 598 Posts 281
Registered: 20-3-2004 Location: Shrewsbury Member Is Offline Mood:
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 18:55 |
|
|
Interesting Idea.
I might be in, depending on costs, but there's quite a lot of free info about, is there a market?
www.kitesurfteacher.co.uk
IKO/BKSA Instructor
|
|
|
mNeil
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 19:39 |
|
|
count me in; could there be a system for non subscribers on the lines of wendy windblows; rod bucks sites, none subscribers can access
the info for a premium rate call.that way you could get a return on your running costs Al
A KITE IS FOR LIFE!! THAT IS IF ITS A YARGA.
founder of storm'n Normans van club!
|
|
|
paul
A Force-of-Nature ** 
Member #: 5 Posts 445
Registered: 24-7-2002 Member Is Offline Mood: Well Chuffed
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 20:04 |
|
|
£1000 ! Ouch really that much ? ?
Home Page
http://www.nationalwindsurfingweek.org
|
|
|
andy B
A Force-of-Nature * 
Member #: 1118 Posts 209
Registered: 27-11-2004 Member Is Offline Mood: ah ripped again
|
| posted on 18-9-2005 at 20:22 |
|
|
only £20.00 for all that info sounds good to me. with that kind of info it would be worth me coming up for a session at night in
summer, there for increasing time on water. well worth it me thinks. thought it could be a good way for pluto to get rid of all the
cash he must be making teaching..
|
|
|
MarkyP
Pro
Member #: 1281 Posts 90
Registered: 4-4-2005 Member Is Offline Mood: ?.... ?......indecisive
|
| posted on 19-9-2005 at 06:56 |
|
|
Count me in. £20 is only the price of one wasted tank of diesel when it doesn't blow. Be able to plan those sickies, cough, days
off, a bit more accurately too!
|
|
|
Spooker
A Force-of-Nature *** 
Member #: 932 Posts 624
Registered: 24-8-2004 Member Is Offline Mood: rattle dem bones
|
| posted on 19-9-2005 at 07:10 |
|
|
I'm up for it - as Mark said - for those of us that travel even one wasted trip would cover the investment.
Don't suppose these things have a webcam as well?
|
|
|
bucski
A Force-of-Nature *** 
Member #: 275 Posts 622
Registered: 8-7-2003 Member Is Offline Mood: i'm never in a mood
|
| posted on 19-9-2005 at 14:49 |
|
|
I'm up for it, the one I've setup at my school cost £1000, but that is an all singing all dancing affair. It does everthing, we
would only want one which covers wind speed and direction would we not?
|
|
|
Kitefish
A Force-of-Nature * 
Member #: 945 Posts 299
Registered: 31-8-2004 Location: Shrewsbury Member Is Offline Mood:
|
| posted on 19-9-2005 at 18:41 |
|
|
Count me in for twenty. Colona watersports in Egypt had one really good especially the logged info for past seasons.
Maybe Powerkiteshop would like to part sponsor this weather station, what do ya think Col?
|
|
|
col123
|
| posted on 19-9-2005 at 20:10 |
|
|
yea they will buy it !!!!! along with everything else there always been asked for>>>count me in for a donation though
To Infirmary and beyond..
|
|
|
leonardo
A Force-of-Nature *** 
Member #: 634 Posts 613
Registered: 8-4-2004 Member Is Offline Mood: Chillin' ya bloodclot mahn
|
| posted on 20-9-2005 at 06:38 |
|
|
I'm in for sure!!
LEN10 LOOPING..
www.sskiteboarding.com
|
|
|
shem
|
| posted on 20-9-2005 at 09:37 |
|
|
As theres some defo interest, it might be worth opening a bank account, store up the coin to see what we get, and if we dont get enough
pay back all the dosh??
Unless any ones got a better accounting plan?
Kite & SUP wales
Caravan decking wales
|
|
|
bucski
A Force-of-Nature ***
Member #: 275 Posts 622
Registered: 8-7-2003 Member Is Offline Mood: i'm never in a mood
|
| posted on 20-9-2005 at 22:43 |
|
|
good plan Shem, we need someone to setup this all up now, I'm happy to volunteer to setup us up an account and let the money sit there
until we decide to do something with it - or if someone else wants to do it that's fine. I think we need to do something otherwise this
thread will creep down and nothing will have happened!
All those in favour say ai.
|
|
|
Spooker
A Force-of-Nature ***
Member #: 932 Posts 624
Registered: 24-8-2004 Member Is Offline Mood: rattle dem bones
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 05:44 |
|
|
well volunteered that man!
Just a thought - and I bet this has been suggested before - Is there any value in asking the local council for help - many resorts have
a webcam on their site to encourage visitors, and if a weather station included one of these...... be good to check the surf out as
well!
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 05:51 |
|
|
I can set up a bank account if you like, although it seems unlikely that we are going to get enough money up front to cover the costs
so as usual some of it will probably have to come out of my own pocket... Whether or not this gets off the ground depends on how much
of it I can afford to cover as Forces-of-Nature already costs me far too much to keep running!
How many people are willing to pay some money over your side Shem? As so far we only have 9 names in this thread which is a long way
short of the 50 we need to cover the costs of the weather station equipment, and I will still be covering the costs of things such as a
computer to run it from which will have to be up and running all the time (I can't use my usual one as I have to take it with me now
and then to see clients), constant internet access etc...
I guess if I set up a bank account we can at least get some money in and see if people will actually put up some money and then keep
pushing to get enough to buy the equipment.. If not I can just give it all back and we can have an evening in the friendship talking
about what could have been!
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 06:11 |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Spooker
well volunteered that man!
Just a thought - and I bet this has been suggested before - Is there any value in asking the local council for help - many resorts have
a webcam on their site to encourage visitors, and if a weather station included one of these...... be good to check the surf out as
well!
Must have been posting the last message at the same time as you Spooker... We could ask the council and I'll be seeing a councillor at
the weekend so will ask her what her feelings on it are... There are also community grants available to help set such things up... I'm
just not sure if a collection of kite-surfers / windsurfer from the midlands counts as a local community!! 
The other problem with a grant from the council will be covering the running costs as they are likely to want the data to be freely
available to all... I could however look into getting a business development grant and see what is available.
Webcams... I've been thinking about one of these for years.. There is already one in Aber
http://www.forces-of-nature.co.uk/webcam_frames.htm The trouble with Borth is where to site it where it has a good view but
is still next to or close to a computer etc.... Would be nice though and I'm sure there has to be a way.
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
Impi
Pro 
Member #: 408 Posts 133
Registered: 20-10-2003 Member Is Offline Mood:
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 07:50 |
|
|
Count me in as well. I reckon it is a fantasitc idea. It should attract more windsurfers and kiters to Borth.
|
|
|
mNeil
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 10:06 |
|
|
now the lottery are supposed to give grants ,there is one idea. as for old computers ; what sort of ones do we need Al, there are loads
being thrown out regularly at school, how high tech do they have to be.i have my old one which i will donate; it is rather slow, but so
am i.
i will bring my 20 up on friday and we can get the ball rolling
A KITE IS FOR LIFE!! THAT IS IF ITS A YARGA.
founder of storm'n Normans van club!
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 21-9-2005 at 15:42 |
|
|
Cheers Neil, I've got a long list (thanks to Anna's research today) of people to contact about grants for buying the thing in the first
place. I'm not sure if any of them will go for it but it is worth a try.
As far as a computer goes I do actually have a spare one sat on top of my filing cabinet at the moment that should do the job if I buy
a wireless network card for it.. I could at least use it as a back up system for the weather station on those days when I have to take
my main computer out of the office... I wouldn't want that particular computer on all the time as my main computer is silent and like
most computers the older one isn't!!.. So that side of things should be sorted.
I'll get onto some of the grants people ASAP as these things usually take months to process.
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
Pixelwave Web Design.
justal@forces-of-nature.co.uk