I want to put together an inexpensive APRS WX station for my dad, KD6EUG, to install up at his cabin in Mi-Wuk Village, CA. There was an article in the July 2006 QST that talked about one solution. But the big price tag comes with the weather station itself.
Today I found a nice, inexpensive solution from TAPR, the T-238+MODEM2 Kit. Not only is it APRS ready, it also incorporates it’s own TNC. The weather station components that it works with, 1-Wire™ Weather Instrument Kit V3.0, and also doesn’t break the bank.
We’ll see how this project comes together. For the radio, I will use either an FT-1500M (ideal for the job) or an HTX-242 if I can ensure it’s capable of the task. I like the W3BW (see QST article) solution of using a gel cell with a trickle charger. Should the shore power drop out, the APRS weather station should function for quite some time.
Speaking of WX stations…. you can go here to see the weather at the home QTH.
Looking at the APRS activity around Mi-Wuk, I’m seeing the following nearby stations:
K6TUO-3: looks like a digipeater in Sonora, sponsored by the Tuolumne County Amateur Radio & Electronics Society (TCARES).
K6NFL: over in the town of Arnold, Dave has a very nice wx page.
KE6KYI: located in Groveland.
Please be sure and let us know how the APRS WX station project goes. I am looking to do the same thing myself but just have never got moving with this project. I’d like to have it rolling before the snow flies!
🙂
73 de Jeff, KE9V
http://ke9v.net/
Jeff! Thanks for the post. I listened to your most recent Podcast earlier today. I’m really enjoying the WWII history. Congrats on your new job – I hope you’ll be able to continue the Podcasts.
I’ll post pictures of the project. I ordered the TAPR kit and WX station today. We’ll see how it works out.