An automated weather station operates at Fielding Aerodrome.
RADIO BROADCAST: Press the radio transmit button 3 times in quick succession on 124.1 and a recorded voice will indicate runway favoured by the current wind.
INTERNET RECORD: A graph of the current weather is available at www.noiseandweather.co.nz. Click on "Feilding Airfeild" at the bottom of the list. The graph displays the wind direction( magnetic), wind speed (kts) , temperature and rainfall for the day, updated every 15 minutes. Historical data from previous weeks/months can be selected using the calendar selection box at the LHS of the screen.
The graph lines can be turned on or off for clarity using the tick boxes on the LHS.( Ignore the noise tickboxes).
TELEPHONE ACCESS. Dialling 021-143-5471 will gain you access to an automated response of the current wind speed & direction, temperature and previous 6hrs rainfall.
Technical:
Wind speed and direction are measured with a Davis anemometer, at a height of 5m above the FTM hangar, to get away from turbulance from trees etc. Rainfall is measured using a Davis 0.2mm tipping bucket raingauge, at hangar roof height.
An Atmel microprocessor averages the wind direction and speed over the last 2 minutes ( this is adjustable, and 2 minutes is being trialled). Wind direction and wind speed can be averaged with different time constants.
Rainfall is continuously rolled over to get a 'last 6 hours' total rainfall.
Temperature readings are the current measurement, measured outdoors on the south side of the hangar. Temperature is measured with a Dallas 18B20 digital temperature sensor.
Speech uses an ISD1790 speech chip. Pre-recorded sentences and words ( you may recognise the voice) are stored in a sequential table in the chip, and the microprocessor works out which words and phrases it needs, and selects them in the correct order for processing.
Data is sent to the web site using a Wavecom Modem, every 15 minutes on the cellular network.
The cellphone is a Nokia.
The Whitehorse cell site in noise and weather at Longburn, and is not passowrd protected.
The Demo site is noise and weather in the City , and is not password protected.
All other sites for Dunedin, Wellington, New Plymouth and Auckland are password protected.
www.noiseandweather.co.nz
021 143 5471
