Wind sensor for Insteon controlled awning

[Don Whyte]

My Everite motorized awning is controlled by an Insteon 2444-222 Open/Close Micro Module as part of an ISY994i system. I'd like to add a wind sensor that would close the awning in case of high winds. I thought of adding the Climate Module to the system but don't know if this would provide adequate response to local wind gusts. 

Are there other means of sensing wind speeds and gusts and controlling the awning?

[paulbates]

The climate module is good, I use it. Primarily I use it for temp and forecasted rain where "close enough is ok"

However I am depending on either:

• A hardened reliable airport type station that can be further away to be accurate for gusts right where you are...or.. (that's what I do)
• Someone else's local personal station that's not close enough either, or may not be working all the time

For something that is for protecting an asset, I would recommend installing a local sensor. Some are using the weatherflow system, but you need to run ISY V5 (alpha/beta) software to run it. There may be other suggestions from members here for a personal weather station.

Paul

[Don Whyte]

Weatherflow looks very interesting. This is the first I've heard of it. Seems to run through a smartphone, are there stand alone modules?

[bpwwer]

13 minutes ago, Don Whyte said:

Weatherflow looks very interesting. This is the first I've heard of it. Seems to run through a smartphone, are there stand alone modules?

WeatherFlow is pretty open about access to the station data.  They have a "hub" that collects the data from the sensors and then sends that data out over a number of different channels. One is via BLE to smartphone/tablets.  It also sends the data via WiFi to WeatherFlow servers where it can be accessed via a published API and it sends it via WiFi to your local network as UDP packets (also well documented) so local applications can directly make use of it.  I've created a node server application that takes that data and feeds it the ISY so that ISY programs can use it to control other things.

For your application, the WeatherFlow station has a nice feature where it can send out "rapid wind" updates. These are sent every 3 seconds.  With that you'd be able to detect gusts immediately and start rolling up the awning.

There are other personal weather stations that could provide similar capabilities, but would likely require some development to get the same integration with the ISY.  For example, I have an Acurite 5-n-1 system today with some additional hardware and a program I created, I have it simulating the WeatherFlow data to have it integrate with the ISY.  Acurite is not nearly so open with their station data and one of the reasons I have a WeatherFlow station on order. 

The one downside to the WeatherFlow station is that today is the last day to pre-order it and you'd have to wait at least 30 days for it to ship.

[builderb]

If you’re so inclined, the Davis wind sensor (speed and direction) is pretty easy to connect to an arduino or RPi. Then either have it continuously report, or only report over a threshold.

 

Highly accurate, localized, and instantaneous.

 

Oh yeah, links. I use this:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Davis-Instruments-Anemometer-vantage-Pro2153/dp/B076H3HCYX

 

Pulse counter for the wind speed, analog input for the direction.

 

This one is like half the cost of the Davis one, but it’s got lots of support.

 

https://shop.switchdoc.com/collections/sensors/products/weatherrack-anemometer-wind-rain-for-weatherpiarduino-weatherplus-raspberry-pi-arduino

[larryllix]

I use this one along with a CAI Webcontrol 8 board, with it's built in counter. It's Rest output registers  transmits directly transmit into ISY registers or you could use a NodelInk bridging software on a RPi. After setup I tossed the electronics supplied with it.

I mounted it at the top of a 3" CPVC pipe strapped to the gable end of my shop and ran the cable inside the pipe to the bottom. The WC8 board also has 1-wire interface that can supply temperatures to ISY.

https://www.amazon.ca/Pole-Mount-Anemometer-by-Inspeed/dp/B0034ULB74/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1526348111&sr=8-10&keywords=anemometer

[etsvilik]

I have somfy motorized  awning. The old wind sensor was spinner measuring wind speed . It proved to be unreliable. Lately somfy changed it to accelerometer type sensor attached to the front bar. It senses awning flapping on windy condititions and works much better. If you don’t have somfy system I would try to utilize CAO pro sensors with accelerometer. There are lot of information here in forums on how to integrate them with iSY. I use one for detecting when dryer stops

[GlowingHair]

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 1:30 AM, etsvilik said:

I have somfy motorized  awning. The old wind sensor was spinner measuring wind speed . It proved to be unreliable. Lately somfy changed it to accelerometer type sensor attached to the front bar. It senses awning flapping on windy condititions and works much better. If you don’t have somfy system I would try to utilize CAO pro sensors with accelerometer. There are lot of information here in forums on how to integrate them with iSY. I use one for detecting when dryer stops

Can you share how you are using a CAO tag for your dryer, please? I have tried different approaches using one, but have never gotten consistent results. Thanks for your help.