SkyWeather Solar Extender Kit
This kit is a perfect technology project to learn all about solar power and how to use Solar in the SkyWeather kit.
Tutorial on Selecting a Solar Power System Here.
This SkyWeather extender kit allows you to add solar power to your SkyWeather kit.
Part of the magic of this solar kit is the use of the SwitchDoc Labs SunControl board. It allows you to gather all sorts of data about how your solar panels are generating and using power.
Other Extender Kits Available:
- Solar WXLink System for SkyWeather
- Display Pack for SkyWeather
What about the Cloud?
SwitchDoc Labs is proud to announce our partnership with WeatherSTEM.com for taking SkyWeather to the cloud. Your solar power extender kit is also supported by WeatherSTEM.com
Note to Educators: WeatherSTEM has a full set of experiments and curriculum for your class to use SkyWeather and WeatherSTEM in the classroom
Downloads and Manuals
- SkyWeather Solar Extender Kit Assembly and Testing
- SkyWeather Solar Extender WeatherProofing and Mounting Manual (Coming Soon)
For source code and other manuals, see the SkyWeather Kit.
What is in the Kit?
The kit does not include a Raspberry Pi or Bud enclosures box, 3d Printed parts, 3.7V LiPo battery and other weatherproofing parts. However, we do supply the list of all the parts needed in the "SkyWeather WeatherProofing Manual" listed below.
- Four 330mA Solar Panels
- SunControl Solar Power Controller
- Multi Panel Adaptor Board
- JST2 Extender Cable
- USB cable - A/MicroB
- Two 30 cm Grove Cables
- One Grove to Female Header Cable3
A good source for 3.7V LiPo batteries is adafruit.com.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
When using the SunControl board as in this kit, you need to look at the VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) of any other solar panel you have. If it is above 6V or above, you need to add in a 10W 5.6V Zener diode across the solar panels to protect your SunControl board and system. Connect the "+" end of the diode to the "+" side of the solar panel (or the line from the solar panel to the SunControl Board) and the "-" side to the negative ("-") side of the panel. This will get hot, so let it hang free in the air.
Unfortunately, you can’t just put 10 1W 5.6V Zener diodes in parallel. They aren’t identical and the one that is slightly lower will take all the current. You can, however, stack them in series to acquire the appropriate voltage and power dissipation. Such as stacking 2 5W 2.8V Zener diodes.
You can find such a Zener diode here.
3D Printed Parts for Mounting the Solar SkyWeather Panels
The SkyWeather Solar Panels can be mounted in many different ways. It depends on how you want to orient your SkyWeather Camera versus mounting the solar panels to capture the most sun. An excellent way of mounting the solar panels for SkyWeather has been developed by TexAg on Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2416033
SkyWeatherKit Descriptions and Extensions
SkyWeather SD Card containing SkyWeather and Raspberry Pi OS
You can find a pre-configured SD Card here.
SkyWeather Lite
- The basic SkyWeather system without the Wind/Rain and Lightning Sensors
This kit is for those whom are most interested in the Sky Camera, temperature, humidity and air quality measurements.
The basic SkyWeather system without the Wind/Rain and Lightning Sensors.
SkyWeather
- All the software, electronics and cables to build your SkyWeather Kit (not including the Raspberry Pi)
The full SkyWeather kit including the Lightning and Wind Direction, Speed and Rain sensors. Includes: Rain, Wind Speed / Direction, Lighting Detection, Outside Temperature and Humidity, Barometric Pressure, Internal Temperature/Humidity, Sunlight Strength, and Outside Air Quality.
SkyWeather Solar Extender Kit
- The solar panels and solar controller SunControl (not including the Raspberry Pi or LiPo battery)
SkyWeather Solar is designed for off-the-grid usage where bringing power is tough. The kit including the Lightning and Wind Direction, Speed and Rain sensors.
Solar Power Your SkyWeather Kit. The Solar SkyWeather kit includes a SunControl based solar power system.
Supplies excellent and complete information about the solar power performance and charging status. Really understand solar power.
SkyWeather Solar WXLink Extender Kit
- The hardware to move your WeatherRack (Wind Direction, Speed, Rain and Outside Temperature/Humidity) away from your base SkyWeather unit. (not including the Raspberry Pi) and the Solar Panels to power the WXLink.
SkyWeather with Solar WXLink Extender Kit is designed for those who would like their base weather station in one place and the temperature/humidity/wind/Rain in another place connected wirelessly and the sensors are solar powered.
The SkyWeather Plus Solar WXLink Remote kit includes remote wireless solar power sensor kit for the WeatherRack and Outside Temperature/Humidity Sensor. Supplies excellent and complete information about the solar WXLink Remote Sensing power performance and charging status.