RemoteWeather

RemoteWeather is a professional weather monitoring system that collects data from your weather station, stores it for historical analysis, and shares it through multiple channels including a beautiful live website, weather services, and amateur radio networks.

What RemoteWeather Does

• Live Weather Website - Creates a professional weather website with real-time updates, interactive charts, and mobile-friendly design (see example)
• Historical Data Storage - Stores all weather readings in TimescaleDB for long-term analysis, trends, and graphing
• Weather Service Integration - Automatically uploads your data to popular services like Weather Underground, PWS Weather, and Aeris Weather
• Amateur Radio Support - Transmits weather data via APRS/CWOP for ham radio operators and citizen weather observers
• Multiple Access Methods - View your data via web browser, mobile device, or custom applications using gRPC streaming

System Requirements

Hardware Requirements

RemoteWeather supports the following weather stations: * Campbell Scientific stations with dataloggers (CR series) * Davis Instruments VantagePro, VantagePro2, and Vue * AirGradient air quality monitors * Ambient Weather customized stations * Snow gauge monitoring systems * Generic stations via gRPC receiver

Connection Options

• Serial/USB - Direct connection using WeatherLink or compatible cables
• Network - Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection for network-enabled stations
• Radio Frequency - 900MHz RF receivers (Campbell RF407, Davis Wireless Envoy)
• TCP/IP - For stations with network interfaces

Software Requirements

• Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, or similar)
• Database: TimescaleDB (PostgreSQL extension) for weather data storage
• Configuration: SQLite database for system configuration
• Docker (optional but recommended): For simplified installation

Getting Started

Step 1: Initial Setup

1. Download RemoteWeather bash wget https://github.com/chrissnell/remoteweather/releases/latest/download/remoteweather-linux-amd64 chmod +x remoteweather-linux-amd64

2. First Run - Bootstrap Configuration

When you run RemoteWeather for the first time, it automatically creates a configuration database: bash ./remoteweather-linux-amd64

The system will: - Create a SQLite configuration database at ~/.config/remoteweather/config.db - Generate a secure access token for the management interface - Start the management API on http://localhost:8081

Important: Save the access token displayed during bootstrap - you'll need it to configure the system!

Step 2: Configure Your System

1. Access the Management Interface

Open your web browser and go to: http://localhost:8081

Enter the access token from the bootstrap process when prompted.

1. Set Up Your Weather Station

In the management interface: - Click "Weather Stations" → "Add Station" - Select your station type (Davis, Campbell Scientific, etc.) - Enter connection details (serial port, IP address, etc.) - Test the connection to verify it's working

1. Configure TimescaleDB Storage

2. Click "Storage Backends" → "Add Storage"

3. Select "TimescaleDB"
4. Enter your database connection details:
   • Host: localhost (or your database server)
   • Port: 5432
   • Database name: weather
   • Username and password

5. The system will automatically create the necessary tables

6. Enable Services (Optional)

Add any weather services you want to use: - Web Interface: Enable the REST server controller for the live weather website - Weather Underground: Add your station ID and API key - PWS Weather: Add your station ID and password - APRS/CWOP: Add your callsign (ham radio) or CWOP ID

Step 3: Run RemoteWeather

Once configured, RemoteWeather will automatically start collecting and sharing weather data.

For continuous operation, set up RemoteWeather as a system service:

# Create systemd service file
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/remoteweather.service

# Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=RemoteWeather Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/remoteweather
Restart=always
User=weather

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# Enable and start the service
sudo systemctl enable remoteweather
sudo systemctl start remoteweather

Using RemoteWeather

Viewing Your Weather Data

• Web Interface: Access your weather website at http://your-server:8080 (or configured port)
• Management API: Access configuration at http://your-server:8081
• Mobile Access: The web interface is fully responsive and works on all devices

Available Controllers

RemoteWeather includes these controllers for different purposes:

• REST Server - Provides the main weather website and API
• Management API - System configuration and monitoring interface
• Weather Underground - Uploads data to wunderground.com
• PWS Weather - Uploads data to pwsweather.com
• Aeris Weather - Integration with Aeris Weather network
• APRS - Transmits data to APRS-IS network

Storage Backends

• TimescaleDB - Primary storage for all weather readings with time-series optimization
• APRS - Routes data to APRS/CWOP networks
• gRPC Stream - Provides real-time data streaming for custom applications

Troubleshooting

Viewing Logs

# If running directly
./remoteweather -v  # Verbose output

# If running as systemd service
sudo journalctl -u remoteweather -f

Common Issues

1. "Cannot connect to weather station"
2. Verify the station is powered on
3. Check cable connections

4. Ensure correct serial port or IP address in configuration

5. "Database connection failed"

6. Verify TimescaleDB is running: sudo systemctl status postgresql
7. Check database credentials in configuration

8. Ensure database exists and user has permissions

9. "Management API not accessible"

10. Check if RemoteWeather is running
11. Verify firewall allows port 8081
12. Ensure you're using the correct access token

Docker Installation (Alternative)

For easier deployment, RemoteWeather is available as a Docker image:

# Pull the latest image
docker pull chrissnell/remoteweather:latest

# Run with bootstrap (first time)
docker run -it --rm \
  -v remoteweather-config:/root/.config/remoteweather \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -p 8081:8081 \
  chrissnell/remoteweather:latest

# Save the access token shown during bootstrap!

# For production, use docker-compose:
docker-compose up -d

Example docker-compose.yml:

version: '3'
services:
  remoteweather:
    image: chrissnell/remoteweather:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"  # Weather website
      - "8081:8081"  # Management API
    volumes:
      - remoteweather-config:/root/.config/remoteweather
      - /dev/ttyUSB0:/dev/ttyUSB0  # For serial weather stations
    devices:
      - /dev/ttyUSB0:/dev/ttyUSB0
    restart: unless-stopped

  timescaledb:
    image: timescale/timescaledb:latest-pg14
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: weatherpass
      POSTGRES_DB: weather
    volumes:
      - timescale-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  remoteweather-config:
  timescale-data:

Advanced Features

Custom Applications

RemoteWeather provides a gRPC interface for building custom applications:

• Real-time Data Stream - Subscribe to live weather updates
• Historical Queries - Request specific date ranges
• Custom Clients - Build desktop widgets, mobile apps, or integrations

Example client: grpc-weather-bar for Linux desktop

Data Export

You can export your weather data directly from TimescaleDB:

-- Connect to database
psql -U weather -d weather

-- Export last 30 days as CSV
\COPY (SELECT * FROM readings WHERE time > NOW() - INTERVAL '30 days') 
TO '/tmp/weather_export.csv' CSV HEADER;

Support

Getting Help

• Issues: Report bugs at GitHub Issues
• Documentation: Check the docs/ directory for detailed guides
• Examples: See example configurations in the repository

Community Resources

• Weather Station Forums: Hardware-specific help
• TimescaleDB Community: Database optimization tips
• Amateur Radio Groups: APRS/CWOP configuration assistance

License

RemoteWeather is open source software. See LICENSE file for details.