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

   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:

   ./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.

2. 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

3. Configure TimescaleDB Storage

   • Click "Storage Backends" → "Add Storage"
   • Select "TimescaleDB"
   • Enter your database connection details:
     • Host: localhost (or your database server)
     • Port: 5432
     • Database name: weather
     • Username and password
   • The system will automatically create the necessary tables

4. 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"

   • Verify the station is powered on
   • Check cable connections
   • Ensure correct serial port or IP address in configuration

2. "Database connection failed"

   • Verify TimescaleDB is running: sudo systemctl status postgresql
   • Check database credentials in configuration
   • Ensure database exists and user has permissions

3. "Management API not accessible"

   • Check if RemoteWeather is running
   • Verify firewall allows port 8081
   • 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.