"Your own weather data from your own location is more useful than any forecast.
"KaiRenner26th of April 2026
What This Build Includes
A complete DIY weather station logs temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall. An ESP32 microcontroller handles sensor reading and WiFi transmission. A small 6W solar panel with a 3.7V LiPo battery and charge controller keeps the station running indefinitely without mains power. Data goes to Weather Underground (public), Home Assistant, or a local InfluxDB+Grafana stack.
6Watt
Every5 Minutes
Source the Sensor Package
Sparkfun or Adafruit Weather Meter kits provide cup anemometer and rain gauge.
Source the Sensor Package
The Sparkfun Weather Meter Kit includes a cup anemometer, wind vane, and tipping-bucket rain gauge with standard RJ11 connectors. For temperature and humidity: BME280 (I2C, also reads barometric pressure). Mount the weather instruments on a 1-inch diameter conduit or purpose-built mast. The BME280 must be shielded from direct sun and rain using a Stevenson screen enclosure.
Wire the ESP32 and Sensors
BME280 on I2C, anemometer and rain gauge on interrupt-capable digital pins.
Wire the ESP32 and Sensors
BME280: SDA → GPIO21, SCL → GPIO22, 3.3V, GND. Anemometer: signal output → GPIO14 (interrupt pin). Wind speed is calculated by counting pulses per second — each rotation closes a reed switch generating a pulse. Rain gauge: signal → GPIO25 (interrupt). Each tip of the bucket generates one pulse = 0.011 inches of rainfall.
Set Up Solar Power
6W panel → charge controller → 3.7V LiPo → 5V boost converter → ESP32.
Set Up Solar Power
Connect a 6W 5V solar panel to a TP4056-based LiPo charge controller module. The charge controller connects to a 2000mAh or larger LiPo battery. Power the ESP32 from the battery through a 5V boost converter (MT3608 module). Use deep sleep on the ESP32 between readings to extend battery life — wake on timer every 5 minutes, read sensors, transmit, and sleep again.
Configure WiFi Logging
Use Arduino or MicroPython to POST readings to a REST API or MQTT broker.
Configure WiFi Logging
On wake, connect to WiFi (use WiFiManager library for credential management without hardcoding). Read all sensors. Build a JSON payload with all readings and POST to your endpoint: Weather Underground personal weather station API, a local Home Assistant MQTT broker, or an InfluxDB endpoint. Reconnect and sleep — total wake time should be under 5 seconds.
Parts List
ESP32 dev board (WEMOS D32 or similar with LiPo support)
Sparkfun Weather Meter Kit (anemometer, wind vane, rain gauge)
BME280 I2C sensor breakout board
6W 5V solar panel
TP4056 LiPo charge controller module
2000mAh 3.7V LiPo battery
Weatherproof enclosure for electronics (IP65)
Stevenson screen for BME280 sensor
Shield the Temperature Sensor From Direct Sun A BME280 in direct sunlight reads 10 to 20°F too hot. Mount it inside a louvered white radiation shield (Stevenson screen) with open sides for airflow. 3D printable Stevenson screen designs are widely available on Thingiverse and work well for DIY stations.
"Your backyard microclimate is different from the airport sensor six miles away. Now you can prove it.
"KaiRenner26th of April 2026
