Data Logger & radio links
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Posts: 46,084
Dear Stampers,
Two sections to this message....
1) Someone (probably lots of you) have built dataloggers out of stamps.
We have a need for a simple data logger to count switch activations in
the outback of Australia and then be able to be retrieved remotely by radio
link. Don't worry about the radio link as we have that under control! (see
second section!)
The unit only needs to have a single channel and just count switch
activations, probably no faster than 1 per second, and then store that data
until retrieved and reset.
Does anyone have code or can point me to a suitable commercial unit?
2) Many times on this list there has been discussion about RF links. If
anyone in AUSTRALIA is interested there is a nice new AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED AND
MANUFACTURED product that could solve your problem!
It is a 5Watt 450-520Mhz data radio that is fully software controlled.
It's current form is 2400baud FSK, but with an upcoming firmware update will be
able to handle 9600Baud GMSK. Whilst it is a commercial radio product, recent
changes to the UHF CB class licence allows limited data on UHF CB CH22 & CH23,
so depending on your applications you may even be able to avoid needing a
licence! Ranges of up to 100km's can be obtained depending on location, terrain
and selected antenna.
Please email me off-list if you want further details on the radio
stockman_electronics@b...
Regards
Tim Stockman
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Two sections to this message....
1) Someone (probably lots of you) have built dataloggers out of stamps.
We have a need for a simple data logger to count switch activations in
the outback of Australia and then be able to be retrieved remotely by radio
link. Don't worry about the radio link as we have that under control! (see
second section!)
The unit only needs to have a single channel and just count switch
activations, probably no faster than 1 per second, and then store that data
until retrieved and reset.
Does anyone have code or can point me to a suitable commercial unit?
2) Many times on this list there has been discussion about RF links. If
anyone in AUSTRALIA is interested there is a nice new AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED AND
MANUFACTURED product that could solve your problem!
It is a 5Watt 450-520Mhz data radio that is fully software controlled.
It's current form is 2400baud FSK, but with an upcoming firmware update will be
able to handle 9600Baud GMSK. Whilst it is a commercial radio product, recent
changes to the UHF CB class licence allows limited data on UHF CB CH22 & CH23,
so depending on your applications you may even be able to avoid needing a
licence! Ranges of up to 100km's can be obtained depending on location, terrain
and selected antenna.
Please email me off-list if you want further details on the radio
stockman_electronics@b...
Regards
Tim Stockman
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Comments
>Dear Stampers,
>
> Two sections to this message....
>
>1) Someone (probably lots of you) have built dataloggers out of stamps.
> We have a need for a simple data logger to count switch
> activations in the outback of Australia and then be able to be retrieved
> remotely by radio link. Don't worry about the radio link as we have that
> under control! (see second section!)
> The unit only needs to have a single channel and just count
> switch activations, probably no faster than 1 per second, and then store
> that data until retrieved and reset.
> Does anyone have code or can point me to a suitable commercial unit?
>
>2) Many times on this list there has been discussion about RF links. If
>anyone in AUSTRALIA is interested there is a nice new AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED
>AND MANUFACTURED product that could solve your problem!
> It is a 5Watt 450-520Mhz data radio that is fully software
> controlled. It's current form is 2400baud FSK, but with an upcoming
> firmware update will be able to handle 9600Baud GMSK. Whilst it is a
> commercial radio product, recent changes to the UHF CB class licence
> allows limited data on UHF CB CH22 & CH23, so depending on your
> applications you may even be able to avoid needing a licence! Ranges of
> up to 100km's can be obtained depending on location, terrain and selected
> antenna.
>Please email me off-list if you want further details on the radio
>stockman_electronics@b...
>
>
>Regards
>
>
>Tim Stockman
The Australian UHF CB Band equipment is hard pressed to go 10-20
kilometres, unless
store and forward repeaters are used. Use just ONE repeater and your end to
end half duplex
data rate is cut by half :-(
Consider the below ACA regulations restriction too.....
(g) operate on a duty cycle of not more than 3 seconds in any period of 60
minutes; and
(h) be fitted with a device that shuts the transmitter down after 3 minutes
of continuous operation
Go here for the full UHF CB Regs:
http://www.aca.gov.au/legal/licence/class/cbrs.rtf
If you go to 472MHz, the power limit is 100mW, likewise the 151MHz band
too, admittedly there is no licence required.
Consider the higher the data rate you go, the less range you will have
for the same output power.
Jack Chomley
Australia
to use them on UHF CB, I did not deny that! The e minute tiem out is easy,
thats done in the radio software!
Also, ranges of up to nearly 200kms have been obtained WITHOUT repeaters
Also stated, it does depend on terrain and antenna selection, so again tes
epoitns where made!
These radios also have software contollable power output, so 100mw can be &
has been done!
Original Message
From: "Jack Chomley" <jackc@r...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Data Logger & radio links
> At 08:58 AM 10/9/01 +0930, you wrote:
> >Dear Stampers,
> >
> > Two sections to this message....
> >
> >1) Someone (probably lots of you) have built dataloggers out of
stamps.
> > We have a need for a simple data logger to count switch
> > activations in the outback of Australia and then be able to be retrieved
> > remotely by radio link. Don't worry about the radio link as we have that
> > under control! (see second section!)
> > The unit only needs to have a single channel and just count
> > switch activations, probably no faster than 1 per second, and then store
> > that data until retrieved and reset.
> > Does anyone have code or can point me to a suitable commercial unit?
> >
> >2) Many times on this list there has been discussion about RF links.
If
> >anyone in AUSTRALIA is interested there is a nice new AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED
> >AND MANUFACTURED product that could solve your problem!
> > It is a 5Watt 450-520Mhz data radio that is fully software
> > controlled. It's current form is 2400baud FSK, but with an upcoming
> > firmware update will be able to handle 9600Baud GMSK. Whilst it is a
> > commercial radio product, recent changes to the UHF CB class licence
> > allows limited data on UHF CB CH22 & CH23, so depending on your
> > applications you may even be able to avoid needing a licence! Ranges of
> > up to 100km's can be obtained depending on location, terrain and
selected
> > antenna.
> >Please email me off-list if you want further details on the radio
> >stockman_electronics@b...
> >
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >
> >Tim Stockman
>
>
> The Australian UHF CB Band equipment is hard pressed to go 10-20
> kilometres, unless
> store and forward repeaters are used. Use just ONE repeater and your end
to
> end half duplex
> data rate is cut by half :-(
> Consider the below ACA regulations restriction too.....
> (g) operate on a duty cycle of not more than 3 seconds in any period of 60
> minutes; and
> (h) be fitted with a device that shuts the transmitter down after 3
minutes
> of continuous operation
>
> Go here for the full UHF CB Regs:
> http://www.aca.gov.au/legal/licence/class/cbrs.rtf
>
> If you go to 472MHz, the power limit is 100mW, likewise the 151MHz band
> too, admittedly there is no licence required.
> Consider the higher the data rate you go, the less range you will have
> for the same output power.
>
> Jack Chomley
> Australia
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
For data logging you might want to try:
onsetcomputer.com
They make a variety of logging units, good and
inexpensive.
Regards,
Andy
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> We have a need for a simple data logger to count switch
>activations in the outback of Australia and then be able to be
>retrieved remotely by radio link. Don't worry about the radio link
>as we have that under control! (see second section!)
> The unit only needs to have a single channel and just count
>switch activations, probably no faster than 1 per second, and then
>store that data until retrieved and reset.
> Does anyone have code or can point me to a suitable commercial unit?
You might find it interesting to study the DCPB manual (Data
Collection Proto Board) at Scott Edwards' site:
http://www.seetron.com/pdf/dcpb_mnl.pdf
The counting itself is no problem. Maybe you could even get by with
a BS1 if you only need a few totals and only need a simple retrieval
protocol.
How much data you need to store between retrievals? There is a
simple data logger described in Earth Measurements in
Stamps-in-Class.
<http://www.emesystems.com/EarthM/em4.pdf>
Extra memory in the BS2e or BS2p can be nice longer deployment:
http://www.emesystems.com/BS2SX.htm#datalogger
The job of putting data in that extra memory is easier on the BS2p.
>As pointed out in my original message, there are limitations if you choose
>to use them on UHF CB, I did not deny that! The e minute tiem out is easy,
>thats done in the radio software!
>
>Also, ranges of up to nearly 200kms have been obtained WITHOUT repeaters
>Also stated, it does depend on terrain and antenna selection, so again tes
>epoitns where made!
Tim,
I dispute that range as being reliable communications on voice...maybe with the
right atmospheric conditions yes...but that is not deemed reliable.
With data links over most of the terrain that Australia has to offer.......no
chance at all of that range, just look at how well Ham Radio repeaters
work from high locations...on the 430MHz band. We have a local one here
on a 2000 ft high mountain with 25 watts, and it won't go 100 kilometres
out to sea, line of sight.
If you are talking 20-30 kilometres, then yep fair enough, maybe 40km at
best under most conditions.
Jack Chomley
Australia