Sandaysoft

Thanks Alan,

I'm new here on the forum, and didn't mean to sound whiny. I'd imagine several of the folks discussing the price have a similar take as mine. I've read through the entire thread, which started out as a DIY project with plans to distribute how to make one. Then it evolved into a project to make a more robust unit for the hobbyists that didn't know how to do a DIY project. Then into a 75 GBP prototype phase. From there, to almost $700 for the final version shipped here to the US was where I think most people might have abandoned ship. What was originally a hobby project suddenly became a "fully commercial model" and priced higher than most complete weather stations. Even the sale price is higher than a great majority of stations. So only the very serious and/or well-heeled weather enthusiast could now afford the end result.

If you're selling them and making a go of it, that's great, and I applaud the project. But if they were under $200 I'd bet you'd sell a "lot" more. As mentioned earlier, I was in engineering, and am aware of engineering cost, mold making, and the higher piece price of small lots. Maybe 290 GBP ($450 USD) is that break even point for price vs. volume.

Regards,
Steve

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Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA
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I think (in the above post) Steve M expresses it very well and certainly reflects my point of view. I have to say, I'm disappointed that I can't have one.

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Gina

Sorry, no banner - weather station out of action. Hoping to be up and running with a new home-made one soon.

i think at the end of the day it depends what your wahting to record. this is a brill product but out of my price range as well. here in oban the amount of sunshine would be nice to record. recording rain is easier as we normally do have a lot of that.

Alan could you not try the airports to take up using your invention tiree is my nearest weather staion but does have a very hight rate of sunshine. just a thought.

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http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=IARGYLLA4

Hi
For those that wanted to go down the DIY route I believe there is enough information in the early part of the thread to do that.
Having said that it would be up to the user to find a way of improving the accuracy and it is so long ago that I can hardly remember myself what I did so would not really be able to assist. All I can remember is using a Maplins light sensitive switch and substituted a variable resistance somewhere to change sensitivity and that sensitivity adjustment had to be done at frequent intervals. A fresh approach might overcome that. Obviously, there is a way of using the RS232 port as Steve's implementation for rainfall and his RS232 test programme shows. Again, I would not be able to help with that (I would quite like to know myself how to do it).
Since Ole and I have collaborated we have come a long way and spent a considerable amount of money on many things from PCB prototyping kits to the Met Office site testing; with test equipment, and manufacturing processes in between.
The early part of the thread is open to anyone though later we have concentrated on results rather than 'how' - so give it a go.
Regards
Alan

We deeply regret that some of you find the sales price of our sun recorder too high but we must correct a few points:

Since we started our collaboration we don't recall we ever headed towards a DIY project although in Alan’s very early days of light bulbs and simple circuits that was a possibility.

Ole’s contribution has made the project much more professional. Our very first price of 75 GBP was only for the volunteer field testers who could gather data from different latitudes for our ongoing studies and inspiration on how to improve the software etc.

That price did not even cover the material costs and was later increased a little bit for the next volunteer testers.

We guess we have been working about 50% of available day times in the past 2 years on the project (fortunately we are retired and therefore not ‘disturbed’ by tedious work elsewhere) but none of that work time has been included in the price calculations.

After almost a year of a successful field testing with great help from the testers we finally decided to put the instrument on the market via our web site.
Was that a success then? – frankly not as the real sales can be counted on one hand only.

So you are probably right – the sun recorder might be a little too expensive for all but the most serious amateur market but we don’t think it is fair to compare the price with the lower end weather stations on the market.

Sun shine duration recording is a unique discipline – that’s why the Cambell Stoke’s has been able to dominate the market for more than 100 years as no functional alternatives were available.

Today several other sun recorders are available on the market but at much higher prices (the K & Z at around £2000) and no other sun recorder is able to detect sun shine from sun rise to sun set within a few minutes – in very favorable conditions with clear sky and clear sun – even within a few seconds.


Best regards

Alan & Ole

Alan & Ole I don't doubt for one minute anything you have said and I still think this is an excellent piece of kit, I was merely observing that at this price it sets it far above what the vast majority of hobby weather enthusiasts can afford. I was hoping that it might come close to what a Davis sensor costs as it would be a good alternative to that, however that is not to be. This has become what I suspect many were fearing a superb commercial piece of kit for very serious sunshine recording at a professional price and good luck with that, I really hope it succeeds. It is not something I can consider unless the lottery comes up.

Stuart

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Hi
I'd like to correct Stuart on one small point - the B-L sunrecorder is not an alternative to the Davis system which, as I understand it, estimates sunshine from global radiation.
It's also interesting that just after the third anniversay of the start of this topic it still attracts views (and controversies).
In some ways we would have liked to have kept it in the budget of every weather station owner but it got to the point where, if we continued our efforts, we could make an accurate instrument. There seemed little point in making something unless it really improved on instruments like the Campbell Stokes. So our years of toil have done that and (unless you are as lucky as someone above) at less than the normal price of the C-S and with one or two advantages - like being fully automatic.
Thanks to those who have been compilmentary and, yes, we are a little apologetic but in a way the project has led us to where we are.
Regards
Alan

I am sorry you feel I am being uncomplimentary, that was not my intention. As to it being a replacement for the Davis product, in my view it is an alternative to record sunshine hours although probably more accurate and using a different methodology it is from a user perspective an alternative. I was merely passing an observation that for the majority of home enthusiasts it is likely that it will be out of their price range which is unfortunate, this does not detract from what I hope is an excellent product and as I said I wish you well with it. I was hoping it would end up as something which would be at a price point where a considerable number of hobby weather folks would be able to afford it, including myself, sadly that is not to be but I fully understand why you have to price it as you do, and I for one do not believe you need to apologise for anything.

Stuart

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Hi Stuart
You WERE included in the thanks.
Alan

Many years ago worked on a project which involved flight path vectoring and a related GPS installation. I was very impressed with the GPS as it had become a standard for use both domestically and internationally. Personally the device looked like a 1950's Cadillac utilizing a retro chrome design for the housing of the unit. That said it is and was rock solid and never breaks and is still utilized today internationally and domestically. It really though was more than just a GPS; even though I am calling it a GPS.

With respect to OP's / thread here's an alternate inexpensive device to "play" with.

http://www.hobby-boards.com/store/products/Solar-Radiation-Detector.html

priced at $28.50 USD.

That said over the years I have utilized the combo 1-wire Humidity, Temperature and light sensor. I have not had good luck though with the three that are in place today. My last "experiment" was trying to install the combo sensor in a temperature pagoda mounted something like 30 feet up. The pagoda was $70 USD. The humidity and light sensor quit working after about 4 months. The pagoda was plastic with dual mast mounting brackets broke off the mast after about two years. I have seen folks though use and build a sunshine recorder using the light sensor and a ping pong ball mounted on top of the pagoda which would maybe give you some good numbers. Today with the one working 1-wire combo device light sensor and a bit of math I still get good numbers (for me at least).

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- Pete

http://longboatkey.golffan.us/ - Fine Offset

http://lockport.golffan.us/ - Davis Vantage Vue

Hello everyone, I wanted to break a lance in favor of Ole and Alan, although I do not think there is a need. I am one of the field testers sunrecorder and can say how many hours have been spent to optimize and improve the device, both on the hardware and software point. I myself, together with a friend, we made a meter UV index, and adding the cost of hardware is that all the hours spent to build and develop the software, if I were to market such a device (which I'll dream of doing), do not really know at what price it should sell. One idea would be to find a solution to sell sunrecorder paying in installments, but I see a solution difficult. However, I renew my congratulations to Alan and Ole for the tremendous work done.

Dario - Marcon (Venice - Italy)

www.marconmeteo.altervista.org

Since the B-L sun recorder was one of several items on my wish list, I decided to take advantage of the summer sale and purchase one. It is now up and running (tobyspondweather/sunshine.php).
The support from Ole has been great.

Kerry

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Just noticed you on the http://www.sunrecorder.net/sr-around-the-world/ Very nice site Kerry, and welcome to the B-L Sunrecorder world...
I have you added on http://www.komokaweather.com/weather/sunrecorder/sunrecorder_display_v2_today.html

Dario,
Looks like you've had to use a lot of sunscreen lately

Paul

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www.komokaweather.com/weather/sunrecord ... today.html

Paul,

Thanks for the kind words.

I like all your sunshine data.

Kerry

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http://www.tobyspondweather.com
twitter: @tobyspond

Hi, Paul
Yes, here we are beginning to be serious problems of drought.
You're right, unfortunately I can not stand the sun, I overcooked also using a sunscreen with SPF 50

Dario