Gina

Lens is too high in the dome - you'll get distortion round the edge.  The top of the lens should be just above that line round the dome.

I've decided against it and to wait for the RPi.

Yes, I'm inclined to agree with that.  I wasn't happy using an ESP8266 as broker - asking for trouble - and I want best reliability for getting all this working being totally new to MQTT.

I've found this :- ESP8266 as a MQTT Broker but may wait for the RPi Zero.

Had email saying the RPi Zero has been posted by Royal Mail.  May get it by the weekend.

I can see myself adding other ESP devices to the system.

Found a client with ESP32 and BME280 and more:-  ESP32 MQTT – Publish and Subscribe with Arduino IDE

This is exactly what I want and it looks pretty simple.

This is getting exciting!!  🤣

Started a new thread for MQTT :- Setting up an MQTT system for Weather Sensing and Astro Control

Found this :-  MQTT Tutorial: Setup MQTT Server on Raspberry Pi Zero

Ordered the RPi Zero WH from ThePiShop.

I'm wondering if boards from Amazon etc. might be sub-standard.  May be better to use "ThePiShop".

How about this RPi version?  Would it be alright for the broker?  A YouTube video say it is.

What is the minimum (cheapest) SBC that will run a broker?  RPi B+ is £40 ish.  RPi Zero W about half that.  To tell the truth, I'm fed up with my ever growing pile of dead RPi boards!!  They seem to either go on indefinitely or die quite quickly.

I have had RPi deaths before - they either go on forever or die quite quickly!!  I guess an ESP32 doesn't have enough power to run a broker.

Started the process for building the broker on a Raspberry Pi 3B+.  Downloaded the latest Raspbian Lite and wrote the MicroSD card with Etcher.  Connected monitor (HDMI) KB and Trackball and logged in.  Then set up with sudo raspi-config - SSH and WiFi.  Logged in with SSH and it was alright until the password which it wouldn't accept and came up with an error.  Decided to check out raspi-config again and connected keyboard and monitor.  Nothing!!  RPi now seems dead!!  Red LED came on on power up but not green (activity).

Thanks - I'll check out all of that.

duplicate post

How to Install Mosquitto Broker on Raspberry Pi

Firstly, I plan to collect information here and then alter code to suit my devices.

Basically, the MQTT system consists of a number of clients and a server (called "Broker" in MQTT parlance).  The clients will include :-

• ESP based units that will read things like temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure, outside and in my observatory
• wind speed and direction
• rain gauge
• probably a cloud sensor
• ESP32 that will control the ROR motor

In this thread I will endeavour to build an MQTT system to read ambient weather conditions outside and in the observatory and control the roll-off-roof etc.

ATM I'm gathering information on MQTT that I can sort out once the heatwave subsides.

Went back and checked your post - very interesting. 👍

It's looking like this and weather station thread may spawn a new one for the MQTT system.

I have pretty much decided to go with MQTT for weather station and obsy roof control (and who knows what else).  I like the modular approach yet encompassing everything.  Seems RPi broker, several ESP32 and ESP6822 clients and client on my Linux Mint box producing graphs and charts.  Could add a wall display client too.

I have pretty much decided to go with MQTT for weather station and obsy roof control (and who knows what else).  I like the modular approach yet encompassing everything.  Seems RPi broker, several ESP32 and ESP8266 clients and client on my Linux Mint box producing graphs and charts.  Could add a wall display client too.

Had a look at MQTT on Google and it looks relatively straightforward.  However, I reckon you or someone else has written basic parts of the code I would need for my weather station and ESP32 devices.  Don't want to "reinvent the wheel" if I can help it.