Gina

The plan seems to be to set up the ESP32 as in Wim's webserver idea exactly with the BME280 and get it working then try adding code for the wind sensors etc.

I think I'll use 2 ESP32s, one for the wind sensors and rain gauge and the other in the scope room for BME280 and DHT22 outside in Stevenson screen on the outside connected through the north wall to the ESP32 inside. These can be linked with ESP-NOW and the ESP32 in the wind unit used as WIFi as it will be higher and a bit nearer to the WiFi AP. ESP32 in preference to the ESP8266 as it has more free GPIO lines.

Can more than one client system access a server at the same time?

I see - OK.

I used to know Python some years ago - I'm more familiar with C++ now but guess I can revise Python.

Didn't know you could do that. Later I would like to know how to pull data off a web page in software.

Don't quite understand ESP-NOW. Says if doesn't use WiFi yet isn't wired so does it use BlueTooth?

Ordered a BME280 due to arrive tomorrow. That will go in the Stevenson Screen on the north wall of the obsy. I'll use a DHT22 for inside the scope room. Have several of those. Or the other way round - just that I only need one pressure sensor. Don't know what the use the altitude sensor is.

I presume you mean this one :- https://lastminuteengineers.com/bme280-esp32-weather-station/ I think that's a good idea. I reckon I could modify the code to do what I want OK. It would certainly be a good first step.

Can only find ESP-now for ESP8266 - not ESP32.

I thought installing WeeWX into the ESP was asking too much - WeeWX looks like a powerful piece of software. I wondered about ESP-now for using two ESPs. Sounds like a solution.

Read right through that now and not all the code is included! 😮 I may be able to glean some information from it but I'm none too hopeful.

I Googled ESP and WeeWX and came up with THIS which might form a basis for what I want. It uses an RPi as the client rather than a desktop or laptop and ESP8266 like I have with lots of pins. I guess an ESP32 would work as well. I haven't read right through the article yet but it looks hopeful. One thing I was hoping I might do as an extra would be a wall display of the weather data with analogue dials. An RPi would drive these gauges nicely.

That one seems to connect via USB not LAN/WiFi.

Most of those - don't think I have anything to add. Oh yes... Forgetting to set things correctly!!

I think I prefer the WeeWX approach but I don't know if it is possible to make the ESP look like one of the commercial stations. I have yet to find something which will work as I would like. The ESP as web server is interesting though complicated and would require quite a lot of work to add the wind sensors and rain gauge. Another problem may be that I was thinking of having 2 ESPs in different places to cover all the WS sensors. Maybe I need to rethink the whole thing.

That's interesting. Hadn't though of making the ESP a web server, indeed didn't know it was possible. So all the HTML code is put in the ESP32. That should work fine for a simple weather station but I wonder if there's space to generate graphs and charts as I've done in the past using Python and GnuPlot.

I think the WiFi range should be alright but I'll bear that in mind. My plan was not to use the weather station to control the roof but to display the weather data indoors - particularly wind direction and speed plus temperature and humidity outdoors and in the obsy.

I'll check that out as it could do what I want but I did say "weather station using an ESP without anything to do with Ekos etc." Sorry Wim.

Checking out the documentation I've found another problem. The drivers included are for the many proprietary stations. Can't see any mention of ESP. Maybe I would need to code the ESP to use one of those station data formats. I come back the the query of whether anyone here has a working weather station using an ESP without anything to do with Ekos etc.

Problem installing WeeWX - all went well until the install stage. gina@Mint-Desktop ~ $ sudo apt-get install weewx E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable) E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it? I've had this before with other software but forget how to cure it.

I already have a similar device but the mechanics of my wind vane use an end bearing (ball and flat) and I can't use an on-axis magnet.

That looks very interesting - could be just what I need. Thanks.

I certainly think MQTT is OTT for what I want. I agree that I could probably use KStars/Ekos/INDI but that doesn't really fit the bill as I see it. It's great for astro but my thinking is that a weather station is rather different. If linking the weather to obsy roof control I can see the advantage but I don't think I shall be doing that - just a rain sensor will take care of closing the roof if it rains. I know I could use an RPi (maybe plus ESP to give enough IO pins) and get the data indoors that way. I thought I read that one or two on here had weather station software running on their indoor computers that didn't use Ekos etc.

I'm sure I'm missing something quite simple here. Getting confused! I can handle modifying the C++ code in the INDI drivers to suit my astro needs but the framework is already there. I reckon that if I had that for the weather station I could modify the code to suit my inclinations. I'm well familiar with C++ so coding the ESP is no problem (same as Arduino) and I've used Python in the past and could probably pick it up again. I have a fair sized book on Python programing.