Your Raspberry Pi Projects

Not Pi related - but if I want to make a smart pulse water meter - what would be the correct Arduino to buy, with wifi - and how do I power it? Never used Arduino before.
 
xrapidx said:
Not Pi related - but if I want to make a smart pulse water meter - what would be the correct Arduino to buy, with wifi - and how do I power it? Never used Arduino before.
Click to expand...
What is your budget?

So the Sonoff switches you familiar with is also Arduino's, just heavily towards a specific use case. And Tasmota firmware, is an example sketch program you could load on to it.

If Wifi is what you want, have a look at the ESP32 and ESP8266's: Example: https://www.robotics.org.za/espressif

As for powering them, there are various options. Some can use USB cable for power. Typically they either need 3.3v or 5v. Your sensors will also specify what voltage they need, so also keep that in mind. Most sensors can receive their power from the Arduino, some may need external power.

The Adafruit's are expensive, but I like them because they open up more options:
- They can be powered from a 3.7v battery
- Includes voltage regulator to 3.3v
- Includes a built-in charger, so you can opt to use a small solar panel to power it during the day
--> https://www.robotics.org.za/IM120906006 or https://www.robotics.org.za/IM120906004

You will need a lot of research, and have fun writing the program (sketch) code.
 
One source to consider is Banggood (and possibly Gearbest) with certain items available via cheap courier shipping. Some items in BG with South Africa Direct shipping option at R44 shipped by Buffalo express and local delivery to me in Durban via Fastway. After a processing delay from the 10th to 16th in China it was on the plane on Thursday and in my hand Monday 9am.

I paid R38 on a R500 order customs, vat and clearance.

Beats the post office gamble.
 
xrapidx said:
So if I bought these two items, I'd be on my way to success:
Flow Sensor
https://www.banggood.com/DN25-Coppe...ml?gmcCountry=ZA&createTmp=1&cur_warehouse=CN

https://www.banggood.com/Wemos-UNOW...e-For-Arduino-Uno-p-1205444.html?rmmds=search
Click to expand...
Looks like it could work. The Uno 100%. The sensor is unknown to me and I dont find much for it on Google in terms of working examples. Still it could work I think.

You will want to read this:
https://www.openhacks.com/uploadsproductos/g1__water_flow_sensor_-_wiki.pdf
Thats for a different flow sensor, but I am sure you can just tweak the values to match the sensor from banggood. Both are pulse type sensors.
 
Tinuva said:
Looks like it could work. The Uno 100%. The sensor is unknown to me and I dont find much for it on Google in terms of working examples. Still it could work I think.

You will want to read this:
https://www.openhacks.com/uploadsproductos/g1__water_flow_sensor_-_wiki.pdf
Thats for a different flow sensor, but I am sure you can just tweak the values to match the sensor from banggood. Both are pulse type sensors.
Click to expand...

Thanks - yeh - since it's a straight forward pulse sensor, it should be simple to get working once picked up, project is urgent because I don't want my wellpoint burning out. So hopefully by mid Fed, end Feb I'll be done.
 
I did a water meter pulse reader with a Raspberry Pi Zero:
Municipal meter has a small hole on the side where I inserted a reed switch to pick up the pulses. (2 pulses / liter)
Wired it to the GPIO. RPi Zero on home wifi and emails "reading" each day. Also sends an email when the daily consumption exceeds a certain value.
 
jd.vdm said:
I did a water meter pulse reader with a Raspberry Pi Zero:
Municipal meter has a small hole on the side where I inserted a reed switch to pick up the pulses. (2 pulses / liter)
Wired it to the GPIO. RPi Zero on home wifi and emails "reading" each day. Also sends an email when the daily consumption exceeds a certain value.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind doing it to track when my usage escalates - but - with the meter outside the property, and no nearby power - won't be possible.
 
xrapidx said:
Would a 12V 1A work? seems to indiciate 7v - 12v.
Click to expand...

That should do the job, provided you are not going to draw too much current out of it( your water pulse project obviously won't).

I have read in some places that the regulator gets hot at the higher limit of the voltage but have not had a problem myself, but I don't like putting heavy current drawing devices onto a Arduino so that might be why.
 
This looks awesome. I will be also waiting to see the build details!
 
Peon said:
My SO was bored so she made an alarm system. It has a touch screen to arm and disarm per sensor and globally. It communicates with a linux server on the internet and has her own made app on the phone to control it from wherever we are.

She started 2 days ago and that where she is now. She thinks its very funny to track my movements.

Whats cool about this alarm system is that we can use old legacy PIR's.
Click to expand...
How did she connect the old legacy PIRs to the Raspberry?
I believe that they need 12v and the Pi can only supply 5V.
 
Knowing nothing about PI , is there anybody that could assist/make a receiver for me for Flightradar24. Obviously I'll buy all parts reguired.
I'm on their silver subscription on my phone but due to time I must spend at home would like to go one notch up.
Krugersdorp at Panorama Estate
Thanks
Duncan
 
stockton said:
How did she connect the old legacy PIRs to the Raspberry?
I believe that they need 12v and the Pi can only supply 5V.
Click to expand...

You power the PIRs with an external psu. Then you use the 3v of the pi through the relay of the pir to one of the input pins
 
dunkyd said:
Knowing nothing about PI , is there anybody that could assist/make a receiver for me for Flightradar24. Obviously I'll buy all parts reguired.
I'm on their silver subscription on my phone but due to time I must spend at home would like to go one notch up.
Krugersdorp at Panorama Estate
Thanks
Duncan
Click to expand...

A few months ago I setup my Pi with Flightradar and Flightaware. All the info you need is here:

https://uk.flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/build
 
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