Forums > Windsurfing   New South Wales

Lake Illawarra Holfuy Weather Station

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Created by bushfire > 9 months ago, 17 Jun 2019
bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
17 Jun 2019 7:10PM
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Hi Guys,
The weather station has been running unaided for nearly 3 years so it's now time to do a bit of maintenance. It is planned to start this process tomorrow (Tues 18th) morning with help from Maritime's contractor, Solartech.

Maintenance will include;
1) Cleaning the solar panels, webcam and ultrasonic anemometer
2) Installing a new main electronics board
3) Checking the seals on the boxes
4) Connecting a new ultrasonic probe to measure tide height
5) Install new bird deterrent spikes

It is hoped to re-install the weather station this Wednesday.

Thanks go to Oak Flats Bowling & Recreation Club operating at the Illawarra Yacht club for providing the funds to maintain and upgrade the weather station.

Jetlag
NSW, 168 posts
18 Jun 2019 4:42AM
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bushfire said..
Hi Guys,
The weather station has been running unaided for nearly 3 years so it's now time to do a bit of maintenance. It is planned to start this process tomorrow (Tues 18th) morning with help from Maritime's contractor, Solartech.

Maintenance will include;
1) Cleaning the solar panels, webcam and ultrasonic anemometer
2) Installing a new main electronics board
3) Checking the seals on the boxes
4) Connecting a new ultrasonic probe to measure tide height
5) Install new bird deterrent spikes

It is hoped to re-install the weather station this Wednesday.

Thanks go to Oak Flats Bowling & Recreation Club operating at the Illawarra Yacht club for providing the funds to maintain and upgrade the weather station.


Wow, great stuff Glen!!! Thanks go to you for making all this happen. Incorporated water level ..... love it!!!!!

bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
18 Jun 2019 3:41PM
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Job done!
The level measurement is an arbitrary distance from the ultrasonic sensor to the water. Over time we will get an idea on what the measurement means with respect to real tide height.
Thanks to the Solartech guys for the two trips out to the "green pole" today!




eckas
NSW, 323 posts
19 Jun 2019 6:42PM
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Sensational Bushy! That on-water weather station is the envy of NSW (perhaps Australia)! Thanks for keeping it going for us all!

bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
20 Jun 2019 12:49PM
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The new water level gauge seems to measuring ok but the reading is not graphing correctly. Also the level doesn't currently show on the mobile app. I'm working with the Holfuy guys to fix the issues.

peterowensbabs
NSW, 448 posts
21 Jun 2019 10:00PM
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I wish we could crowd fund one for Narrabeen, I reckon it would pay for its self in fuel savings on wasted trips in the hope there is wind!

bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
3 Jul 2019 6:38PM
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The guys at Holfuy have now fixed up the level graphing on the Holfuy website. To make any sense of the level graph create a thin box over the measurements from about 620 cm to 685cm by dragging your mouse, so that the graph "zooms" in. There are some measurements outside this range but they seem to be "noise"
It is interesting to compare to the sea tide measurements (say at Port Kembla);

Sea Tide : approximate amplitude = 1.5m (varies according to time of month and year)
Primbee Tide : approx amplitude = 0.6m, peaks/troughs delayed about 3 hrs 15 mins compared to sea.

The Primbee tide will also be affected by heavy rainfall in the catchment and probably wind direction.

So in summary : 625cm = pretty shallow, 680cm = plenty of water!

Jetlag
NSW, 168 posts
4 Jul 2019 10:38AM
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bushfire said..
The guys at Holfuy have now fixed up the level graphing on the Holfuy website. To make any sense of the level graph create a thin box over the measurements from about 620 cm to 685cm by dragging your mouse, so that the graph "zooms" in. There are some measurements outside this range but they seem to be "noise"
It is interesting to compare to the sea tide measurements (say at Port Kembla);

Sea Tide : approximate amplitude = 1.5m (varies according to time of month and year)
Primbee Tide : approx amplitude = 0.6m, peaks/troughs delayed about 3 hrs 15 mins compared to sea.

The Primbee tide will also be affected by heavy rainfall in the catchment and probably wind direction.

So in summary : 625cm = pretty shallow, 680cm = plenty of water!


I've had a looks at the last few days maxima and minima compared to the MHL Cudgeree Bay reading which I've been using. The correlation is pretty good.




bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
4 Jul 2019 12:30PM
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Nice comparison Jet.
It also shows that the tide amplitude gets progressively less the further you go from the lake entrance.

Mr Milk
NSW, 2897 posts
6 Jul 2019 12:16AM
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peterowensbabs said..
I wish we could crowd fund one for Narrabeen, I reckon it would pay for its self in fuel savings on wasted trips in the hope there is wind!



Holfuy, whoever they are, already has a station at Long Reef

holfuy.com/en/weather/177%C2%A0

bushfire
NSW, 350 posts
8 Jul 2019 4:34PM
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???
Holfuy are the company that makes the weather stations. They are based in Hungary. There are hundreds of Holfuy weather stations around the world.

peterowensbabs
NSW, 448 posts
14 Jul 2019 11:04PM
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Mr Milk said..

peterowensbabs said..
I wish we could crowd fund one for Narrabeen, I reckon it would pay for its self in fuel savings on wasted trips in the hope there is wind!




Holfuy, whoever they are, already has a station at Long Reef

holfuy.com/en/weather/177%C2%A0


Yep the one at Longey is paid for and maintained by the Paragliding Club, its handy but the lake is in such a bowl and so unpredictable it could do with its own. A SSW works but a WSW will be gusty as hell as, a for instance. Or NE works but an ENE tends not to , the lake can be top fun ( e.g yesterday I believe people even pulling off forwards off the chop) but it can also be a pain in the ass!

AyreForce1
NSW, 333 posts
15 Aug 2019 10:52AM
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Select to expand quote
peterowensbabs said..

Mr Milk said..


peterowensbabs said..
I wish we could crowd fund one for Narrabeen, I reckon it would pay for its self in fuel savings on wasted trips in the hope there is wind!





Holfuy, whoever they are, already has a station at Long Reef

holfuy.com/en/weather/177%C2%A0



Yep the one at Longey is paid for and maintained by the Paragliding Club, its handy but the lake is in such a bowl and so unpredictable it could do with its own. A SSW works but a WSW will be gusty as hell as, a for instance. Or NE works but an ENE tends not to , the lake can be top fun ( e.g yesterday I believe people even pulling off forwards off the chop) but it can also be a pain in the ass!


Does the Long Reef weather stn work ok for wavesailing in the vicinity of the reef, north or south?



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"Lake Illawarra Holfuy Weather Station" started by bushfire