Cameras, Weather Stations, and Web Pages for as little as $250.00

How www.1wa6.com got started,
This web site was born of my love of aviation, computing, electronics, and cameras. Last winter I made a lot of trips to my airplane only to find out that I was fogged in or that the ceilings were so low that I couldn't get out. The situation lent itself well to my profession and to my hobbies.  It wasn't long before I had one camera up and a static demo page of weather data. It was so well received that I was soon making the pitch to the airport association officers to fund more cameras and a weather station. The association embraced the idea and off I went. Now I stay home until the fog clears, or if I'm coming home I know that I need to file IFR for another airport with an approach or I'll just stay put!

Unexpected results,
While the purpose of the service is self evident two unexpected results have become evident. The site becomes a focal point and fosters community. It's the weather@home, how it looks@home, the news@home,,,,, it's all about your home and it creates a sense of community. I believe it can become a focal point for business too!
Secondly I'm surprised how many people are interested in weather. Now the folks in the community know how hard it rained last night, or how hard the wind blew... It's just fun to watch and check in on.

Due to the private nature of this airpark please don't land there without prior permission.  If you are interested in purchasing the system and would like to see it I'd be happy to show it to you by appointment. You'll also find a few pictures in the "Just for Fun" page of the active system to help you visualize it. The link to the active system is http://www.1wa6.com.

What it's built from,
Communications,
The cameras and weather station can run on anything from a dial up phone line, to DSL, Cable or T1. The faster the connection the more frequent the data can update. This installation is on a DSL line that is shared with a resident that often times downloads large volumes of data. It would run just fine on a businesses DSL line and wouldn't interfere with business. The main console updates every 3 seconds and would make a perfect non certified advisory source for an FBO.

Cameras,
The cameras are web server network cams. They can be wired or wireless and don't need a computer, they only need a network connection and may be setup in many ways depending on the need. As an example one camera may be hosted by a home or business at one end of the airport, and use that network connection without interfering with the home or business. Most folks would never know it was there.  Several more cameras can be networked at that the principal place of business. The cameras are not "hardened" but seem to be surviving weather extremes just fine.

Weather,
The weather station is a Davis brand high quality "personal weather station". It's comprised of the outdoor sensors  and an indoor console with a computer interface. The computer is a surplus no name with modest specifications that was donated by an association officer. It runs the weather software, a remote control client, and an ftpserver.

Tasks to make it go,
Interview and establish the desired product.
Purchase and receive materials.
Program and install cameras and routers.
Install network cabling or wireless devices.
Prepare the computer, upgrade, install operating system, install patches.
Set up and prepare Web and DNS services.
Create web pages.
Install weather station console and sensors.
Install, calibrate, and configure  weather station  software.
Install and set up FTP and remote access software.
Final acceptance testing.

Disclaimer,
This system is not an FAA certified station or device in any way. It is not to be used for navigation or to make flight decisions. Always use recognized data sources for your flight briefings.

Costs
Every system is going to be custom. And every owner will participate to a greater or lesser degree. I do this more for self satisfaction than profit. While I am a registered tax paying business (DP Consulting) I do this work in my spare time. I would be happy to discuss a custom system for you. Total costs for the system you see were around $2,500.00.  A simple single wireless camera with no weather station can be put on the Internet for about $250.00. Deluxe fully custom programmed installations could cost $5,000 or more. Lets talk about it!

Who I am,
I'm an electronic tech, radio tech, fiber optic tech, traffic signal tech, and electrician all by certification, an ITS Master by current job title, and a hobbyist web programmer. I'm an IFR rated pilot of my own C-172 but best of all I'm the grandfather of a nine year old granddaughter by the name of Aspen. I'm about 5 years from retiring to a position where I can work as little or as much as I like. That's what this is all about. Combining all of my passions to give me something fun in aviation, to do now and in the future.

Contact me at Admin@avcams.com
Dan Plute