Please tell me that you didn’t arc weld galvanized metals!!! The fumes from welding galvanized metals supposedly cause brain damage, and no professional welder would dare to take on that fabrication job…
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It’s probably off topic for this thread, but there are a million internet resources for how to safely weld galvanized steel and the proper PPE involved. Avoiding the zinc oxide fumes outdoors is a lot easier than it is indoors, especially with some wind.
EDIT: here is a concise article about welding galvanized metals: http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf
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right now it is the one that came with the mount (5’) although I did buy a longer one from home depot (electrical conduit), I have been too lazy to instal it. I would probably improve my air temp accuracy by getting the tempest further form the roof. too hot right now to go up and mess with it.
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No, it’s a wood rod.
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I haven’t seen any but then I’m not in a super sunny part of the country here in the Pacific Northwest. I did paint the first two poles with plastic furniture paint but I didn’t paint the third pole and they all look new.
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Forgive my ignorance. So even if it’s connected to a metal bracket it doesn’t need to be grounded ?
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Did the hub not store-forward the data after the connection was restored? We haven’t had many, if all, ISP issues in close to a year but I do not recall missing data… hmmm (now i’m going to search!)
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Help, neighbor on one side does not like obtrusive “camera”.
I posted earlier about where to locate my Tempest. Was thinking of putting it up on first floor roof eaves. But others thoughts suggested down lower. So it’s now 10’6" above ground using the horizontal fence post from Home Depot.
I told neighbor ahead of time I was putting up a weather station, but after getting questions about the “camera” from contractors or friends, they aren’t totally happy with my location. I tried to put it in somewhat open area, back away as much as possible from trees, and two story homes on each side of my one story home.
They may be more friendly to moving it on the same fence back toward back fence, or other direction which is closer to the two homes.
Thoughts here?
Thanks,
Jeff
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Perhaps invite them to take a close look at the Tempest to see no camera and demonstrate the app. Give them the public link so they can look at the data real time?
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Thanks for your thoughts. I did send them the link earlier today so they can see all the weather it shows. I don’t think they think it’s a question of them really thinking there is a camera, just others asking “What’s that?”
There may be more sensitivity since both neighbors on the side, as well as myself, have pools in the backyard. And their pool, and my pool are nearer the fence where the Tempest is mounted. There are more trees on the other side.
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The Tempest and pole do not need to be grounded electrically.
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If the tempest is on a pole at the highest point of a house would that not need to be grounded though? - esp if its on a metal pole…
Andy
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I’ll preface this by saying I’m not en electrical engineer, but I have worked with them on occasion. 
What follows could be completely wrong.
Grounding is a bit of art & science, but my understanding is that grounding is required when there is a possibility for a difference in electrical potential between 2 or more devices that share a common power source. Since the Tempest is self powered, this does not exist.
Lightning protection is a separate, but related issue. Lightning exists when the electrical potential in an air mass builds up and seeks the easiest path to the ground. Sticking a grounded metallic object up above other grounded objects provides that path (i.e. Ben Franklin). One could assume that lightning would ignore the plastic Tempest and follow the pole down to the ground, but that ignores the electromagnetic pulse that would fry nearby electronic components.
As an aside, lightning rods work the opposite of the way most people think. They are not intended to conduct lightning to the ground, they work by grounding the air mass such that the potential is reduced and the chances of lightning in the immediate area are less.
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You told your neighbor in advance, which was nice. If folks ask, explain nicely to them as well. 99% of the people will say “oh pretty cool idea - where can I get one?”. I typically add something like “you know that Weather Underground site you always go to, I’m one of the stations feeding them weather data”.
But whether they’re totally happy with it is ‘too bad so sad’ in my opinion. Nobody’s happy with everything. Leave it where you want to site it so ‘you’ get the most fun from it.
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Thanks Vince,
I’m thinking of painting the Yardgard 10’ 6" galvanized fence rail a brown to closely match the fence, which will also “match” much trunks and branches of the trees in the background from both her side of the fence as well as my side. Now, to figure out how to paint galvanized pipe…
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They sell a black variant of the pole if you want to try to swap them out for a pre-painted version. I stumbled across that aisle a month or so ago and noticed that. For paint, Rustoleum always has worked for me, FWIW.
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Vince,
I got the yardgard fence top rail 10’ 6", 1 3/8 diameter. I don’t see a black version of it when I’m looking at Home Depot.
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It isn’t in every store…and isn’t exactly cheap:
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Thanks vreilhen,
Wow, it cost almost three times more. But would be worth it, but there are none to be found within 100 miles of my store. Drats.
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A can’o Rustoleum outside paint and a little time for it to dry and you’ll be all set…
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