I saw one of these on Home Built Aircraft using a Raspberry Pi and I wanted one. So I built my own little project.
It works with an Arduino type device , ESP8266, which has WiFi and various inputs/outputs which are programmable.
So, I set it up to go to the Aviation Weather sever and get the METAR for a group of airports, then output the flight condition to a series of leds. These leds are behind a Georgia Aeronautical chart and shine though to show VFR (green), MVFR (blue), IFR (red) and LIFR (magenta), but any chart or map will work.
Up to 50 airports/leds can be displayed using my little board. It is still in development, but I could not resist posting on my progress. The total cost is going to be less than 25 dollars.
It also outputs the information on my computer as it cycles through each station.
I thought I would share this with you guys. Very simple to make but fiddly to wire up.
In concept, it does not get any simpler than this.
ESP8266_wiring.jpg
But we want to have individual leds across the chart. So, cut with sissors at each connection and place the led at the airport location under the chart then solder extension wires to the next led. I put a pin hole through the chart so I could locate the airport from the back. I use scotch tape to attach the led to the back of the chart. Very fiddly.
John Pipe
That is a very cool project John, Thanks for sharing it with us..
IMG_2914.JPG
This is the display at the computer. At the top is the station metar and then a summary for all my stations.
You will learn how to decode the raw data. It updates usually on the hour.
IMG_2916.JPG
This it so far. At the top is the battery and the module. At the bottom is a couple of leds ready to be soldered in place.
That would look like a mobile command center...... that really is cool.
I have been working on tweaks and changes that I wanted to do.
By adding little stuff my program began to crash using the ESP8266. So I had to reduce the max number of stations to less than 40 to make it run consistently. To overcome this I switched to the ESP32 which has twice the memory and more functionality. It only costs and extra dollar or so. Now I can run more than 50 stations, tested.
My concept was to make it like the video, but better of course. This is what does:
Initializes the LEDs with a rolling pattern when it is first powered up.
Gets the METAR for the station in sequence and displays on the computer monitor, if you have one hooked up, including decoded REMARKS. (It will show Gusts, Weather types and Clouds and other stuff, even Volcanic Ash which may be useful if you fly by Mount Etna.)
The statiion LED will turn: ORANGE, showing it is getting the data.
Turn WHITE to show any weather.
Turn shades of AQUA to show wind speed.
Turn shades of YELLOW to show Temperature.
Turn GREEN/RED for VFR/IFR etc.
Then it waits and goes on the next station, until all stations are updated. Then it will display a table of all the stored values. Next time around, it will update each station and change ALL the LEDs ( more exciting). It now calculates the Density Altitude too.
I have also ordered a string of 50 prewired LEDs to play with. My LED Chart is almost complete now using the ESP32.
I am getting there.
John
Step 1
Goto Arduino Web site and down load interface software: https://www.arduino.cc/en/main/software for your computer operating system.
Step 2
Watch YouTube video about setting for ESP32 https://youtu.be/DgaKlh081tU.
Step 3
Contact me at jpipe001@gmail.com and I will email you my code.
Step 4
Modify my code to suit your application.
You will need to get the hardware next.
IMG_2945.JPG
IMG_2940.JPG
First picture shows the ESP32 board, powered up from a cell phone charging bank. Top left shows the alternative with cellphone charger and 6 ft. cable. The ESP32 is connected with 3 Dupont connectors/wires and spliced to a set of 50 prewired lights soldered with heat shrink (over on the right-side of the picture). The trouble with this set up, is that the single leds are very small and the connecting wires are "heavy" and going to be difficult to bend around flat. So, I suggest you use my first method of a strip of leds cut up and individually wired together again. See Below. At the top of the pcture, you can see my reel of leds and I have cut one off and laid it down in front. To wire these leds up, I used individual strands of a ribbon cable on the right and soldered them to the larger pads on the roll of leds.
Connecting the wires to ESP32 you could just solder them carefully to the pins and slide heat shrink tubing over. On the right side of top picture.
The Second picture shows, A sectional chart over a foam board 20x30 inches. You can use any chart or map.
IMG_2947.JPG
This is the side nobody will see how bad my wiring is. Note the arrows showing the data in / data out direction, so I solder it up correctly.
Parts needed:
ESP32 ESP-32S NodeMCU Development Board 2.4GHz WiFi+Bluetooth Dual Mode,CP2102, eBay item number: 382601606021 $ 7.99 I bought mine on Ebay.
WS2812B 5V 5050 RGB LED Strip 1-5M 30 60 144 150 300 Leds Individual Addressable non-waterproof , eBay item number: 253728031352 $ 8.20 I bought mine on Ebay Preferably, get the ones with the copper tabs on the top and the bottom side.
Thin wire to connect led to led. I just thought, individual telephone wires would work.
Some sort of 5 Volt power supply, bought at FREDS.
Foam board, bought at Dollar Store.
And the software: Updated 4/30
METAR_ESP32_Rev_4_30.txt
and that is it.
METAR_ESP32_3_24.txt
Metar Station.jpg
Metar Summarya.jpg
Metar Summaryb.jpg
Metar Stationa.jpg
Nice work! I recently got into some motor control stuff with both the Arduino and the Pi4 for my telescope. Amazing what you can do these days with dime-store hardware and a little bit of effort.
Very cool project.
You should make one for the hanger. You obviously have the Arduino IDE and the knowledge of how to use it. I can use the hot spot on my phone.
So all you need is some LEDS and an ESP32.
Thank you -John
John, Any chance you could be talked into making a Florida map with your latest setup?
I would really like to have one for my trailer/mobile hanger but I just don't have the time to make one as good as you can.
$$ not a problem. your terms.
Can you get the map you want to use and send it to me?
Indeed. All I need is when and where to send it.
Will any good Aviation map of Florida do or is there a preferred map u'd recommend?
Any map will do. Preferably one sided, so nothing shows through. Size is another factor, so it fits on the wall. There is also a mounting and framing consideration. I used dollar store display board as a backing, but that limits the size of the map. For instance the standard area aviation chart was too wide and had to be cut down to make it fit.
You could use a sheet of 4x8 foam board 1 inch thick from the hardware store and cut it down to fit the map.
So, start with how big you want the display and do you want a frame? Then, think about a map to fit. The most expensive case would be a large frame and a specially printed map to fit.
I asked a printer friend about size and he said he could down load a map from the internet and print it out any length but there was a maximum width because of the printer bed. Like 3 feet, I don't remember exactly.
Too many choices.
Chew on it.
3' x 6' ok with you? Just kidding!!!
The second pic is of the map wall in the mobile hanger base. LOL! The map in middle with the blue boarders just to the right of the picture is kind of what I had in mind. If your friend can print a aero map w/ ease I would be ok with that too. And in a frame, that way it could be moved to a new location w/ ease. Let me know what you need for resources. A Florida Aviation Map from North to South in it's entirety would be perfect.
143.jpg
IMG_0055.JPEG
Yes, but Florida is tall and skinny. You don't want it on it's side.
What is the height you have available? ie existing picture frame height, then the width of frame would depend on the scale of the chart.
Here is two sectional charts clipped to cardboard box backing and folded back. Pain to line up the charts on top of each other.
Cheaper option to think about.
FloridaChart.jpg
John,
I started to stitch together two sectionals together yesterday before I had to stop and do my taxes. I hope to get back to it today.
Kind of looks like that's the idea. Do u think I should just order two Florida sectionals online and then send them to you? Than this would determine the map size and frame?
I downloaded the Miami Sectional from FAA website. It is the same size as our two charts switched together. I could not do any thing with it once it was down loaded though, I don't have the software to edit it ( crop it to size ).
I think that this is the way to go. No joins or creases and one sided.
Still need the height available from you.
John
John, I did the same thing. I am joining the Jacksonville and Miami sectionals together in photoshop.. I will send you this map when I get it finished.
Try Photoshoping this:
https://www.fdot.gov/aviation/directory.shtm
All I can do with it is view it.
Pulled this image from the PDF. This image is low res. I have a hi res one that is 110mb but can't upload it here since images have to stay below 20mb. I can send it to you in an email. Can u use this image? I have been fighting with stitching together of some real high res pics from the FAA but I would be happy with this image. 3'x 3' frame maybe?
Im1.png
This took ages to down load this image.
Let me talk to the printer chap.
John
I would think the printer could download the pdf link you posted and use that hi res image directly for printing. just a thought. The pic I posted here is low res like I said.
Bad news.
I can't get hold of my printer.
I don't know why, may be he closed the shop because of the virus.
John
Well let's play it by ear. Maybe I can find someone around my parts. Haven't really looked but I got time too now thanks to this virus.
Thumbs Up
METAR_ESP32_4_01.txt
Latest update of the software.
It is worth down loading / viewing this file, just to see the internet links for Youtube videos and weather links used associated with this project. Just browse the comments at the beginning of the file.
Enjoy.
METAR_ESP32_4_01_FL.txt
Slightly modified 4/13/20.
For Florida users.
This is configured for 80 stations, which can be changed easily. Most of which are all in Florida. The last few are just fill ins to make up a total of 80.
You can reorganize the list by cutting and pasting them in to the desired order and add or delete what you want. It is a good start.
You also may have to edit the names to make them a little more readable. They are from the FAA website. There is a link in the beginning of the program for all stations.
So for now, buy a ESP32 and a cable, hook it up to a computer and get started. Review the Getting Started video link from DroneBot workshop.
Hope this helps.
I just received my first Arduino UNO two weeks ago, been waiting for months for delivery from China which was delayed for virus issues of course. Already got my first Arduino MINI, motor shield, 3 Bluetooth boards, about 500 LEDs of various sorts, various transistors, caps, diodes, relays, zeners, assorted resistors, a couple of solder-less breadboards, power shields, servos, micro gear motors, LED drivers and bar graphs. Got a bunch of projects in mind, including wireless train control, DCC train control, block signaling, as well as gyro related stuff.
I had no idea it was going to be so much fun to get into electronics! The stuff ya can DO these days! Wow. Yer way ahead of me, but I can appreciate what your doing at least :)
METAR_ESP32_4_25_GA.txt
Here is the latest version of my program where I have listed all the Georgia stations.
I wanted to show how to edit the station names as an example. These names, I copied from the FAA website and formatted to what is needed to insert them into my program. These stations are in alfa numerical order and need to be changed to the order of the layout.
This IS so much fun.
Also working on an analog clock. This has a rotating arm driven by an electric motor with leds on the arm which flash, as it rotates, producing the illusion of a 12 hour analog clock with hour, minute and second hand. It uses the same hardware as this METAR project does.
Still waiting on parts for this project from China.
John
METAR_ESP32_05_21.txt
***********************
Edited May 21 2020.
Please click on the above file and read REMARKS for its capability.
**********************
Added LED Gradient Displays for Wind, Temperature, Visability and Pressure.
Please see REMARKS in the Attached File.
John
PS Today is May 9 and it is snowing in JOHNSTOWN, PA.
Gewt out of here! Burrrrrrrr!
METAR_ESP32_05_24dc.txt
This time I have made a giant leap in terms of speed. Previously, the program got the Metars over the internet, parsed that data, then displayed the LEDS and finally displayed the info on the web page, all in a sequential sets of steps and was relatively slow due to the nature of the beast.
Now, I have used the ESP32 muti tasking ability, to have a "Get the Data" and "Display Info" running in parallel. The result is much faster response in displaying Metars.
The overall concept has not changed and the displays are the same as above, but the speed is so much faster. Compared to the Raspberry Pi version video, that I first thought was COOL, This is SO MUCH better and less EXPENSIVE too.
The capability of this tiny little ESP32 board is amazing.
Even if you have little interest in this project; Please open the above file and read the Remarks/Comments in the beginninig of the file to see its capabilities and the development of this project. The videos are interesting to watch.
Enjoy,
John
I'd like to do a full wall map of the US complete in my man cave!
How kewl would that look. FBO's should see these maps and use them.
US map would be doable.
Another Florida map, for the man cave, would be more interesting, because of the Gradient Displays. You can watch the temp difference across the state (East-West and North-South and Coast to Inland). I have noticed a definite temp increase in Orlando compared to the coastal towns. Also, the pressure change as weather and hurricanes crosses the state.
I like to watch the visibility as morning mist and fog clears, then the afternoon thunderstorms roll in. I look out for yellow leds because they indicate something unusual. But watch out, the flashing leds ARE mesmorising and a lot of fun to watch.
You would NOT have to run outside to the trailer to check the weather.
FBO's would love local or state maps. Airlines would probably go for US or world maps, without the gradient display.
I like the Christmas tree idea, no mounting of the leds, just plunk them over the tree.
to have both one in the trailer and one full wall in the 2nd bedroom.
I hope to have time next month to explore this wall map stuff again.
Got to finish my gyro pre-rotor and new light saber projects.
See u around.
Latest Update:
METAR_ESP32_06_07.txt
Minor changes.
for the update.
METAR_ESP32_MASTER.txt
Minor Changes.
PS; I also posted on Rotary Wing Forum.
Still pumping em out eh John? Thankx.
Found a few interesting lines of code that I added.
Here is an update:
It shows additional information in the Significant Weather column. This is gleaned from the codes in the METAR remarks.
Otherwise the rest is basically unchanged.
Updated Software:
METAR_ESP32_04_14_21_MASTER.txt
Example Displays:
summary_4_24_21.jpg
Columbus_4_24_21.jpg
Very kewl to see you still update....now I just need to get one built or buy one from you! I just can't find the time to make one...or two.
Thanks John.