Citizen Weather Observer Program

[2] The FindU database is a set of privately operated Internet servers, run by Steve Dimse, (amateur radio callsign K4HG).

Numerous IGates (Internet Gateways) receive broadcast amateur radio Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) packets containing position and short messages (including telemetry such weather observations), and forward the data to the FindU servers via APRS-IS on the Internet.

Weather observations may be polled directly from FindU, and the data is forwarded to MADIS for ingest.

The amateur radio connection makes it inexpensive and simple for an individual to install consumer-level weather sensors at a point of interest, connect them to a radio transmitter via a simple APRS modem, and start sharing weather reports with forecasters worldwide.

Solar power and radio transmission makes it possible to drop completely self-contained weather sensors on unattended and wireless sites, allowing for a dense set of sample measurements to be collected.

A CWOP home weather station. The mast supports a wind vane and anemometer , while the rain gauge and other sensors are installed near ground level.