AeroTech: D.I.Y Anenometer (Wind Speed)

Have you ever looked at the trees swaying and wondered exactly how fast the wind was blowing? While professional weather stations can be expensive, you can build your own functional anemometer (wind speed meter) using basic household items!

This project is a fantastic way to explore the principles of aerodynamics and meteorology. Whether you are building this for a school science project, a scouting badge, or just to monitor the breeze in your backyard, this guide will show you how to create a calibrated tool from scratch. It’s a fun, 30-minute build that turns invisible wind into measurable data!

Materials:

1. 1x NPN M12 (detect metal) https://s.shopee.com.my/6KxztgBb9f?share_channel_code=1
2. 1x BME280 (Temperature and Humidity Sensor) https://s.shopee.com.my/3B0y7vM2Oj?share_channel_code=1
3. 1x MQ135 (Carbon Dioxide Sensor)
4. 1x Anemometer https://s.shopee.com.my/2B8Qw6JSaK?share_channel_code=1
5. PVC enclosure electrical box (10x8) https://s.shopee.com.my/8pfKsEKkon?share_channel_code=1
6. Jumper wires https://s.shopee.com.my/5q1jIrBDQB?share_channel_code=1
7. Impra Board
8. Wood
9. Raspberry Pi Pico W Microcontroller
10. Powerbank 20,000mah
11. Stainless steel nuts and bolts
12. Breadboard
13. Painting brush
14. Clear container cover
15. Julies biscuit container

Tools:

1. Hot glue gun
2. Grinder
3. Hacksaw
4. Solder brand
5. Solder iron in stand
6. Solder
7. Clamp
8. Drill
9. Utility knife
10. Electrical tape
11. Heavy duty double sided tape

To ensure our monitoring station is environmentally robust, we first need to prepare the "brain" of the operation. For the Raspberry Pi Pico W and power system, we chose an industrial-grade IP56-rated enclosure.

1. Protection: This box is the first line of defense, designed to protect the sensitive electronics from rain, dust, and humidity throughout the deployment.
2. Modifications: You will need to drill entry points for the power lead and sensor wires. As shown in the progress photos, position these holes carefully to minimize the risk of water entry (usually on the bottom or lower sides).
3. Installing Glands: Once drilled, install cable glands to secure the wires. This creates a tight seal and prevents water from wicking along the cables and entering the enclosure during rain.
4. The Main Roof Panel: This forms the primary shield against rain.
5. Total Height: 25.5cm
6. Main Width: 17cm
7. Bottom Flap: 8.5cm (This will fold down to protect the rear/connections)
8. Side Slopes: Cut the top angles at a 10cm length to create a water-shedding pitch.
9. Tip: Lightly score the "folding lines" (marked in yellow) with the back of your cutter to get a clean, sharp fold without snapping the plastic.
10. Side Panels: Cut two triangular pieces (6cm base x 7cm height). These will be glued to the sides of the roof to prevent wind-blown rain from entering sideways.
11. Pole: Place the wood acts as pole to hold the hub. For preventing the hub from submerge if rain heavily.

Next, we need to build the specialized housing for the anemometer. This component needs to bridge the physical rotation of the wind cups with the internal electronics while keeping them dry.

1. The Rotor Assembly:This mechanism holds the wind cups and extends the spinning motion inside the box.

1. Lid Preparation: Take the yellow lid and drill a central hole for the anemometer axle. Drill four surrounding holes and insert bolts to act as rigid standoffs.
2. The Shaft Extension: Connect the wind cups to the red extension stick. This ensures the rotation reaches deep enough into the housing to trigger the sensor.
3. The Magnet Disc: Attach the clear plastic disc to the bottom of the red stick using bolts. Crucial: This disc spins with the wind and will eventually hold the magnets that trigger our Hall Effect sensor.

2. Fabricating the Internal Brackets We need custom brackets to hold the electronics steady inside the container while the wind cups spin above them.

1. The Mounting Cross (Blue): Cut the blue plastic into a cross shape with a total width of 13cm. Carefully cut a 2cm x 2.5cm window in the center. This window is vital—it allows the stationary sensor to align perfectly with the rotating magnet disc above it.

3.Housing & Stand

1. Container Prep: Drill a hole in the bottom center of the blue square container. This can serve as a drain for any moisture or an alignment point for the internal sensor structure.
2. Attaching the Legs: Position the four wooden legs (prepared in Step 1) against the corners of the blue container. Secure them tightly using a heavy-duty strap or industrial tape to create a stable tower.

Now that our main structures are prepared, it is time to install the "organs" of the station. In this step, we will fabricate the sensor mounting wall, attach the environmental sensors, and wire everything to the microcontroller.

1. Fabricating the Sensor Wall:We need a dedicated surface to hold our environmental sensors. Using a sheet of green corrugated plastic (Impraboard), cut a strip according to the dimensions in the diagram:

1. Width: 6cm
2. Total Height: Approx 27.5cm, with a main straight section of 16cm.
3. Angled Cuts: Cut the top and bottom at an angle to fit the slope of your roof and base design.

2. Mounting the Sensors: Instead of using screws which might rust or crack the plastic, we used cable ties (zip ties). This method is fast, secure, and allows for easy adjustments.

1. The Gas Sensor (MQ Series): Position the gas sensor on the green wall. Poke two small holes through the plastic and thread a zip tie through to secure the sensor module firmly in place. Ensure the mesh "nose" of the sensor is facing outward to sniff the air.
2. The BME280 (Pressure/Humidity): Mount the purple BME280 sensor higher up on the wall, closer to the roof. This location protects it from direct water splash while still allowing airflow.
3. Tape Reinforcement: As shown in the photos, you can use a small piece of double-sided tape or red insulation tape between the sensor PCB and the wall to prevent it from sliding before you tighten the zip ties.

3. The Main Hub Assembly: Inside the gray IP56 weatherproof box, we place the power and processing units.

1. The Power Source: We used a high-capacity Pineng USB Power Bank. This fits snugly on one side of the enclosure.
2. The Microcontroller: Place your Raspberry Pi Pico W (mounted on a breadboard) into the box.
3. Wiring Routing: Run the jumper wires from the external sensors (on the green wall) through the drilled holes/glands and into the box. Connect them to the breadboard according to your circuit diagram.

4. The Anemometer Connection: For the wind speed sensor (the blue bucket assembly):

1. Ensure the rotating axle inside the blue housing is fitted with your magnet and sensor mechanism.
2. Run these wires back to the main hub as well

These are the code to retrieve the data and make sure that the sensor are working.

https://github.com/meeyo-dotco/AeroTech.git

After the assemble part and circuit complete, your D.I.Y anenometer should work like the video attach below.