Off-Grid Extreme Weather Alert Station.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, gales, typhoons, floods: extreme weather can happen anytime, anywhere.

On the grid, you can track and follow these phenomena with ease: but what do you do when the grid is down? You need an off-grid system.

With a few wild-gathered materials, and simple tools and wire, you can create a variety of weather alert stations which can indicate if you are currently experiencing extreme weather. This instructable will give you the techniques you need to create your own basic Extreme Weather Alert Station.

The basic Extreme Weather Alert Station reacts to earthquake and flood.

With the addition of an Attachment Wand, the Extreme Weather Alert Station adjusts to also indicate gale or hurricane/typhoon. The description photo shows an Extreme Weather Alert Station with Attachment Wand. This Instructable will show steps for constructing and testing a basic Extreme Weather Alert Station.

Although no scientific proof yet exists, tradition indicates that the Extreme Weather Alert Station works best when indigenous materials are used: if possible, you should use wild-gathered local rocks, feathers, leaves, etc. rather than those you may have collected elsewhere or imported.

For the basic Extreme Weather Alert Station , you will need rocks from 1" - 2" (2.54 mm - 5 mm). While you can make an Extreme Weather Alert Station from rocks of any shape, for your first Station, you may wish to work with a rock with flat sides.

The wild-gathered materials are the critical component for this project.

The only additional supply you will need is wire. The prototypes were made with dark annealed steel wire which is available at most hardware stores. The size and weight of your wild-gathered materials will determine the gauge you should use for the basic Extreme Weather Alert Station: a coiled spiral of your wire must be able to support the entire Extreme Weather Alert Station.

You will need hardware store wire cutters and pliers. Note: do not use your jeweler's tools on steel wire.

Finally, be sure to have your safety equipment: goggles and gloves.

A small rock with a flat base will form the basic Extreme Weather Alert Station.

Put on your gloves and your safety goggles.

To begin, you will create a spiral of coiled wire on the end of your spool of wire. The size of the spiral you need will depend on the size and shape of your rock. For your first Station, make the spiral as wide as the width of your rock.

You create the spiral by using the pliers to make a small circle at the end of the wire. Then, you continue winding the wire around and around that circle until the spiral is the width you need.

In the photos for the following steps, you will see one possible construction sequence.

You use the straight length of wire to wrap the rock and hold it steady above the spiral foot.

Curve the wire out to one side, then back over the spiral.
Bend the wire to make loops parallel to the spiral.

Use the pliers to squeeze the loops tighter.
Bend the loops over the rock.

Continue wrapping the rock with the wire.
Finish the end of the wire with a decorative spiral.

There is a two step testing sequence for the Extreme Weather Alert Station.

First, install the Extreme Weather Alert Station on a stable table.

Please note: the Extreme Weather Alert Station is a sensitive instrument which may need recalibration before testing. To recalibrate, hold base to table and gently reposition the central portion until stable. Slowly remove hands. Your Extreme Weather Alert Station is now installed and ready for testing.

Next, shake the table. Did your Extreme Weather Alert Station fall over? Congratulations. It performed to specifications.