Someone revived two vintage wind meters from an airport tower using an ESP32-C6

Vintage wind meters, once set to gather data at an airport control tower, found a new purpose thanks to a creative tinkerer. The two meters, originally destined for the recycling bin, were salvaged and given a second life through digital innovation. A Reddit user named Evening_Stretch100 shared their experience of reviving the vintage equipment and connecting it to their own weather station.

The project began when the individual spotted the obsolete wind speed and direction meters during the demolition of an old control tower at their local airport. These humble devices were deemed useless until they were given a fresh lease on life. To preserve the meters, they designed and 3D printed a protective case to house the components.

The ESP32-C6 module served as the brain behind the operation, interfacing with the dials that measured wind speed and direction. While the wind speed sensor proved relatively straightforward to wire, the wind direction sensor presented a greater challenge. The meter data was then fed into an AcuRite Atlas device, which communicated its findings using RTL-SDR on a Raspberry Pi. The data was processed through WeeWX and disseminated via MQTT protocol.

The system was designed with redundancy in mind, as the ESP32 would automatically switch to the Atlas's weather reports if the meters went silent for more than two minutes. This ensures a continuous stream of weather information, even if the vintage meters fail. The story highlights the potential for repurposing obsolete technology, preventing it from ending up in landfills and instead providing a functional upgrade to modern systems.