Hi!
As you know from my profile (or not) one of my passion is beekeeping. I live in the city. My apiary is located 50km from my house. Everyday I study and work casual. By this, I do not have time to inspect the apiary
In the online store I found scales that send data through the GSM network. This weight would be a great idea, I could control the changes in the weight of the hive without leaving home.The data from this weight will tell me whether the bees collect the nectar (the weight of the hive grows) or when they have little food and need help (the weight is decreasing).The problem is that the price of such a weight is 550-850$. It's too much money for me..
I decided to build this weight myself. Unfortunately, I didn't have any knowledge of electronics or programming :/ But, I decided not to give up!
I decided to start by reading books and forums on the above topics. Especially helpful in the project were 2 positions: Arduino. 65 practical projects - John Boxall and Arduino for beginners -Monk S.
After about 2 months of evening reading I started realizing. I decided to do it at the lowest cost and build on the Arduino Uno.Actually not on the arduino just uno (from China) becouse it's cheaper.Connectivity will provide the cheapest GSM module, Neoway m590. By the way, electronics and programming really interested me. I think it will not be my last project. Feeling when your work is "alive" ... amazing :D
I decided to add a temperature sensor and a rain sensor. This will give me additional information. Below 16 degrees Celsius and during the rain all bees stay in the hive. This will increase the weight of the hive. Without this information, I could conclude that the bees collected honey. To measure the weight of the hive, I used the old bathroom scales.
Ok, time to work!
Necessary things:
Below is a list of the parts that I had to buy for the project. A large part is bought from China, so low price.
- "Arduino" Uno - 8.5$
- Soldering Iron - 1.19$
- GSM Module Neoway m590 - 2.49$
- Converter (ADC) hx711 - 1.15$
- Logic Level Converter - 0.26$
- Voltage Converter - 1.5$
- Raindrops Module - 0.54$
- Power Supply - ?$ I had it at home
- Bathroom Scale - 7.5$
- Temperature Sensor ds18b20 - 2.2$
Prices include shipping cost. Tin i had at home. Cables with goldpin tips I took from old computer.
Total cost of the project: 26.4$ + 7$ waterproof case
Flow Chart:
After the SMS has been sent from the specified number and the specified content ("info") to the system, the sensor reads. Then send back a text message with weight, temperature and rain.
END OF THE FIRST PART
In the next part I will present the biggest problems and next stages in the project implementation. See you later!
