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Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

airgradient.com

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Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#61

Post by ahaucnx »

frognumber wrote: post #44
traceroute66 wrote: post #5

Time for the usual reminder that there is a search function on the bottom of every single YC page. Air gradient has been extensively discussed here multiple times already.

I don't mind the repost. It's doing good work. It's good to be reminded of it, and it's a slightly different thing each time. I'll buy it when it's ready for prime time. The founder reads this. Founder: What's held me back from buying this is a lack of github links and instructions. EVERY place you say "open source" should link to the repo. The repo should have CLEAR instructions for how to hack this. There's a lot o…

Thanks, this is great feedback and we definitely lack these links in that new copy. I will add them soon. In the meantime:

Build instructions: https://www.airgradient.com/open-airgradient/instructions/di...

BoM, schematics etc: https://www.airgradient.com/open-airgradient/instructions/di...

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#62

Post by dfc »

hutzlibu wrote: post #28
kayson wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy who runs air gradient posts his articles here pretty frequently. Not sure at what point, if any, it breaks the rules. It definitely feels a little spammy to me though.

I think there is no rule limiting new links. If it gets voted up, it makes it. And reposting existing links is ok every 6 months or so (I think).

They reposted the "When paying more does not get you more accuracy" link 4 times in 2 months. I don't mind occasional reposts but that seems a little much:

https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=airgradient.com

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#63

Post by cyberax »

simondotau wrote: post #59
cyberax wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you want a radon sensor in a product that does constant monitoring? Radon concentration is not a transient state, and you need to measure it for a fairly long time to get a good idea of the true concentration.

Doesn’t your second sentence adequately explain your first sentence? Something that does constant monitoring would surely be good at measuring for a “fairly long time”.

I mean that you need to accumulate the readings for a long time because the specific activity is so low.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#64

Post by KirillPanov »

WIRED DATA CONNECTION.

It needs a wired data connection. For crying out loud. Don't screw this up like PurpleAir did.

You already have a micro-usb (or maybe usb-c) plug for the power. You're not adding an extra wire.

The amount of nightmarish grief the wifi in purpleairs causes makes me want to scream.

Even if you manage to magically fix all the reliability problems, it's a safety issue. A town near me whose economy is supported by a paper mill hunted down the person who was running a purpleair and pressured their landlord into cancelling their lease. The town then set up indoor stations at the school and library -- where they report on filtered, air-conditioned air.

You can wardrive for these things using their MAC address. They have to be outdoors.

Stop it.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#65

Post by KirillPanov »

ahaucnx wrote: post #12
kingsloi wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Awesome work! Do you have any plans to add/track gas pollutants? I run a similar open source app specifically for my little community in Gary, IN https://millerbeach.community and run a RAMP monitor provided by a local company Sensit Technologies, and a PurpleAir II and have about ~4 years worth of data in 15 min intervals. I've been meaning to swap out the PurpleAir with another, but I'll swap it out with this inste…

We started testing electrochemical NO and NO2 sensors from Alpha Sense in our lab and are in the early stages to design a unit that would also measure these gases but we are many months away to have something in the market.

The EPA limit for NO2 is 100ppb; have you found a sensor that can reliably report levels near that threshhold for less than $500? I haven't. Also the ones that don't require frequent recalibration seemed to be even more expensive.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#66

Post by playa1 »

KirillPanov wrote: post #64

WIRED DATA CONNECTION. It needs a wired data connection. For crying out loud. Don't screw this up like PurpleAir did. You already have a micro-usb (or maybe usb-c) plug for the power. You're not adding an extra wire. The amount of nightmarish grief the wifi in purpleairs causes makes me want to scream. Even if you manage to magically fix all the reliability problems, it's a safety issue. A town near me whose economy…

Power over Ethernet would be a nice option.

Wouldn’t data over usb-c require a computer to drive it?

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#67

Post by ahaucnx »

dfc wrote: post #62
hutzlibu wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there is no rule limiting new links. If it gets voted up, it makes it. And reposting existing links is ok every 6 months or so (I think).

They reposted the "When paying more does not get you more accuracy" link 4 times in 2 months. I don't mind occasional reposts but that seems a little much: https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=airgradient.com

Yes I agree on this one.

I reposted it because I thought this could be quite interesting for the hn crowd. On the 4th time it got more than 200 comments. Since then I did not repost it again.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#68

Post by ted_dunning »

chsreekar wrote: post #3
ahaucnx wrote: post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

Do you have an indoor version?

Their indoor version came first. I use several of them in my house and love them.

I particularly love the open source nature of them that allows me to redirect their data reporting to my own homebrew data systems.

About to buy some more of them, in fact.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#69

Post by T3OU-736 »

dano wrote: post #57
ahaucnx wrote: post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

A battery backed solar powered unit would be ideal for installation where power is not readily available. Scheduled WiFi or the addition of LoRa would also be a benefit. Nice project.

I am planning to put the AirGradient (not sure which model yet) into the yet-to-be-built van with a camping setup. Powering it independent of the van's electrical system is a consideration.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#70

Post by ted_dunning »

CommanderData wrote: post #18
ahaucnx wrote: post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

I'm struggling to see the benefit of your product. Apart from the outdoor element. You can buy a 4 in 1 air monitor from Amazon for half the price (Co2, PM, Temp and Humidity) i.e. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Indoor-Air-Quality-Monitor-Multifun... There are others with 6 in 1 with app control for less. Aren't there other sensors that would be more useful providing better insights on pollutants and health you could provi…

The sensor quality and the open source nature make a lot of difference there.
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