Soil Temperature Logger: Performance and Data Summary for 2024

This video summarizes the performance of an air and soil-temperature logger for data collected between January and July of 2024. I'll summarize successes, challenges, and conclude by resetting my water harvesting basin for my next experiment.

This is part of a year-long series that explores the use of inexpensive environmental sensors (Dallas One-Wire Temperature Sensor, Bosch BME280 and BMP280) and microcontrollers for logging enivronmental data locally and also posting to the Internet of Things (Adafruit IO) over WiFi. This is a continuation of my "lab notebook" for temperature monitoring experiments within a water harvesting basin in Tucson, Arizona.

Please note that the Adafruit IO dashboard referenced in prior videos is offline for the time being given connectivity challenges. Experiments will continue using a local datalogger until remedies recommended by Adafruit are tested.

Intro Summary: 0:00
Background: 4:00
Status: 7:55
Explore ChatGPT for missing data : 11:51
Final Summary: 19:45
New Experiment: 21:31

Noted ChatGPT Prompts:

1. Approximating Time Series Values:

2. Imputing Missing Temperature Data:

3. Misc spreadsheets and python code referenced in video:

5. Revisited SD logger code as temporary fix for lost Adafruit IO connectivity:

6. Adafruit forum post regarding lost connectivity with Adafruit IO (in progress):

7. Dashboard (temporarily offline):

8. Soil Monitoring Playlist:

[donaldhoudek]

Great video! I saw that you installed the capacitive moisture sensor and that is the model that has some issues, 2 that I know of. The first issue is sensor reading fluctuations. I found a video that said to add a 1M ohm resistor between the Ground (GND) and the Analog output (AOUT). That worked on my for fluctuations. Second was that the sides are not sealed. I am using Electro-Seal on them and the circuit portion of the board.

[scubaken]

I just came across your videos, great job! I have been trying to do something very similar, but I get hung up on some code and "walk" away from it for quite a while. Thanks for sharing, this may help me get a bit further.

[electronics.unmessed]

Interesting, especially the application of AI.

[sebakiller]

Very cool Information and Project. But one Question i have, for the rain gage why you not use without diy for Datalogging?