Lost and Found

A short while ago I found the weather satellite receiver I built from a kit many years ago. At the time I thought it wouldn't be of any use as it didn't seem to cover the radio frequencies used by the latest satellites. A couple of days ago while searching for information for something else on the laptop I found the instructions for the receiver. It can receive all the current polar orbiting weather satellites. Then I went looking for the receiver. Can I find it? Nowhere to be seen at the moment!

What I did find was my kit built magnetometer which I decided to get working again. As I mentioned above, the information I had been searching for was for this receiver. Could I find it? Not a sausage. Anyway I connected it all up with the actual detector fixed high up in the conservatory and aligned East West. I have always been disappointed with the readout being a meter as there is no record of what changes there may have been in the Earth's magnetic field, especially after the Sun has released any charged particles in our direction.







I wondered whether I could use an Arduino with one of my 3.5 inch TFT displays to show some sort of graph of the changes. I had build one for displaying temperature and air pressure some time ago. Aha. I could probably use some of that code. Once again I went searching through files on the laptop and back up drives. You guessed it. Not found. So starting again from scratch was the only way forward. I linked the voltage output to the meter on the magnetometer display to an Arduino Mega fitted with a 3.5 inch display. Lots of typing code, testing and use of Adrian's favoured naughty words I managed to create a scrolling display. Only time will tell how useful, effective or interesting the result will be.





Next project will be to 3D print a housing for the display as it's now just a Heath Robinson layout while in the testing stage. Not a great deal of activity so far today. Just the normal minor variations if the Earth's magnetic field being displayed on the graph.

Brrrrr

First thing yesterday morning saw the temperature dropping to -3.6C



During the day it almost reached +3C with a slightly hazy sky and lots of Sunlight.



At least that meant no more snow but where many footpaths had been clear the day before, snow showers the previous evening gave them a covering again. That soon turned to ice as the snow was compressed by pedestrians. I'm getting good value from the ice spikes this year.

On our morning walkies we had a look down a track between fields



Standing in one field entrance I took a panoramic view looking towards the Lincolnshire Wolds



The 287 feet high tower and steeple of St. James,Louth parish church, was easily visible poking up. (a closer crop of the above photo) I've not seen it so clearly on a photo taken from 6Km (3.7 miles) away.



On the return journey the Winter Sun was casting long shadows



Back home and a quick look at the raised pond complete with alligator and rabbit.



Yes. Frozen over as expected. Looking forward to Monday when temperatures are forecast to rise again. Last night they dipped down to -7.1C. All photos taken with a Canon G5X Mkii.

Just When I Though it was All Over

After tea madam sprawls out until she hears the magic words "Time to get ready". We went through to the kitchen and were greeted with the sight of .....



We have hardly had more that a few flakes all day until then. In fact it was the heaviest shower seen here this week. Once it was over we again walked to the end of the lane. I took a few photos with the Canon GX5 using the built in panorama facility. This was about the best:



Then we made a detour on to the cricket field



Anyone for cricket? The snow showers continued on and off all evening.

The End of the Road

On our after tea walk we went right to the end of the lane. A couple of shots looking in an easterly direction towards the coast. More clouds to bring another batch of snow showers. They arrive about an hour later





and a view looking back towards the setting Sun.



This time I used the vivid HDR setting on the Canon G5X. Daytime temperatures are struggling to pass 2C and don't look as though they will improve much before Sunday. Looking at my solar radiation monitor recording at least we are having our strongest Sunlight so far this year though it soon goes down when the dark clouds pass over.

Icicle

Believe it or not I have been waiting for a few years to photograph an icicle. Winters have generally been fairly mild or dry and cold. I used the Canon G5X for this as the touch screen lets me determine which part of the scene I want it to focus on. The Nikon can get in closer but no touch screen makes it more complicated to make sure the part I want is in focus.



The end of the gutter on the Summer House has a small leak so the frozen drips gradually built up as the day went on. A closer crop of the above photo shows the individual parts as they froze. Possibly some of the surface may be made of snow flakes blown on to the freezing water drops.



As the Sun shone between snow showers it eventually melted or just fell off. I saw a new one had started to grow after dark.

Scene From the Front Door

We have had snow showers since 2 a.m. which have been settling.



Not very deep here yet though several roads over the Lincolnshire Wolds have become blocked or only passable with great care. Lots of RTCs being reported.

Photo taken using the HDR setting on the Canon G5X.

Wrapped Up

This morning we had a few light showers of hard compacted snow then the wind started to increase. Air temperature by mid-day was about 2C but the bitterly cold wind from the North Sea was biting into any exposed areas on our walk-about.





Occasional gentle snow flurries this evening but none settling as yet.