Hi, just a quick question. Is anyone aware of a wind sensor which straight out of the box compatible with HE.
I know there are a lot of other solutions but I'm not particularly hot with other software solutions so was hoping there was a ZigBee/Z wave device out there that can monitor wind speed.
EDIT- I have a motorised outdoor canopy which I sometimes forget to retract. The wind can sometimes get the better of it, so I was hoping to automatically close if the wind speed rises.
Some weather stations give this. Tempest is one
There are weather stations that can monitor wind speed. Some use rotating cup anemometers. Some more expensive ones measure wind speed and direction using ultrasonic anemometers based on Doppler frequency shift.
There is a Neatmo untrasonic anemometer that interfaces with Alexa.
That might do what you are looking for. The wind speed could trigger an Alexa routine to retract your canopy. It appears to be a WiFi device rather than Z-wave or Zigbee, but that is typical of most weather station devices.
The Netatmos are great weather stations (I did buy one - beautifully constructed) except their update interval is 5 minutes using a community driver (I think it's normally 10 minutes in the Netatmo app (and I suspect this applies to Alexa too). Unfortunately my feel is that this is way too long for canopy/outdoor blind use, which is why I went Ecowitt (wifi based) - pretty much real time but I set mine to a couple of minutes.
I don't believe there are individual sensors like this - generally the main controller is the one linking to zwave. @anon81541053 has done a wonderful job with his Ecowitt drivers, so far I have zero issues with mine.
I can understand the concern about the 5-10 minute update time. However, high wind events rarely occur without warning. Generally, wind speeds ramp up over time. Yes, wind gusts do occur quickly, but they occur on top of a base wind speed. A wind gust is defined as a change in wind speed of at least 9 knots on top of a base wind speed of 16 knots (about 18 mph). A wind of 13-18 mph is defined as a moderate breeze(level 4) on the Beufort scale. Thus, if you set your trigger speed for retraction of the awning a a lower level such as a gentle breeze of 8-12 mph, the retractor should have time to function before higher wind speeds are reported.
Yes, the shorter response time of the Ecowitt device would be welcomed.
All fair points. I should have mentioned my particular use case is for external roller blinds which are more susceptible to winds. Awnings are definitely more robust for sure.
At risk of sounding flippant, you don't want to know the exact wind speed, you want to know when it is "too windy for the canopy".
So, a tilt sensor attached to a hunk of flashing metal on a string should get you the data you need with an existing supported out-of-box sensor. Pay attention to the readings (log them, graph them, whatever) over a week or so, and you will likely find the angle reading that correlates to "too windy".
Not flippant at all, and now you've got me thinking. Any recommendations on a tilt sensor? In the UK, we have limited devices. Are you referring to a sensor with a giro within it, such as a Smartthings multisensor?
I do not have a tilt sensor, but they are commonly sold as "garage door sensors" (to those who cannot work out the intricacies of attaching a door sensor magnet to a hinge mounted above a door sensor on the inner surface).
One could easily roll one's own, by buying one of these Overview | Tilt Sensor | Adafruit Learning System , and soldering it into a old-skool door sensor with an actual reed switch rather than the hall-effect sensors that are common in many of the more recent door/window sensors. The trick here would be to install the "mercury switch" perfectly straight in the door sensor, and angle the entire sensor on the metal backing plate, more angle for lower wind speeds, less angle for higher wind speeds.
To be absolutely reliable in gusty winds from random directions, you'd want two of these, each mounted on surfaces at right angles, with slits cut 1/2 way down (and up) and slid together to form what a sailor would call a "folding anchor ball". This would catch more wind more reliably.
Of course, someone's going to insist on 4 sensors, one on each surface... 
Really great advice here so thanks. I'm not 100% sure I fully understand you but, I'll sleep on it and try to re-digest in the morning ,
following on the great idea from james.fischer, the smartthings door/window sensors have a vibration sensor, you could try sticking one (underneath/out of weather/in a plastic covering) on a strut or somewhere that makes sense, and see how it performs in terms of warning you when the wind is becoming an issue for the canopy...
Once again food for thought and more to digest and contemplatile. I always found the Smartthings multi sensors a bit gimmeky but they might finally be proving themselves👍
Not everyone likes these, and they don't work well in all cases, but the Aqara vibration sensor might be the ticket here. They are cheap, and sense vibration pretty well.
The issue I see is that none of these vibration or tilt sensors are waterproof (or weatherproof) so I don't think they are a good candidate unless you can somehow enclose them in a weathertight enclosure.
Download the Hubitat app
