[pm-h] Remote Temperature Monitoring

[Russell L. Harris]

* Mike Flannigan <mikeflan at att.net> [101001 19:56]:
> 
> On 7/23/2010 7:56 AM, Mike Flannigan wrote:
> >
> >I'm looking to remotely monitor a digital thermometer
> >connected to a computer.  The computer I plan to
> >use has USB and Serial.  I have to use Windows,
> >but only because I couldn't get Unix loaded on this
> >old computer.
> >
> >I need to export the temp to a location 1,000 miles
> >away.  

Check out the catalogue of a broadcast supplier such as www.bswusa.com
or www.fullcompass.com.

Radio stations have utilized the telephone line for remote monitoring
and control of remote transmitter sites for many years.  Parameters
monitored include temperature, line voltage, etc.  There even is a
highly-reliable spark/flame detector, which is needed because of the
high voltages within the transmitter.  In recent years, in order to
reduce costs, stations have been moving away from the telephone line
to the Internet

The transition from monitoring via a telephone-line to monitoring via
the Internet recently has brought to market inexpensive Internet
"monitoring appliances".  After using a computer to set up ip
addresses, reporting interval, etc., simply connect your
thermocouple/rtd and your sensor contacts to a terminal strip, and
plug in the power supply and the ethernet cable.

There is a rather large market, and radio stations are notorious for
being niggardly in allocating funds for maintenance, so the component
prices are surprisingly low.  I seem to recall seeing one of the
appliances priced in the range of two to three hundred bucks.

RLH