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    USGS does streams, generally<br>
    <br>
    NOAA does tides / coastal waters. <br>
    <br>
    GOES is one method of getting data. On the NOAA tide stations, they
    transmit at UHF (410.xxx) for 55 seconds, every 3 hours, on a
    time-slot assignment. <br>
    <br>
    They may also have another radio (U or V) for more-frequent data,
    gathered locally. Some stations have modems or by now are probably
    on a network (I was involved in a Texas network of tide gauges some
    time ago). <br>
    <br>
    The NOAA tide gauges use an ultrasonic sensor, takes a reading every
    6 minutes. Does 3 mins of 1 sample/sec and an averaging algorithm.
    These stations often have temp and wind sensors. <br>
    <br>
    The tide gauge sensor will be accurately surveyed (height,
    coordinates) back to a stable bench mark and water levels can be
    pretty accurately compared to the bench mark. You often see these on
    piers. <br>
    <br>
    USGS usually uses a diaphragm sensor to sense pressure change; these
    don't need so much stuff! <br>
    <br>
    <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.cbi.tamucc.edu/">http://www.cbi.tamucc.edu/</a><br>
    <br>
    Look on the left, Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network<br>
    <br>
    At the bottom of that is a noaa link. <br>
    <br>
    One key feature of the NOAA progarm is long, historical, accurate
    data collection. <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    On 12/17/2010 7:11 PM, Steve Noskowicz wrote:
    <blockquote cite="mid:970550.81841.qm@web112618.mail.gq1.yahoo.com"
      type="cite">
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              <div>Hey!  Wait a minute...!   This is *already* done
                automaticlly and by radio.<br>
                <br>
                  Cycling last spring on the bicycle path from Cristal
                Lake, IL to south of Algonquin, IL the path crosses the
                Fox River.  What easily caught my eye was the UHF beam,
                only feet from the path, pointing toward Pluto.  There
                was a pretty big outdoor box, though I couldn't see the
                water sensor.  I don't recall the detail, but it had a
                sign and was a water montoring setup beaming obviously
                to a satellite.  The sign had specifics and it may have
                been USGS, I just don't remember.  I had no pencil or
                I'd have Googled it back home.  Shoulda' used the cell
                to leave a memo @ home.</div>
              <div> </div>
              <div>  The McHenry County Conservation District also
                recently drilled a well on one vacant space near here
                and now there is a solar panel, a box and another beam
                pointing at Pluto.  The sign there even has the
                satellite name -  Geos - something or other and the beam
                still has the frequency label.</div>
              <div> </div>
              <div> </div>
              <div>  They're just rebuilding our Thompson road bridge,
                but until recently it had a box and what looked like
                something that could be dropped/cranked down to the
                water, and I think had a USGS label.  Without any
                visible sub-space radio, I often wondered how they
                actuated it from Pluto..  (;-).  Now I know.</div>
              <div> </div>
              <div>--<br>
                73, Steve, </div>
              <div> </div>
              <div> </div>
              <div>--- On <b>Fri, 12/17/10, Lee Mushel <i><a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:herbert3@centurytel.net"><herbert3@centurytel.net></a></i></b>
                wrote:<br>
              </div>
              <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16,
                255); padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px;">
                <div id="yiv2127204921">
                  <style></style>
                  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Gentlemen,</font></div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">I find this to be a
                      very interesting topic.   You see, next spring I
                      might get a phone call from the National Weather
                      Service and then I take the key and drive to the
                      river gauge, open the padlock, lower the "sensor"
                      and read the value, then restore everything and
                      drive to the next gauge and then the next.   This
                      may take 45 minutes.   Then I email NWS my
                      report---or I could radio it to them but the email
                      is preferred because it provides a record that is
                      easily handled.  Now, since there is that padlock
                      to be considered I hope that any plans would
                      include provisions for security---especially if I
                      am paying for this!</font></div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">But I must warn you
                      that a suggestion by me that realtime water/flood
                      photos be "radioed" by ham radio to the
                      hydrologist was met with absolutely no
                      enthusiasm.  Acceptance of new ideas, even though
                      they have merit, can be difficult!</font></div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">73</font></div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Lee  K9WRU</font></div>
                  <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0,
                    0); padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px;
                    margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px;">
                    <div style="font: 10pt arial;">----- Original
                      Message ----- </div>
                    <div style="font: 10pt arial; background: none
                      repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(228, 228, 228);"><b>From:</b>
                      <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        title="jim@riverridge-wi.net"
href="http://us.mc386.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jim@riverridge-wi.net"
                        rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
                        ymailto="mailto:jim@riverridge-wi.net">Jim
                        Tolbert</a> </div>
                    <div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>To:</b> <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true" title="aprssig@tapr.org"
href="http://us.mc386.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=aprssig@tapr.org"
                        rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
                        ymailto="mailto:aprssig@tapr.org">TAPR APRS
                        Mailing List</a> </div>
                    <div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>Sent:</b> Friday,
                      December 17, 2010 6:29 AM</div>
                    <div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>Subject:</b> Re:
                      [aprssig] River Gauging APRS setup</div>
                    <div><br>
                    </div>
                    <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                      class="yiv2127204921moz-txt-link-freetext"
                      href="http://www.graphicartworks.net/xpondr_main/floodadvisor.html"
                      rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.graphicartworks.net/xpondr_main/floodadvisor.html</a><br>
                    <br>
                    On 12/17/2010 5:30 AM, Wes Johnston, AI4PX wrote:
                    <blockquote type="cite">
                      <div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
                          href="http://www.xpondr.com/041202/flood_advisor.pdf"
                          rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.xpondr.com/041202/flood_advisor.pdf</a></div>
                      <div> </div>
                      <div>I just searched my email archives and this is
                        what I found. Link doesn't work.  I do remember
                        this thing though, it was in a PVC pipe and shot
                        an ultrasonic transducer down the pipe to
                        measure the distance to the water surface.  I
                        think the guy that made it was in Florida....
                        but not sure.</div>
                      <div><br clear="all">
                        Wes<br>
                        ---<br>
                        God help those who do not help themselves.<br>
                        <br>
                        <br>
                      </div>
                      <div class="yiv2127204921gmail_quote">On Thu, Dec
                        16, 2010 at 23:54, Daron Wilson <span dir="ltr"><<a
                            moz-do-not-send="true"
                            href="http://us.mc386.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=daron@wilson.org"
                            rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
                            ymailto="mailto:daron@wilson.org">daron@wilson.org</a>></span>
                        wrote:<br>
                        <blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid
                          rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;
                          padding-left: 1ex;"
                          class="yiv2127204921gmail_quote">Somewhere
                          I've seen plans for a simple river gauge setup
                          with APRS, seems to<br>
                          me it was a micro power transmitter, the thing
                          ran on several 6v lantern<br>
                          batteries, PVC conduit into the river for the
                          sensing portion and an antenna<br>
                          on top of the PVC.  I can't find it, does
                          anyone remember this and have the<br>
                          link or info on this?<br>
                          <br>
                          Thanks,<br>
                          <br>
                          Daron N7HQR<br>
                        </blockquote>
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    <br>
    <br>
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