Cheap acurite temp/humidity sensors. Use an rtl_sdr to capture the data and use rtl_433 software to decode it.


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With this software

I run a RTL-SDR dongle plugged into my hass server. It runs a nice little program called rtl_433 that decodes the 433mHz signal from an Acurite temp/humidty sensor. Acurite makes a couple different styles, but I use one like this since it's outdoor rated and has great battery life (I'm getting close to 2 years now on the first set of batteries). It has been an absolutely solid setup. I just finally ordered a second sensor to toss in the mix so we shall see how that goes. I plan to use them for non habitable area monitoring (garage, attic, crawlspace, etc).

You can use these with a RTL-SDR setup. It's well supported in linux.

Hey thanks for the quick response! Okay, so here's what I'm looking at ordering. If you could comment that it has all the right components for what you have set up, or if I'm missing anything, or if anything is unnecessary, I'd really appreciate the input!

Here's my shopping cart:

• AcuRite 01036 Pro Weather Station with PC Connect, 5-in-1 Weather Sensor
  
• AcuRite 06003 PRO+ Upgrade for 5-in-1 Weather Sensor
  
• AcuRite 09150 smartHUB with My AcuRite Remote Monitoring App
  
• AcuRite 06002RM Wireless Temperature and Humidity Sensor (getting 4 of these)
  
  From my understanding with this I should be able to get everything I want, including the data logging/recording to PC.
  
  For your signal strength issue, are you aware of this product at all? AcuRite 06053M Wireless Signal Extender for Sensors
  
  Thanks for your input!

There are basically 4 different sensor categories for my application.


  

1. USB logger

This plugs directly into the USB port on the Mac. They range wildly in price, sometimes costing close to $1k (which is way out of my budget).

Examples: TEMPerHUM, Omega, Lascar, Extech, TemperatureAlert, and more here

The problem is that, for whatever reason, these USB loggers are only compatible with Windows. The five above examples are Windows only.

The only logger that I have found that is Mac compatible is the Minnow. However, I spoke with the manufacturer and realized that it is not designed to be a real-time USB logger; the unit will quickly overheat. The workaround is to incorporate a USB relay switch to manually connect/disconnect the Minnow periodically from the Mac.

  

2. Bluetooth

Examples: Blustream, SensorPush, D'Addario Humiditrak, Eve Degree, and more here

The problem is that all of these products have an iOS app, but no macOS app.

But If I purchased the SensorPush sensor along with the $100 SensorPush WiFi Gateway, I can access the data over the internet.

But there are cheaper WiFi options, like the ConnectSense (won't be shipping until early 2019), Proteus, and La Crosse. But, I am hesitant to fully depend on an internet connection to get the data (i.e., if the internet goes down, then I would lose access to the data, which is not ideal).




  

3. RF

AcuRite sells a $13 Wireless Temperature and Humidity Sensor (model # 06002M) that transmits every 16 seconds using a 433 MHz wireless signal with a maximum range of 330'. This sensor is inexpensive because it is designed to be used with AcuRite Access and the AcuRite weather station products, which I do not want or need. It's all proprietary.

However, some people have reverse-engineered the radio signal to decode the data stream from this sensor if you have a USB RF receiver.

Examples:

• Acurite-00592TX-Decoder-ESP32a (C++)
  
  
• YouTube - Decoding Low Power Devices on MAC OSX Using RTL433
  
  
• rtl_433 (C) (device protocol #11)
  
  
• "Reverse Engineer Wireless Rain Sensors — Part 1"
  
  
• "Wireless Temperature Sensor"
  
  
  This path appears frustrating and difficult to a neophyte like me.
  
  
  
    
  
  

  4. DIY microcontroller
  

  
  Unlike the other 3 sensor categories, this looks like the one area where proprietary protocols are not in the way of progress. Once you get everything set up, accessing the raw data is a breeze.
  
  This is probably the most cost-effective option.
  
  Examples: Raspberry Pi + this $10 DHT22 sensor, Arduino, Espressif esp8266/esp32 wifi module
  
  The problem is that this is simply over my head. I have no real experience programming from the command line or really anything other than basic scripts. It would just be best if I paid someone to set this up for me, as I can easily envision myself spending 100 hours on this "simple" project.
  
    
  
  
  
  

Sometimes it is just easier just to buy

https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-06002M-Wireless-Temperature-Humidity/dp/B00T0K8NXC