In an upcoming issue of Nuts and Volts magazine there will appear an article by Tom Fox titled: "Build The Intelligent Low Temperature Forecaster."  The Intelligent Low Temperature Forecaster (ILTF)  has the capability of forecasting the low temperature for the night.  Of course, since it uses single-station analysis it has its limitations.  The primary one is that it assumes sky and wind conditions will remain stable all night.  This is usually a good assumption during times of damaging low temperatures since they normally occur when a large high pressure is located overhead. 

The source code update ver. 1.40 provides additional features to those mentioned in the article.  The actual circuit is identical and has not been modified.  The comment section in the source code mentions these additional features.  The following are highlights of these additional features:

• Forecast Low is automatically displayed at roughly 10 second intervals in addition to being accessed through the Mode button.
• Status/Error codes are included.  These are numbers from 94 through 99 and are displayed when the FORECAST LED lights.  See source code for details on these codes.

When using ILTF one must keep in mind it only starts to forecast the low temperature after sunset.  (The status/error code 99 will be displayed during daylight hours.)  Also, it won't start forecasting until after 30 minutes after sunset and then only if the temperature has dropped below the temperature at sunset.  Status/Error codes 98 and 97, respectively, will be displayed during this time period.  If the temperature never drops all night, an error code will be displayed all night. 

ILTF has a definite practical purpose and is not a toy.  ILTF's purpose is as a tool to help those in their decision making process about whether the temperature at night can be damaging.  One use the author uses ILTF for, is as a monitor in his unheated greenhouse.  ILTF is consulted before bedtime to see if it "thinks" it will freeze in the unheated greenhouse.  If the expected low temperature can be damaging, the plants are brought in, covered.or a small electric heater is left on in the greenhouse.  It is also possible to hook up ILTF's relay to a power relay which can be used to control the electric heater.

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Note: These boards we sell are double sided-boards with plated through holes, and with solder masking and silk-screening!  The boards shown in the photos in Nuts and Volts are prototype boards without solder masking and silk screening!

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Also available are the LM34DZ temperature sensors for $2.00 each.

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