DIY Wave Gauge

Project Description

This is an extension of the original DIY wave gauge project initiated by Drs. Nigel Temple and Eric Sparks at Mississippi State University. The goal of the project is to make low cost, do-it-yourself water level and wave measurements accessible to everyone. While a commercial sensor might cost in the thousands of dollars, these low cost sensors cost approximately $200 and are relatively simple to build. Like commercial sensors, they are robust and relatively easy to use. Unlike commercial sensors, they do require a bit more effort to prepare and some basic understanding of wave mechanics for processing the data. The capability and reliability of these DIY gauges is documented in publications by Temple et al. (2020), Webb & Brown (2022), and Virden et al. (2023).

Virden, M.F., Temple, N.A., Webb, B.M., Sparks, E.L. 2023. Improvement of a Low-cost DIY Wave Gauge. The Journal of Extension, 61(1), Article 17.
Webb, B.M., Brown, B. 2022. Determining the Reliability of a Low-Cost DIY Pressure Gauge for Measuring Water Levels and Waves. ASBPA National Coastal Conference, American Shore & Beach Preservation Association. Long Beach, CA 9/14/2022-9/16/2022.
Temple, N., Webb, B., Sparks, E., Linhoss, A. 2020. Low-Cost Pressure Gauges for Measuring Water Waves. Journal of Coastal Research 36(3), 661-667.

Components

Sensor

The sensor components consist primarily of plug-and-play, off-the-shelf components from Adafruit, SparkFun, and/or Blue Robotics. There are two versions of the v4 wave gauge: one using a Blue Robotics sealed pressure sensor (Figure 1) and another using a SparkFun pressure sensor breakout board (Figure 2). Using the Blue Robotics sensor greatly simplifies gauge assembly and cuts down on construction time, but does add approximately $40 to the cost of the sensor. Using the SparkFun breakout keeps the cost lower, but does require more time for assembly and a very delicate application of epoxy to waterproof the board. The wiring and part diagrams shown below represent the minimum amount of assembly required. Power is supplied by a rechargeable 3.7V 4400 mAh lithium ion battery pack. A full list of components is available upon request.

Housing

We recommend using 1.5-inch PVC pipe components (e.g., pipe, caps, threaded couplers, etc.) to build the housing. Though not required, optional 3D printed internal components are helpful for mounting the circuit boards and battery pack. A full list of components is available upon request. This PDF provides some general tips regarding housing assembly for the Blue Robotics and SparkFun versions of the gauge.

Figure 1. DIY Wave Gauge v4 - Blue Robotics Sensor

Figure 2. DIY Wave Gauge v4 - SparkFun Sensor

Resources

More resources will be made available on a GitHub page soon. Check back often or contact me for more information.

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