Quote Originally Posted by Joe S. View Post
Hi ardhuru,
All that stuff you mentioned in Post 1 sounds pretty expensive, and Al's SS Rods do too.
Actually, its not. I just use 10 0.1 uf capacitors strung (stringed?) together in series. A bit of labour involved, but the material cost is nothing.

Quote Originally Posted by Joe S. View Post
Hi ardhuru,
and install a PIC circuit there, powered by a couple of solar cells easily removed from 2 cheapie Yard Lights, and yes use the nicads that come in those too, then send some form of slow serial data using relatively inexpensive wire, TV lead in, sprinkler wire, twisted doorbell wire . . .
I was also toying with the separate-pic-for-the sensor idea. In fact, I thought I would use Melanie's trick of data-over-power from an earlier thread to be able to do this over just 2 wires. Wasnt sure how reliable the serial comms would be with my already laid twisted, non-shielded cable.

Will give this a try.