from the FATPNW Facebook page - there is a member that is working on a "Hangar Buddy" that does much more then just turn on the heater. Similarly interfaces through SIM Card - but can give you a lot of info as well..
I wanted to finally reveal to FATPNW an electronics project that some of you may want to build.
It is called the ?Hangar Buddy?, and it is based on an incredible project by Maria DeGrazia. You may have seen it in the EAA Experimenter under the name ?piWarmer?.
So what is this thing? It is a device that lets you start preheating your engine with a text message. While there are a few commercial products that do this, I took the concept and ran with it.
In addition to starting your preheater of choice, it is also a device that is designed to give you some piece of mind about your hangar.
It can tell you if you have a dripping fuel sampler.
It can tell you if you left the lights on.
It can tell you how cold your hangar is.
It has a security model so only specific phone numbers can send a command.
It also has a small screen that lets you see the device?s status when setting it up.
It also has a high gain antenna that can be placed so you can find signal.
The code has been reengineered to be a ?platform? and easy to add new abilities to the device.
Depending on the sensors and displays you want to add, you can build it for as little as $100, less if you have parts laying around. The typical phone bill should be around $9 a month.
The source is Open Source, and the wiring diagram is included. Soldering required.
DISCLAIMERS: I am not making any money off of this. All software provided ?as-is?. Instructions do not include an engine heater. The parts list includes a GFCI adapter.
Let me know if you build one.
https://github.com/JohnMarzulli/piWarmer
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