HELENA SMOKE WATCH
A DIY Air Quality Network for Helena, MontanaLast updated: May 25, 2026
WHAT THIS ISHelena Smoke Watch is a project I'm building to put a small network of homemade air quality sensors on rooftops around Downtown Helena and beyond.This is a hobby project, I'm not an engineer. But I've been nerding out on DIY electronics long enough to figure this is JUST within my skill range.Montana DEQ does a good job monitoring air quality across the state, and Helena has seven sensors. But none of them are downtown.
WHAT IT MEASURES
PM1.0 - Combustion particles (diesel)
PM2.5 - Smoke
PM10 - Dust, Pollen
Temperature
Relative Humidity
Barometric Pressure
THE BUILDI'll make three battery powered nodes to place on rooftops of buildings I manage. Each node is built into a 4" PVC cap containing two sensors and a radio.
PLANTOWER PMSA003
A laser particle counter that measures smoke and dust in three size fractions: PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10. PM2.5 is the number the EPA uses for the Air Quality Index.BME280
Measures temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure.LORA RADIO (RFM95W 915MHz)
Each node transmits its readings back to a gateway receiver at my office, no WiFi or cell service required at the sensor site.PRO MINI MICRO CONTROLLER
The brains of the operation is a special chip that can go into a deep sleep low power cycle with a clock still ticking so at a certain interval will turn itself back on. This is gonna draw the least amount of power for preserving battery life.
Each node runs on two rechargeable 18650 lithium cells and sends a full set of readings every 30 to 60 minutes. According to what I'm reading these will last all summer on one charge.
DONATIONS RECEIVED
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| James Ridle | $80.00 |
| John Bacino | $20.00 |
| Mia Crivello | $20.00 |
| Persephone Persephone | $10.00 |
| Colleen Casey | $50.00 |
| Sofia Beneventi | $20.00 |
| Kirsten Anderson | $25.00 |
| Perry Haas | $10.00 |
| Adam Field | $30.00 |
| Gretchen M. | $15.00 |
| . | Gross Donations $280.00 |
Transaction fees - ($10.39)
Net raised - $269.61
| Expenses | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| HiLetgo Pro Mini ATmega328P 3.3V 8M Module | 3 PCS | $13.99 |
| Lubeby Smart LoRa1276 RFM95W 915MHz RF Module | 2 PCS | $22.24 |
| ALMOCN USB to TTL Serial Converter FT232RL Breakout Board | 2 PCS | $5.98 |
| BME280 3.3V Temp/Humidity/Pressure Sensor Module | 4 PCS | $20.99 |
| 18650 Battery Storage Case 2-Slot | 5 PCS | $9.99 |
| PMSA003 Laser PM2.5 Dust Sensor A003 with Cable | 3 PCS | $67.21 |
| smoke.watch Domain Registration | 2 years | $38.62 |
Total ExpensesAmazon Order 1 - $95.43
Amazon Order 2 - $67.21
Porkbun - smoke.watch domain - $38.62
Total Expenses - $201.26SUMMARY
Net raised - $269.61
Total expenses - ($201.26)
Remaining balance - $68.35
SUPPORT HELENA SMOKE WATCH
Helena Smoke Watch is fully funded!GoFundMe Campaign is CLOSED
You can still Venmo me: @kvncsy (Last Four 8268)