Weather Stations For Home

[hipsterdoofus]

Ok, this is NOT really geocaching related, just something I figured SOME people here may be interested in, so hopefully i don't get r-u-n-n-o-f-t. Anyway, I live in Oklahoma, where the weather can change drastically in a few minutes , so weather is of interest to me. Anyway, I am looking at some wireless weather stations, something that I can stick out in my yard and have a readout inside. There are lots of things out there available, I was just wondering if anyone here had experience with this type of equipment. I am trying to get the most features for the least buck, aren't we all? Possibly something that can even interface with my PC, so I can keep records. If anyone has recommendations, that would be wonderful. It's just a little hobby, so I don't want to make it too expensive...I want more of my money to go to geocaching of course!

 

HipsterDo0fus

OKC, OK

[+buck09]

Ok, this is NOT really geocaching related, just something I figured SOME people here may be interested in, so hopefully i don't get r-u-n-n-o-f-t. Anyway, I live in Oklahoma, where the weather can change drastically in a few minutes , so weather is of interest to me. Anyway, I am looking at some wireless weather stations, something that I can stick out in my yard and have a readout inside. There are lots of things out there available, I was just wondering if anyone here had experience with this type of equipment. I am trying to get the most features for the least buck, aren't we all? Possibly something that can even interface with my PC, so I can keep records. If anyone has recommendations, that would be wonderful. It's just a little hobby, so I don't want to make it too expensive...I want more of my money to go to geocaching of course!

 

HipsterDo0fus

OKC, OK

Take a look at this link:

 

http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/index.asp

 

HTH

[+Touchstone]

Yep, you're right. This isn't geocaching related. So before this thread gets locked I'd have to recommend Davis Weather Instruments. We have the wireless Vantage Pro bolted to our roof. Has worked flawlessly for 2 1/2 years.

[+Team DEMP]

I got a Lacrosse WS-2315. I used it wired but it also has wireless.

 

It's more of an affordable one. Might be good to start with it and if you continue to stay interested, upgrade to a Davis or other higher end unit in the future.

 

My weather info:

http://www.levinecentral.com/weather

and also

http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation...sp?ID=KNJWALDW1

[+Oat]

I have the 2310. Works good.

[+rusty_tlc]

rusty to the rescue, I can make this topic geocaching related with a stroke of my mighty pen, err, keyboard.

 

I have a cache within .1 miles of my house. It would be very cool to have a "current weather conditions at the cache" banner. Can this thing be done?

[+Oat]

Misread the previous post.

Edited April 12, 2004 by Oat

[+Oat]

Or you can link to one of Accu-Weather banners for your area.

Edited April 12, 2004 by Oat

[+rusty_tlc]

Isn't there a site that host data from your weather station on-line? I thought I saw that once. (Maybe one of the manufacturers, google time.)

[+IVxIV]

I have the La Crosse WS-7014U it's a pretty basic unit (no wind or rain measurement) but still a nice starter. Nice things about it,,wireless outside temp sensor, & the clock is radio keyed to the atomic clock in Colorado so it's absolutely accurate. And it performs a weather prediction for the next 12-24 hours based on tracked barometric trends.

[+Sparky-Watts]

I use the Peet Brothers Ultimeter 100, connected to my computer, and logs data for wind speed, direction, windchill, rainfall, indoor/outdoor temp, humidity, barometer, etc......all can be represented as text or in graph form and printed out as such, using whatever parameters you prefer.

[+Team DEMP]

Isn't there a site that host data from your weather station on-line? I thought I saw that once. (Maybe one of the manufacturers, google time.)

I upload my weather station data to http://www.wunderground.com

 

If you go there and enter in your zip, it will show the weather for your area, and if you scroll down, you'll (hopefully) see a list of personal weather stations in the area.

[+Lone Duck]

For myself, I have been using the Weatherbug which is designed to givelive weather readings on your desktop from the nearest local weather station that it is linked to. The station that I use is about a mile away from me, but it can vary greatly depending on where you live.

 

The best part is that it's free.

 

While the free version does contain ads, there isn't any spyware associated with the program. Also, the program gives you the forecast, severe weather alerts (with an audible alarm) along with radar and satellite images. I've been happy with it for about three years now.

 

This is not exactly what you had in mind, but it might give you what you want instead of the cost of a backyard system which doesn't do as much as this program does.

[+PDOP's]

I have the La Crosse WS-7014U it's a pretty basic unit (no wind or rain measurement) but still a nice starter. Nice things about it,,wireless outside temp sensor, & the clock is radio keyed to the atomic clock in Colorado so it's absolutely accurate. And it performs a weather prediction for the next 12-24 hours based on tracked barometric trends.

What's the lowest temp yours will read? I received the WS-7013U as a gift and while it's a nice unit it onlly gives temps down to -30ºC.

[hipsterdoofus]

Thanks for all the input so far. Yeah that would be cool if you had a cache nearby and could put the current conditions on the page. On some of these units, I am guessing that you could buy the console for cheaper and then buy extra sensors later? That would be a nice way of defraying the price.

 

HipsterDo0fus

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

I had a Cache taken by a Tornado in Pierce City,I got interested in the e-spotter courses given by NOAA.

This might be a help to some.

NOAA E-Spotter

 

Sign up to be an E-Spotter

Edited April 13, 2004 by GEO*Trailblazer 1

[+rusty_tlc]

Isn't there a site that host data from your weather station on-line? I thought  I saw that once. (Maybe one of the manufacturers, google time.)

I upload my weather station data to http://www.wunderground.com

 

If you go there and enter in your zip, it will show the weather for your area, and if you scroll down, you'll (hopefully) see a list of personal weather stations in the area.

Thats pretty neat there is a station within a couple of miles of my house. We just had a 20 MPH wind gust, hope I got all the chair cushions in from the porch!

[+Team DEMP]

Isn't there a site that host data from your weather station on-line? I thought  I saw that once. (Maybe one of the manufacturers, google time.)

I upload my weather station data to http://www.wunderground.com

 

If you go there and enter in your zip, it will show the weather for your area, and if you scroll down, you'll (hopefully) see a list of personal weather stations in the area.

Thats pretty neat there is a station within a couple of miles of my house. We just had a 20 MPH wind gust, hope I got all the chair cushions in from the porch!

And like Weatherbug, there's a free desktop application where you can access those stations (professional and/or personal) together.

 

It's called WeatherExchange and here's a link...

http://www.ambientweather.com/weex1.html

No spyware.

[+rusty_tlc]

For myself, I have been using the Weatherbug which is designed to givelive weather readings on your desktop from the nearest local weather station that it is linked to. The station that I use is about a mile away from me, but it can vary greatly depending on where you live.

 

The best part is that it's free.

 

While the free version does contain ads, there isn't any spyware associated with the program. Also, the program gives you the forecast, severe weather alerts (with an audible alarm) along with radar and satellite images. I've been happy with it for about three years now.

 

This is not exactly what you had in mind, but it might give you what you want instead of the cost of a backyard system which doesn't do as much as this program does.

That one was very neat, the web cam was pointed at my house. Only a quarter of a mile away or so.

[+IVxIV]

I have the La Crosse WS-7014U it's a pretty basic unit (no wind or rain measurement) but still a nice starter. Nice things about it,,wireless outside temp sensor, & the clock is radio keyed to the atomic clock in Colorado so it's absolutely accurate. And it performs a weather prediction for the next 12-24 hours based on tracked barometric trends.

What's the lowest temp yours will read? I received the WS-7013U as a gift and while it's a nice unit it onlly gives temps down to -30ºC.

-30C not enough? Geez where do you live??

 

According to the manual, mine only goes to -30C too, and yes in Ontario Canada it can dip below that especially during a winters night so I see what you mean. It's recorded low is currently showing -27.3C, last Jan 10 (I LOVE it also records the date the max/min occurred lol)

 

Remember though, the wireless outdoor transmitters run on batteries, and we all know how well batteries work in sub-zero temps.. Sooo I think perhaps they don't read any lower than -30C because the batteries go belly up at that point?

 

Now an alternative solution, they sell wireless outdoor temp sensors "with probes", normally used to, for example transmit the temperature from inside a freezer to the weather station.. those sensors may go below -30C but I can't confirm that.

[+PDOP's]

-30C not enough? Geez where do you live??

 

According to the manual, mine only goes to -30C too, and yes in Ontario Canada it can dip below that especially during a winters night so I see what you mean. It's recorded low is currently showing -27.3C, last Jan 10 (I LOVE it also records the date the max/min occurred lol)

 

Remember though, the wireless outdoor transmitters run on batteries, and we all know how well batteries work in sub-zero temps.. Sooo I think perhaps they don't read any lower than -30C because the batteries go belly up at that point?

 

I'm in Alberta. The recorded low on mine is -29.9ºC but no date and time on this model. I know for a few days in January the readout was just showing dashes when the temp dropped into the -30's. To bad as it usually the extremes that interest people.

[+Sparky-Watts]

I don't recall what the maximum low temp mine will show. It will keep it in memory until the next time the temp goes below that. Another nice feature of the Peet Bros Ultimeter series is that they will sound an audible alarm for weather extremes. You can set it for whatever extreme you want in each reading (high temp, low temp, high wind, low windchill, volume of rain, etc.). Mine was set to sound the alarm at -10 f and that's what it hit one night this winter. I've also got the wind alarm set for 60mph, so that I know when to go out and chase down my trash cans and canopy swing cushions.

 

It will also give you a printout of any period for up to 10 years at any parameter you want; i.e., readings every 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes either in text or as a graph.

[+MtnGoat50]

I have a Radio Shack WX200/Oregon Scientific WM918 weather station. This station has some limitations with sample times and resolution but it is very reasonably priced. The big plus is FreeWX weather station software which only supports this station is freeware. I have many times considered upgrading to a Davis or PEET weather station but I can't imagine using different software. The program is great and the support the author provides is excellant. I guess this station has been discontinued but some may still be available and it is my understanding that FreeWX is being written to support the wireless version of this station WMR-918//928/96. You can get more information here....http://www.freewx.net/. I would suggest downloading and installing the FreeWX WebClient. You can connect to weather stations all over the world, view and graph data in real time.

[Boromir]

I have the La Crosse WS-7014U it's a pretty basic unit (no wind or rain measurement) but still a nice starter. Nice things about it,,wireless outside temp sensor, & the clock is radio keyed to the atomic clock in Colorado so it's absolutely accurate. And it performs a weather prediction for the next 12-24 hours based on tracked barometric trends.

What's the lowest temp yours will read? I received the WS-7013U as a gift and while it's a nice unit it onlly gives temps down to -30ºC.

-30C not enough? Geez where do you live??

 

According to the manual, mine only goes to -30C too, and yes in Ontario Canada it can dip below that especially during a winters night so I see what you mean. It's recorded low is currently showing -27.3C, last Jan 10 (I LOVE it also records the date the max/min occurred lol)

 

Remember though, the wireless outdoor transmitters run on batteries, and we all know how well batteries work in sub-zero temps.. Sooo I think perhaps they don't read any lower than -30C because the batteries go belly up at that point?

 

Now an alternative solution, they sell wireless outdoor temp sensors "with probes", normally used to, for example transmit the temperature from inside a freezer to the weather station.. those sensors may go below -30C but I can't confirm that.

The Radio Shack WX200 (local, not mine) apparently has a low limit of -40C, and for a few days this winter it was still not low enough.

 

The DS1920 iButton will apparently do -55C to 100C, but only promises +/-0.5C accuracy in the 0C - 70C range. Available at www.ibutton.com. With this you can run a single wire from your PC to where it is placed outside, so no cold batteries to worry about. Us people in colder regions could use one of these to make up for any limitations in a kit.