Weather station recommendations

lindsay

lindsay

Admin
Messages
5,200
Name
Lindsay
Edit My Images
Yes
I fancy setting up my own weather data capturing station - the usual stuff: rain, wind, temperatures, pressures. What can people recommend? I don't have a budget in mind, as I know they can vary from circa £100-whatever, I'd rather get something good than cheap.
 
I'm not sure about that one - I'd prefer a more turnkey setup, rather than have to get into programming and connectivity (been there/done that professionally, I don't need the hassle). I was thinking of something perhaps more conventional. On the one hand I'd like an automated data capture system, but on the other hand I like the idea of popping down to my old-fashioned Stevenson Screen to take the readings and then manually plot them. (I worked at the Met Office for a while, testing multi-layer vector graphics displays for their websites, so automation is amazing, but manually plotting graphs is also fun if you're a bit nerdy like me!)
 
I got a Waldbeck Huygens Professional Weather Station a couple of years ago for £150. Connect to the internet at

Ecowitt Weather

www.ecowitt.net www.ecowitt.net

Was easy to set up.
 
Thanks @seaodyssey Pete, that looks very suitable. I've put that on my Amazon Wishlist as a hint to Mrs P!
 
I have one of THESE

It's a Prosignal that I bought from Farnell about 18 months ago and is still going strong. Previously, I had a Youshiko, but I don't recommend those as the anemometer used a reed switch to trigger the system and I think that is dopey as it is mechanical and isn't going to last long -- it didn't, it lasted about seven months and when I contacted the distributor about getting it fixed, they denied that I'd ever bought it from them (I can assure you, I did). That went in the bin.

The Prosignal, as far as I can tell, uses a magnet system for the anemometer which is far more reliable. The only thing I've had to do (and they recommend doing this anyway, once a year) was clear the rain gauge as a seed, exactly the right size to block the hole, had fallen in and turned the gauge into a mere bucket. My receiver is behind a one foot thick wall and is about fifty meters from the sender unit, I have had no connection problems. I've only changed the batteries in the sender once and that was not because they failed, but because of the aforementioned seed blockage and I thought I might as well since I'd taken it down. Using a battery checker on the removed batteries revealed almost no reduction in power and that was after about 10 months of use.

You can connect it to the internet if you really want to but I only wanted it for my personal use so never bothered.

Hope that helps.

Edit: I've just looked at the one seaodyssey mentioned and I can't see any difference between that one and the one I bought apart from the vastly different price. Perhaps there is a difference I can't see.
 
Last edited:
ShinySideUp said:
I have one of THESE

Edit: I've just looked at the one seaodyssey mentioned and I can't see any difference between that one and the one I bought apart from the vastly different price. Perhaps there is a difference I can't see.
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing and did a double take just to make sure I was looking at a different page.
 
I have a besser one. Has an indoor display screen. Rain capture thing blocks so it’s a bit annoying. Had an el cheapo Maplin one before and that was better. That got ruined in a gale.
 
srichards said:
I have a besser one. Has an indoor display screen. Rain capture thing blocks so it’s a bit annoying. Had an el cheapo Maplin one before and that was better. That got ruined in a gale.
Click to expand...

That's ironic.
 
Something that I've been thinking about for a while now. We currently have a station from La Crosse Technology, but elements have been failing.... first the rain guage and now the anemometer.

I'm considering an Ecowitt station like this one

I don't know if they are any good. I particularly like that it supports an SD card for recording data. Also I like that there is an optional accessory of an extension battery pack that allows replacement of batteries without needing a ladder. Obviously better if it was included.

Unfortunately, reviews in general seem thin on the ground.
 
ShinySideUp said:
I have one of THESE

It's a Prosignal that I bought from Farnell about 18 months ago and is still going strong. Previously, I had a Youshiko, but I don't recommend those as the anemometer used a reed switch to trigger the system and I think that is dopey as it is mechanical and isn't going to last long -- it didn't, it lasted about seven months and when I contacted the distributor about getting it fixed, they denied that I'd ever bought it from them (I can assure you, I did). That went in the bin.

The Prosignal, as far as I can tell, uses a magnet system for the anemometer which is far more reliable. The only thing I've had to do (and they recommend doing this anyway, once a year) was clear the rain gauge as a seed, exactly the right size to block the hole, had fallen in and turned the gauge into a mere bucket. My receiver is behind a one foot thick wall and is about fifty meters from the sender unit, I have had no connection problems. I've only changed the batteries in the sender once and that was not because they failed, but because of the aforementioned seed blockage and I thought I might as well since I'd taken it down. Using a battery checker on the removed batteries revealed almost no reduction in power and that was after about 10 months of use.

You can connect it to the internet if you really want to but I only wanted it for my personal use so never bothered.

Hope that helps.

Edit: I've just looked at the one seaodyssey mentioned and I can't see any difference between that one and the one I bought apart from the vastly different price. Perhaps there is a difference I can't see.
Click to expand...
How do you connect it to the internet?
I have one of those at one allotment. and I used it there because I could not connect it at home.
 
Sangoma said:
How do you connect it to the internet?
I have one of those at one allotment. and I used it there because I could not connect it at home.
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a palava really. You can connect via Ecowiit or even the Met Office but it's not exactly easy. It does come with instructions as to how to do it but IIRC there are different options. You can't connect the station itself to the internet, you can only connect the receiver and the station can only connect to the receiver.
 
4tea2 said:
Something that I've been thinking about for a while now. We currently have a station from La Crosse Technology, but elements have been failing.... first the rain guage and now the anemometer.

I'm considering an Ecowitt station like this one

I don't know if they are any good. I particularly like that it supports an SD card for recording data. Also I like that there is an optional accessory of an extension battery pack that allows replacement of batteries without needing a ladder. Obviously better if it was included.

Unfortunately, reviews in general seem thin on the ground.
Click to expand...

That one lookks suspiciously like the Youshiko one I had, the one where the anemometer triggers a reed switch (see my post above), if that is the case, I wouldn't go near it.
 
Have been using a Davis Vue for about 10 years, has been rock solid and has a great supply of spare parts so it can be repair, the anemometer was damaged by something. They have just apdated they console, new one has a web app and conects to phones. The console I have is basically a screen, that can be connected to a computer but in a very web 1.0 manner. At some point I might update my console as the new version is fully back compatible with the older stations, which I like, they seem to be desinged to be repaired and keep running. Also use Davis/Hobo weather stations professionally and again they are proving to be very reliable and accurate.
 
I also have a Davis Vantage Vue, after having several cheaper ones over many years, but cheap by often. It is far more accurate than cheaper ones. I have been uploading weather to the internet for about 15 years now, PWS, Windy.com, Wow. I would have bought the professional one, if finances had stretched to it.
 
Last edited:
Humphrey said:
I also have a Davis Vantage Vue, after having several cheaper ones over many years, but cheap by often. It is far more accurate than cheaper ones. I have been uploading weather to the internet for about 15 years now, PWS, Windy.com, Wow. I would have bought the professional one, if finances had stretched to it.
Click to expand...
Started with Vue here in 2009, then bought a used VP2 which needed a sensor, replaced with new VP2 about 5 years ago.
We are in a very exposed location one like that might be overkill for many and it still needs new sensors periodically.
There are a lot of private stations uploading to wunderground you might find one near you already though weather conditions can be so localised it is always interesting to have your own.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Depends how tech you want to get. I've been eying this for a while....

shop.pimoroni.com

Enviro Weather (Pico W Aboard) - Weather Station Kit

A wireless climate and environmental monitoring system designed to make hooking up weather sensors a breeze (or a squall, or a gale). Includes wind and rain sensors and weatherproof enclosure!
shop.pimoroni.com shop.pimoroni.com
Click to expand...
DON'T DO IT!!! That is probably the worst weather station in existence. Trust me I spent 6 years selling weather stations - everything from home jobs to professional systems used by the Met Office.

Take a look at something made by Campbell Scientific, Thies or Gill Instruments if you are after accurate, reliable data. Personally, I have a Thies Clima Sensor US (https://www.thiesclima.com/en/Products/Weather-Station-Integrated-Weather-Stations/?art=1547) but you need a data logger to collect the data and a computer to display it.
 
Bristolian said:
DON'T DO IT!!! That is probably the worst weather station in existence. Trust me I spent 6 years selling weather stations - everything from home jobs to professional systems used by the Met Office.

Take a look at something made by Campbell Scientific, Thies or Gill Instruments if you are after accurate, reliable data. Personally, I have a Thies Clima Sensor US (https://www.thiesclima.com/en/Products/Weather-Station-Integrated-Weather-Stations/?art=1547) but you need a data logger to collect the data and a computer to display it.
Click to expand...
Thank you :) I like the programmability of it but was a little concerned by the build "quality".
 
So much experience to refer to, this will need proper study of the various recommended option. Thanks to everyone for chipping in with your info
 
Purely for interest, I've got a basic

Youshiko YC9441 (Official 2024 UK Version)​

which came from Amazon. Just temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure but that's enough for me. AFAIK, no computer connectivity. I'm on my second one - the first base unit got left in the conservatory while we were on holiday and the display got fried! The remote temperature sensor from the old one is handy for the conservatory (where it hasn't yet fried itself...)
 
JonathanRyan said:
This crossed my timeline today. What do people think?

tempest.earth

Tempest Weather System | WeatherFlow Tempest Inc.

Get real-time weather data with the Tempest home weather station. Our all-in-one sensor device and AI-powered app make it easy to track conditions in your area.
tempest.earth tempest.earth
Click to expand...
Never seen that one before. Reading some of the guff on their web site (and that of the WeatherFlow Network) I can see their claims are unlikely to be substantiated. "Nearcasting" is another name for NowCasting, which is a tried and tested technology which can fairly reliably give you an idea of what's going to happen in your location in the next hour or two if you have enough local weather stations around. Basing local weather predictions on just 500 stations worldwide (see the WFN web site) is a nonsense as is their claim to have the largest network in the world. I can think of several organisations that would dispute that and Vaisala (the biggest manufacturer of meteorological instruments in the world) have in excess of 10,000 that I know of.

Ignoring the marketing bumph and just looking at the technical specifications, the device appears to be typical of others in that price range (c. £350) and lightning is a nice addition although it doesn't indicate direction and only tells you of a strike after the event, which might be too late :eek: My previous employer had two lighting warning systems that gave up to 25 minutes warning of potential strikes - the starting prices were £2,000 and £10,000 depending on the range and features customers wanted. The inclusion of an ultrasonic anemometer for wind speed and direction is a definite plus as they are pretty much maintenance free.

Whatever device anyone buys there are a few things to consider if you want to get the best performance from it. Firstly, where are you thinking of mounting it? This Tempest one is typical of home weather stations in that they provide a mount that attaches to a wall but that has implications to how the anemometer functions. If the device is lower than the top of the wall then both wind speed and direction will be affected due to the wind flowing along the line of the wall. Even if the device is higher than the wall the flow of the wind will be altered by the way it flows up and over the wall, introducing a vertical vector which a 2D anemometer can't compensate for. Ideally, any weather station needs to be installed in an open space, well away from anything that can affect the flow of air (e.g. walls, fences, hedges, trees, etc.). Finally, this device and many others have an app for your phone (or other connected device) and work by the station sending data into the manufacturers cloud where the app displays that data onto your device. How secure is that connection? What steps have they taken to prevent hackers from using the data link to access you home network, computers, etc.? Something to consider.

As anyone that has managed to read this far may have figured out by now I have a bit of a passion for these little devices o_O and could (indeed have) talked about them for days. I'm happy to answer any questions either on the public forum or in a pm.
 
A friend nearby has bought that one or one very similar with no moving parts, it seems to be quite accurate but all he has got so far is data and simple graphs on his phone app - which might be all you want or need but maybe not ideal for longer term recording.
It's a typical gushing over done advertising website designed to convince novice owners theirs is something a bit special about theirs it will probably be OK but you could dabble for under £100
 
Last edited:
4wd said:
A friend nearby has bought that one or one very similar with no moving parts, it seems to be quite accurate but all he has got so far is data and simple graphs on his phone app - which might be all you want or need but maybe not ideal for longer term recording.
It's a typical gushing over done advertising website designed to convince novice owners theirs is something a bit special about theirs it will probably be OK but you could dabble for under £100
Click to expand...
How are you making that determination?

Manufacturers of the low cost (i.e. <£150) typically just put whatever accuracy claims what they feel like in their specifications on the basis that average Joe that's going to buy it doesn't have the facilities to accurately test them.

Our test and calibration rig included a wind tunnel with 2D and 3D anemometers, an environmental chamber (with temperature, humidity and barometer sensors) in which we could simulate anything from Antartic to Sahara conditions. Everything was independently calibrated and certified, as was the software system we used to control testing and record the data. Expensive stuff :D
 
It compares reasonably well with my Davis VP2 (5 miles away) but his wind will inevitably be far lower as he is in a village I'm very exposed.
Also you can compare to other on wunderground network nearby.
 
4wd said:
It compares reasonably well with my Davis VP2 (5 miles away) but his wind will inevitably be far lower as he is in a village I'm very exposed.
Also you can compare to other on wunderground network nearby.
Click to expand...
Ah the Vantage Pro2 - a good piece of kit used by F1, MotoGP and WSB (y)
 
Besser one is stuck again. The outdoor information stops updating and you have to go outside and pop a battery out to reset the outdoor unit. It's annoying.

I want one I can stick outside and it will just work and then tell me when the batteries are low and not need anything else until that happens (ideally not needing those for at least 12-18 month intervals either)

Anyone got any thoughts on this one: https://www.weathershop.co.uk/5-in-1-wifi-weather-station-accur8-5100
 
srichards said:
Besser one is stuck again. The outdoor information stops updating and you have to go outside and pop a battery out to reset the outdoor unit. It's annoying.

I want one I can stick outside and it will just work and then tell me when the batteries are low and not need anything else until that happens (ideally not needing those for at least 12-18 month intervals either)

Anyone got any thoughts on this one: https://www.weathershop.co.uk/5-in-1-wifi-weather-station-accur8-5100
Click to expand...
The Vantage Vue style one looks Ok, it has the same minor downside as the Vue in that ideally your rain is at ground level, your temperature at 1.5m and the wind at 10 metres.
Ideally mount at about 10 feet but in an exposed spot if wind is important.
I like how it can upload to Wunderground this makes it very handy to view anywhere and see old data they will store and back up.
 
Last edited:
4wd said:
The Vantage Vue style one looks Ok, it has the same minor downside as the Vue in that ideally your rain is at ground level, your temperature at 1.5m and the wind at 10 metres.
Ideally mount at about 10 feet but in an exposed spot if wind is important.
I like how it can upload to Wunderground this makes it very handy to view anywhere and see old data they will store and back up.
Click to expand...
This highlights one of the problems with all of these multi-sensor weather stations - they take all of their readings at one height. To some (albeit small) extent this distorts the data that organisations such as the Met Office import into their forecasting models from places like Wunderground. Of course, a pukka weather station would cost £15-20k and require planning permission :p
 
Yes but even if you have a large area you don't need to create a perfect official weather station. You want to know what it is like at your house.
A lot of the value comes from comparing the same location (any location) over several years too.
 
I’ve one of these : Ecowitt Wittboy https://www.ecowitt.com/shop/goodsDetail/245

Very easy to install and great gateway WiFi coverage. I’ve added a few other temperature and humidity sensors to the system (got them from AliExpress at a fraction of what the cost locally). I also picked up a new Evowitt HP2580 weather station on eBay which can read all the existing sensors. I wanted this for a nice display in the living room otherwise you use the free Ecowitt apps for viewing your data.
Seems to be relatively accurate for a consumer device.
You can upload the data from your station to several online weather providers such as Weather Underground and the Ecowitt system has a map of all their weather stations that are uploading allowing you to see the data from these stations.

Jake
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top