Weather Station

[southerngale]

Do you have a weather station? If so, what kind and do you recommend it?

SF's mention of The Weather Exchange in another friend got me to looking at them through Ambient Weather. I'd love to have one but wouldn't have a clue what to get for a decent price and what to get that I could set up myself.

[GalvestonDuck]

My best friend's hubby got me one for Christmas. It's one of those old antique nautical kinds they found in an antique store here on the island. They remembered that I'd been wanting one for a while.

[Tornado_Chaser2005]

I have one outside my computer desk window.

Its a block of cement, and thats it.

If it is dry, no rain
If it is wet, Raining
If it has sun on it all day, clear
If it has sun then fades out alot, mostly cloudy
If there is no sun, and dry, cloudy.
If there is snow on it. Snowing
If it's knocked over, windy
If itn flashes at night- it's a thunderstorm

TC

[Persepone]

I think they are quite expensive--my husband found a good deal (as good deals go) on it on the internet. I can ask him for details...

Mine is wireless. Easier because you don't have same worries about wiring, grounding, etc. as you do with a wired system.

It is easy to set up and you probably can do it yourself--except you may need help with the anenometer which needs to go at precise height (probably on your roof) and needs to be leveled properly, etc. You may need to put up a pole and put it on the pole. Needs to be about 30 feet above the ground, away from obstructions, etc. This really depends upon how comfortable you are on a ladder, how steep your roof is, etc. The other part can go on a fence post, etc. On the other hand, it's easy to move. Our plan was to put it up and see how it worked, etc. and then mount if permanently. Good thing, because the snowstorm/gale force winds knocked the anenometer a*s over teakettle toward the beginning of the storm. But putting it up did teach us a bunch about it. Now we understand it a lot better.

PM me for further information,

[isobar]

I have a Davis Vantage Pro, cabled. The wireless was more expensive, and we read that there were more reports of problems with it. My husband ordered it online from Scientific Sales. I think the receipt said $325.

It's the best toy in the world! When a frontal boundary passes, it's awesome how you can watch everything shift immediately ... bp, dp temp, wind.

Good luck Kelly!

[SouthernWx]

Kelly, I have both a cabled Weather Wizard III and a wireless Vantage Pro, both from Davis Instruments.

I highly recommend a wireless weather station....they are much easier to install, and far less likely to attract lightning.

Here's a couple excellent websites:

Davis Weather Instruments
http://www.davisnet.com

Wind & Weather (where I purchased my Vantage Pro...as well as other wx instruments over the past 25 years with excellent results).
http://www.windandweather.com

I have my Weather Wizard III anemometer mounted on a tv antenna mast mount alongside the outside north wall of my home. The anemometer height is 18' above the ground, or 4' above the peak of my roof. I also have the mast buried 4' deep in the ground in Quickrete (concrete), and have the mast attached securely to the north wall of my home with two large iron braces.

I was assisted by my uncle, who's experienced in mounting antennas; a friend who's also a structural engineer estimates my anemometer will withstand 110 mph gusts, so anything short of a strong (F2) tornado should be survivable.

I don't have the wireless Vantage Pro mounted except on a tripod (optional accessory)....the anemometer is only 8' above ground level; but I didn't purchase the Vantage Pro primarily for the anemometer anyway (but instead for the wireless rain gauge, temp/ hudity/dewpoint w/ radiation shield, digital barometer, etc), so I don't worry if it isn't higher than my roof. I do have it mounted far away from the house in my backyard; the tripod secured to a steel pipe buried several feet in the ground (in Quickrete).

PW

[depotoo]

tornado - sounds like mine!! lol

[azskyman]

Hi there....the advice you are reading here is good. There are a number of suppliers. Davis seems to have withstood a challenge over the long haul, but so has Rainwise and others.

You need to ask yourself some questions about what it is you want to be able to do with the weather station.

For example, do you want to be able to measure rain, measure highs and lows for the day, and measure air pressure. These are the three easier aspects of the atmosphere to measure...and the least expensive to acquire and set up.

If you want to also measure wind speed and direction, that requires a whole different type of set up. And it requires something even more important...a place to set it up that is uninhibited by the surroundings of trees or buildings or other obstructions.

I have been studying backyard weather since the 1960's and what I usually recommend is to start with the two simplest components. Rainfall and temperature.

Wireless is easier to install...but sometimes not the most accurate.

Another question you need to ask yourself is if you would like the data to be linked to your computer so it will accumulate a record of highs and lows and rain and pressure and wind...so you can go to your computer and see what has been happening even while you are away. While that's a terrific feature to have, it may not be that important to you. Keeping a written journal might be something you would enjoy more.

Weather observing has so many benefits. It is a wonderful hobby that can grow through the years. I know people who have nothing more than a manual rain gauge that they have stood by for many years, while there are others who have even tried (although illegally) to put radar on their own rooftops! And everything in between.

I am humbled by those who have for forty or fifty or sixty years kept accurate records of weather in their own backyards. There are people in every state who have done just that. I managed 23 consecutive years without fail in Illinois. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

These days I measure rainfall here in the desert. How hard can that be? I use a simple 4" diameter gauge that is a standard for most hobbyists.
But I do have a record of every day's rainfall for the last few years, and I am proud of that.

As Morgan Monroe of Sandpoint, Idaho, (one of this country's most beloved weather fans) said before he passed away, "The most important attribute a weather observer can possess is a constructive attitude. Nothing matches it for success and enjoying the hobby."

He was right.

Let me know if I can help some more. I know of a number of suppliers for all the equipment. (My personal preference is still Rainwise).

[southerngale]

Thanks for the replies.

I've briefly entertained the idea for a while now but when I got my new computer and didn't put Weatherbug on it, I realized how much I missed the information it provided. Although it wasn't accurate for my backyard, there were stations just a few miles to my north and south so I could get a general idea of rainfall rates, temperatures, etc. I keep a plain 5" rain gauge outside and measure rain events but I've lost accuracy several times when it ran over during heavy rain events. (those times I would have loved to have the rainfall rate measure in my backyard)

Anyway, I want to be able to measure rain, rainfall rates, highs and lows for the day, air pressure and wind speed. However, wind speed will be harder to set up, plus I'm surrounded by trees so I'm not sure how accurate it would be either. Maybe I should wait on that. I don't know.

I'm not sure whether to get wireless or not as both seem to be recommended. hmmm

I would LOVE to have it linked to my computer but wouldn't have a clue how to go about it. That's what first got me to looking at weather stations a few days ago. This is the link that SF posted. Take a peek.

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

I haven't read everything about it yet, but the idea sounded really neat.

I appreciate all the info...I just wish I knew which one was right for me.

[Tornado_Chaser2005]

tornado - sounds like mine!! lol

Excellent!! The Best, that money can buy, as in cheap, and reliable, and cant ever break down.

TC

[southerngale]

tornado - sounds like mine!! lol

Excellent!! The Best, that money can buy, as in cheap, and reliable, and cant ever break down.

TC

Well, we ALL use that one as well.