So I decided for my birthday coming up, I'd like a decent weather station for our house. My dad gave me one for Christmas a couple years ago, this Oregon Scientific one which has brought great joy and laughter because of it's "forecasting" feature. Yeah, when it's 110o outside and the thing says it's raining in the middle of a California (no humidity) summer, laughter ensues. Really, I check the indoor and outdoor temps all the time, because I'm a total weather geek. It works for what we need it for. The barometric pressure is pretty accurate as well.
But I'd really like one that's a little more...professional.
My requirements before I began looking were:
Must be
-Wireless
-Have a decent forecasting feature
-Measure windspeed and rainfall
-Able to plug into a computer and download data
(and therefore able to store data on the module)
-Have some kind of included software program
-Be highly reviewed by internet users
So we started looking at weather stations, and this is where I just got frustrated.
The two I really like, and their pros and cons...
Oregon Scientific WMR100
Pros: Inexpensive (~$180), and easily upgradeable with additional pieces from OS. Product has good reviews from consumers.
Cons: Doesn't store data. You'd need to connect it to a Meteohub server for real time streaming data if you don't plan to keep your computer on all the time to collect data (and additional $229!!). And then I can't even tell if you'll be able to access your historical weather data!
Davis Vantage Pro 2
Pros: Best reviewed product on market. What the pros use. Can accurately predict frosts. 2 1/2 second refresh rate.
Cons: Expensive. You have to build it piece by expensive piece. My build out is over $800! And you have to buy the software ($150) separately. And the software sucks.
There is only a handful of companies that make these things, and none of them have a model that will take a Flash card or other storage medium!? Or have the ability to store data for a period of time without buying an effing server?
What I really want is historical weather data for my property. I work with electrical meter data all day long, and have access to historical data, and therefore expect the same from something I'm about to drop a wad of cash on for my house. Maybe that's my problem - I have too high of expectations and I don't fit the 3 kinds of weather station buyers...those who buy a cheap one, the absolute professionals, and the folks with disposable income that want a mid-price instantaneous read weather toy.
OMG. I am frustrated.
Does anyone out there have a digital weather station that they really like? Tell me why you like it, why you have it. Send me an email if a comment would be too long: katie /at/ gardenpunks.com
This is something I've really wanted for a long time, and now that I'm researching them, frankly, I'm pissed at how expensive the data logger ones are, because they're out of my reach. I don't buy myself things often, (I just bought a new pair of shoes for the first time in over a year), and I want to make a good decision and buy a product that I want for a reasonable price.
Weather station companies, take note.
