What is a good home weather station? . My old acurite bit the dust and im in the market for a new one
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Home Weather Stations
- Thread starter PEA_RIDGE
- Start date
I love my Davis Vantage Vue. Had it for 5 years with zero problems.
100% agree with this.
I will say if you do want to go cheaper than davis getting another acurite isn't a bad option. If you are a total nerd like me and want the data all the time the ability of the acurite data to display your current conditions on your phone is pretty solid. I prefer the davis though since it seems more accurate wrt to rainfall and there are much better data logging options.
I'll add another vote for the Acurite 5in1. Mine has been operating for more than two years now. I have the console plugged into a Raspberry Pi 2 running WeeWX software to upload the data to several websites(WU, PWS, CWOP), as well as a personal one. I would like to upgrade one day to some Davis equipment, but $$$. According to the automated analysis on CWOP, my station is consistent and relatively accurate.
Is one Acurite better than the other that you know of? And do you know anything about the Ambient 5-1 weather station? I have to watch the budget here so Davis is definitely out and I have concerns about the temp sensor on the acurite.... if I'm going to pay 125+ for a new weather station I want to make sure I'm happy with it, hate decisions like this lol
I think you'll have a warranty. if it just plain sucks get your money back. If it dies outside warranty, its not extremely hard to learn to solder (or get a friend to) if needed and replace it with something better. I would be more worried about the true guts outside the sensors.
The ambient was good for about a year then it started reading too low on the TD and too high on rainfall. The temp sensor on the accurite is fine and most of their models have fans now. I would honestly stand behind any acurite weather station over ambient.
Specifically, I have the 1035 Acurite 5in1. You can check out the CWOP summary for my site, which includes analysis of the data, at http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/site/E8041. For example, when compared with nearby stations, my station shows an average temperature error of -0.1 deg F and an error standard deviation of 1.7 deg F.
ETA: Looking at longer term (52wk) analysis, the temperature error is a bit higher, but is better than many surrounding stations (which include some more expensive equipment), according to their analysis.
ETA: Looking at longer term (52wk) analysis, the temperature error is a bit higher, but is better than many surrounding stations (which include some more expensive equipment), according to their analysis.
in the market for one.. are there any good ones under 100 dollars?
Acurite makes some that report temp/humidity and wind, but no rain for about $80. For $130 you can get their current 5-in-1 and also a lightning sensor.
Acurite 3-in-1
Acurite 5-in-1
Acurite 3-in-1
Acurite 5-in-1
Davis is generally considered the best other than the real high end stuff. I had a Davis Vantage Vue for about 8 years (still have it!) but currently running a Davis VP2+. Love my Davis equipment and wouldn't get anything else.
If I had it to do all over again I'd spend the extra money for a Davis, I bought the AcuRite 5 in 1 and I've had nothing but issues. The biggest issue is it eats batteries like I eat candy corn and trust me I'm a candy corn addict.
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I'm sorry you've had a bad experience. I've considered a Davis but the cost differential is significant and I've been pretty satisfied with my Acurite over the past 3 years. Only one or two battery changes a year.
For my Davis Vue, I think I replaced the battery twice in 8 years. So far with the VP2+ which I installed April 2016, no battery changes for that either.
I'm going to send my Vue back to Davis for a refurbish and use it as a portable weather station.
It was good advertising for Davis... this video of it got 15k views.
I'm going to send my Vue back to Davis for a refurbish and use it as a portable weather station.
It was good advertising for Davis... this video of it got 15k views.
Not sure if I've got a sensor issue or what but I've had it about 10 months, replaced batteries 3x. I've reached out to Accurite with no success
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SimeonNC
Member
I just impulse bought a cheap la crosse technology weather station on Amazon.
It should be here by tonight
It should be here by tonight
snowlover91
Member
I just bought one of these... they look pretty innovative and reports coming in have been very good. This could be the future of weather stations and I'm pretty excited to get mine and try it out... should arrive early next week. The technology behind the wind and rain measurements is pretty cool and the self-calibration using local trusted stations is pretty unique as well. Thoughts?
http://weatherflow.com/smart-home-weather-stations/
I had considered a Davis VP but I didn't like the dated look of the console or issues they have with the capacitor going bad with time which seems to be pretty common. Also to access this from my phone or tablet I'd have to set up additional services through something like WeatherLink and pay extra which was another turnoff.
http://weatherflow.com/smart-home-weather-stations/
I had considered a Davis VP but I didn't like the dated look of the console or issues they have with the capacitor going bad with time which seems to be pretty common. Also to access this from my phone or tablet I'd have to set up additional services through something like WeatherLink and pay extra which was another turnoff.
Dang that is sweet. I might just get one. I have one the acurite station for our place in Tennessee. But after seeing that I want one. Please update us on how you like it. Thanks for sharing.I just bought one of these... they look pretty innovative and reports coming in have been very good. This could be the future of weather stations and I'm pretty excited to get mine and try it out... should arrive early next week. The technology behind the wind and rain measurements is pretty cool and the self-calibration using local trusted stations is pretty unique as well. Thoughts?
http://weatherflow.com/smart-home-weather-stations/
I had considered a Davis VP but I didn't like the dated look of the console or issues they have with the capacitor going bad with time which seems to be pretty common. Also to access this from my phone or tablet I'd have to set up additional services through something like WeatherLink and pay extra which was another turnoff.
snowlover91
Member
Will do, it’s scheduled to arrive Tuesday so I’ll get it all set up then! I did a ton of research on all the various options out there and kept coming back to it. My second choice would have been the Ambient Weather WS-2902A which has some awesome features too but is more traditional.
snowlover91
Member
Well my weather station arrived, got it setup but need to get a better pole to mount my wind sensor on as the temporary one I have is made of PVC and will flex a good bit when it gets windy. Going to get a metal pole today and mount that on and then the setup will be done. For the time being I absolutely LOVE how sensitive the wind sensor is. Because it has no moving parts it's able to pick up very light winds that normally probably wouldn't spin a traditional cup anemometer because of friction and the weight of it. There were times it was picking up a .6mph breeze last night that I couldn't even detect. Here's a link below to my station. I'll get to see how it does with rain data this weekend when our big storm moves through, so far the temp appears spot on. My low was 42.6F and the nearest NWS station showed 43F so it appears spot on.
https://smartweather.weatherflow.com/map/5854/35.357/-77.3788/8
https://smartweather.weatherflow.com/map/5854/35.357/-77.3788/8
That's pretty cool. Have you considered sending your data to the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP)? You can then sign up for automated comparison and analysis with nearby stations.
Well I am sold!!!! That’s so cool. I will be getting one ASAP!! As soon as I get approval from the boss (DA WIFE) I will be getting one. On serious note she said it could be my Christmas. Which would totally neat from what I have seen.
snowlover91
Member
Hmmm I haven’t looked into that, how does it work? I know the station has the ability to link up to weather underground and I’m probably going to do that soon.
snowlover91
Member
Awesome, mine was my birthday and Christmas present to myself and I drove my wife crazy looking at weather stations so she said go ahead and buy one ASAP lol. Their support is great too, they have a community forum where people can post if they have any issues or suggestions and they work to implement them. Supposedly they’re planning some other nice things to add on like a solar panel, radiation shield, etc.
Here’s a chart I grabbed of the wind overnight.
And here is the temperature/dewpoint chart.
Here’s the dashboard on the app.
I you are interested, go here. Your station software must support being able to send weather data to destinations of your choosing. I use WeeWX running on a Raspberry Pi and send my data to CWOP, WU, and another site.
snowlover91
Member
Awesome, I’ll see if mine supports it or not. In the meantime I did get it up and running on Weather Underground, it was super simple! Here’s the link.
https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KNCELMCI3
Finally got assistance from Acurite and they seem to think it is a temp/humidity sensor issue. They are sending me a replacement circuit board to hopefully remedy the issue.... otherwise I love it.
Resurrecting from 2018, interested to know what home stations everyone is using in 2022, about to be 2023. I've owned at WS-2000 since Dec 2017, yearly maintenance and 1 battery change a couple years ago, but now I am replacing the sensor unit as I lost the pressure sensor over the Fall, cost was 100. I've found Energizer lithiums to be very good.
The head unit is up to date with latest firmware, and I run 6 external temp sensors, 3 in our conditioned crawlspace, 2 house, 1 outside in a low spot out back. I am going to relocate the sensor unit to a better place for wind and rain measurement, but closer to the house, I live in a pine forest so it's hard to get a good read on wind. Unit has and will be around 2.5m, I ordered the mounting kit with poles in 2017.
My unit is connected to Ambient and weatherunderground, for 2023 I'm looking at their camera, lightning sensor and indoor air sensor (2 different price points, 100 or 200 on indoor air). I know many run Tempest, just opening back up for feedback and general discussion, including other media you are connected too. I heard radar omega may have a plugin for home, but using radar scope cannot confirm.
The head unit is up to date with latest firmware, and I run 6 external temp sensors, 3 in our conditioned crawlspace, 2 house, 1 outside in a low spot out back. I am going to relocate the sensor unit to a better place for wind and rain measurement, but closer to the house, I live in a pine forest so it's hard to get a good read on wind. Unit has and will be around 2.5m, I ordered the mounting kit with poles in 2017.
My unit is connected to Ambient and weatherunderground, for 2023 I'm looking at their camera, lightning sensor and indoor air sensor (2 different price points, 100 or 200 on indoor air). I know many run Tempest, just opening back up for feedback and general discussion, including other media you are connected too. I heard radar omega may have a plugin for home, but using radar scope cannot confirm.
I love my tempest and would recommend to anyone. Just watch the rain check function during summer thunderstorms.
What third parties are you connected to for obs?
None. Just the tempest site. I probably ought to link up with some.
Tempest here as well. They have their own observation map, but I’m also tied into weather underground.
My tempest is dying the uv and wind aren't reporting
tractor girl
Member
I'm well past getting a local weather station to monitor my own conditions. Looking at both the Ambient Weather WS-1965 and WS-2092. I like the ground moisture sensing capability of the WS-1965.
snowlover91
Member
Resurrecting an old thread here but my tempest is still working but the guy who cuts my grass has run into and knocked it off the pole several times now and it’s being held together by gorilla glue. The only issue I’ve had with my tempest has been the wind, certain rain events get water on the sonic sensors and mess the wind readings up (as does frost). It’s a limitation of the tech in a home weather station so I’m going to try something different.
I ordered a Davis VP2 with WeatherLink live which should be here later this week. Have heard great things about these stations and look forward to trying it out. Got a great deal on it and I like how you can replace the parts on it fairly easily if need be.
I ordered a Davis VP2 with WeatherLink live which should be here later this week. Have heard great things about these stations and look forward to trying it out. Got a great deal on it and I like how you can replace the parts on it fairly easily if need be.
snowlover91
Member
I’m relocating the tempest and have a spot that’s much safer for the new one lol.
Ryan Sanders
Member
Davis Vantage Pro 2 or Tempest?
I’m looking for accuracy first and foremost. Maybe the tempest accuracy is good enough to offset the price difference? But I am willing to spend more if it’s worth it.
I’m looking for accuracy first and foremost. Maybe the tempest accuracy is good enough to offset the price difference? But I am willing to spend more if it’s worth it.