I bought Davis equipment and retired the OS. I started the same way, with a few trinkets just for fun, then stepped up a bit and added a couple of things, it grows, then when I decided to move to MX I found they didn't have a weather station in this area so I bought an integrated system and that was when I went to the Internet version. I brought it down with me and thought it would be "fun" and a hobby. It was fun most of the time but I needed data logging when the storms hit and the power is out (common here) so I got the 200, it was a disaster, finally reverted to the 100.
By that time I was getting a lot of input from the community, the daily hits was probably 1,500 and it continued to grow. All the time I was looking at Davis thinking it was too expensive for the budget. In Jan of this year I got a second 200 which is considerably better, but still finicky. In March I was planning a trip to TX and finally pulled the trigger and spent what was needed to go all the way to Davis. I just looked at the stats and yesterday was only 2,177 hits, but May 5 was 3,820 and this is the quiet time of the year, when the rain starts it will jump to the 4-5 thousand daily. In Feb we have a big chili cookoff and it was rainy (unusual that time of year) and one day we hit 10,000 so you never know what your personal curiosity might bring.
We have a fiesta in Sept where they make paper hot air balloons which little smoldering fire baskets under them, release them and the winner is the highest etc. Now, I know that sounds insane, but by that time it's been raining for 3 months and all our houses are concrete, steel and brick so chance of fire is extremely low - except one came down on a guys big canvas awning and burned it and the deck furniture. He contacted me for proof of wind direction etc. for insurance purposes, so at least once we served an actual purpose.
It was never meant to be this big, this expensive or this time consuming, but I do it for the community and it gives me a responsibility. After a lifetime of work and responsibility you need something to remain relevant (at least in your own mind - ha).