Topic: A good weather station at a reasonable price

[Bushman]

I don't own any Chrysler products, so I won't comment on that statement....I do own 3 Ford products, so I ask "Are they 'junk' too?" 

All I am saying is I have had very good luck with my WS2080, it may die this afternoon for all I know but if it does that is MY problem, it was cheap enough I can toss it in the trash and not fret on the loss of money...  I just get sick and tired of the remarks that FO stations are junk, granted they are not the best but they are cheap enough for a person to jump in and get their feet wet in the weather hobby. How many of the higher priced stations are there sitting in closets and basements because they cost too much to just toss out when the owner lost interest???

I joined up here to mostly read and learn and make the occasional comment...  But I think it may be time to go, the attitude of 'some' folks around here seems to be if you don't have a Davis station you are not good enough to even be here..... Should I pack my bags now???

I don't know what it is about the anonymity of the Internet that makes some denizens want to insult others, but please don't let it get you down.  In my short time here I have found most members to be friendly and helpful. 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for the free exchange of ideas, but there are better, more tactful and educational ways to present a negative (or positive) opinion about a product than "Product X sucks and everyone that owns one has a questionable relationship with sheep".  You can share your opinions without rancor.

Absolutely NO WHERE did I insult those who purchase FO units.  And frankly, I would not have the slightest problem telling a friend or acquaintance to their face not to buy an FO or clone based on my experience.  If they still want to do so, they are certainly welcome:  it is not my money.  But don't ask for an opinion based on  ownership and when you don't hear what you want, start attacking the poster of said opinions.  I am certainly no fan boy of Davis even though I have one.  Ditto for Acurite.

[ggsteve]

Absolutely NO WHERE did I insult those who purchase FO units.  And frankly, I would not have the slightest problem telling a friend or acquaintance to their face not to buy an FO or clone based on my experience.  If they still want to do so, they are certainly welcome:  it is not my money.  But don't ask for an opinion based on  ownership and when you don't hear what you want, start attacking the poster of said opinions.  I am certainly no fan boy of Davis even though I have one.  Ditto for Acurite.

I do not wish to get into a war of words with you, but so you'll understand my premise, referring to someone's weather station as "junk" could be considered by some as an insult.  You can share your opinion by pointing out the virtues of one piece of equipment compared to what may be perceived flaws in another.  Properly articulated, this information is helpful in the decision making process.

[Bushman]

Clearly you are trying to get into a war of words.  At no time did I insult Farmtalk's particular station but stated that IMO and IME the FO/clones are "pure garbage".  The anemometer on mine died in a couple of months followed by the rain gauge.  And temp/hum readings were worse that my decade old RadioShack Micronta temp/hum sensors (calibrated BTW against my Davis and some other electronic goodies I have).  The software is gawd-awful as well and customer support is non-existent. That FT has had great success with his, I say "bully".  I simply would not recommend them as they have proven to be a POS.  Go look up "cognitive dissonance".

[Farmtalk]

I was not insulted a bit by what Bushman said at all guys  If I had $500 I WOULD buy something better. 

It's like what a good acquaintance on the forum has said more than once on the forum before that I have used in EVERYTHING in buying in life (Nice to have life lessons on a weather forum  ). He has said generally that if you go low on the price of something that could cost more for better quality, the quality is proportional to the money spent. So if I spend $100 on a weather station, I'm going to generally get 1/5 the quality of a $500 station.

I am happy with my station, and Bushman was not putting me down by me owning only a $100 station. He was just saying that since he has a Davis, the quality that he would have on a $100 one like the WS 1080 would literally be crap compared to a $500 station, and I agree with that    This makes me think of something like a Dodge Neon versus a Dodge Viper. I own a Dodge Neon and enjoy it quite a bit, but if I bought a Dodge Viper, I'd enjoy IT WAY more! 

No harm at all was sent here at all, and Stan, this forum is typically VERY nice. Don't let one bad apple of a thread ruin your experience. There are a ton of nice people here! Good luck on getting a great station! It's a very exciting time, and whatever you decide to get, I'm sure it will be the right choice! 

[Monomeeth]

Hi Farmtalk

Couldn't have said it better myself! You should have a career in diplomacy!

 

[Farmtalk]

Hi Farmtalk

Couldn't have said it better myself! You should have a career in diplomacy!

 

I appreciate it, but I wouldn't say that  Though Bushman certainly wasn't beating around the bush, like anyone else on the forum, I know he wasn't trying to hurt anyone's feelings. Check out his site sometime, it's pretty sweet! 

[Monomeeth]

Yeah, I know. I've only been a member for a little while, but have read a LOT of the forums here in that time and have a sense of the regular contributors and most (incl. Bushman) are very helpful. Sometimes the "tone" of the written word can be taken the wrong way, and that's a shame.

And no doubt that Bushman's experience with his Fine Offset model wasn't a good one. And I've read that in a few places. However, I am guessing that millions upon millions of them have been sold under various brands worldwide and that a percentage will just be faulty. The reality is that online you're going to hear about the bad experiences moreso than the good ones (mainly because most people don't go visiting forums unless they have a problem to begin with). I guess you just need to make sure wherever you've bought it from will offer some genuine after sales support.

Thanks for the tip about Bushman's site. I'll check it out now.

[Stetson1]

I know this is an older post but I had to jump in. My WH-1080 clone finally gave quit (transmitter) after 5 1/2 years operating 24/7. For $100 I don't think it did all that bad. Yes, it didn't transmit as quick as a Davis. Yes it may not have been quite as accurate as a Davis and so on. I've spent the last two days looking at getting a Vue, but after reading all the issues with the supercap and transmitters and the USB data logger, I have to say I am not as keen on dropping $405 (best price I could find for the bundle) as I thought I would be.

I know all the Davis folks will tell me how great the Vue is and I am sure it is. My issue is and has always been the cost. For all the issues/complaints on the Davis section of some forums, I just can't in good conscience spend the cash on one. What I have done as a temporary solution is to order a new transmitter for $25, if that fails to fix the issue then I guess I'll have to purchase a new system.

I may just purchase another WH-1080 or WS-2080 for another $100 because I am a cheapskate. That said, my cheap system ran for longer than a lot of the more expensive Davis systems with nothing but a battery change once a year.

[Jáchym]

I use WH1080 for 3.5 yrs now without any major problems.

With regards to sending data to the internet, you dont need your PC running 24/7. The best option is probably getting a cheap router compatible with Meteobridge and that will do it - minimum consumption, no noise, minimum administration, lot of settings

[DoctorKnow]

I see a good price on Amazon for a WH-1090. Less than $90 and a touch screen. I think the secret to keeping these going is not having the original solar shield on it and put a larger one on, not only for correct data, but to protect it from moisture. If rain gets into the transmitter, it will fail much faster. It's all I can do to keep from buying one of these right now.

[Jáchym]

I can only confirm that, when I used the stock solar shield the temperature difference was over 5 degrees and in the summer during very sunny days even 10°C ! The factory shield is absolutely useless, but I recommend buying white ceramic dishes for flowerpots and use those to create your own radiation shield. There are DYI tutorials on the web as well.

[Stetson1]

I have an aftermarket shield on it which makes a big difference. Haven't made up my mind yet, will see if the new transmitter fixes the problem, if not then a new system will be in my future.

[DoctorKnow]

It was E-Bay I saw the touch screen. I think this is the best price I have seen.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Wireless-Touch-Scn-Weather-Station-w-PC-Interface/351388481432?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3Dde29097020f342b4800d5fcb1e8a8c50%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D281566753725

This one below I am not so sure about. I don't think it's a Fine Offset, and it doesn't have 16 wind positions.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dr-Tech-Pro-Wireless-Weather-Station-w-PC-Software-Solar-Powered-Transmitter/331420480206?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D30543%26meid%3D2a35335c3f754202b5d378053de38ac4%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D351388481432&rt=nc