Topic: WeatherBridge vs ObserverIP Module: What's the Diff??

[MrM1]

Considering the WS-1400-IP.  But also saw that there is a kit that includes the WeatherBridge module for a good bit more.  There does not seem to be a lot of explanation about the differences between the WeatherBridge vs ObserverIP Module. 

So...
1. Does the ObserverIP module allow connection to sites like Weather Underground? 
2. Does the ObserverIP support WUs Rapid Fire?   
3. What would be the benefits of the WeatherBridge considering the cost difference?
- $150 for the WS-1400-IP with ObservierIP Module
- $350 for the same with the WeatherBridge

I want to operate the 1400 with OUT a connected PC if possible.

[Bushman]

WeatherBridge is a rebranded Meteobridge box.  You can roll your own for about $120 USD.  Reports to many more places than the OIP.  Beware that you will have to pay annual support for it though.

[dolfs]

To use WeatherBridge or MeteoBridge you still need the ObserverIP that comes with the WS-1400-IP (which I have). MeteoBridge/WeatherBridge gets that data from ObserverIP via WiFi or cable, and ObserverIP is the one to receive the wireless signals from the indoor and outdoor sensors.

To roll your own you get a TP-LINK MR3020 (currently $28 on Amazon), and license MeteoBridge software (65 Euro for first 2 years, 19 Euros every two years after). Total initial cost can be as low as a little over $100, which is cheaper than WeatherBridge.

WeatherBridge comes pre-loaded with SW, but is just rebranded and otherwise identical. You'll still have to pay every 2 years later on as the license is the same as MeteoBridge. There is also a MeteoBridge PRO, an integrated SW/HW solution that removes the need for the TP-LINK, and has more capabilities for historical data and graphing.

Not only does MB have more abilities to upload to many other weather services, it also has more flexibility in what it uploads, how often, etc. Also can handle weather cameras and uploading of their images and more.

[docbee]

Just a minor correction on the Meteobridge license thing.

You'll still have to pay every 2 years later on as the license is the same as MeteoBridge.

Beware that you will have to pay annual support for it though.

Full Story is: Life-time license comes with two years of free updates. After that it is up to you, if you simply stuck to the latest version you got within this period or if you still want to get new updates after that. This is an option you can decide on, not something you have to do. There might be situations (i.e. when one of the weather networks you are feeding is changing its upload protocol in lets say 3 years) where you might need to purchase another 2 year period of updates later on. As I can't foresee the future I can hardly say if that is more of a theoretically threat or might really happen. What I can say is that purchasing then an update license for 19 Euros will again get you two years of updates and the problem is solved again. If that is expensive or cheap I don't want to judge on, I just wanted to give more background on the cites above, which are imho a bit misleading.

[Bushman]

If a bug appears after two years (who knows what drives that?) you'll have to pay $21 USD to get it fixed.  Even Microsoft is still releasing free patches for XP.  https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15790030/microsoft-windows-xp-vista-security-updates-june-2017  But I digress.

Since you do not want a PC in the mix, you could add a Raspberry Pi - $25 USD right now up here and a free copy of Weewx. Weewx i will post all over the place and is pretty cool.  A few extra bucks for an SD card/USB stick and power supply but the whole thing will run under $50  bucks.  Forever.  https://github.com/poblabs/weewx-ObserverIP

I'm working more and more with RPis and liking them more and more. 

[docbee]

If a bug appears after two years (who knows what drives that?) you'll have to pay $21 USD to get it fixed.

That is exactly what I also said. Only thing I disagree with is your statement "Beware that you will have to pay annual support for it though" which is misleading as it imposes that there is a must to pay for annual support. Many users will be fine without opting for ongoing support after two years.

I also like the RPI (which I use for the Meteohub solution) and Weewx has lots of fans and a wide user base. Price of RPI is not a real issue, setup effort might be, but this largely depends on expertise one has with Linux. On the other side it provides some Linux learning as an add-on which does not hurt anyway.