Topic: Need help buying ~$250 weather station for Christmas gift

[jimmybond009]

Hi all,

I want to get my father-in-law a weather station for Christmas.  He is a fire fighter who likes tinkering on cars, obsessing over the temperature of their outdoor pool, etc.  He also likes social media sites like youtube etc. so I think it would be great to get him something that can connect to the internet so he can be part of a community.

I normally do tons of research on gifts like this, but have an exam coming up in a week and have been overwhelmed at my initial research for this (so many choices etc.)  So I figured I'd ask the experts - what would you recommend?

- Budget: sub-$250
- Internet connectivity (not too complicated to understand/upload - this man knows every component of a car but I had to make him a Youtube upload guide  )
- relatively 'full-featured' --- this is for home use (non-acreage) but I want it to have a couple more bells and whistles than just temperature
- wired or wireless (wireless for convenience, but wired if more reliable)
- needs to be able to withstand winter weather in New Brunswick Canada (ie. upper northeastern US-style) - minus 30 celcius, snow dumps, etc.

I see many recommending the OS WMR968 as falling in that price range.  The amazon reviews are pretty scathing though.  Or would one of the Lacrosse models be ok (e.g. the IT 1516)

Also, for software do we need a paid version?  I see some local stations on wunderground are using FreeWX-Wi 1.01 (http://insvr1.midcoastwater.com.au/FreeWX/_sgg/f10000.htm), so a free version would cut down on cost...

Finally, we live in Canada - any good retailers online up here, or do they all ship from US?

Thanks so much!

JB

[SlowModem]

Andrew (mackbig) is the guy that can answer your harsh weather and Canadian supplier questions.

I have had a 968 for a couple of years and it's ok (except for the RH sensor).  I started out using FreeWX-Wi.  It's a good program.  However, it doesn't support using Channel 1 as the main channel (which I had to use, because my RH sensor failed)(there's lots of threads here about that issue).  I have used Cumulus but now I use WUHU.  All are free and have support forums.  You will have to purchase a serial cable to connect the 968 to your computer, but they're cheap.

Good luck!

[Bushman]

If you go Davis, try www.forthebirdsnatureshop.ca  They match prices.  Binnacle.ca also has some good deals.  davis will last for sure.  If you want to experiment, get the Dallas 1-Wire weather stuff from aagelectronica.com  Very inexpensive but good.

[mackbig]

JB
See this summary for my notes about owning a os 968
http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=5675.msg56148#msg56148

As for harsh cdn winters.   Works great for temps, it does have the under minus 10C humidity bug (stops reporting RH, messes up dewpoint).  Kind of susceptible to freezing rain on the anemometer, but I think they all are really. I am actually looking forward to see first f-rain event this year, to see how my new davis anemometer compares sitting right beside the 968. Anyway a good sunny day post event usually does the trick.

Also, check out a rain gauge heater mod if you wanted melted snow equivalent.

They have a pool, so you can pick up the thc238 to watch the pool temp (stay away from floating one).  its about U$27, expect to pay about  C$40 if you can find one in Canada.

Costco.ca is your best bet for ordering in Canada.  But today I noticed they are not stocking 968.  Sometimes that is a temporary issue, but costco.com also does not appear to have it.  Perhaps they got an exclusive with Lacrosse.

Ambient is a very good price, and they deliver to Canada, but only use UPS, so be prepared to get ups'd for about C$70-80 for their extortion (aka brokerage)  But then again the dollar is pretty strong right now, and I think costco when they had it, it was C$250-270ish.  Ambient is U$199

Andrew

[Clay]

I'd take a Davis Weather Monitor over any OS. I've owned all of the big three weather station producers and Oregon Scientific stations have many drawbacks. First, they have low resolution measuring rainfall and barometric pressure. Second, they are slow to update. The anemometers update every 14 seconds so you are not getting accurate, real-time wind speed data and although the box states differently I could swear the thermometer updated only once a minute. Thirdly, I do question the quality at times of their sensors. It is a common occurrence, over time, for the thermometers lose calibration and humidity values fall sharply out of tune. For the price they aren't too bad but for 250, like I said, I have many other suggestions. Davis makes the best stations for the money.

http://www.ambientweather.com/dain74cowemo.html

http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/2810/index.php

[Strgazr27]

Although the Davis equipment has no pears as far as build quality you still will need to spend an additional $118 at the minimum for the serial data logger. I don't really see the time for updates to be an issue for temperature (How often does the temp change that drastically over 1 minute?) and my 968 updates temperature every 30 seconds. As far as the wind speed updates I agree that your not getting a truly real time update but the OP didn't make it seem olike he was looking for NWS accuracy to start with. My 968 has proven VERY accurate as far as temperature goes. RH was a slight issue but the factory sensor lasted 3 years before biting the dust and my Ane/Vane is still goign strong with just a simple annual wipe down. 2 of my three sensors still have the original battery packs with no signs of stopping. The Davis unit is also a cabled model which can severely limit you to placement options. The 968 being wireless with separate components makes this much easier. You do need to keep in mind the limits of reception with the 968. A simple "Funnel Mod" improves the accuracy of the 968 rain guage greatly. I have had no problems getting .02 readings with my 968....Does your father-in-law need more accuracy than that at this point?

I think, as a starter setup the 968 could suit him well. If he decides that he really enjoys the hobby than a Davis is the next logical step. I just took that route although I spent WAY more than $250 Lol. I traded up for build quality and piece of mind as well as faster update times, expandability and the Davis reputation.

Just my 2 pennies.......

Bobby