Author Topic: best bang for your buck  (Read 8148 times)

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Offline PoppaRob

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best bang for your buck
« on: May 26, 2011, 07:20:55 PM »
Hello and help me please,

I am going to try and get another home weather station but it has to be cheap, have all of the bells and whisles and I can use the info to put on my site,

I noticed that alot of these don't have heat index, a must have for me, had a heat stroke and don't want another one, wireless or hard wire does not matter, rain no big deal,

What brand seems to be best, also I seem to get a lot of lightening strikes around here, due to the iron or type of rocks here, so I was told, is that a fact or just someone pulling my leg, lol

Ok need to get off here my meds are kicking in as the wording is showing, later
Poppa Rob

Offline ocala

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 07:39:05 PM »
The LaCrosse or Oregon Scientific stations are the way to go if you want to stay cheap.
As for the heat index that is a calculated measurement using the humidity and the air temperature. Any station with those sensors will give you that reading. If the station doesn't give the reading then what ever software you use will provide it.
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline SlowModem

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 07:46:32 PM »
When applicable, heat index is displayed on Weather Underground.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN USA

Offline Gulfcoast

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2011, 07:51:16 PM »
I like the Ambient Weather WS-2080... around $110.

http://www.ambientweather.com/amws2080.html

Offline Bushman

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2011, 08:03:05 PM »
Dallas 1-wire from www.aagelectronica.com
Need low cost IP monitoring?  http://wirelesstag.net/wta.aspx?link=NisJxz6FhUa4V67/cwCRWA or PM me for 50% off Wirelesstags!!

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 09:28:27 PM »
Hey Guys,

Been looking at all of these, while looking saw this one, Ambient Weather WS-1090 Wireless Home Weather Station w/ Data Logging & Atomic Time at   http://www.ambientweather.com/amws1090.html,

I might be able to get it next month if I can keep my bills down a bit more, government checks are good but they don't give you raises, lol

With the temps and different weather we have here instead of the state weather site I have to have a better one to be able to put info on web, there is a weather underground site close to me, maybe I can use it if the man will let me, he is way up in elevation than myself, as I am in the valley below, might be a difference of 500 feet, lol

Poppa Rob

Offline Stetson1

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2011, 11:52:33 AM »
I will state my bias upfront, I have a WH-1080 clone (Zephy PWS-1000) and love it. I would choose it over any LaCrosse or Oregon Scientific any day of the week. Ambient is now selling them under their name. I have zero complaints about mine and have been running it for 18 months now.

For an inexpensive station I don't think you could do much better.

Todd

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2011, 01:16:06 PM »
Hey Todd,

You wrote:
I will state my bias upfront, I have a WH-1080 clone (Zephy PWS-1000) and love it. I would choose it over any LaCrosse or Oregon Scientific any day of the week. Ambient is now selling them under their name. I have zero complaints about mine and have been running it for 18 months now.

For an inexpensive station I don't think you could do much better.

Todd



Personally I like BIAS up front or back, lol, the first weather station I had was from wal mart, less than $100, Miss Linda said it was closer to $50, anyway it was cheap and lasted for 5 years or more, then when the storm took it, I wanted to replace it, then I saw where the weather channel had one for $100, so I got it, lasted 2 weeks, returned it and lucky for me got my money back,

My point is high price is not always better as cheap is not good, quality it seems is not around anymore, the end numbers for the company is all that counts, lol, profits, and the lies they can get away with, lol,

OK so do you have a site for these or place to get info and pricing for, I'll try a search for the two you posted and see what hits and sticks,

Thanks for the Bias, for real I do like it, I am that way too on certain things but I do listen to others, their other points of view as that could be a point that I had not seen or thought of, lol

Poppa Rob, I have been up just an hour so I hope this made since, lol

Offline Gulfcoast

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2011, 01:53:24 PM »
I prefer the Ambient Weather WS-2080 with manual buttons, not sure how I would like a touch screen.

The best thing, if you ever need any, the replacement parts are really cheap.   :-)

Offline Stetson1

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2011, 03:37:59 PM »
I like the Ambient products too. If they had them when I was making my purchase I would've gone with them. I do like the slight upgrade to the 2080. The only time I use the touch screen is to clear the memory when full, other than that I use my PC running Weather Display.

Todd

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2011, 03:54:31 PM »
Hello all,

I have look at everything posted and some others that are close to those, they are all nice, but I have to have the heat index on them, there is one from OS I think its is xx100n, but the software is extra, like 80 bucks, I am in no real hurry anyway but like to keep looking too, lol

Thanks to all for the info and in-site as to what is out there,

Poppa Rob

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2011, 04:11:14 PM »
Hey Gang,

Look I forgot to ask again or imply what to do about the lightening, grounding and all of that I know about and can handle, what about the static from it, will there be any effect on the electronics part of the station, hope this is clear as to what I am asking, lol

I plan on mounting it on a PVC pole up to about 15feet to 20feet, depends on site, will use schedule 80 electrical pipe, 2" or bigger, with smaller size pvc pipe inside until it has 1/2", like 2" with 1.5" in that with 1" in that and so on, any thoughts on that ideal, or maybe use plumbing white pipe with same ideal for inside fill,

Poppa Rob

Offline SlowModem

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2011, 04:27:15 PM »
Hello all,

I have look at everything posted and some others that are close to those, they are all nice, but I have to have the heat index on them, there is one from OS I think its is xx100n, but the software is extra, like 80 bucks, I am in no real hurry anyway but like to keep looking too, lol

Thanks to all for the info and in-site as to what is out there,

Poppa Rob

Since heat index is a calculated value, you can look here to see the heat index for your area.  If that site is satisfactory, they you won't necessarily have to have it on your weather station.  That would increase your choice of stations dramatically.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN USA

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2011, 09:28:37 PM »
Yes Slow Modem,

I could do that but I want it part of the data/posted so I can show it on the web page I have planed to compair with another site about 5 miles and 400 feet higher from my location, also I hope to set an alarm for me to know when it gets to hot for me to be outside, I have had a few heat stroke type close calls and don't want any more, I am weak enough in the summer with out any more trouble,

I thank you for trying to help,

Poppa Rob

Offline d_l

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2011, 09:45:14 PM »
I think you will want your temp/hum sensor to be mounted about at head height (5-6').  Infrared re-radiation from the ground is significant at that height.  Sensors mounted 10-20 feet or more up in the air often show cooler temperatures and possibly lower humidity depending on what covers the ground surface.

A high mount might underestimate the head height heat index by a few degrees.
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Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #15 on: June 01, 2011, 10:40:21 PM »
d_l,

Thanks I would of thought of that, I hope when I got to installing the thing if I get another one, I put the temp and that type of gear at just over my head, so its under 6 feet at the bottom, I be short, lol, what I would put up high is the wind gear, I would think everything else needs to be low like you said,

I had the plans at onetime to build a weather box like the weather station or what they had at one time, lol, if I can find that I might post it on the site for everyone to get if they want it, lol

Poppa Rob

Offline PoppaRob

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2011, 11:21:52 PM »
HI All,

Just to ask, I was looking at something anyway I got directed to ebay and weather stations, davis 6250 and 6252 from 200 to 250, if those stayed at those prices they would be great deals right as i see something like them for 50 to 700 on weather sites,

has anyone bought anything like that on ebay, I am always skeptical of that place,

Poppa Rob

Offline AZDesertRat

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2011, 07:40:23 PM »
I just replaced a LaCrosse 2317 with a Zephyr Inst PWS-1000TD-TZ and am happy so far. Within my budget and the dual monitors is a nice feature.
My reason for replacing was the 2317 had a serial port connection and my new Windows 7 machine does not have a serial port, plus when I called LaCrosse I was told it would not work on a 64 bit platform even with a serial/usb adapter.

Offline SlowModem

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2011, 07:57:29 PM »
I just replaced a LaCrosse 2317 with a Zephyr Inst PWS-1000TD-TZ and am happy so far. Within my budget and the dual monitors is a nice feature.
My reason for replacing was the 2317 had a serial port connection and my new Windows 7 machine does not have a serial port, plus when I called LaCrosse I was told it would not work on a 64 bit platform even with a serial/usb adapter.

I'm definately not a software developer (although there are some around here), but it sounds fishy to me that a weather station will not work with a certain operating system.  Doesn't it depend on the software?
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN USA

Offline AZDesertRat

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2011, 08:14:13 PM »
The weather station still functions stand alone but their Heavy Weather software did not work so I could not continue collecting data.

Offline wuhu_software

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Re: best bang for your buck
« Reply #20 on: August 12, 2011, 04:15:10 PM »
The weather station still functions stand alone but their Heavy Weather software did not work so I could not continue collecting data.

Use WUHU, it should work:

http://home.comcast.net/~wuhu_software/

If it does not work, you get a complete $0 refund. ;)

 

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