Topic: Yet another "Want to buy a weather station" post ...

[Dingbat]

Howdy,

I'm in Quebec, Canada.

I've always been a weather and astronomy buff.  Got scads of spare computers to dedicate to weather monitoring.  Already have a home-hosted webserver. 

Budget: 275$ to 400$
With console and computer interface
Would make due with computer interface only
Standard measurements (wind speed, wind direction, temp, humidity, atmospheric pressure).
Precipitations not fundamental.

Thank you.

[DanS]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Maybe for the station something like this? Gotta act fast for this one though.     http://www.ebay.com/itm/Davis-6152-Wireless-Vantage-Pro2-Weather-Station-USA-Version-NEW-/320816925312?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D200690496380%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5085915687568381650

[SlowModem]

Welcome and enjoy your stay! 

Perhaps Andrew (Mackbig) can help with Canadian prices and shipment +s and -s.

Is scads a metric measurement unit?   

[DanS]

" Is scads a metric measurement unit?    "    Isn't a scad in between a skosh and a smidgen? 

[Dingbat]

Why thank you!

DanS >> I don't really want to buy through EBay.   But thanks!  280$ for that weather station, that's good!

Actually I was looking at some LaCrosse stations, they seem to be inexpensive but I assume you get what you pay for with Lacrosse.  For instance, do they have software that can send info to Weather Underground?

I talked to the boss (wife) and I guess my budget is closer to (less than) 300$.  

An alternative would be to roll my own.  I'm an Arduino buff and have seen some home grown weather station project, since I'm a programmer ... wouldn't be that hard to pull off.  Already have some temp and pressure sensors working, and I have seen the API for WU (http://www.wunderground.com/weather/api/d/documentation.html) and it seems pretty easy to push info to it.



Oh yeah -- other hobby: Rocketry.

[C5250]

Is scads a metric measurement unit?   

Synonyms:    bags, barrels, bunches, bundles, gobs, heaps, jillion, large number, loads, lots, many and then some, oodles*, piles, plenty, scores, stacks, tons, zillions 

http://thesaurus.com/browse/scads

[DanS]

Why thank you!

DanS >> I don't really want to buy through EBay.   But thanks!  280$ for that weather station, that's good!

Actually I was looking at some LaCrosse stations, they seem to be inexpensive but I assume you get what you pay for with Lacrosse.  For instance, do they have software that can send info to Weather Underground?

I talked to the boss (wife) and I guess my budget is closer to (less than) 300$.  

An alternative would be to roll my own.  I'm an Arduino buff and have seen some home grown weather station project, since I'm a programmer ... wouldn't be that hard to pull off.  Already have some temp and pressure sensors working, and I have seen the API for WU (http://www.wunderground.com/weather/api/d/documentation.html) and it seems pretty easy to push info to it.



Oh yeah -- other hobby: Rocketry.

Software to get your station data on-line is available on the Internet, such as  http://home.comcast.net/~wuhu_software/ .  I have 2 LaCrosse stations (one of them running just over 7 years now) uploading to WeatherUnderground, CWOP, etc. using WuHu. Cumulus software is another but don't believe it's compatible with LaCrosse stations that use a USB dongle (wireless pc) connection like many of the more recent models use.

[Skywatch]

Why thank you!

DanS >> I don't really want to buy through EBay.   But thanks!  280$ for that weather station, that's good!

Actually I was looking at some LaCrosse stations, they seem to be inexpensive but I assume you get what you pay for with Lacrosse.  For instance, do they have software that can send info to Weather Underground?

I talked to the boss (wife) and I guess my budget is closer to (less than) 300$.  

An alternative would be to roll my own.  I'm an Arduino buff and have seen some home grown weather station project, since I'm a programmer ... wouldn't be that hard to pull off.  Already have some temp and pressure sensors working, and I have seen the API for WU (http://www.wunderground.com/weather/api/d/documentation.html) and it seems pretty easy to push info to it.



Oh yeah -- other hobby: Rocketry.

This is from personal experience, stay away from Lacrosse. I've had several of their stations over the years and all seem to be trouble. No lacrosse station I've known or any in my area have lasted more than 4 months without breakdowns. Oregon Scientific I've found to be a great quality for price. But you mentioned your into astronomy? Davis's Vantage Vue has some features that might intrest you. It has some astronomical features you might like and at a somewhat affordable price (below the original price celing of 400$ if you bargin with your boss).  If she still doesn't go for it do something really nice for her to soften her up LOL.

http://www.archertradingpost.com/atp/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_6_7&products_id=77
http://www.archertradingpost.com/atp/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_6_8&products_id=19

This should come up to 381$ . If all else fails and you have to go cheaper Zephyre/Ambient stations are also good. But I've have Lacrosse stations in the past and they will drive you nuts. And there's not much weather they can handle without a break down. The cups on the wind sensors are so fragile if you happen to bump it lightly they tend to snap off. No Lacrosse station I know of is still in one peice today.

[PaulMy]

I don't really want to buy through EBay

Here is a very good Canadian alternative.  But for the Davis Vue still over $400 when adding the datalogger - and they do price match.  
http://www.forthebirdsnatureshop.ca/store/home.php?cat=354+

Paul

[DanS]

Another possibility, also up there in Canada,   http://www.modernoutpost.com/shop/40-weather . This place has responded to my email queries several times and are very helpful. Lots of spares and accessories available from them too.  May be worthwhile to just contact them and tell them what you're looking for.

[Dingbat]

Wow thanks for all the answers guys, really appreciate it.

Looks like I will go with the Vantage Vue after all .. seems to be the rational choice.

I looked at the canadian place that sells it and it goes for 339$ without the weatherlink, that's kind of a steep difference from that other place that sells it for 283$ US ... canadian = american dollar these days.

I'm still tempted with the Lacrosse, but I did check out the videos and the plastic sensors/anemometer seem pretty cheap looking.

From the other sections of the forum, the Vantage Vue seems to be the most popular unit it would seem.  Guess I'll go with what guys find most reliable ... unless someone comes with counter argument! Or other alternatives!

I don't necessarily need the rain gauge ... in the winter time the snow will just accumulate on it so I'd rather just have temp/pressure/wind direction & speed + humidity with pc interface.

Right now I already have temp, pressure and humidity through some arduino sensor chips I bought and I assembeled myself.  Ultimately I might make my own anemometer and wind direction indicator and tie it to an arduino running off of a solar panel and put an XBEE module for wireless data transmission between the weather station and one of my PCs.

Total cost spent on the arduino and chips so far: 30$ (Arduino) BMP85 Temp & pressure sensor (20$) Humidity Sensor (SEN09569) 17$ ... so I need to figure out how to build a windvane for direction ... maybe a simple rotary encoder (3$) ... for wind speed I'll need to figure out.  I already have xbee modules that I got from another project.  Hmmm ... maybe 100$ total of stuff, some soldering and some elbow grease.

Yeah .. sounds like a plan.

Thanks Guys!

[Dingbat]

Tell you what guys ... I'll document my project and put it on a blog somewhere and share it with you as I build the thing.  I know other people have built weather stations from scratch using microcontrollers and sensor chips.  So maybe it'll get some of you interested in a build-it-yourself approach.

From what you told me and everything ... probably 120$ for the whole project.  

Of course, I won't have a nifty console like those commercial stations, I'll just have the data go directly to a PC and push it to WU direct through the API.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year folks!

- Dingbat.