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Weather Station Hardware => What Weather Station Should I Buy? => Topic started by: madkiwi on November 03, 2018, 01:44:46 PM

Title: Remote monitoring a 2nd home
Post by: madkiwi on November 03, 2018, 01:44:46 PM
I recently purchased a La Crosse C83100 because I found it at Costco ($95, going on sale in 2 weeks for $70- was going to go in and get the price match later) but am going to have to return it (a second time) and look elsewhere. The worst feature is the one I care about, their Android app is bad. currently has a 2.1 rating on the Google Play store.

Our house is going to be sitting empty all winter and I would really like to know inside/outside temperatures, big plus if I can see if it is stormy. This home is in the Bitterroot valley in Montana, located next to the river, so colder than most spots in the valley. Temperatures can be as much as 10 degrees cooler than the NWS observed for the area.

I like the theory of the La Crosse station and app. It'll send alerts for anything I specify, so if it is  10 below zero and the wind is blowing at 30 mph I can bump up the inside temperatures to a safe setting (have internet connected thermostats).

Looking for a system that will get me the features I am looking for, if anyone has a suggestion I would appreciate it. I need inside/outside temps (anemometer is a plus), email and text/app alerts for user selected triggers. Wireless and solar powered. If it can transmit data to Weather Underground that is nice, but not required.

Was looking at the Ambient WS-1550-IP or the WS-2902A. Any others I should consider?

Mark
Title: Re: Remote monitoring a 2nd home
Post by: galfert on November 03, 2018, 03:02:57 PM
I replied in your other LaCrosse thread. Besides those two Ambient stations you mentioned I really like the WS-2000.

http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35417.msg363156#msg363156

Let us know what you decide.
Title: Re: Remote monitoring a 2nd home
Post by: Bushman on November 03, 2018, 07:28:58 PM
I use mt Davis VP2 to monitor my place 500 miles away.  I also use CAO Gadgets (see my link in sig - I get a small referral bonus) as secondary.  And to  triple cover it, I have a Sensaphone.
Title: Re: Remote monitoring a 2nd home
Post by: madkiwi on November 10, 2018, 01:31:42 PM
I did get an Ambient WS-2902A, it is installed and running although I did have to move the base station from my 1st choice. Too many walls. Sensor array is about 70 feet NW of the house, 7 feet off the ground. Clear grassland to the north, west and south of the sensor for at least 300 feet. Prevailing winds are out of the SW, rarely do we get easterlies so structural disturbances should be minimal.

It will be interesting to see what happens with snow and the rain gauge. We get 2-3 feet of snow over the season, and February temps stay well below freezing all month. This year we had a stretch of 3 weeks where the high was 15 F.

I have an old La Crosse weather station at home that's been installed for nearly 8 years now, I modified the rain gauge with an 11 watt low voltage light bulb as a snow melter, can't see doing that with the new PWS.

Thanks for the help.

Mark
Title: Re: Remote monitoring a 2nd home
Post by: Glenn on November 12, 2018, 07:42:07 AM
I have a 5 in 1 at the second place. Works well! I really should consider an indoor sensor so I can monitor everything from one place. Right now, I'm using a separate Lacrosse sensor with a probe to monitor indoor temps in a utility room and the bathroom above.