Topic: I live on a 2°floor flat of 7, installation on my balcony rail, is Ecowitt ok?

[SaintTDI]

Hi all!

I'm Stefano, a new member of the forum.

I was thinking to add a weather station to my Home Assistant setup, and I found out about Ecowitt, so I can add the WH51 Soil Moisture Sensor for my wife plants Actually I found out of Ecowitt because my wife sent me the image of this sensor So of course I want something more... and I want to add a weather station to our home automation setup

So, getting to the subject, I live in Rome, Italy, in a 2° floor apartment in a flat of 7 floors. Unfortunately I can't install anything on the roof, because I can't run a cable from the roof to my apartment, and even if I could... it wouldn't be safe.
I was thinking to install the GW2000 gateway and then a sensor (WS90 or WS69 I don't know which is the best) on my balcony rail. The red cross is where I was thinking to install a pole, 50cm long, going outwards and then install the weather sensor on it

If I install the sensor how I perfectly drawn on the images ( ) it would been exposed perfectly to South. I think that if the wind direction is North, the sensor wouldn't get the correct direction, right? Actually I'm thinking that the wind speed and direction sensor wouldn't even move right? I think I can't do anything about it correct?

But will this invalidate also the wind direction and speed readings, if the wind direction is from the other Cardinal points ? Do you see any other issues with this setup?

Thanks to all the kind replies!

(*)





Map of my apartment:

[Wooks61]

If you choose a wireless setup, you wouldn't need to run cables.
from the picture, is the open ground opposite your balcony public or private land.
Maybe you could get permission to put the senor there?

[Aussie Susan]

My personal opinion is that this may be a waste of money and time.
When the wind blows against a large wall (such as the side of your building) then it will create eddies that will give false direction and speed readings. This might be somewhat moot in that it looks like you live in a fairly built-up area which will create wind eddies as well.
Looking at the 2nd photo, it looks like there is an overhang that would stop any rain measurements from being useful. Again, the rain might be carried on the wind which would give inaccurate results.
Of the remaining measurements that the WS69 or WS90 provides (temperature, humidity, light and UVI) being so close to a building will probably throw off the temperature (and possibly the humidity) value. Similarly the light and UVI will be distorted by how much of the sky you can really see, and how much is being reflected from near-by buildings.
As @wooks61 suggests, a wireless setup might allow you to put something on the roof of your building. At least that might get you better light, UVI rain and possibly temperate and humidity reading - wind speed and direction really needs the sensor to be in a high location such as a tower with no obstructions nearby but might be useable 'with care'.
Having said that, I have my weather station just on top of the roof of my single-story house and I know that the wind direction and speed need to be taken with caution. Light, UVI and rain are probably OK but I do worry that the temperature (and humidity) are affected by the tile roof.
Susan

[CW2274]

My personal opinion is that this may be a waste of money and time.

Couldn't agree more.

[SaintTDI]

My personal opinion is that this may be a waste of money and time.
When the wind blows against a large wall (such as the side of your building) then it will create eddies that will give false direction and speed readings. This might be somewhat moot in that it looks like you live in a fairly built-up area which will create wind eddies as well.
Looking at the 2nd photo, it looks like there is an overhang that would stop any rain measurements from being useful. Again, the rain might be carried on the wind which would give inaccurate results.
Of the remaining measurements that the WS69 or WS90 provides (temperature, humidity, light and UVI) being so close to a building will probably throw off the temperature (and possibly the humidity) value. Similarly the light and UVI will be distorted by how much of the sky you can really see, and how much is being reflected from near-by buildings.
As @wooks61 suggests, a wireless setup might allow you to put something on the roof of your building. At least that might get you better light, UVI rain and possibly temperate and humidity reading - wind speed and direction really needs the sensor to be in a high location such as a tower with no obstructions nearby but might be useable 'with care'.
Having said that, I have my weather station just on top of the roof of my single-story house and I know that the wind direction and speed need to be taken with caution. Light, UVI and rain are probably OK but I do worry that the temperature (and humidity) are affected by the tile roof.
Susan

thank you for the really good explanation Susan! I get the point

Yes I will try to install the WS69 on the roof of my flat... I hope that it can comunicate with the gateway, I'm not sure because I'm on the second floor of seven, so there will be plenty of floors that will block the signal.

thanks again

[Wooks61]

Let us know how it goes.

[zoomx]

Stefano,
I live on a second floor too.
Wind is useful only for tents, to have an alarm on an automatic rewind if the wind is too much strong.
You will collect rain from the others floor too or nothing if there is a tent above. Just a rougly value.
Temperature will have an small overestimation due to the small solar shield.
Tell me if you receive the sensor from the roof, maybe I will move it there too.

Temperature is measured at a maximum height of 2 meters so measuring on a roof maybe will be an underestimation but it is better than nothing.