Topic: Ecowitt Wh3501

[ka004h9564]

First of all I'd like to say hello to everyone, I'm from cradleyheath,west midlands, UK, I'm looking at buying a new weather station,I would like to connect it to wu and other sites,is the wh3501 a good choice for the cost and does it work well,
many thanks
Ken.

[Mandrake]

I don't personally have the WH3501 display as it was a little small for my taste
However I have most of the sensors that Fine Ofset/Ecowitt produce and these are common to the overall package that the WH3501 display console uses.

I have not heard bad commentary on the display other than it is a smaller option though it does have the option to display live graphs that some like.
Personally I prefer the HP2550/1 as the display is great and the top display option for Ecowitt and so gets updates first as new sensors or features are rolled out. However this is really a minor issue and not something I would hold against it if you like the design.

[ka004h9564]

Hi Mandrake,I have read a few post on different forums and have asked Ecowitt for a price on the HP25551 (ws2000c)7" colour console+ WH31B indoor temp,humid,pressure sensor,WS68 anemometer, ws40 rain gauge,ws32 outdoor sensor and the WH57 lightening sensor do you think this is a better option (pretty much the same but with the 7" colour display)
Many thanks
Ken..

[galfert]

Hi Mandrake,I have read a few post on different forums and have asked Ecowitt for a price on the HP25551 (ws2000c)7" colour console+ WH31B indoor temp,humid,pressure sensor,WS68 anemometer, ws40 rain gauge,ws32 outdoor sensor and the WH57 lightening sensor do you think this is a better option (pretty much the same but with the 7" colour display)
Many thanks
Ken..

Definitely what you described is a better way to go. That is also referred to as the HP2552. That is not listed on Ecowitt's website for some reason but you can certainly order it.

[ka004h9564]

This is on there website,
http://www.ecowitt.com/Others/101.html
Delete if not allowed
Ken.

[Mandrake]

The HP2552 (HP2550/1 Console with the separate wind cup anemometer and separate rain gauge) is in effect the same as the WH3501 package but with the bigger and better console display.
I think it was advertised for a while and then superseded by the HP2553 (same more or less but with the Ultrasonic anemometer package)
There is no problem at all in asking Lucy for this setup though and they will happily supply it

BTW, Lucy and the team have been off this weekend with a festival, so may take a day or two to respond.

[galfert]

It still makes no sense why the HP2552 is not advertised. After all they do list the GW1002 and GW1003 which are the same setup as what would be HP2552 and HP2553, but without the screen.

I don't believe that the HP2253 supercedes the HP2552. Yes the ultrasonic anemometer came out later but that doesn't mean it supercedes the spinning WS68 anemometer. I just see it as a choice. The WS80 ultrasonic anemometer may appeal to some but in several ways it is inferior to the spinning WS68 anemometer. I for one personally would prefer the spinning WS68. The WS80 certainly has some advantages/disadvantages as does the WS68. Good to have choice.

The WS80 drawbacks:
- it cost more
- outdoor temperature and humidity sensor is not in optimal location, requires WH32 to overcome this
- max wind 89 Mph capability is less than WS68 model's 100 Mph max
- in very cold weather WS80 gives bad readings because of ice
- WS80 can use optional heater to combat ice issue but this is an added complexity and cost
- bugs and spiders are a big issue for WS80 maintenance which will affect wind data
- design more likely to be a bird perch than WS68, can cause bad Solar and UV by dookie and bird itself

The WS68 drawbacks:
- less instantaneous 16 secs wind than WS80 which has about 5 secs wind reporting
- a bit less accurate than a ultrasonic, about 10% instead of 5% error

Neither one is perfect.

[Mandrake]

I don't disagree with anything that you written.
I think its important for folks to have the logical choices.

[ka004h9564]

What make (spec) would you advise for around £250-£300 brittish pound ??,I'm still learning,I know the davis are good but very expensive.
Ken..

[Mandrake]

I would go for the HP2552 spec that you have already asked for a quote on.
You should be able to get that within your budget.
If you wanted the WS80 Ultrasonic anemometer instead (HP2553 spec) that would likely push the cost towards the top end of your £300 budget with shipping.

[ka004h9564]

Cheers
Ken.

[galfert]

You can't get a good Davis for that price. Stay away from the Vantage Vue which has no replacement parts. The only worthwhile Davis is the Vantage Pro 2 because every part is available.

Ecowitt stations although they may not last 10 plus years, all have replacement parts.

Davis VP2 users and I agree that you get what you pay for. It just depends on what matters to you more.

[ka004h9564]

Thanks for the reply,I would be happy to get around 10 years use,nothing is built these days to last,I had  the maplins weather station before which lasted about 6 years so anything around that I'd be more than happy.
Ken..

[ka004h9564]

 Just an update to my post, I emailed for a new quote  for the above plus the lightning sensor and bird spikes,total cost $333 , it came back at $380 that $50 for shipping, if customs hit me fot tax to the uk that's another £50 which makes the total cost to me around £360, I don't think I can justify the costs

[galfert]

Just an update to my post, I emailed for a new quote  for the above plus the lightning sensor and bird spikes,total cost $333 , it came back at $380 that $50 for shipping, if customs hit me fot tax to the uk that's another £50 which makes the total cost to me around £360, I don't think I can justify the costs

Well you don't need to get everything all at once. You could start with just a GW1002 or a GW1003 and also not get extra sensors. Then later on you expand and get more parts like the display and extra sensors.

[ka004h9564]

To be fair it's not the cost of the weather station and sensors it the extra $45 shipping cost which I don't get as I was quoted  $5 shipping on the WH3501
Ken.

[galfert]

Perhaps with the current Covid-19 situation shipping options from China are hitting some constraints. You can ask Ecowitt why the difference between the shipping cost for the WH3501 and your newest quoted equipment. I think it is a reasonable question.

[ka004h9564]

 Hi,I've already asked that question,they said because the wh3501 is shipped express with DHL for $5 and shipping  on the seperates costs $50 standard post,which I still don't understand why such a big difference.
Ken..
Their reply.
Hi Ken,

The HP3501 is a completed weather station, and we could only ship it with express mail due to the high value.
The following items you listed are accessories:
Hp2551 7" colour monitor including WH31B sensor €140
WS68 wifi anemometer sensor €90
Wh 40 wifi rain gauge $45
Wh 32 wifi outdoor temp/humidity sensor €13
WH57 wifi lightning sensor $35
BS 0002 bird spikes $10

And we could ship some of them with regular mail, therefore the website price is relatively low than than the HP3501.

Is that clear now?

[Mandrake]

Unfortunately you really have no option if you want the WS68 and WH40 with the HP2550

My only suggestion is perhaps buy the HP2550 with standard triwing sensor array (wh65) from Froggit/Misol or Nevada Radio as mentioned in my other post which will get you a station quickly and locally.
This gets you an operational station which you can then augment over time by buying the extra sensor bits from Ecowitt as you need and pay for the low cost shipping

As previously mentioned the 50USD for the shipping is expensive but it is also really quick! Think about how much a flight ticket to HK is!

[galfert]

I think I get it with the shipping costs. The HP3501 is a complete kit. It all fits nicely and tightly into one box because that is how the packaging has been designed. The special order you have made with separate components is just that, a special order. Every item is in its own box. This probably takes up more room. It may not even ship in the same larger box. Either way I can see how either a larger box to fit all the individual boxes would cost more or the other option of shipping several components individually, would also cost more. I guess it just adds up.

Perhaps now it makes sense why the HP2552 is not listed on their website. It is because this model doesn't really exist as a complete package. It is a custom order.

Why don't you try this... Ask for a quote for the GW1002 and then just add the HP2551-C to that. So this is just two items and it includes all the basics that you listed that you want. Lightning and birds spikes are accessories anyway for any model.

[ka004h9564]

Hi again, sounds a good idea,I can use weather underground    to get my readings direct to my pc/tablet so I wouldn't actually need a monitor,if i do i can always add one at a later date.
many thanks
Ken..

[wd68]

What is the difference between the Ecowitt and ambient weather's new 5000 unit? They look the same to me including the specs. I plan to upgrade my station to that unit unless there is something I don't know about. Am I missing something??

[ka004h9564]

I don't know,but it looks the same maybe one of the other guys who use ecowitt weather stations will answer.
Ken.

[galfert]

What is the difference between the Ecowitt and ambient weather's new 5000 unit? They look the same to me including the specs. I plan to upgrade my station to that unit unless there is something I don't know about. Am I missing something??

There is not much difference, but it depends on how you look at it. The manufacture is Fine Offset for what you are considering. Then Ecowitt and Ambient sell weather station hardware to the public, as Fine Offset doesn't deal directly with customers. But the Ambient version has altered firmware that changes some aspects. Like the Ambient console uploads to Ambientweather.net and the Ecowitt console uploads to Ecowitt.net. The two online services started life from the same base code and have evolved in different ways, but you can still see some semblance and evidence of having forked from the same beginning. Ambientweather.net has some features that Ecowitt.net doesn't have like Internet API and integration with a lot of home automation stuff (IFTTT, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa...etc). Then there are other differences like the Ambient console will only accept Ambient branded sensors, where the Ecowitt brand doesn't care about the sensor brand as long as the frequency matches. The Ecowitt console can even use Ambient sensors. Ambient only sells 915 MHz and only to the US market, where Ecowitt sells worldwide. The Ambient firmware also has some online features removed like no upload to MetOffice WOW, and no Customized server upload feature. Because Ecowitt consoles can see Ambient sensors, a popular option is to add an Ecowitt GW1000 to then gain Ecowitt.net online service and the other removed features, plus you gain a local network API for use with 3rd party software like Cumulus, Meteobridge, Weather-Display. You can also add WeeWX via Customized server. Likewise if you start with an Ecowitt console you can gain Ambientweather.net by adding a WeatherBridge from Ambient or making a Meteobridge and then adding the Ambientweather.net license to the Meteobridge. So you can have both (Ambientweather.net and Ecowitt.net) no matter where you started, it just takes investing in the correct parts for each.

I see evidence that things are changing and that Ecowitt is being forced by Ambient via Fine Offset to not be allowed to compete in the US market with some models.