Weather Station Hardware > What Weather Station Should I Buy?
Inexpensive unit with internet access?
Ningbonese:
Hi, I live out in the wilds of Ningbo, China. The weather forecast info here is generally poor or inaccurate. I run the local English website and monthly magazine (www.NingboGuide.com) and I had the bright idea of buying a weather station and connecting it to my web page, thus providing accurate, up-to-date weather info for our small community of Americans here. While home for Christmas, I saw my Dad's little weather station. It was an LCD unit with wireless sensor, and it displayed temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure both indoors and outdoors. It even had a silly character on the display, who would put on a coat when the temperature dropped or pull out an umbrella if it looked like rain (if the pressure was falling, etc.) I thought it was a hoot, and thought to buy one to bring back to China. Unfortunately, it didn't support data transfer. My brother bought me a unit that supported data transfer (included a 9-pin serial cable...no USB) but it required you to manually download the data - a showstopper for my web page.
I've been looking around at weather stations that support the internet, and BOY! $$$! Five hundred bucks and up! Even if I wanted to spend that much, I don't have anywhere to mount the sophisticated weather box (space is limited in China, too many dang people). My Dad's station had a simple remote sensor that I could easily mount outside my office window. Are there any budget, lightweight units out there that I can use for my web page? Dad's station was about twenty bucks, and did a great job. I'm not looking to run a science station, highly accurate instruments are not necessary.
wuhu_software:
--- Quote from: Ningbonese on January 13, 2008, 10:48:45 AM ---Hi, I live out in the wilds of Ningbo, China. The weather forecast info here is generally poor or inaccurate. I run the local English website and monthly magazine (www.NingboGuide.com) and I had the bright idea of buying a weather station and connecting it to my web page, thus providing accurate, up-to-date weather info for our small community of Americans here. While home for Christmas, I saw my Dad's little weather station. It was an LCD unit with wireless sensor, and it displayed temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure both indoors and outdoors. It even had a silly character on the display, who would put on a coat when the temperature dropped or pull out an umbrella if it looked like rain (if the pressure was falling, etc.) I thought it was a hoot, and thought to buy one to bring back to China. Unfortunately, it didn't support data transfer. My brother bought me a unit that supported data transfer (included a 9-pin serial cable...no USB) but it required you to manually download the data - a showstopper for my web page.
I've been looking around at weather stations that support the internet, and BOY! $$$! Five hundred bucks and up! Even if I wanted to spend that much, I don't have anywhere to mount the sophisticated weather box (space is limited in China, too many dang people). My Dad's station had a simple remote sensor that I could easily mount outside my office window. Are there any budget, lightweight units out there that I can use for my web page? Dad's station was about twenty bucks, and did a great job. I'm not looking to run a science station, highly accurate instruments are not necessary.
--- End quote ---
What brand of station do you have that has a serial cable but requires a manual download of the data?
For an inexpensive setup, I am pretty sure La Crosse (2308 or the newer 2316) offers the least expensive stations out there that support wind and rain data.
Hfcomms:
I concur. I purchased the 2308 a couple months ago. Retails for about $280 but available at many places on the net for around $100 or less. Heck if your in China the renembi is appreciating against the dollar so you might get it for even less in your money. The unit works great with weather display software and some others. I leave the computer on 24/7 and it downloads the data and automatically uploads to the web server. Pretty much hand free.
Ningbonese:
--- Quote from: wuhu_software on January 13, 2008, 12:18:38 PM ---What brand of station do you have that has a serial cable but requires a manual download of the data?
--- End quote ---
La Crosse WS-8610U Wireless Data Logger, see here. It was perfect, except the software required you to connect to the unit, import the data into the program, and then export into CSV datafile by hand. Automated transfer not supported. I returned it to Fry's before I left America.
--- Quote ---For an inexpensive setup, I am pretty sure La Crosse (2308 or the newer 2316) offers the least expensive stations out there that support wind and rain data.
--- End quote ---
Don't really need wind and rain - it would be nice, but there's nowhere to put the anemometer or rain gauge. Unless I put it on the roof of my office, and then someone might vandalize it or the signal might not reach from the 23rd floor to the 16th. Temp/humidity/pressure are enough for me...
Ningbonese:
Anything else here? Or are there some other weather station forums elsewhere that might be able to offer some insight?
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