Buying a weather station

[Doc]

Just thought I would let you know that I recieved my new La Crosse WS2500 weather station this morning.

Any advice on same and set-up would be appreciated - looks complex!

Expect lots of trivial waether data in the daily reports soon.

[RoisinD]

Thanks for your suggestions. Will have to make my mind up and get one ordered in the next few days.

[Zenarcher]

Hi RoisinD hope you make your mind up and post weather reports with it good luck

[Mark Bayley]

Just thought I would let you know that I received my new La Crosse WS2500 weather station this morning. :lol:

Any advice on same and set-up would be appreciated - looks complex!

Expect lots of trivial waether data in the daily reports soon.

Just a bit of advise. Make sure your wind sensor is exposed and can get the wind from all directions. For example on a large pole. Also make sure the rain gauge is away from trees and rooths so it is not shielded from the rain and my not get blocked by leaths. Put the thermo hydro sencor out of the sun. A north facing wall maybe be best. My sensor only gets the sun in the early hours of the morning however i thin kit is catching it atound 11:00 am so i might have to move it. The is a good video somwhere about where to place all the sencors and stuff so i will pm it you. Hope this helps a bit.

Edited July 23, 2007 by mark bayley

[Cookie]

Just a bit of advise. Make sure your wind sensor is exposed and can get the wind from all directions. For example on a large pole. Also make sure the rain gauge is away from trees and rooths so it is not shielded from the rain and my not get blocked by leaths. Put the thermo hydro sencor out of the sun. A north facing wall maybe be best. My sensor only gets the sun in the early hours of the morning however i thin kit is catching it atound 11:00 am so i might have to move it. The is a good video somwhere about where to place all the sencors and stuff so i will pm it you. Hope this helps a bit.

mine rain sensor is on the roof omy shead but not sure if its exposed enough

[pottyprof]

If there's no overhanging trees and stuff it should be ok there cookie. Just watch for the spiders and slugs using it as a see saw..

[Doc]

Just a bit of advise. Make sure your wind sensor is exposed and can get the wind from all directions. For example on a large pole. Also make sure the rain gauge is away from trees and rooths so it is not shielded from the rain and my not get blocked by leaths. Put the thermo hydro sencor out of the sun. A north facing wall maybe be best. My sensor only gets the sun in the early hours of the morning however i thin kit is catching it atound 11:00 am so i might have to move it. The is a good video somwhere about where to place all the sencors and stuff so i will pm it you. Hope this helps a bit.

Thanks for the advice and video Mark - really appreciate it.

The thing that's driving me mad already, just after 1 day, is that all the external devices are solar powered and it says that they (the solar elemnets of each device) should be faced south - which is fine in general - except for the temperature device, which appears not to be very well insulated from solar gain! In the sunshine yesterday, there was at least a 4.0c differnece in temperature referencing my thermometrs in the shade! When the sun went away, the temperatures sort of matched each other.

Anyone with experience of this problem?

I have already contemplated dismantling the unit to allow the solar cell be in the sun while keeping the unit itself in the shade. But I know myslef if I go at it I will end up with no temperature device!

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Take a look at this site, which shows some ways to construct your own radiation shield. The key for accurate temperature measuring is allowing plenty of airflow over the sensor without letting the sun shine on in directly. Of course, putting it on a north-facing surface works, but then you don't get the airlow.

One of these should help, but the best one looks like this one.

[Ross B]

mine rain sensor is on the roof omy shead but not sure if its exposed enough

It's exposed enough, but if possible you should really have it on the grass. The roof of the shed will give you innaccurate readings as you will get splashes into the gauge from where rain hits the roof.

[Doc]

Thanks for that OON - those sites are really interesting.

Again, the only problem is that the temperature unit is solar powered with the solar cell being integral to the unit so it has to be out in the sun to get power (or so it says) - a tad stupid when you think it through!

Will have to do some experimentation and tinkering.

[Mark Bayley]

Hasn't it got an optional battery power instead?

[Doc]

Hi Mark

As far as I am aware it cannot be run on 'regular' batteries - at least it does not say so in the instructions!

Picture of unit below - you can see the solar cell at the bottom (vertically). In reality, this unit is approx. 4 inches high.

Edited July 24, 2007 by Doc

[Cookie]

It's exposed enough, but if possible you should really have it on the grass. The roof of the shed will give you innaccurate readings as you will get splashes into the gauge from where rain hits the roof.

ahh dam, never thought of that

[johnholmes]

not sure if anyone has tried this company, not heard of it before until just now when reading the COL June weather. I assume being advertised in that journal they are reliable. The name is red-onions!

and the link is

www.red-onions.com

Edited July 29, 2007 by johnholmes

[Terminal Moraine]

I am also thinking of getting a hand held anonometer so I can use it when I am out and about. Any recommendations?

For a hand held anemometer you can't beat Munro. I've had one for over 20 years and it's taken some severe batterings in winter gales without any problem. It will read up to 99 knots which is more wind than you'll be able to stand up in to take the readings.

They're accurate to about 1 knot, you can alter the calibration to mph or kph with a simple switch and they cost about

£120, or they did last time I looked.

T.M

[Dazza]

Well I took the plunge as well and just purchased a LaCrosse WS3600 (Couldn't afford a Davis Vantage Pro 2 like OON, as I am not rich enough yet). As soon as we get the house finalised I hope to be able to provide prime data readouts from Stewartstown.

[pottyprof]

Good bit of kit Dazza. Pain in the butt working weather display with it at first but the supplied software is great. Not a big fan of being dropped though.. :o

[Dazza]

Good bit of kit Dazza. Pain in the butt working weather display with it at first but the supplied software is great. Not a big fan of being dropped though.. :o

Cheers Potty, Ouch on the dropping though :o

[Darren Bown]

I'm thinking of getting one of these. What would you recommend for a lower budget station with pros/cons???

Daz

[pottyprof]

When you say lower budget..... How low? WS2300 is great at about £110 and does a fair bit. B)

http://www.ukweathershop.co.uk/acatalog/te...CFSInEAodOTJkZg

[disco-barry]

Uhm i may get that one Potty, Thanks B)

[Dazza]

Received my 3600 on Monday, just need to get the new house finished and I'll be good to go. It's killing me just looking and fiddling with all the goodies in the box *sigh*, ah well, hopefully only another couple of months to wait.

[Darren Bown]

Im also pondering whether to get that one haha. We will all end up with the same one B)

[Thundery wintry showers]

Thanks for the advice and video Mark - really appreciate it.

The thing that's driving me mad already, just after 1 day, is that all the external devices are solar powered and it says that they (the solar elemnets of each device) should be faced south - which is fine in general - except for the temperature device, which appears not to be very well insulated from solar gain! In the sunshine yesterday, there was at least a 4.0c differnece in temperature referencing my thermometrs in the shade! When the sun went away, the temperatures sort of matched each other.

Anyone with experience of this problem?

I have already contemplated dismantling the unit to allow the solar cell be in the sun while keeping the unit itself in the shade. But I know myslef if I go at it I will end up with no temperature device!

Yes, I've definitely had this problem. I even constructed my own Stevenson Screen to try and alleviate the problem, but because I've only got a relatively small back garden, the garden becomes a bit of a sun-trap resulting in inflated readings by as much as 1-2C (but not the 4-5C I used to get!)

It's a problem that can be helped, but unless you have a big garden, it can't be totally eliminated.

[Turnedoutniceagain]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=019

Bidding on this at the moment. What do you reckon??

All replies appreciated