Weather Stations

squonk

I've noticed some of you have weather station info on your websites. Could you recommend a good weather station? Where did you get yours and what is the cost like? It'd be fun to have a lightening detector too. Any thoughts, or info greatly appreciated!

Snowbie

The type of weather station will determine the price.You can buy oregon stations that include 3 sensors and give you baro pressure and temp humidity and a simple forecast digitally.These are fairly cheap.

While the more expensive vantage pro 2 is what most of us use here.These range from 600 to 1000+ euro.
There is a wide range on the market and a wide range of price too.

It'd be fun to have a lightening detector too.

Its not fun trying to calibrate,literally takes years.
Its really obselete this time of the year anyway.

I am also thinking about setting up a weather station and publishing on the web and would love to upgrade my present setup.
I have a simple desk unit (from aldi) that gives basic temprature, humidity and pressure readings inside and out via two remote sensors.

Unfortunately there are other priorities that prevent me spending money on the project.:(

It's a start, but I'll just have to wait..

The other half is going to get me one for Xmas:D (Oregon weather station WMR 928NX)

Snowbie

Good choice.

Well, I have the software all set up and running, I an testing it at the moment with data from Shannon Airport (EINN).

Website is www.dolanbaker.info/weather it is also updating to the wunderground website.

the hardware is still under the tree

Yoda

Snowbie wrote:

There is a wide range on the market and a wide range of price too.

Can we have some specific discussion on this list about the range, the features, the makes, the advantages and disadvantages? Those of you who bought, chose for various reasons. Can this thread help newcomers to the field make informed decisions?

Snowbie

Here is a list of weather stations and types.
Some do come with a PC link while some dont.
If you are interested in setting up a website to display your data then a station with USB transfere is needed.

http://www.oregonscientific.co.uk/subcategory.asp?s=6

http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/stations.asp

I upgraded my Vantage pro to the VP2 earlier this year as the original version is discontinued.There is a lot of addons for most of the expensive stations,but be prepared to spend big.As you can see from the links above the top stations are expensive enough without accessories(which are optional).Then the cost of software/webhosting is extra again if publishing to web.

Snowbie

As there is a few people wanting weather stations,i decided to sell my original Vantage pro if anyone is interested.Have not used it in 10 months and is clean,left in VP2 box and in tip top shape and works perfectly when tried it tonight.Its the standard version with radiation sheild etc and would be still second best station after the VP2.You can also get the weatherlink software and upload to a website too no problem.
As in my above post it is discontinued but the UV and Solar sensor works with both VP and can be upgraded to the plus version if you wish.

I have this two years and only used it for one of those years and is in brillo nick.Let me know.

arctictree

I've persuaded the other half to get me an Oregon WMR 100 Prof for XMas.

Ordered yesterday from the UK but doubt if it will be here before the 25th

Once I get it, I'll try and web enable it and provide some feedback...

A

John Cox

If anyone is interested in a really good weather station I would snap up "Snowbiews" Vantage Pro. I have been using this one of these for 3 years now and they are top notch.

Here is what you can get from a simple "free" website (mine) using this station. http://leinster.earth.prohosting.com/

Merry Christmas.


John

Snowbie

Hi John and welcome to the Forum.

John Cox

I must try and get off that darned net weather forum and make more time for this one.

Snowbie

Ah yeah,the FI specialists on NW.:D
There are a few heads that know there stuff alright but a few muppets too.
At least on here we talk about our own dealings with mother nature.
Your site is on the weather website sticky on the forum for all to see.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote:

Well, I have the software all set up and running, I an testing it at the moment with data from Shannon Airport (EINN).

Website is www.dolanbaker.info/weather it is also updating to the wunderground website.

the hardware is still under the tree

Well I now have the weather station up and running , But, the website is currently in DNS limbo :rolleyes: as I am migrating to another hosting company and the USB - Serial dongle I bought is complete [EMAIL="cr@p"]cr@p[/EMAIL]

I am now on plan "B" and am in the process of resurrecting an older PC (one with a serial port) and hope to have the system running in the next couple of days.

If you can see the image below then it's up

Still in DNS limbo

but have a temporary url to access the website

http://d3027829.u101.hosting365.ie/weather/index.htm

Hi All,
My weather website is now up and running after a few days in limbo..;)

www.dolanbaker.info/weather

nilhg

I'm getting a 404 not found error on your dolanbaker.info address, the temporary one is still working OK though.

I'm in the unfortunate position of being "advertised" from two different nameservers at the moment.

There was a hiccup in the transfer of the domain name between two ISP's so the previous ISP is still advertising and have dropped the content:(
and the new one is running but depending on where your DNS lookup is going, it's pot luck weather you get the whether or not:rolleyes:
I hope it sorts out in the next few days.

So you're using ambient?
Are you using the free trial still or did you pay for it?
I loved its black and blue front page and theres a sexy cool flash version too-cooler I think than the weather display software.
I had major problems if you look up my old thread on the subject,it kept throwing up odd freezing temps of -50c!

No help from ambient on that ( I heard and I know from experience their support is useless )-They also arent updating that software at all unlike the Brian chap in New Zealand with the weather display software.

heres the part of my main page that I post to current conditions when around.

Tristrame

Tristrame wrote:

So you're using ambient?
Are you using the free trial still or did you pay for it?
I loved its black and blue front page and theres a sexy cool flash version too-cooler I think than the weather display software.
I had major problems if you look up my old thread on the subject,it kept throwing up odd freezing temps of -50c!

No help from ambient on that ( I heard and I know from experience their support is useless )-They also arent updating that software at all unlike the Brian chap in New Zealand with the weather display software.

Hi tristrame,

I did pay for the full internet version, minus the flash screen. I think that I jumped in too quick with this software should have waited for the trial period to expire before deciding.

I tried to use vws on my main PC with a usb dongle, cheap rubbish, it only worked when you unplugged the weather station and powered it up again, (don't buy "huge pine", more like dead elm:rolleyes: )

But having said that it appears to be working OK so far.. I have had the odd -17c pop up after configuration changes, not impressed with the FTP element, I may dump that part and replace with something that tars and untars the images.

I also update the wunderground.com site and have created a mesomap which works well here http://d3027829.u101.hosting365.ie/weather/wx.htm does weather display have this feature? or something similar.

Snowbie

I had chosen the weather display over the virtual weather station as the support and updates are well high standard imo.With WD you get as you see from tristrame post above plus much more like the Weather display live and also mesomaps.You have to pay once off for WD and WDL but a yearly subscription to mesomap.

I believe that subscription to mesomap is free if you upload data to wunderground.com, as I have not been asked for cc details etc..
well.... not yet anyway:p

arctictree

Still waiting for my weather station! Hopefully it will arrive before the weekend - probably caught in the XMas post.

I think I'll use the 'weather display' software to start as there is a 30 day fully functional trial period. Should be enough time to see if it is what I need.

BTW - Had a broadband outage yesterday all day so couldn't post. There was a full snow covering on Lug and surrounding hills... It threatened to snow here but temp was hovering around +4

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arctictree

Got my oregon wmr100 today. Have got most of it working.

I'll download the software at the weekend and get it to automatically update my website.

Will send you all the link when I have it up.....

A

arctictree

Have my weather station up and running.

Check it out on:

http://www.arctictree.com/weather/index.htm

Think its all working...

A

Looks good, have many hours of fun tweeking VWS to produce what you want.

I got mine running a few days ago but had DNS problems and no one could access it, it's OK now.

How long does it take for your system to update the website, I find that I had to reduce the number of *.jpg's uploaded as it sometimes caused it to lock up.

arctictree

Deleted User wrote:

Looks good, have many hours of fun tweeking VWS to produce what you want.

I got mine running a few days ago but had DNS problems and no one could access it, it's OK now.

How long does it take for your system to update the website, I find that I had to reduce the number of *.jpg's uploaded as it sometimes caused it to lock up.

I update mine every minute. BUT I have my webserver running locally on my PC, so the upload is just a straight file copy (no ftp upload). I have seen apps before lock trying to do stuff on a slow network link. Does your BB link sometimes hang?

BTW - Had some problems getting the software to get the data from the device. I'll see how it runs over the next few weeks.

Software doesn't seem great - I'll play around with it and see what it can do....

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arctictree

arctictree wrote:

I update mine every minute. BUT I have my webserver running locally on my PC, so the upload is just a straight file copy (no ftp upload). I have seen apps before lock trying to do stuff on a slow network link. Does your BB link sometimes hang?

BTW - Had some problems getting the software to get the data from the device. I'll see how it runs over the next few weeks.

Software doesn't seem great - I'll play around with it and see what it can do....

A

It is more to do with the fact that it FTP's each and every .jpg is sent individually, the BB has been fairly reliable, no problems there.

I think that the software is a bit win95ish see further up the list.

I may go the own webserver route in the future if the sw doesn't play ball, but as I said it's working fine right now.

I use the reboot option as well to clear out memory leaks @01:00 each day, something to keep an eye on!

Snowbie

Whats your url and i will add them on the thread.

Snowbie

Snowbie wrote:

Whats your url and i will add them on the thread.

http://dolanbaker.info/weather works now
http://dolanbaker.info/weather/wx.htm has more detail, plus Mesomap

arctictree

I'm on http://www.arctictree.com/weather

Yes, software is definitely a bit 95ish and seems to have a lot of feature creep.
I'll monitor the momory and see how it goes. For now its only using 10K.

BTW - What version are you using? I have V13.00 p16

Now, here's hoping for some extreme weather!!

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morgana

Hi lads & lassies,

have been reading thos board for a while now without posting. With all the heavy weather I got even more intested in weather recording and, maybe put snapshots up on a website.
I am now looking into purchasing my first *real* weather station (apart from the little Lidl outside temp) - thinking of getting the WS 2300 as an entry model with PC connection (available from a German website for 100 Euro + 22 E for shipping http://www.heavyweather.de/product_info.php?products_id=248), more info here http://www.heavyweather.info/new_english_uk/index.html.
Have also considered the Oregon WMR 100 and Nexus (TFA 923) but both cost about double and don't deliver that much more (apart from sligthly better outside sensors and better update rates) so that the WS 2300 seems a good compromise considering the excellent price.
What do ye think?
Only problem with most of them is the serial PC connection, as I am one of those with a newfangled PC without legacy ports - anybody got a recommendation for a good USB to Serial dongle?

bkehoe

Finally got my weatherlink, and now experimenting with various software packages.

Will be keeping http://www.bkc.ie/weather updated from now on.

morgana

Well, got my weather station and it's all working OK. Will set it up permanently over the weekend and get a basic weather website going soon as well ... the supplied HeavyWeather software doesn't look too bad at all and includes a publisher module - now I need to figure out how it all works
Current conditions in Norh County Cork at 17.24:
3.4 °C, 76 % humidity, 1016.0 hPa, dew point - 0.4 °C

Snowbie

Good to see you got the weatherlink,myself and Tristrame use the Weather display software from our stations and you can also choose ambient weather,both come with free trails too.

slayer91

Hello,

Just came across this interesting thread, I have set my weather station at :
http://www.quinweather.com/
It is getting info from an wireless OS 968. Using it with weather display Mesopmaps and Weather Display Live.
Have to say that Weather Display is very good, almost too good as the amount of options and functions canbe too much. However, there is an excellent forum at : http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php
There is even a great thread there at the moment about Irish Weather Sites:
http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,11427.0.html

Regards


LiamK

arctictree

OK - Just completed the transfer of my weather station to my 'new' PC. Havn't lost any of my data (I think).

Had some problems with the webcam but I think its working now. BTW - Does anyone actually look at it?! Is the webcam useful?

A

Supercell

I look at the webcam sometimes before heading home from work especially if the forecast is for sneachta, nice to know what its doing near home.
Could you do a moo cam for the city slickers to view some wildlife

arctictree

Longfield wrote:

I look at the webcam sometimes before heading home from work especially if the forecast is for sneachta, nice to know what its doing near home.
Could you do a moo cam for the city slickers to view some wildlife

Might be doing version 2 of the chicken cam soon! Live streaming images from the chicken pen! Will use my old PC for this job!!

A