PERSONAL WEATHER STATIONS: Queries and Advice

mountainy man · 02-03-2013 12:30am

Mine arrived today! have got it set up, was a bit fidly but managed it. The instructions are a bit crap. I have attached it to my hen run at about 2.5m from the ground.

I am trying to get to grips with the display thing, have figure out mos stuff but can anyone explain the "Tendancy" feature for me please.

Have got it conected to the pc now and its great so far.

Also am very impressed with the speed of the delivery and the fact that the courier found me at all this is a first for any courier, usually have to find them lol.

Kippure · 02-03-2013 12:41am

http://www.biosexactly.com/Bios%20Exactly/Bios-Weather-Cat/Catweather.html

Anyone tryed Bios weather instruments?

joujoujou · 02-03-2013 12:58am

At least one of them BIOS (did not check all) is a clone of FineOffset sold by maplins.

riffmongous · 02-03-2013 2:29am

mountainy man wrote: »

I am trying to get to grips with the display thing, have figure out mos stuff but can anyone explain the "Tendancy" feature for me please.

I'm assuming it refers to the pressure tendency, which is basically how the atmospheric pressure has changed in the last 3 hours. So the general rule of thumb is low pressure = bad weather and high pressure = good weather. So if you are at around 1010hPa pressure and the tendency is downward and stays that way you could guess that bad weather is on the way, if its upwards then some good weather. Of course its far more complicated than that and you cant really tell without looking at an actual regional pressure map, but its supposed to just give you an idea.

Combining it with the wind direction will tell you a bit more too, as again, generally, west wind means wet and mild, north cold, east cold in winter, warmer in summer, south warm. So decreasing pressure tendency and a SW wind would point to a low pressure system coming in off the atlantic.

Irish Steve · 02-03-2013 3:44am

For all the new users, a quick update for you.

There is an excellent alternative to the Easyweather application available from Sandaysoft, it does work with the Maplin stations

Cumulus is the software, it's at This Page , and in answer to the inevitable question, No it's not my page, and the only involvement I have is as a user of the software.

Fuh Q · 03-03-2013 7:19pm

Put up the weather station today, all working well and no problems.
Its probably not the best place for it as its a bit close to the roof of the shed but its the only place in my garden where it will get the wind from all sides.

riffmongous · 03-03-2013 7:28pm

Fuh Q wrote: »

Put up the weather station today, all working well and no problems.
Its probably not the best place for it as its a bit close to the roof of the shed but its the only place in my garden where it will get the wind from all sides.

Looks great! It makes me want to buy a private one if I had somewhere to put it.

One thing just to bear in mind is that the height where the sensor is installed is important if you want to compare it to other measurements. Temperature measurements are standardized at 2m for example.

Chris_5339762 · 03-03-2013 7:52pm

I'm in an apartment and have mine in the corner of the balcony. Not ideal, but an interesting data collection thing in its own right. We did have to oil the moving parts though as there was a LOT of friction in it when we bought it.

vonbarracuda · 04-03-2013 10:15am

Have mine on my apartment balcony too, only downside it only gets wind from the front and right I building

jirafa · 05-03-2013 1:40am

I have one mounted on side of house, just above roof level.

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l617/audi-tek/thermometer%20pictures/DSCF0014.jpg

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l617/audi-tek/thermometer%20pictures/DSCF0012.jpg

Fuh Q · 10-03-2013 8:02pm

I think I have my Maplins weather station settings wrong.
Im getting the wrong forecast.
Should I have the pressure set as MB, HPA or IN ?
I currently have a dew point of -6.4
temp of 2.6
pressure 1006.4 (hpa)

tylercollins · 10-03-2013 8:44pm

I've got mine set as HPA. HPA and MB as far as I'm aware are the same thing..

3ndahalfof6 · 13-03-2013 9:04pm

tylercollins wrote: »

I've got mine set as HPA. HPA and MB as far as I'm aware are the same thing..

Not sure if I am in the right thread, but the weather here (aberdeen) has got very rough, snow snow snow, and I think it is heading your way, it was to be soft but it is hard and fast, 3 inches in the last 3 hours,

they did not call the artic flow, which has hit here now and is to be present for the next 2 days, batten down the hatches.

Move this to the latest weather warning thread, it is not good.

3ndahalfof6 · 13-03-2013 9:08pm

on the radio, people (humans) are being told not to drive tomorrow.

Rooy · 17-03-2013 11:37am

The special price on the unit of £59.99 expires on 19/03 if anyone else was considering.
I also found a code AWINDIS8 online which gave me £5 off , so with home delivery it worked out at £65.38 , I probably could have saved more if i used Parcel Motel ,but went with Maplins delivery charge.
The exchange rate for GBP is the best it has been in a long time i think , so about €76-€77 delivery ,thanks again to OP of the Maplin offer.

Deank · 23-03-2013 7:13pm

Any thoughts on this weather station?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watson-Professional-Wireless-Weather-Interface/dp/B0010X4KXO/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1364062048&sr=1-1

Fuh Q · 23-03-2013 7:58pm

Deank wrote: »

Any thoughts on this weather station?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watson-Professional-Wireless-Weather-Interface/dp/B0010X4KXO/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1364062048&sr=1-1

That looks very like the Maplins one I bought, the display looks identical.

Deank · 23-03-2013 8:13pm

Fuh Q wrote: »

That looks very like the Maplins one I bought, the display looks identical.

Is it a good deal and is the tech any good??

jirafa · 24-03-2013 2:09pm

Deank wrote: »

Any thoughts on this weather station?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watson-Professional-Wireless-Weather-Interface/dp/B0010X4KXO/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1364062048&sr=1-1

Deank, thats the same one,as i have.I got mine from ...http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/W-8681_Wireless_Weather_Station.html You can also buy any accessories for it here.http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/Weather_Station_Accessories.html .Here is a link with more info, http://www.digitalham.co.uk/weather/equipment/watson-w8681/ Hope that is of some help to you,Deank

Deank · 24-03-2013 2:10pm

jirafa wrote: »

Deank, thats the same one,as i have.I got mine from ...http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/W-8681_Wireless_Weather_Station.html You can also buy any accessories for it here.http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/Weather_Station_Accessories.html .Here is a link with more info, http://www.digitalham.co.uk/weather/equipment/watson-w8681/ Hope that is of some help to you,Deank

Thanks for that J

jirafa · 24-03-2013 2:14pm

I would go for it, a good weather station, for a handy price,without breaking the bank, and good backup service,if any parts need replacing ever.

Deank · 24-03-2013 7:45pm

Just bought one of these from Maplins, at that price I don't think you can go wrong €65ish delivered.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/b-grade-usb-touchscreen-wireless-weather-forecaster-682792

Irish Steve · 24-03-2013 9:34pm

Deank wrote: »

Just bought one of these from Maplins, at that price I don't think you can go wrong €65ish delivered.

For initial weather observing, they are fine, and there is some very good alternative software at http://www.sandaysoft.com which is a very good alternative to the supplied software, and used by a lot of people with this station.

(No connection other than as a user of the software)

Best of luck with it.

Deank · 24-03-2013 9:39pm

Irish Steve wrote: »

For initial weather observing, they are fine, and there is some very good alternative software at http://www.sandaysoft.com which is a very good alternative to the supplied software, and used by a lot of people with this station.

(No connection other than as a user of the software)

Best of luck with it.

Yeh it's my first one so didn't want to go to mad "yet", see how I get on with this for a year of so and perhaps upgrade.

I have already downloaded the Sandysoft s/w (cumulus) after reading good reports about it.

No to get a pole long enough to mount it on, don't fancy climbing 30 foot up a ladder to mount it on the gable of the house.

Irish Steve · 24-03-2013 10:23pm

A few hints, based on experiences here.

Put the wind direction and speed units as high as possible, if necessary, extend the cable, and then make sure the rain gauge is as firm as you can make it, ideally NOT on the pole, as sway in the wind WILL upset the readings.

Spiders are a TOTAL PAIN on the rain gauge, so if you can, make up some sort of enclosure to prevent them getting in, and also make sure that there's no easy path for wind gusts to get in to the unit, as strong gusts can also upset it. Estate agent corrie board is very good for this, it's plastic, easy to cut, and join together, (cable ties), and works well

The temp unit is ideally "hidden" inside another piece of pipe, 4" waste painted white is OK, to help keep it from being upset by direct sun, even though it does have a shield.

Take great care to make sure that the wind direction indicator is level, if it's not, it will give false readings when there's no wind, or very little wind, and the same can be true for the wind speed unit, if it's not level, and balanced, (use small cable ties to get it right) it will under read in low winds. To Balance it, hold it horizontally, and spin it, and see if it tends to stop and then rotate to a different position having stopped. If it does ( they usually do, partly because of the weight of the magnet), then it will need some balance weight, (cable tie or 2) on one or 2 of the arms that are on top, the aim being to get to a point where when the wheel stops, it stays where it's stopped and does not change direction or always end up with the same cup at the bottom.

I modified mine by using a mains power supply (3V, ) and a couple of rechargeable batteries, with some diodes and an LED to display what was working, cabled to the sender unit, which means not having to go climbing when the batteries expire. Meant soldering 2 wires to the battery connections, and a small hole in the battery cover, but it saves a load of hassles.

Make sure everything is working before putting the pole in final position, it's a lot easier to test it all when the sender and receiver are close to each other.

Most important...... Have FUN

Deank · 24-03-2013 10:29pm

Irish Steve wrote: »

A few hints, based on experiences here.

Put the wind direction and speed units as high as possible, if necessary, extend the cable, and then make sure the rain gauge is as firm as you can make it, ideally NOT on the pole, as sway in the wind WILL upset the readings.

Spiders are a TOTAL PAIN on the rain gauge, so if you can, make up some sort of enclosure to prevent them getting in, and also make sure that there's no easy path for wind gusts to get in to the unit, as strong gusts can also upset it. Estate agent corrie board is very good for this, it's plastic, easy to cut, and join together, (cable ties), and works well

The temp unit is ideally "hidden" inside another piece of pipe, 4" waste painted white is OK, to help keep it from being upset by direct sun, even though it does have a shield.

Take great care to make sure that the wind direction indicator is level, if it's not, it will give false readings when there's no wind, or very little wind, and the same can be true for the wind speed unit, if it's not level, and balanced, (use small cable ties to get it right) it will under read in low winds. To Balance it, hold it horizontally, and spin it, and see if it tends to stop and then rotate to a different position having stopped. If it does ( they usually do, partly because of the weight of the magnet), then it will need some balance weight, (cable tie or 2) on one or 2 of the arms that are on top, the aim being to get to a point where when the wheel stops, it stays where it's stopped and does not change direction or always end up with the same cup at the bottom.

I modified mine by using a mains power supply (3V, ) and a couple of rechargeable batteries, with some diodes and an LED to display what was working, cabled to the sender unit, which means not having to go climbing when the batteries expire. Meant soldering 2 wires to the battery connections, and a small hole in the battery cover, but it saves a load of hassles.

Make sure everything is working before putting the pole in final position, it's a lot easier to test it all when the sender and receiver are close to each other.

Most important...... Have FUN

Appreciate all the advice Steve

Rooy · 24-03-2013 10:35pm

Deank wrote: »

Appreciate all the advice Steve

likewise , thanks Steve , i picked one up last week , have it in temp location currently , top of a pole on the kids trampoline , no risk they were going out on it the last few days !
Going to install that Cumulus software now

whiteandlight · 25-03-2013 11:28pm

Deank wrote: »

Just bought one of these from Maplins, at that price I don't think you can go wrong €65ish delivered.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/b-grade-usb-touchscreen-wireless-weather-forecaster-682792

I bought this over the weekend too and the code from further up worked too! Excited now

Deank · 25-03-2013 11:50pm

Musicmental85 wrote: »

I bought this over the weekend too and the code from further up worked too! Excited now

Mine shipped today, I should have it Wed or Thurs, now to find a decent 25ft pole to mount it on.

whiteandlight · 28-03-2013 8:10pm

Mine has arrived but I can't get it to connect to the PC. I have USB connected but I'm getting a read data error?

Edit: And I'm live!! Loving this

Deank · 28-03-2013 10:08pm

Musicmental85 wrote: »

Mine has arrived but I can't get it to connect to the PC. I have USB connected but I'm getting a read data error?

Edit: And I'm live!! Loving this

MM did you have any issues installing the Cumulus S/W, I keep getting a restart app, can't figure it out. D

whiteandlight · 29-03-2013 1:56am

No problems here, USB issue first. Its a "fine offset" station type I have it set to and USB. Didn't change any other sections. My OH did a lot of the technical set up so I'll ask him tomorrow if he did anything else I hadn't noticed

Deank · 01-04-2013 6:31pm

So finally got mine working with Cumulus, it appears it was a font issue, need to mount the unit correctly, for now I have it planted in the back garden, wind speed readings are pants the rest is okay.

Cumulus really is a nice bit of s.w, managed to link it to a few websites too.:D

http://www.wunderground.com/swf/Rapid_Fire.swf?units=metric&station=IKILDARE8

http://robertstownweather.weebly.com/

missfarmer · 02-04-2013 12:41pm

Just set up Weathercat for Maplin (WH1080) on my Mac. Thrilled. Had difficulties at first as I’m running a older OS system but figured it out.

V1 · 02-04-2013 3:15pm

You could also try weewx on OS X. Am running mine on a Raspberry PI with Weewx - Dinky! :cool:

rhonin · 27-08-2013 10:14am

Anybody thinking of buying a Davis weather station might be interested in the deal Weathershop.co.uk are offering. The serial, USB and Mac data loggers are only £1 if bought as a bundle while stocks last.

http://www.weathershop.co.uk/shop/collections/davis-deals

I'm kind of sickened as I paid £100 for the logger a month ago!!

Iancar29 · 27-08-2013 1:28pm

Those stations are imo only worth it if you live out in the countryside , otherwise you can get really low grade readings.

The only thing id like to get for the up coming winter is a barometer and a good thermometer .

rhonin · 27-08-2013 2:06pm

Iancar29 wrote: »

Those stations are imo only worth it if you live out in the countryside , otherwise you can get really low grade readings.

The only thing id like to get for the up coming winter is a barometer and a good thermometer .

Obviously depends on your location but no matter where you live you will have compromises. Very difficult to have ideal site.

I have the Vanatge Vue and while I don't live in the countryside it gives pretty accurate readings when comparing it to nearest Met Eireann station.

Currently mine is reading 15.5C, 1023.4 hPa and 85% Humdity.
Markree Castle is reading 16C (rounded) 1023hPa and 83% Humidity.

Anyway I only posted the offer for those that might be interested and in the market for one

Iancar29 · 27-08-2013 2:27pm

Ah no im not saying they arent good stations ! Its just a warning more so to people who live in city areas to be cautious getting one.

I paid a few hundred for one a few years back , temp and pressure readings and charts where nice to look at and were accurate but the wind speed was shocking , even being up on a high pole i was only gettin max gusts of like 30km where Dublin Airport was getting 70+ ! lol

Didn't like the fact that to get the full use of them hooked up to a computer you'd have to have the computer on all the time too.

I loved the day in 2010 seeing the max and min temp at 0 and -12 C though!

ha

rhonin · 27-08-2013 2:33pm

Iancar29 wrote: »

Ah no im not saying they arent good stations ! Its just a warning more so to people who live in city areas to be cautious getting one.

I paid a few hundred for one a few years back , temp and pressure readings and charts where nice to look at and were accurate but the wind speed was shocking , even being up on a high pole i was only gettin max gusts of like 30km where Dublin Airport was getting 70+ ! lol

Didn't like the fact that to get the full use of them hooked up to a computer you'd have to have the computer on all the time too.

I loved the day in 2010 seeing the max and min temp at 0 and -12 C though! ha

Totally understand where your coming from

Hopefully I'll be reporting those temps later in the year

eskimocat · 28-08-2013 9:47pm

The Davis is on my wish list...maybe some day... dreams of open spaces away from buildings, concrete and a Davis plonked in pride of place, ... lol

My back garden has its own weather system, so not sure it would be worth the spondules just now. The little Maplin station that I have will have to do. Just got a replacement part for it as my neighbours football did a number on the wind direction meter. So anyone who invests, enjoy and welcome to weather watchers united ...suggested motto.... 'no lampost will go unwatched'... :pac:

Kippure · 07-09-2013 1:28pm

Apart from Argus stuff, is there a shop in Dublin where I can go in and buy a weather station. I have a bios weather station, got it in Canada in Rona.

Lumi · 07-09-2013 1:41pm

Kippure wrote: »

Apart from Argus stuff, is there a shop in Dublin where I can go in and buy a weather station. I have a bios weather station, got it in Canada in Rona.

Maplin stock a range of weather stations in their shops
You can check out the range online first and see if they have anything you're interested in.

Kippure · 07-09-2013 2:02pm

Lumi wrote: »

Maplin stock a range of weather stations in their shops
You can check out the range online first and see if they have anything you're interested in.

Thanks buddy

zagmund · 17-12-2013 11:04am

Can anyone advise on the differences between these three models in Maplins -

n96gy - €85 in the shop, £59 online - was €140/£99

n96fy - €130 in the shop, £99 online

n25fr - €60 in the shop but no stock, £39 online - was €132/£59 - looks like the €132 price is a bit makey-uppey when compared to the £59

I've looked at them online and to be honest the details all look pretty similar to me. Having said that, I am new to the area so I may not pick up something the rest of you would see straight away.

I presume the main variables would be -
1) number of instruments - but I assume that temperature, pressure, wind direction & strength, rainfall should cover things
2) quality of the 'back end' - since I plan on hooking this up to weewx I don't think I'm going to be using the display that comes with the stations
3) build quality
4) connection - as far as I can see they are all wireless systems so there's no stringing cable all over the place between the instruments & the console.

I'm not normally a big fan of Maplins, but by all accounts on the forum here these devices are actually pretty good for the price point. I'm not on for spending a couple of hundred € just yet, so I'm happy to go with a trade off between dosh & performance for the moment.

Can anyone advise whether any of these are significantly better than the others or whether I should just aim for the lowest price one for the moment.

z

tylercollins · 17-12-2013 11:06am

I use the n96fy and have had no problems with it apart from finding a suitable location to mount it.

Red Nissan · 17-12-2013 11:55am

Code: N96FY should have a solar sensor rechargeable unit, but seemingly it does not. W-8681 for £100

I suspect a price anomaly. I bought one a few years ago for €200 from Maplin and I had paid double for it. I don't see any difference between these, but I can't see their actual code numbers

You'll only know by looking at the back of the unit where it will have W-8681 WH1081 and as, that will indicate exactly what the unit is.

Lumi · 17-12-2013 12:17pm

Apart from the colour, the only difference between the two zagmund is that the N96GY has a radio synchronised clock, the N96FY does not and has to be set manually.
I'd recommend you go for the cheaper N96GY, is actually slightly better

zagmund · 17-12-2013 12:25pm

Thanks for all the info folks. And is it still the case that the Maplins devices are as good as others for an intro to weather recording? Or is there something else around this sort of price point that should be considered?

Thanks,

z

Lumi · 17-12-2013 12:49pm

zagmund wrote: »

Thanks for all the info folks. And is it still the case that the Maplins devices are as good as others for an intro to weather recording? Or is there something else around this sort of price point that should be considered?

Thanks,

z

The N96GY is a great little starter station- there's nothing really to match it in that price bracket. There are some issues with the sensors but you can easily modify the wind vane and shielding to give more accurate readings
You should also note that the picture on the Maplin site is a little misleading - you will be mounting the anemometer seperate to the rain gauge etc
If also recommend that you download and use the free Cumulus software rather than the supplied Easyweather software
If you need any help/advice with the setup let me know

PERSONAL WEATHER STATIONS: Queries and Advice

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