Selecting a Home Weather Station
There are many home weather stations on the market today which makes selecting the right one a daunting task, especially for someone new to the personal weather forecasting hobby. We've put together a quick list of factors you can use to help research and select the best weather station device for your needs.
Cost
The financial commitment is a big issue. Of course you have to look at the other factors, however you have to be realistic in your price range. You will not buy a complete weather station for $59, however if you wanted to buy a rain gauge or basic indoor/outdoor thermometer weather clock you're in the right ball park. A good starter weather station will be in the $200 - $300 range. Although it may not be in your budget to buy a complete home professional weather station, it may be within it to purchase a basic system that can be expanded upon in the future as your knowledge grows and funds become available.
Weather Sensors
You will need to decide what weather variables you wish to monitor so you know what weather sensors to look for in a weather station package. Basic weather stations will monitor the basics: indoor/outdoor temp, humidity and barometric pressure. A more complete or advanced professional weather station will measure the basics plus wind, rain fall, heat index and wind chill. Some advanced weather stations can support advanced sensors like soil moisture, soil temperature and leaf wetness for specific purposes such as farming. Sensors are also used for forecasting. Basic weather stations will use the barometric pressure to forecast weather. Although this is a good ready, it's not as accurate as a higher end weather station that will use complimentary sensors such as wind, humidity, rain, etc...
Installation Considerations
Home weather stations come in two configurations: Wired or Wireless. A site survey will help determine which you can install. In general, for home use, there aren't many obstacles to hinder installation, but you should be aware of some limitations. For cabled devices, the length of the cable that comes with the unit will determine the distance. Some manufacturers do offer cable extensions. Wireless weather stations are the rage at the moment and make installation a breeze. Wireless devised work with "line of site" which must be taken into consideration. The more obstructions within the line of site the more the signal is degraded.
Weather Device Measurements
Accuracy, Resolution, Range and Update Interval are the primary factors used to evaluate weather stations. Accuracy is how close the displayed measurement reading is to the true measurement value (e.g. ±1°F for temperature). Resolution is the smallest increment that the unit is capable of measuring and displaying (e.g. 0.1°F for temperature). Range is the minimum and maximum limits the unit is capable of measuring within (e.g. -40°F to +150°F for temperature). The update interval is the rate at which the personal weather station updates the display. This interval can be every second to every three minutes. The higher end weather stations update their displays more frequently for a truer reading.
Weather Data
Basic weather stations will hold approximately 24hours of historical data including high and lows of the day. Professional weather stations can hold and report on historical data over a year old. This amount of data is a great for trending. Higher end home weather stations will also come with a computer interface and software used to connect the weather device to your computer. This allows virtually unlimited data storage and allows you to even display your weather data over the Internet. This enables you to basically host your own local weather station.
Conclusion
This post should give a good starting point for the beginner forecaster to go out and research for themselves what the perfect weather station will be for their dollar and requirements. Whether you are looking for basic information or complete accurate forecasting, the point is to start. Weather forecasting is a fun hobby enjoyed by the thousands. Research and buy your weather station today!
