Looking for wireless weather station

[JRobyn]

Just a reminder that many of the comparably priced LaCrosse units come WITH the internet bridge and data logging and remote access on the LaCrossAlerts site. After the first year they charge a nominal annual fee (about $12) to host the site for your data. Look at the C84612. Monitors/Logs rain data at last hour, last 24hrs, last week and last month. The internet interface does charts or tabular for selectable periods for all monitored data. Looks like BassPro has them now for $200.

- Jay

 

[Country Geek]

The Davis VantageVue base station/display "talks" to the remote weather sensors via radio signals (NOT WiFi). My sensors are about 150' from the base station/display unit, and the signals must pass through a stucco outer wall and several sheet rock interior walls. That said, the connection has been rock solid. The WeatherLink is a cable that connects the Davis VantageVue base station/display to a computer, and the computer connects via WiFi over my home LAN, router, and satellite modem to the Internet:

Weather sensors --> base station/display --> WeatherLink --> laptop computer --> LAN --> WiFi router --> satellite modem --> Internet --> WeatherUnderground

I'm using an old MacBook that runs 24/7/365 and WeatherTracker software. The WeatherLink cable has a DB9 serial connector on the laptop end that I plug into a serial to USB converter, and that connects to a USB port on the MacBook. the WeatherLink cable may be available with other interfaces, but you'd have to check with Davis.

Hope this helps...

This is all correct but I do want clarify that the laptop is not needed if you buy the right WeatherLink product. Davis has two products that are both confusingly named WeatherLink, which doesn't make it easy to explain casually.

One of them is what Redneck Geek (apparently my west coast techie cousin has that plugs into a laptop with software running. WeatherLink® for Mac OS X, for Vantage Stations by Davis

The other is what I have, its full name is WeatherLink IP (WeatherLinkIP), it plugs into your Davis Console and connects to your router and uploads data directly without you needing to hook it up to a computer. It can upload directly to weatherunderground as well as to Davis's own hosted site, weatherlink.com, and probably other weather hobbyist sites as well. I have mine uploading to both weatherunderground and weatherlink.com. Davis does not charge to upload to weatherlink.com but weatherunderground keeps better history and stats.

Note that the instructions for weatherlink IP say it has to be plugged into your router. I made mine wireless by plugging it into one of these instead: Amazon.com: IOGEAR Universal Ethernet to Wi-Fi N Adapter for Home or Office GWU627 (Black): Electronics

So my version of Redneck Geek's diagram is:

Weather sensors --> base station/display with WeatherLink IP dongle --> IOgear wireless adapter --> WiFi router --> Internet --> WeatherUnderground

So it's a bit simpler. But buying the weatherlink IP plus the iogear adapter is more expensive than buying and using the Weatherlink computer adapter and software that Redneck Geek uses. But I like because it's 100% automatic, hands off, no babysitting ever needed, no worries about the computer crashing or going off line. Plus, you're already into it for hundreds of dollars if you're using Davis gear, the percentage difference in cost isn't that much.

 

[PandDLong]

I just bought the 5-in-1 with internet bridge and it does logging. If you already have the 5-in-1 you can buy the internet bridge alone for about $75.

Thanks for the tip, I went to the site to find it and also found replacement wind cups for only $5. Looks like I can fix my current unit and upgrade to get data logging. I also noticed that the Acu-Rite internet bridge supports 3 sensors - inspires me to get a couple of extra sensors to move around to understand some of the micro-climates in the yard and track whether my irrigation is running for the right amount of time. No solution for measuring snow though...


A very valuable thread!

 

[B7510HSD]

For those with the Acurite units there is a section on the wxforum just for these..AcuRite Weather Stations

 

[HeLa]

For those with the Acurite units there is a section on the wxforum just for these..AcuRite Weather Stations

thanks!

 

[txdon]

Well, as an update, I decided to go with the AcuRite 01057. For about half the price of the Davis units, I was able to get the outdoor sensor, the internet link, and two displays for in the house (one upstairs, one downstairs). I really like the Davis units, but I was on a bit of a budget and couldn't swing one and get it to do everything I wanted. I will probably look to upgrade to a Davis when our AcuRite has lived it's full life. Hopefully I will have more available for a budget then.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

The 01057, that's the one I just ordered also.
How is yours working out? Was the bridge easy to set up and connect to your router?

 

[HeLa]

The 01057, that's the one I just ordered also.
How is yours working out? Was the bridge easy to set up and connect to your router?

i ordered one a month or so ago too. naturally, the most serious cold spell in years came in pretty much immediately thereafter. ground is frozen solid and covered in snow. PWS is warm and dry in its box in the house. can't wait for spring!

 

[fordmantpw]

The 01057, that's the one I just ordered also.
How is yours working out? Was the bridge easy to set up and connect to your router?

The bridge was super easy to set up. I just followed the directions and I was up and running in 2-3 minutes with the bridge.

Only two very minor complaints so far. Where we have the color display sitting (on the entertainment center next to the TV), we can't read it from the couch. The contrast is off just a little bit, and we just need to stand up to see it. The unit tilts back just enough to make the display wash out. I need to see about mounting it or adjusting the stand a bit (ie, put a piece of cardboard under the back) to make it more readable. I have a second display on my desk in my office and it is perfect, but I'm much closer and at a better angle. The other is that the unit seems to read about 2-3 degrees warmer than it should when it's in direct sunlight. In the shade, it is spot-on with my other thermometer. I can live with both of those minor issues for the cost savings over some of the much more expensive models.

 

[txdon]

The other is that the unit seems to read about 2-3 degrees warmer than it should when it's in direct sunlight. In the shade, it is spot-on with my other thermometer. .

Thanks for the quick response, I'm going to check out the direct sun issue when it arrives and try figure out a way to shade it without affecting the wind and rain measurements - if that's possible - otherwise I'll just factor the few degrees difference like you.

I signed up for their E-mail back in January when I read this thread and they sent me a 10% discount code. They e-mail their specials about every two weeks. Today they were running the 01057 on sale for $129, so with the 10% it was $116 - what a deal!

 

[fordmantpw]

Thanks for the quick response, I'm going to check out the direct sun issue when it arrives and try figure out a way to shade it without affecting the wind and rain measurements - if that's possible - otherwise I'll just factor the few degrees difference like you.

I signed up for their E-mail back in January when I read this thread and they sent me a 10% discount code. They e-mail their specials about every two weeks. Today they were running the 01057 on sale for $129, so with the 10% it was $116 - what a deal!

Yeah, I saw that deal today and thought it was awesome! The sensor has solar panels to run a little fan to keep the temperature accurate in the sun. I'm not sure if mine is maybe not working properly or if this is common for the Acurite. Yours may be accurate. I would be interested in knowing so post back and let us know.