Is weather watching a hobby?

Weather watching has rapidly become an informative, yet fun, hobby for many people. For others, keeping a close eye on changes in the weather is an important safety concern, especially in areas of the country affected by sudden storms, snow, hurricanes or other dangerous weather events.

What is wireless or cabled mean?

Leading manufacturers of weather stations such as Oregon Scientific, Davis Instruments and La Crosse Technology offer wireless equipment with an effective range from 100 to 300 feet. These units eliminate the need for stringing cable and cutting holes in walls.
Cabled versions of weather stations do have their place, however. Wireless units are affected by distance, building materials such as aluminum siding or roofing which acts as a shield and unfavorable terrain. Cabled versions of weather stations are very reliable and are not affected by such aforementioned circumstances.

Where should the weather station be set up at?

When you think weather station, think “exposure” – the equipment needs to be placed in the correct location to provide you with the correct information!
Sensors associated with temperature and humidity should not be placed in direct sunlight and should not be placed under trees. Manufacturers also normally recommend the sensors be placed from four to six feet above the ground at a minimum.
Wind gauges should be exposed to an unobstructed wind flow a recommended 30 feet above the ground.

Do all weather stations provide the same data?

Most weather stations offer basic features such as monitoring outside temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction and measuring rainfall amount. The more advanced versions of weather stations offer additional features such as moon phase, dew point, ultraviolet sensor, soil and leaf wetness accessories and much more.

What is a weather station?

Weather stations are high-tech (and fun) weather instruments used by both amateur and professional meteorologists. Available in either wireless or cabled versions, weather stations provide a host of information about inside and outside temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rainfall amounts and barometric pressure.
Many weather stations also feature accessories such as self-emptying rain buckets, UV sensors, atomic clock and calendar, dew point and additional sensors to measure leaf or soil wetness, solar radiation and much more.

What´s the history behind weather stations?

Early farmers relied on crude weather instruments to predict the weather and help them grow their crops. Farmers of yesteryear used simple tools including weathervanes placed on top of a barn or plain buckets sitting in a field which caught rain and provided the farmer with rainfall measurements.
Weather stations have advanced tremendously over the years and now feature state-of-the-art technology and reliable accuracy!

Is there weather software available?

Several weather stations offer a compatible computer program software accessory that allows the weather enthusiast to collect and store data.
WeatherLink for VantagePro is an available software package for Vantage Pro systems by Davis Instruments. This software is available in both Windows and Mac formats and helps track a multitude of weather information.WeatherView32 software is a full-featured software package and works with several Oregon Scientific weather stations.

Who uses weather stations?

Weather stations are popular tools for the home or office for anyone with an interest in monitoring the weather. In addition, numerous fire departments, police agencies, agricultural businesses, airports, and schools also utilize weather stations to provide them with critical weather information.

Do weather stations include an atomic clock?

Radio-controlled clocks set to official U.S. government atomic time and updated daily by radio signal from Fort Collins, Colorado are features included on many weather stations – but atomic clocks are not standard features on all weather stations by any means.

Are weather stations affordable?

Weather stations are affordable pieces of high-tech equipment. Remember, however, that price is really a state of mind – what some people term expensive, others may term a bargain.
Weather stations are just like any other products on the market where the consumer picks and chooses options. Weather stations can range in price from $175 all the way up to more than $1,000 depending on what accessories and sensor packages are desired.