The weather station is an Oregon Scientific WMR968 Wireless Weather Station with Virtual Weather Station software for uploading to the internet.
The sensors are equipped with solar transmitting units for power during sunlight hours and batteries during times of low or no sunshine.
An optional mounting kit and solar radiation shield for the outdoor temperature sensor are available. I do recommend getting the solar shield for more accurate outdoor temperature readings.
Standard sensors included with the Oregon Scientific WMR968 Wireless Weather Station are ...
- Indoor and outdoor air temperature
- Indoor and outdoor relative humidity
- Barometric pressure
- Wind speed and direction
- Rainfall
As mentioned before I recommend getting the solar shield for the outdoor temperature and humidity sensor. The most common question I get is, "why is your temperature reading different from mine?"
People typically place the outdoor temperature sensor on the porch or near a building. Structures retain heat and can influence the reading by a few degrees and keep the ambient temperature higher for longer periods.
The recommended placement for a temperature sensor is away from structures, blacktop, pavement, and other objects that retain heat. The height above ground should be at least 4-5 feet in an open area with adequate airflow.
The solar shield provides an environment that helps control some of the variables in obtaining an accurate outdoor temperature reading.
The photograph to the left is my outdoor and humidity sensor configuration. The sensor is inside the solar shield.It's in an area away from structures and blacktop or pavement with adequate airflow.
The poles height can be adjusted to accommodate any heavy snowfall resulting in a higher floor level.
A slippery steel pole keeps the squirrels from climbing up and chewing on the wires.
Logs around the base prevent the elk and deer from walking into the pole and getting their antlers tangled up and doing damage to themselves or the equipment.
The anemometer for measuring wind speed and direction is mounted on top of our two-story garage roof.
The rain and snow precipitation bucket is mounted out on the deck railing in an open area away from the tress and building to collect every available drop of moisture.
Indoor temperature and humidity as well as the barometer sensors are located in a small device that sits on our living room coffee table.
All of the sensors transmit their data to the base station located on the wall in my den connected to a computer via the serial port. The software allows you to create many different images of gauges, meters, and other weather related measuring tools.
The desktop environment that you create can then be uploaded to a website and other weather information sharing hubs.
If you are looking for a good but inexpensive rain gauge try the one from Stratus. | Details |