Home weather station suggestions

ponytug · Apr 22, 2024

I love the simplicity of the solid state Tempest style weather stations, but my neighbor has one that despite many updates is wildly off from ours, and from other nearby stations. Wind speed, rainfall are all different. I keep hoping it will improve, but in the interim, I am sticking with Davis.

Like @bdhsfz6, I did the rain cone update as well, and it made a big difference in accuracy for us as well. (1-2% range)

All the best,

Peter

Grumpycat · Apr 22, 2024

The AcuRite 5-in-1 has adjustment screws for the rain gauge. AcuRite provides instructions on how to drip a measured quantity of water while counting the tips (can be heard).

Those bellyaching about 6-9°F hotter readings in the sun do not have a functioning fan. If it works the fan can be heard in almost any light. Mine gets full of cobwebs a couple times per year requiring cleaning of both the fan and the rain sensor teeter-totter.

Having said that, I now have a Tempest.

Grumpycat · Apr 22, 2024

ponytug said:
I love the simplicity of the solid state Tempest style weather stations, but my neighbor has one that despite many updates is wildly off from ours, and from other nearby stations. Wind speed, rainfall are all different. I keep hoping it will improve, but in the interim, I am sticking with Davis.

If all Tempest behaved that way then no one would buy and keep one.

My Tempest is mounted 15' from the AcuRite 5-in-1 and reports very similar results. Also in agreement with others of various makes within a mile.

... until the temperature/humidity board in the AcuRite failed due to corrosion. Cleaned it up, soldered some damaged traces, worked for a few hours. Haven't bothered again. Part is $15 from AcuRite, $10 to ship, or $10 for the part, $15 to ship. Still measures rain and wind speed.

MinnesotaEric · Jul 9, 2025

My old Ambient Weather WS1001 after a decade of getting beat up by wind, tree debris, and cold temperatures and cost $399 in 2015, finally died when one of the batteries soiled its battery box. I had to silicon spray its wind speed thingy occasionally to keep it freely spinning, as wells glue its wind speed thingy back together when tree debris broke it, but it was a good weather station and i liked how it ties into wunderground.

So today I ordered a new Ambient Weather WS2000 for $239 since Amazon knocked the price down $60 for Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRBY9NP?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I really like the weather stations because of our frequent storms, a guy learns that his house starts to vibrate with winds go over 60mph and silly cold temperatures when a guy realizes that he is in the coldest area in North America (mostly because we are further away from a warming oceans).

rontaki · Jul 9, 2025

MinnesotaEric said:
My old Ambient Weather WS1001 after a decade of getting beat up by wind, tree debris, and cold temperatures and cost $399 in 2015, finally died when one of the batteries soiled its battery box. I had to silicon spray its wind speed thingy occasionally to keep it freely spinning, as wells glue its wind speed thingy back together when tree debris broke it, but it was a good weather station and i liked how it ties into wunderground.

So today I ordered a new Ambient Weather WS2000 for $239 since Amazon knocked the price down $60 for Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRBY9NP?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I really like the weather stations because of our frequent storms, a guy learns that his house starts to vibrate with winds go over 60mph and silly cold temperatures when a guy realizes that he is in the coldest area in North America (mostly because we are further away from a warming oceans).

I've had an Ambient WS2000 for about 5 years now, really like it. Its tied into Weather Underground. It also recieves some data from a nearby AW station with sensors I don't have!

CH4Ohio · Jul 9, 2025

We had some scary weather here for a few days until I replaced our weather station. . . . Hard to know how to dress for days like this so we just stayed inside . . .

CH4Ohio · Jul 9, 2025

That reminds me . . . I saw on the news that the old weather guy that came up with the Heat Index died recently. They said he was 88 . . . but felt like 107.

Oaktree · Jul 9, 2025

MinnesotaEric said:
My old Ambient Weather WS1001 after a decade of getting beat up by wind, tree debris, and cold temperatures and cost $399 in 2015, finally died when one of the batteries soiled its battery box. I had to silicon spray its wind speed thingy occasionally to keep it freely spinning, as wells glue its wind speed thingy back together when tree debris broke it, but it was a good weather station and i liked how it ties into wunderground.

So today I ordered a new Ambient Weather WS2000 for $239 since Amazon knocked the price down $60 for Prime.

I've got an Ambient WS1900 that's been pretty good for the 5 or so years we've had it. Lately it's been acting strangely...both the outside temperature and rainfall totals kind of spaz out periodically. They'll rotate thru different displays (ie-rain event, daily, weekly, monthly) all by themselves. Then it'll be fine for days. Seems like it's really hot days that it doesn't like (sort of like its owner

).

John0829 · Jul 9, 2025

We have the Ambient 2000 and is connected to the CWOP. You really do become dependent on the stations when you have one.

Grumpycat · Jul 9, 2025

MinnesotaEric said:
My old Ambient Weather WS1001 after a decade of getting beat up by wind, tree debris, and cold temperatures and cost $399 in 2015, finally died when one of the batteries soiled its battery box. I had to silicon spray its wind speed thingy occasionally to keep it freely spinning, as wells glue its wind speed thingy back together when tree debris broke it, but it was a good weather station and i liked how it ties into wunderground.

So today I ordered a new Ambient Weather WS2000 for $239 since Amazon knocked the price down $60 for Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRBY9NP?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I really like the weather stations because of our frequent storms, a guy learns that his house starts to vibrate with winds go over 60mph and silly cold temperatures when a guy realizes that he is in the coldest area in North America (mostly because we are further away from a warming oceans).