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Complete Weather Stations for Home Use
Measuring The Climate at Home with a Weather Station
A hobby which is growing in popularity is keeping tabs on the climate with a home weather station.
Following and logging climate trends is also a useful service that you can contribute to official climate research.
A top of the line weather station for home use can be quite expensive while more modest models are very affordable. Both types essentially offer the same measurements but with differing levels of precision.
Enthusiast weather stations are wireless these days, and many offer internet logging which allows you to access your local climate information remotely. You can for example check on what the weather is like in your home while you are away on vacation.
Image shows the Ambient Weather WS-5300 Home Weather Station
Affordable Wireless Home Weather Station - Best beginner weather station.
Best beginner weather station. If you can't afford a Davis unit, the wireless Ambient Weather Station offers the next-best option. This weather station comes complete with sensors and a sleek tab-like receiving monitor.
The WS-2080 measures wind speed and direction, rainfall, temperature and barometric pressure. Comes complete as a kit and includes a USB port and software which lets you log data.
All in all, this wireless weather station offers superb value and is a great choice for the new meteorology enthusiast.
Davis Instruments Complete Home Weather Station
The nice part about meteorology and climate control is that you can do it on many levels from beginner to enthusiast / pro. A Davis Instruments home weather station is what you buy if you are serious about your climate data.
The Davis Vantage Vue is a complete wireless weather monitor that offers up to 2.5 second interval updates which is on a commercial level.
The sensor pod is a integrated unit which measures rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity. The pod has a solar panel for emergency backup and transmits wireless data up to 1000 feet.
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Logging your weather data is crucial if you want to track long-term fluctuations or if you are gathering environmental information and submitting to official weather services (something that many weather enthusiasts do).
Home weather station monitoring software
The Davis Weather-Link IP Software allows you to access your weather station data remotely and even get alerts for sudden changes.
The Davis Vantage Vue combined with the IP software offer a excellent kit if you want to contribute to CWOP (Citizen Weather Observer Program) or the GLOBE program.
This thing looks like a steampunk decoration but it is a fully functioning home climate station that measures your indoor environment. The fundamental physical laws of temperature and expansion of fluids is what drives thermometers and the glass tube on this set contains globes with temp tags. As the temperature changes, the globes change position up or down.
This unique indoor climate station also contains a clock, a traditional hygrometer for measuring humidity and a barometer which indicates atmospheric pressure changes and foretells coming weather shifts.
A very nice desktop piece which measures 11.8 inches high.
Surprisingly affordable, this analog weather station also makes for a very good housewarming gift!
Hand-held Weather Monitor and Wind Gauge
A handheld wind meter is something that every mountain climber and sailor should have. Being able to correctly gauge wind speed, direction and chill effect can mean the difference between a successful adventure and one that ends badly. If you own a sailing boat you probably have nautical wind instruments on board. If you don't, consider a hand held meter which is just as accurate.
Ambient Weather makes some of the best handheld wind gauges and their 
The WM-4 measures wind speed, direction, Delta T, calculates gust and wind chill. It also measures temperature, dry and wet bulb temp, heat index, dew point, relative humidity and compass direction! Packaged in a rugged and waterproof casing, the WM-4 even floats if you drop it into the sea. A perfect addition to a preparedness survival kit.
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