Complete Weather Stations for Home Use

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

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.

The Vantage Vue Wireless Weather Station is a complete kit which includes the sensor pod and a dedicated receiving monitor.

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).

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 WM-4 Handheld Weather Station is more than just a pocket wind meter and offers all the environmental information you could ever need in the field.

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.