What to Consider When Choosing the Best Home Weather Station

If you want to know the recent rainfall total in your garden or whether you should grab a warmer jacket before heading out for the day, a home weather station can quickly and accurately give you information to help you plan your day’s activities. When shopping for one, keep in mind the power source, functions, accuracy, display, and other considerations, all detailed below.

Functions–Heat index, wind chill, moon phase, solar radiation, and sunrise/sunset times.

While nearly all home weather stations report temperature, precipitation, and humidity, some have extra features that detail such info as the heat index, wind chill, moon phase, solar radiation, and sunrise/sunset times. Consider your priorities to determine if these readings would be worth knowing—and paying for.

Accuracy—The location of the device, the materials and construction of the home weather station can also affect its accuracy

Several factors can influence the accuracy of a home weather station, including placement of the device and how often it takes measurements throughout the day. A home weather station’s materials and construction can also affect its accuracy. For instance, some models with plastic-covered sensors have a tendency to overheat and give false readings, while those with a protective shield or fan may mitigate inaccuracy. Once you choose a home weather station, make sure to follow setup instructions specific to the product to ensure the readings will be as accurate as possible.

BIG LCD Display

The display on a home weather station should provide at-a-glance information that’s easy to read and manage. Consider the size of the display console: Will household members require a larger display for easy readability, or would you prefer something more compact or discreet?

Sensor Range—The average sensor range is about 100 feet

Home weather stations employ a variety of sensors—small devices that detect and measure weather conditions—such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and UV intensity. These sensors, which vary from unit to unit, are located on the part of the weather station that’s kept outdoors, which is generally known as the “array.” The array’s sensor range indicates how far the sensors are able to transmit data to a receiving unit, such as a display console, hub, or wireless router. The average sensor range is about 100 feet, but some models can deliver accurate readings from 300 feet or even 1,000 feet away.

Weather station manufacturers typically denote their product’s sensor range from the array to the receiving unit without making allowances for objects between the two points, such as walls or trees. So the actual sensor range can vary, depending on the number of objects that lie between the two points. For example, a weather station with a sensor range of 300 feet may only be able to transmit data up to 100 feet if multiple walls, trees, and hedges lie between the array and the receiving unit.

Here are the most popular weather stations and rain sensors：

RAIN GUAGE

Detail display of rainfall data in 1hour 24hour, week, month and total since last reset
-User selectable rainfall data in inch or mm
-Indoor temperature display in ℃/℉
-Outdoor temperature display in ℃/℉
-Current time in 12/24h
-Calendar tracks month, date, weekday
-Max/ Min records for thermometer readings
-Transmission range: up to 100 meters in open area
-White backlight optional
-Wall hanging /Table standing