Let's talk Home Weather Stations

I've got an antique barometer.

Glass rain gauge and the Fox 8 weather app.

I had an Acurite with the PC connect feature. The Acu-wrong had problems with humidity reading being off using multiple sensors. The PC connect required a PC to always be on accepting the data.

I now have an Ambient W2902C and really like it much better. It charts more data than the Acurite. The graphing data is good for fishing as it plots time and wind direction as well as speed. Doesn't require a PC running as it goes straight through Wifi. Only complaint is the viewing angle of the inside monitor makes it hard to read if you aren't looking at it head on but I mainly use my phone to see the data.

Neighbor has a Tempest that I monitor via online. It reads the same as my Ambient but costs twice as much. It detects lightning and mine doesn't. Also, his doesn't have any moving parts for the anemometer.

My vote is for the Ambient.

I’ve got the Ambient WS-2000 and love it.

The only drawback is the anemometer is fixed to the main base instead of being able to mount it higher up for more accurate wind speed readings like some of the Acurite stations.

If you place your Ambient up high to get more accurate wind speeds how do you manage to drain your rain gauge periodically?

They empty themselves.

Davis is the gold standard, I am on my second Ambient weather, first was taken out by a hail storm.

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Not sure why someone is down voting all the non Acurite reviews here

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Yeah someone certainly has hard on for Ambient weather stations.

OP just asked what people had or were using.

I’m sure at less than $200 the Ambient WS models have their limitations and I seriously don’t know how long they will hold up but I researched the topic pretty carefully and concluded they were good units for the price point - I also considered purchasing a Davis weather station but at the end of the day did not want put that amount of $ in my first weather station - maybe down the road.

I also have an accurate rain gauge that reads to a 1/100 of an inch next to the Ambient WS and the results from the Ambient Weather station and the rain gauge are spot on - usually within a 1/10th of an inch. I also have have several SensorPush temperature/humidity sensors placed both outdoor and indoor and the results provided by the Ambient weather station for both outdoor and indoor air temperature and humidity are spot on with readings with the SensorPush temperature/humidity sensors - well within margins of error of accuracy as provided by the manufacturers for both instruments.

As far as wind speed, if I’m not mistaken to get accurate wind speed as provided by government operated weather stations, if I recall correctly, an anemometer must be stationed 20 to 30 feet above ground level with no obstruction (trees, building, etc), and I wasn’t about to place the Ambient WS 20 or 30 ft above ground on a pole. My Ambient WS which I have 6 feet above ground level, so that I can easily clean the rain sensor dipping cup of debris, accumulated dust, etc. every 6 months, certainly comes nowhere close to providing accurate wind speed compared to government run instruments, not that it can’t if placed at the appropriate height, but wind direction reading are accurate.

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soil moisture sensor

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I got one for my garden. It's pretty handy.