As the name suggests, a home weather station is a station designed to track the weather conditions near your home. More specifically, a weather station is used to find out the exact climate condition around you.
For many years, we relied on news channels, newspapers, or reports from the meteorological department to know about our region, city, or country's weather conditions. Even meteorological departments use weather stations to study, observe, record and analyse the weather.
But home weather stations are for more personal usage. They are useful for tracking the weather of your locality. They have sensors and temperature monitors to calculate some of the important factors like when it is going to rain or snow or how intense the sun will be? So that you can plan your outdoor activities without getting affected by the weather suddenly. That's why you should consider having these recommended weather stations to your home.
If you invest in it for the first time, you might get confused among so
many models available in the market. Don't worry, in this guide, and I will tell you how to choose a home weather station that is perfect
for your place.
What does a basic weather station should have:
- Thermometer to measure the temperature
- Barometer to measure the atmospheric pressure
- Anemometer to check the speed and direction of the wind
- A rain gauge to measure the rate and amount of rainfall
- Humidity sensor to measure the humidity
These five sensors must be there no matter what home weather station you are buying. A home weather station's very basic function is to measure the temperature, air pressure, and humidity. The more advanced home weather stations have soil temperature sensors and radiation sensors too.
Different types of home weather stations:
You get different variants of a home weather station in the market.
There are two major factors, in the beginning, to get one step closer to find the one for you. First, what exactly are you going to use your home weather station for? Do you want to track basic climate details to plan your day or you want more detailed observations, reports as it might be your hobby, or you want to use this information for some professional purpose too? Second, the budget. How much are you planning to invest in a home weather station? If we try to classify the home weather stations, we can get three types of home weather stations in the market:
1. Analog home weather station
In analog home weather stations, you get dials to track climate
conditions. Most of them have a vintage vibe to them that can be used as a decorative piece too.
2. Digital home weather station
Digital home weather stations have a screen to display your readings. They are quite advanced and have more to offer like UV levels, lightning, solar radiation etc. You get the wired and wireless variant. Some of them are compatible with computers. Some of them have internet facilities too. Some Digital weather stations even offer the facility of adding a camera.
3. Smart weather station
Smart weather stations are capable of understanding your voice commands. A few of them are even Alexa compatible. They can even track some important indoor parameters like CO2, noise levels and airborne dust etc.
Some more important factors to look for while choosing a home weather station:
1. Frequency of information updates
You need to know the time interval of updating a fresh set of data of
your home weather station. Most of the home weather stations update the readings between 30 to 50 secs.
2. Construction and durability
The material used to construction of your home weather station should be tough and rugged. It is going to be in function 24/7 bearing all kinds of weather conditions. If it is made of cheap quality material, chances might deteriorate soon, or its sensors may get damaged. So, to make it more durable, pay attention to its construction quality.
3. Usability and connectivity
If you are not a professional, then there is no point in involving
complicated set-ups. Go for a weather station that is easy to install and read.
Look for a device that is compatible with a computer and the internet. Some home weather stations can even store the data. Some accept voice commands too.
Some offer Bluetooth connectivity. Go for easy to use and widely-compatible device.
4. Accuracy
Each weather station has some error margin. It would help if you went with the lowest one while choosing the home weather station for you. Read the specs sheet carefully and go through the reviews before buying it.
5. Power sources
Most of the home weather stations are wireless these days. They either operate on a battery or a solar panel. Try to get a weather station that operates on both. It is wise to look for back-up power options too. The weather stations with back-up power sources are beneficial at times of no electric power supply.
The most important factor is still going to be, what parameters are you looking to measure? I have covered all the essential information which is required to choose the best home weather station. I hope after going through this guide, now you will be able to get an idea on how to choose the best home weather station. Install the best one and make your place a smart home.
