NZ poor selection of weather stations

[denox]

NZ seems to lack weather stations, either Davis stations or cheap old stations. The choice here is very poor. The only way to get a station you want is import it.

[Awhituobs]

the ecowitt.com stations are good
lots of sensors and cloud data provided

[denox]

I ended up getting a ambient ws2000 from Amazon and lighting sensor stright from ambient. The stations available in nz are pitifully. It's a pity to get anything half decent to import them

[Awhituobs]

those are basicly the same stations as the ecowitt.com stations (which you can order straight from their web site (China based))

[snowstormwatcher]

I brought a cheapish Chinese weather station from dick Smith around 10 years ago which was a waste of money. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much Mid Range priced stations to choice From, Ultimately I'd like to buy a Davis but I Really can't justify the price.

[denox]

I had a vantage vue, but the tech is stuck in the 1980's. I perfer my ambient ws2000, can add sensors, and recently got a lighting detector sensor for it. Love the nice colour display, easy to read with graphics, etc, so don't really need it hooked up to computer.

Much easier to read display then my vantage vue ever was and much nicer. Accuracy is just as good. I stick with ambient due to while you can get clones, the frequency is different. Keeping to ambient, any replacement parts I know are going to work.

The ones sold by duck Smith and the ambient, ecowatt clones they have here are junk. The weather station websites here much have heaps of old stock, because the websites contain no new weatherstations.

Davis, I feel your paying for the name, but very old tech, not that impressed.

The ws2000 is modular and can replace individual parts easily.

[Lawrence]

I agree.I'm in the market for a new system and my research has drawn the same conclusions.The better models are coming from the U.S. presently with Ambient and Ecowitt, although both seem to be similar tech Ecowitt seems slightly more complicated to set up.
The WS2000 Ambient is getting rave reviews in the States and although a reasonable mid range price the levels of extras and expansion you can get is fantastic from both companies.I'm personally leaning towards Ambient myself,but may just buy from the company directly as I'm a bit nervous with Amazons processes. But I think that what we need is a dedicated supplier that could import and sell just weather related equipment based in New Zealand at a good price. Obviously over my pay scale but I think there's a gap in the market.

[Awhituobs]

note that the Ambient stations are basicly just rebranded Chinese made stations
basicly supplied by Ecowitt.com.. many of the sensors are interchangeable even

[Lawrence]

note that the Ambient stations are basicly just rebranded Chinese made stations
basicly supplied by Ecowitt.com.. many of the sensors are interchangeable even

I agree,the Ecowitt HP2551 and Ambient WS2000 are strikingly similar, especially the console which is identical to both.

[denox]

Yes, basically the same, but still sticking to one brand or the other, your gaureenteed the parts and frequency will be thr same. You mix and match then your in trouble as the frequency or connectors, or software slightly different.

I imported an Ambient from Amazon, as I know the parts and frequency will be the same If I ordered through ambient. Better sticking to these two brands, than get the clones. So play it safe. Also got a lighting detector through ebay, was wrong frequency 433mhz, so order directly from ambient. Postage not cheap, but had it in 3 days, got the right one 915mhz.

Also have a tempest station

[BeaconHill]

Hey team. Good thread as I am in the market for a new station. The Ecowitt looks like a great option.

But wanted to get feedback on these offerings that are on special at PB Tech.

Don’t be shy in your opinions. I want to buy something that will be accurate and last….

8B499C43-8057-49B0-AD47-AC506B1480D5.jpeg

[Chris Raine]

Running a Tesa base unit connected to the Cumulus programme on my computer. I use Electronic World in Auckland to source parts Have had my station operating since 2006.Other than getting a new outdoor sensor has served me well.

[Awhituobs]

re those PB tech stations, they are lesser known rebranded chinese stations...ecowitt better
I have a Ecowitt Gw1000 setup at my sisters

I have been working with weather stations for over 20 years , software ,and have just about every one avaiable here at some stage testing, even a Vaisala station
My software is even used by the US Navy on high end proffesional systems (ASOS) and at Scott Base (campbell Scientific station), jut for some background

[denox]

Better of going through Amazon, better selection and may cost less. I got the ws2000 by ambient. Much better screen and easier to source parts that know will work.

But ecowatt and ambient are pretty much the same. And the cheaper ones are rebranded here.

The trouble is buying from NZ, no parts available, and found your better off with sticking to ecowatt or ambient.

Then have no issue with parts which I know will work as same frequency used. Ita not just about spare parts its the frequency they run at and if you stick to thevmain ones in the usa no trouble with parts. Mine is running 915mhz and maybe easier to source parts. Mine from the usa cost $561 with gst and postage, with a far better screen. I added a lighting detector.

Also ecowatt and ambient can add other sensors.

If you don't want to import then the top one would be your better choice, but no NZ only either stocks low cheap quailty stations or very high cost ones like Davis, no middle ground and many old.

If I was you would search Amazon for ecowatt, ambient, or accurite. What we have in NZ is poor and if something breaks down, which it will maybe harder to source parts.

Also some clones in NZ rebranded cheaper ambient, ecowatt brands. But seems the stations in NZ the screen choice they come with is poor Also.

If you can, I would steer away from buying one here as the choice Is poor. And cheaper rebranded Chinese ones with no parts available

But as I said the top one in that picture maybe your better choice.

[Awhituobs]

I wouldn't recommend Acurite myself

[denox]

Trouble is Acurite the Atlas is rediculous in size. I could see it get buffered by wind. Ambient and Ecowatt are much better, lower profile. I have 2 stations, Ambient WS2000, through Amazon com and weather flow Tempest.

Think if I have trouble with my WS2000, would next rather go with the WS5000 for $100 More then the WS2000, as it has a sperate rain Gauge. And ultrasonic wind meter, which appartly updates every 3 secs, so up there with the vantage Vue at a cheaper price and far more modern and easier to read colour LCD display. Uses the same lcd display as the WS2000 and looks nice. No need for even a pc.

[Awhituobs]

Tempest is great, apart from the false rain readings in high winds

[denox]

Yes, true though I am not getting false rain, but inaccurate rain

[Awhituobs]

haptic rain sensors are very difficult to get right
they should have just used the tried and proven tipping rain bucket (on a separate sensor..but they were selling it as all in one..but then that does not make sense to have your temperature reading up on the roof)

[denox]

I think I have come up with a more accurate way than a tipping bucket, a rain gauge than is like a manual gauge, but reads rain levels with a Lazer beam, the gauge collects water like a normal rain gauge and can travel up and down as rain accumulates I'm gauge and reads the height of rain. At say every 50 or 60mm of rain, depending in size, etc then if it's near top self empty, then keeps a tally of the rain fall. I think a Lazer system would be more accurate notify you quicker than a bucket?

[Awhituobs]

a similar idea is used to measure snow depth

[denox]

I think a rain bucket falls down as thr can only go down to .02 or .03 of a mm, so they also won't accurately measure rainfall and over time are off also, unless they can go to .01mm of rain.

[Awhituobs]

a big collection cone area helps to improve accuracy (i.e bigger sample)

[TonyT]

A heads-up for anyone wanting to get a Weatherflow Tempest. If you go to the bottom of the sales page on their web site and sign up to be notified when the AU/NZ version is available, you may get an email from their customer support team offering to send you one for the retail price less $40 (which just about covers the shipping). I got my email 24 hours after signing up and have ordered one. Price on their web site is in $US and will equate to about NZ$500. They say they want to get some out and being used in this part of the world before opening up for general sales.

I have been running the previous version to this for about a year and found it very good (so long as you don't mind using a web page and/or phone app to monitor the station in real time, ie it doesn't have a dedicated display). The only issue, is that the Tempest is an all-in-one unit which means that if you mount it up high to get better wind readings you won't have the temperature sensor at the right high, and vice versa. Like Brian I have also found the haptic rain sensor very prone to giving false readings in strong winds, and that's actually why I'm buying another one, so I can mount it down low to get accurate rain readings from it, while keeping the older unit mounted high on a pole for best wind results.

[denox]

I have a tempest for ages, when they converted some to our Frequency. Before that had weatherflow working fine in US Frequency yes forget accurate rain readings with tempest, everything is right up their with Davis weatherstations.

At times have had false wind readings, mainly the morning when the dew droplets hanging down effect wind readings, but cannot complain wind updated every 3 seconds so practically up there with the vantage vue.

Got high to get wind readings your mount needed to be very soild else will get false rain readings.

I also don't get it? I don't live 30 feet in the air, so not giving a readings of wind accurate to my own back yard, so prefer 3.5 Meter height to reflect wind conditions in my environment not the offical 30 feet, which is not giving true wind in my own environment.

Also tempest is unique as unlike other stations is not pulling an offical forcast, tempest works out a forecast of its own, so your data is sent to weatherflow, complied in their weather model data and sent to your tempest as its own predicted forecast.