Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm a meteorologist. If I had it in my budget to get a professional weather station (like from Davis) for my home I would but until I do this station will serve nicely.
The display unit is nice and large, very easy to read. The base is narrow enough that I can set it on the kitchen window sill without worrying it will fall into the sink. The remote sensor is about 30-40 feet away, around the corner of the house. Our home has metal siding and the signal from the remote has to travel through two exterior walls and a window; we've had no reception problems.
The sensors are accurate. When I first put in the batteries (follow the instructions as another reviewer said) I let the outdoor sensor sit next to the indoor sensor for quite a while. The readings from the base unit and remote matched within 0.7 of a degree and 2% humidity.
The clock set itself within about an hour of putting in the batteries.
The base unit is easy to read and full of information. The unit records not only high and low temperature and humidity for both the indoor and outdoor sensors but also the date and time the reading was taken. If you were so inclined you could reset the measurements on 1 January, then on 31 December see when you had your highs and lows for the year.
I want to address a couple of comments by other reviewers. First, the specifications of the unit (found on page 23 of the manual downloadable from Amazon) clearly state the unit will only report outside temperatures to about -22F. Expecting La Crosse to do something about this is like buying a Geo Metro and complaining that you can't compete in NASCAR. The unit is not built for those extreme low temperatures. Don't buy it if it doesn't meet your needs.
Second, the Weather Channel reports measurements taken by a weather station (often at an airport or NWS office) that is in your cable viewing area. The Weather Channel is not reporting conditions in your backyard. Official measurments are taken using instruments housed in a shelter built to certain specifications, usually 4-6 feet off the ground. I've got my outdoor sensor stuck to the side of the house about 8-9 feet up. It's good enough for backyard meteorology but it's definitely doesn't meet requirements for official measurements.
Third, the reason the pressure tendency chart blinks (actually it's displayed in a scrolling fashion) is "to avoid burnout of the LCD". Manual, page 18, section I9.
Remember, the pressure displayed is station pressure. The values reported by the Weather Channel are converted to sea level pressure. Station pressure is affected by the height of the weather station; the higher you're located above sea level the lower the pressure displayed, compared to sea level pressure. Fortunately it's not the number that matters. What you're interested in as a weather watcher is the pressure tendency. If the pressure is dropping then look for worsening weather; likewise with increasing pressure you can expect conditions to improve.
All in all this is a nice package with many features found only on more expensive units.
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Update 25 Aug 2007
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The unit is still going strong after a year, though the outside sensor died. It fell off the side of the house a couple of times - it's possible that had something to do with it. Fortunately the replacement sensor is only $15 here on Amazon, though it doesn't come with a weather shield. I have it under an eave, but I still may seal the new sensor (La Crosse Technology TX6U Wireless Temperature Sensor) with silicon as a precaution.
I didn't realize how much I looked at the thing until the sensor died...I'm going through data withdrawal now.
Interestingly, the unit is now branded as "The Weather Channel" wireless weather station. When I bought this it was just a regular old wireless weather station. Perhaps TWC branding is the reason the price has gone up since last year.
Click Here to see more reviews about: La Crosse WS-8035U-IT Wireless 915mhz Forecast Station with Pressure Graph & In/Out Temps
This wireless weather station displays a wide range of information in an easy-to-read format on a large LCD.The unit monitors indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure with pressure history chart, displays the current moon phase, and forecast icon.Time is set by the U.S. atomic clock.Additionally, this unit has a time alarm with snooze.
