ENVIRONMENT
A weather station begins with where you put the sensor
A station may advertise ten sensors, but a badly placed thermometer still measures a sun-heated wall rather than the air. The useful chain is sensor → placement → logging interval → interpretation.
Temperature and humidity
Outdoor sensors need protection from direct solar radiation and strong thermal influence from walls and roofs. Indoors, a reading beside a radiator, window, humidifier, or kitchen is a reading of that micro-location.
Pressure
A barometer is useful for trends. For comparison with official observations, check whether the display reports station pressure or a sea-level-adjusted value.
Rain and wind
These measurements are particularly vulnerable to siting. A rain gauge beneath a tree and an anemometer between buildings can produce exquisitely precise numbers about the wrong environment.
| Feature | Check |
|---|---|
| Outdoor sensor | Wireless range, replaceable battery, enclosure quality |
| History | Whether it stores minima/maxima only or an actual time series |
| Export | Whether you can retrieve the data rather than merely admire the display |
| Calibration | Whether systematic offset can be corrected |