The Weathercam of the Future

Quite a number of home weather station owners incorporate a small digital camera or digital video camera into their suite of equipment. They are particularly common as enhancements to websites uploading real time data from a home weather station, but they can also come in handy for time lapse recording of weather conditions, and in estimating snow falls.

But very often the quality of the video or still samples is not too good. Sometimes this is because the available view is restricted, sometimes it is because the camera is set up inside to view through a window, but most often it is probably because of the low resolution of affordable digital cameras.

These are the facts of life of a small budget operation, and most of us learn to live with the deficiencies and make the most of the strengths of our home weather stations.

But what if your budget was unlimited?

You might then be considering the recently released Roundshot Weathercam from Seitz Phototechnik AG of Switzerland.

This is really state of the art stuff from a leading and innovative specialist in panoramic cameras.

For a start the resolution is 25 megapixels (about 20 times that of a very good video webcam), with a brilliant color spectrum.

It's price of around US$10,000 puts it way beyond the reach of the vast majority of home weather station owners, but if you would like to see what the industry is capable of, visit Recent Home Weather Station News.

We can all dream, can't we?

Best Regards,

Graham

It's May 4th, Weather Observer's Day

It has come to my attention that Thursday May 4th is Weather Observer's Day. Now I don't know who nominates these special days, but I do know it has my whole hearted support.

This is actually the second day this year recognising the efforts of weather watchers - the other is National Weatherpersons Day on February 5th.

Both days recognise the efforts of those dedicated people who record and report the weather so that the official reports and forecasts are as good as they can get. I'm also assuming that both days originated in the USA, but so far I have not been able to find out when, where or why. Does anybody have any clues?

I suspect that these special days celebrate the effort and dedication of the chain of official weather recorders and storm spotters, but the difference between official networks and unpaid and unrecorded enthusiasts is becoming more and more blurred.

In many cases it is the amateurs that have the best equipment, with continuous recording and uploads to websites with full public access. Meanwhile, many of the official observers are restricted to twice daily weather reports following visits to traditional weather instruments.

This system has served us well for many years and deserves everyone's recognition and thanks. The observer's reports usually included observations of cloud cover, cloud changes with altitude, and visibility. These data are beyond the capability of automated digital weather stations, and are not often added to the automated websites.

A second area of difference between official observers and enthusiasts is also weakening. More and more, online private home weather stations are contributing to weather records and forecasts, often through groups such as Wunderground and WeatherBug.

These chains of home weather stations using identical software to provide a common format of data presentation are now sending information to local news services to provide more detailed weather information to the public than was previously possible.

And why not? Any large area consists of many micro-climates, and sensible use of several weather observations is far more realistic than describing the weather of, say, Chicago with weather info gathered from a single location.

So all you weather observers, no matter how you classify yourselves, enjoy your special day. Regrettably, you don't get the day off, because the weather just ain't gonna stop for you.

And don't get too carried away by the occasion - you share your day with eight others, including Respect For Chickens Day and Candied Orange Peel Day.

The Home Weather Stations Guide Site Map

Your Guide to the Selection, Set Up and Enjoyment of Home Weather Stations

We solve problems with selection and operation of Home Weather Stations. Let us help make your home weather station experience happy and rewarding.



Finding Your Ideal Home Weather Station; Your Options

There has never been a better time to buy a home weather station. Here's how to evaluate the options and find the best home weather station for you.

• Finding the Best of La Crosse Weather Stations
  La Crosse Weather Stations - A Complete Range from Basic to Professional. But how do La Crosse Weather Stations compare with other brands, and which is your best choice?
  
  
• The Best Oregon Weather Station for you
  The Oregon Weather Station - From basic to professional . So how does the Oregon range compare with other brands, and is there an Oregon Weather Station just right for you?
  
  
• Oregon Weather Station - Something New and Different
  
  The Oregon Weather Station - Ranging from basic to professional levels. But now there's something new, innovative and even a little exciting from Oregon.
  



• The Best of the Davis Weather Station Range
  Vantage Pro2 - is this the best ever Davis Weather Station? It certainly looks that way. But does this necessarily mean this top of the range weather staion from Davis Instruments is right for you?
  
  
• Peet Brother's Ultimeter - a Different Approach to Home Weather Stations
  Can the Ultimeter Survive in a Wireless Weather Station World? Three Ultimeter models are available, and provide some different answers for home weather observers
  
  
• Rainwise Weather Stations - Strong, Accurate and Dependable
  Rainwise Weather Stations - among the best for accuracy and reliability. But how well do Rainwise Weather Stations compare to their competition?
  
  
• WeatherHawk Weather Stations - Rugged and Reliable
  WeatherHawk Weather Stations are ideal for challenging environments. Industry grade components and robust construction provide great reliability, particularly in remote locations.
  
  
• Capricorn Weather Stations - Fixed, Mobile or Portable?
  Are Capricorn Weather Stations a good choice for home use? Capricorn Weather Stations are designed for long term agricultural, industrial and emergency services use.
  
  
• The 1-Wire Weather Station - The Simplest Cable Connection
  The 1-Wire Weather Station Makes Cable Connection Easy. The 1-Wire Weather Station is best of Texas Weather Instrument's range for home use. Let's find out why.
  
  
• Maximum Weather Instruments Combine Precision With Style
  Maximum Weather Instruments - Tradition Meets Modern Electronics. Maximum Weather Instruments are an example one path in the development of home weather stations.

Careful Weather Station Set Up is Critical to Long Term Enjoyment
Careful weather station set up is the key to rewarding weather observation. Time spent in preparation will save you from future problems and frustration.

• Troubleshooting Home Weather station Problems
  Having Weather Station Problems? This guide provides the solution to most common errors or breakdowns.

Lightning Detectors Provide Early Thunderstorm Warning and Save Lives
How do Lightning Detectors Save Lives? Good lightning detectors, used sensibly, greatly reduce the risk of personal lightning strike by providing timely warning of approaching thunderstorms.

• Lightning Trackers
  Following Thunderstorms With Lightning Trackers. Your own equipment or free and paid internet lightning trackers - you can stay on top of storm development, speed and behaviour.

Weather Radio Facts and Reviews
How to Select the Best Weather Radio for Your Needs. Selecting the right weather radio is easy, once you know how the service works and which radio features are the most useful.

• Weather Radio Service
  What Is The USA Weather Radio Service? How can you use Weather Radio to protect you and your family?

Understanding Extreme or Severe Weather with your Home Weather Station

Severe weather events - when weather becomes more than a talking point. Here's how you can use your home weather station to understand and predict extreme or severe weather

• Understanding and Tracking Hurricanes - A Resources Guide
  Hurricanes - The World's Most Destructive Weather. Observing hurricanes is not just a dry academic exercise - what do you do if they head your way?
  
  
  • Watching & Tracking Hurricanes
    Tracking Hurricanes, Recording Hurricanes. and just what does El Nino have to do with it?
    
    
  • Hurricane Tracking: Rita
    Tracking Hurricanes From A Distance - Hurricane Rita. You don't need to be in a hurricane's path to see what's happening.
    
    
  • Hurricane Safety And Security
    Hurricane Safety - Staying Secure During A Hurricane. Hurricane safety and security have always been important topics, particularly during 2004 and 2005.
    
    
  • More Hurricane Resources
    More Hurricane Resources. A few web pages cannot adequately describe a hurricane. Here are a few carefully selected hurricane resources for extra appreciation of these storms.
  
  
  
• What Happens During Thunderstorms? Tips for Observers
  How to understand, observe and document severe thunderstorms safely. Your home weather station can reveal the secrets of the growth, behaviour and decline of thunderstorms.
  
  
• Lightning - Understanding and Avoiding Lightning Hazards
  Lightning - A Fascinating but Dangerous Weather Spectacle. Lightning is complex, powerful and dangerous, but understanding its formation will help you watch it safely.
  
  
• Facts on Tornadoes - A Guide to Safe Observing
  Low Risk Tornado Observation - is it Possible? You don't need to take many risks to observe tornadoes. Here are two ways to get close to the action.
  
  
• Waterspouts, Landspouts, and Other Tornado Relatives
  Waterspouts, landspouts, dust devils and other spinning winds. Waterspouts and other tornado look-alikes may precede or follow tornadoes. But not always.
  
  
• Microbursts - It's Not Just Tornadoes That Cause Thunderstorm Damage
  Microbursts and Derechos - destructive thunderstorm winds that don't spin. Severe straight line winds such as microbursts are very much part of a thunderstorm's arsenal.
  
  
• Large Hail Facts; How Safe are you in a Hailstorm?
  Large Hail - A Major Thunderstorm Threat. Characteristic of severe thunderstorms, large hail can be very scary and destructive.
  
  
• Flash Floods - Why and When do they Occur?
  Flash Floods are a deceptive and dangerous result of many storms. Don't let flash floods carry you away - appreciate their power, but go back or around

Severe Winter Weather - Storms, Freezes, and Floods
Don't let winter weather lows get you down. Severe winter weather provides much interest for the home weather station owner when the weather closes in..

• Understanding and Predicting Winter Storms
  How do winter storms form, and where? Winter storms - one name for many forms of extreme weather
  
  
• Ice Storms or Frozen Rain - What is the Difference?
  Ice Storms - Winter's Worst Weather Disasters. Ice storms, although not the most spectacular form of severe weather, can result in personal injury and death, plus huge repair bills.
  
  
• Types And Causes Of Floods
  Floods - Types, Predictions And Causes. Someone is experiencing a flood today, somewhere in the USA.
  
  
  • The Causes Of Floods
    What Are The Causes of Floods? Although persistent heavy rain is usually involved, the causes of floods are not always easy to identify.
    
    
  • More Flood Resources
    More Flood Resources. A few pages on a website (Floods and Causes of Floods) is only part of the story.
  
  
  
• Your Guide to Fog Formation (and Road Accident Minimization)
  Fog - The Nuisance That Can Turn Deadly. Fog may not be the most dramatic of weather's hazards, but it can create serious problems in airport closures, road pile ups, and crop losses.

Hot Weather - Heat Waves, Droughts and Fires
Hot weather - is it heat or humidity that wears us out? Hot weather affects us most when humidity and temperatures stay high. But droughts and fires thrive on dry air.

• Heat Waves - Weather's Silent Killer
  What causes heat waves, and why are they dangerous? Heat waves are a poorly recognised form of severe weather, but rate second in weather related causes of death.
  
  
• Living With Drought
  How long will this drought go on? A drought tends to perpetuate itself, but in time a stronger weather system will break the circuit and good times will return.
  
  
• Facts About Fire Weather
  Should a fire weather warning worry you? Fire weather won't concern most city dwellers, but understanding it could be critical to people living in a rural environment.

Weather Reports And Climate Information
What Are Weather Reports And Climate Information Based On?. Here are the real sources of your weather forecasts.

• Weather Organizations - The National Weather Service
  The National Weather Service is, apart from the IRS, the Government Agency whose work affects us most every day.

Commercial Weather Services
Need A Fast, Clear Weather Forecast, Or Maybe Some Specialized Weather Predictions? Weather forecasts and information are among the internet's strengths.

• Internet Weather Forecasts
  Need An Up To Date Weather Forecast In A Hurry? Internet weather forecasts are the answer.
  
  
• Weather Channel Review
  Need A Weather Forecast Fast? Try the Weather Channel, where weather forecasts are only the beginning.

Weather Station Articles
A Selection of Weather and Weather Station Articles, Collected From Around the Net

• Handling a Hurricane, Part 1 - The Threat of a Hurricane - Are You At Risk?
  
  
• Handling a Hurricane; Part 2 - Preparing for and Surviving an Approaching Hurricane
  
  
• What To Look For in a Home Weather Station
  
  
• Seven Common Questions About Home Weather Stations (And Their Answers)
  
  
• Handling Weather Emergencies. Part 1; Forward Planning Makes The Difference
  
  
• Handling Weather Emergencies. Part 2; Home Security, Evacuation and Emergency Kits
  
  
• Staying Safe When There's Lightning Around
  
  
• Can Rain Makers Really Make It Rain?
  
  
• The Sundial Part 1 - Garden Ornament or Exotic Timepiece?
  
  
• The Sundial Part 2 - The Perfect Garden Sundial

Useful Resources

Like to know more about weather? Here are the most useful and interesting weather sites I've found (so far).


Weather Sites

These smaller sites are also valuable sources of weather information. Check out some of the links (but don't forget to come back)


Helpful Links

Even more links, including some which have helped me during the building of this site.


Contact Us


Blog Information


Site Map

Tracking Lightning

Recently I had a look around the net hunting out lightning trackers - both the physical equipment and the online services.

I realise that most North Americans still have their minds on winter weather, but it won't be too long before storms begin to brew in the south.

And on the other side of the equator thunder and lightning are still firmly on the weather menu.

But why worry about lightning trackers, particularly if you have access to weather radar, weather advisories and warnings?

The main answer is that a good lightning tracker has a much greater range than radar, and can provide real time strike information on a map underlay, right on your computer screen.

Secondly, lightning strikes are real products of a storm.Their frequency and density are a true indication of the most violent part of a thunderstorm, whereas radar, good as it is, provides an interpretation which is always a little behind the real events.

You can find the results of my searches at the Lightning Tracker page on my website, but here are a few of the main points.

• If you want to track lightning with any reliability the name to keep in mind is Boltek. Their StormTracker is a mature system, and is supported by several forms of software to provide different ways of examining the data. Boltek's strength is in displaying lightning strikes on a map in real time, centered on where you live. Strike data is collected from up to 300 miles away, sometimes more.

• Boltek's LD-250 is the ultimate tool for the storm chaser.It works the same way as the StormTracker, but it's portable, will work in a car, and can be integrated with GPS.

• Free lightning trackers on the net are rather disappointing. Both Vaisala and USPLN provide continent wide maps with slow updates, and these are also used by Accuweather and Intellicast among the commercial weather services.

• Online lightning trackers are quite scattered, and of variable quality and reliability. They are provided by a few TV channels, power utilities, and home enthusiasts. You can find links to several of these trackers on the Lightning Tracker page at www.Home-Weather-Stations-Guide.com .

So overall, while there is some lightning information on the internet, if you want to be right up to date during the next storm season it's time to start saving for your own equipment.

Enjoy Your Weather More!
Find out how to choose and use the
weather station that suits you best.
http://www.home-weather-stations-guide.com

Hello and Welcome

Or perhaps it's welcome back.

You may have noticed the absence of these writings on home
weather stations and the weather that makes them interesting,
and for that I apologise.

Sometimes projects slip through the cracks in the internet, and I
didn't notice the absence of the blog while I was concentrating on
other things to do with the Home Weather Stations Website.

That's all in the past now, so on into the future.

What you'll find here will be short articles on almost anything to
do with home weather stations - new products, clever and
unusual uses, tips on troubleshooting, guides to resources,
information on weather in general, and how to make the most
of it with your home weather station.

Don't have your own home weather station? No problem - there'll
be plenty here for you too.

And if it's not here, it may be at the Home Weather Stations Guide
website or covered in the supporting newsletter, "Watching Weather".

Thanks for your interest, and call back often.

Graham McClung