weather station

[Wxx3]

Hi all,

What kind of weather station do you use for your boat?
Like the Davis wireless set that will give you basic stuff like temp, Wind, Wind Dir, Dew point or RH.

I know I can spend almost a boat buck and have something integrated into all, but am trying to avoid that. At home, i spent $80, but for that i lack wind direction, whcih I'd like to have. and no, I am not asailboat in drag

 

[Tom.B]

This is what we use. It's a tad pricey, but a very cool little thing to have onboard:

Amazon.com: Kestrel 3500 Pocket Weather Meter: Sports & Outdoors

 

[GFC]

I have two main sources for checking the weather....first is a good pair of binoculars and the second is my wet index finger that I stick in the air. It's never failed to tell me if the wind is blowing (or not) and the binocs have been faithful spotters of dark clouds.

Just spoofing you a bit, but I do think it's too easy to get hooked on gadgets and lose that ability to recognize and interpret changes in the weather systems around us.

I suppose if I were heading out to sea I'd take a different approach.

 

[FF]

Usually a pair of rabbit ears will bring in the local TV station.

Good enough for a 8 hour forecast,

 

[Phil Fill]

We have a Davis Weather station, since we bought the boat, mainly to indicate the wind speed, and the temp out side. In the PNW winter winds range 20 to 60 mp, usually from the South East and many mornings the temps are below 40. Nice to know what to expect before venturing out of the boat and to the parking lot. In the summer winds usually bow from the North West, less than 5 mph in the morning and thermals winds increase to 15 mp to 25 mp in the afternoon. I like to leave the dock before the winds reach 15 mph.


Last night was woken by the canvas flapping and noise ropes. The wind was blowing average of 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph from the North West blowing us off the docks which means we will have nice weather for the next couple of days. Rain if the wind is from the South, clear if the wind is blowing from the North. Being a live aboard we naturally follow the weather and tide several days in advance.

 

[Alemao]

I have an Kestrel 4000 because it's a good weather station and I represent Nielsen Kellerman in Brazil

 

[FlyWright]

Weather stations show what's happening here right now. I want to know what's coming my way in the hours or days ahead.

I use the VHF NOAA radio weather broadcasts, phone apps Intellicast and WeatherPro (which includes real time satellite and weather radar) and HDTV broadcast weather stations.

 

[Tom.B]

I'll be honest, I am really using the Kestrel to learn what wind speed "feels" like. Before this, I was a horrible judge of wind speed. Now I can do a much better job of knowing what speed the wind is and how it will affect us.

 

[Wxx3]

Thanks all,

You have all convinced me to just spend the bucks and get a Davis.

Having been a Meteorologist in a past life, i like knowingbwhat the real weather is, now.
Also, i would never trust local news for a wx fcst that my life may depend on, as most of it, is made my forecasters in Atlanta or state college.

and unlike Daddyo, i doi not have unlimited data with Verizon, but when I'm wifi again, i willpost some links youshould be looking at.

 

[Nsail]

Something of note - I have a Davis at home and the only problem I have with it is that it's difficult to read unless you have plenty of light. When you have the backlight on, it's no problem, but I have yet to find a way to keep it on (it times out, even when plugged in to 110V).

I e-mailed Davis about it, but got no response.

Otherwise, it's fantastic!

 

[Nsail]

Update - the backlighting is staying on now! Just for the hell of it, I tried again after my last post and it hasn't turned off yet! I've done this maybe 10 times in the last couple of years since I've had it, and it always timed out and turned off even though it was plugged in to AC (understandable on battery).

Ignore my last post!