A Great Family Project: Home Weather Stations

I loved science when I was a kid - still do, as a matter of fact. I loved doing science projects for school, and one of my favorite projects was to construct a homemade weather station. It was mostly made from things you might find around the house: knocked-together wooden planks, milk cartons, nails. But I had a blast making it, and learned a lot from the whole experience. As a result I have always had a fondness for Meteorology - the study of weather patterns.

So I am so pleased when I turn the pages of my science and hobbyist catalogs and see the fine equipment that is being made today - it incorporates technology way beyond anything I could have imagined as a boy! I decided to sit down and write this article to help you understand what you might need if you too wanted to set up a home weather station.

Let me simplify this a bit for you. You only have 2 choices: you can go outside to take your weather instrument readings or you can stay inside and take your readings off of a display panel. All weather forecasting equipment will let you do one or the other. You must make your choice.

If you want to go outside to take your readings (the old-fashioned method), then you will need to make sure that your instruments can be completely stored outdoors (not all models can). You will also need to locate your equipment in some sort of a shelter - typically made of wood or metal, with louvered vents. And of course, you will be forced to go outside - even when it's cold and rainy - to take each day's reading.

On the other hand, you can purchase equipment for your home weather station that will let you stay indoors (at least most of the time). Typically, the 'business end' of the equipment will be mounted somewhere outside, and then wires will connect it to the read-out display panel indoors. Some equipment made today is wireless - eliminating the need to run cables or drill holes in your house walls to run it inside.

Basic Metrologic equipment will enable you to record temperatures, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity. If you wish, you can purchase integrated weather station panels, which will provide you with a set of equipment and a panel which will provide a 'weather dashboard' - very popular with the backyard forecasting set.

As your skill and knowledge grow, you can invest in more advanced instrumentation, such as a thermo-hygrometer (it measures humidity and temperature, giving you a 'heat index'), or a baro-hygrometer (which measures humidity and barometric pressure). Most home weather forecasters find that the wireless equipment is easier to install and maintain, but the downside is that they cost a lot more than the hard-wired equipment. In addition, there are some die-hard fans of the old equipment that feel that the hard-wired models give a more accurate reading, but that is disputed by others.

In general, however, this equipment is not cheap. So if the kids have been nagging you about purchasing a home weather station, make sure that they are really going to follow-through on this hobby before you spend the bucks. Once your home weather station is up and running, you will find it a pleasant hobby for yourself, as well as an educational experience for your children, especially older-age boys. I wish you happy forecasting!

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About the author: Kelly Gillis has timesaving tips to help you enjoy your backyard. To learn about how to build a pergola and home weather stations visit her site.
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