Cumulus Support

Hi all,

I'm debating on finally moving my WH3081 console to a box just outside of my window but provide adequate ventilation as I've been thinking long and hard about the fact these stations take barometric pressure readings from the inside console which is in our air conditioned house.

Where do other's have their console located?

Stephen

Hi Stephen,
I don't think you have much to worry about really.
Evaporative cooler type air-cons will increase humidity and refrigerated units will lower humidity, but neither is likely to have much effect on the pressure inside the house - unless your doors and windows are hermetically sealed.

As Graeme says - location for pressure won't affect your readings as much as temperature, rainfall, wind etc. Pressure is one of the few meteorological conditions that is relatively even over a large area.

Mine, for example, is located under the house (I'm not too concerned with the console's temperature and humidity readings except as far as the unit is very close to my wines, so I can at least check on their condition over a period of time )

Now,if you wanted to mount the console a 1200 metres above the house - that would be a different story...

The bottom line - again after all the other threads about 'accuracy' - is that even if the pressure isn't 100% accurate, what IS accurate would be the trends (rate of rise, fall etc) and it is this that helps deterine future weather.

Just find a spot that is handy if you want to look at it, unless you put near a strong heat source. I had the indoor unit of several weather stations in different spots and they worked fine without much differences in air pressure ( not to say that they are 100 per cent accurate).

Like serowe said, if the pressure is slighly off, its the change of pressure rather than the actual pressure that you need to worry about.

I was getting readings going out of calibration but I am putting it down to the fact the unit was getting some arvo sun on it, moved it to a wall mount where it will be shaded most of the time.

1 of my few technical observer mates said the Bureau of Met readings are taken from inside air conditioned buildings so in effect the same deal here, I'm not so worried about it now as I think it was temperature anomalies on the black plastic back of the unit creating these issues.

Lets see how we go

Stephenwx82 wrote:1 of my few technical observer mates said the Bureau of Met readings are taken from inside air conditioned buildings so in effect the same deal here, I'm not so worried about it now as I think it was temperature anomalies on the black plastic back of the unit creating these issues.

Correct - but remember that they don;t use electronic sensors for their official readings - they do for 'instant' readings (eg you ring the BoM and ask for the current pressure and they give you one straight away).

But, as previously pointed out, their AWS equipment (which is electronic) is also NOT the same as the home units. They are a helluva lot more expensive AND calibrated before they are put into service.

I do know that putting on the light on my ws-1081 changes the pressure levels if left on for more than a minute. Don't know why. But other than that, there is nothing to worry about, except my unit (and others that have the same/similar model) has the problem of pressure drift, meaning (in my case) that I have to use the Cumulus calibration (it's the easiest way) and put the pressure up 1 or more hPa a month to keep accurate.

serowe wrote:

Stephenwx82 wrote:1 of my few technical observer mates said the Bureau of Met readings are taken from inside air conditioned buildings so in effect the same deal here, I'm not so worried about it now as I think it was temperature anomalies on the black plastic back of the unit creating these issues.

Correct - but remember that they don;t use electronic sensors for their official readings - they do for 'instant' readings (eg you ring the BoM and ask for the current pressure and they give you one straight away).

But, as previously pointed out, their AWS equipment (which is electronic) is also NOT the same as the home units. They are a helluva lot more expensive AND calibrated before they are put into service.

yeah I know that their gear is expensive as but still I like to be as close as, no need to ring I get the data from them if I request it for my location thank you internet, the wall mount in permanent shade seems to have done the trick for now

don't mind me I'm just a tinkerer and a half haha and being mildly autistic makes it even more fun!