In my last post I mentioned the different types of automatic rain gauge, and rain gauges in particular. Now what if you wanted to track more options other than just a rain gauge.
If you like to keep a track of the weather then there is no better option then a weather station. There is a huge choice of weather stations out there, so deciding which one fits your needs can be daunting. I will try and give you an overview of all the different types to helpfully guide you in the right direction.
Home Weather Stations
A home weather station could be used for home, small business, club which would include a set of instruments to measure anemometer, wind, rain gauge, barometer, solar radiation.
Professional Weather Station
This type of weather station can be used once again by home owners, businesses, clubs, but they come with much stricter guidelines for accuracy. They will be up to (NIST) National Institute of Standards and Technology. They will measure the same set of parameters, and may also include extra instruments for measuring water temperature, soil temperature, leaf dampness, ultraviolet, and soil moisture.
Portable Weather Station
You can set up a portable weather station with in minutes, and these can be hand held, tripod systems, or vehicle mounted. These type of devices can be used for a huge range of circumstances such as, sky diving, fire and rescue, unmanned aerial vehicles, ski patrol, and military to name a few. They carry the same measurements as a home or professional station.
Agricultural Weather Station
An agricultural weather station will provide up to date accurate information for farmers, who can access the data live at home and also view online data. The data stored can also help to keep an eye on crops, livestock comfort, poultry farming, grain handling, and golf course management. This is not the full list; there is a huge range of options for these stations.
Weather Station for Airports
With the increase in technology smaller airports are now including weather stations as an option, which have internet and radio communication tools. These weather stations are up to the NIST standard, and have the usual set of instruments.
As technology makes it easier for us to track all the parameters in a weather station, you can now get weather station software for you to install the information on your computer and track all the data from anywhere. The most complete and most widely used is the Virtual Weather Station Software.