A Great Family Project: Home Weather Stations

Did you like science class when you were a kid? I did -- I LOVED it! Every and any class -- and all my class projects. It has left me with a lasting love of the subject -- especially the subject of Meteorology, the science of weather patterns and forecasting.

So, when I turn the pages of my local hobbyist catalog, I am transported to that earlier time, when with a few boards and nails in hand, I constructed a weather station and filled it with equipment that I largely made myself. It was crude, not fancy, but in most cases it worked with a fair degree of accuracy - and I learned so much from my experience that I decided to write this article to share some of my insights with you.

Fix this firmly in mind: you have 2 choices. You can either go outside to take your weather equipment readings, or you can stay inside and get your readings off of an instrument panel. Those are your options. Stay inside or go outdoors.

If you go with the former approach, you will need to make sure that the entire unit of each instrument can be safely located out-of-doors (not all can). You will also need to construct a weather station - a kind of a vented structure - in which you can place all the instruments. Then you will need to go outside daily and take your readings. This is the old-fashioned method, and is still preferred by some.

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!

Article Source: Free Content Articles Directory

About the author: Kelly Gillis has landscaped her own backyard and wants to help you. To learn about how to build a pergola and home weather stations visit her site.

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