Appreciate the video. I have 66 acres 5 min north of Elk Rapids about 1/4 from lake Mi. Definitely have different weather than TC. Especially precipitation. Will probably get one of these weather stations.
Thanks for putting this video out there. My Tempest weather station should arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to getting it up and running. I’ve had an Ambient weather station for a couple of years, but after the third failure of the same model, I’m giving this one a try. Glad to hear you’ve had good luck with yours!
Glad it was helpful! I really like mine, the only downside is the rainfall accuracy. It does a decent job, but when it pours buckets it can under report. Thanks for watching!
Wow crazy! Year later reading your comment I see, but what Ambient Weather station had you purchased that failed three times? Also, not that it is a year later, how has the Tempest served you?
Hey, @@thomascee, I had ordered the Ambient Weather WS-1401-IP Observer back in October 2019. I will say that the two times it needed replacing, it was free of charge from Ambient. I can't remember the exact issues I encountered, but I believe both failures caused the WS-1401s to go offline and not come back. Their customer service was very good! It just didn't seem that stable of a device, though. Funny thing is I just replaced my Tempest unit (under warranty & free of charge from WeatherFlow) due to a battery discharge problem. I had purchased the first unit in August of 2021 and replaced it six days ago - very easy to swap out the device, and it was only the device and not the base unit that needed replacing. Their customer service is also very good. Absolutely love the Tempest. A very simple unit with rock-solid connectivity and accuracy. AI adjustments of rainfall seem to be accurate now, but initially the rainfall totals were wildly out of whack. Not so anymore. Just took a bit of time to adjust. Here's my station tempestwx.com/station/57065/
@@WB0RLJ Interesting on the specific item that needed replacing. Super interesting. Also super interesting that the Tempest self adjusted it's rainfall readings! Huh I had not considered that as a possibility. Super interesting. That was my prime concern with the Tempest. Well thank you so much for the input, I'm purchasing one for my father for his upcoming birthday. Actually considering the Ambient Weather W5000 currently. Decently pricey, but hey can't overspend on Dad right??? :) Happy New Year thank you for the interesting feedback.
Super super cool. I was thinking of purchasing the Ambient Weather W5000, as Ambient Weather has been purchased by high-end Nielsen-Kellerman. The W5000 has a traditional tilting cup rain gauge funnel and cup system, but DOES have the ultrasonic wind meter like the Tempest does. Your Tempest still serving you well? Thanks for making the video.
Hi Thomas, I’m still satisfied with the Weatherflow, but when the time comes to replace it I may go with a station that does a better job with rain amounts. That is my only complaint right now, the hepatic measuring is a bit too inconsistent. Thanks for watching!!
@@UpNorthNybergs Absolutely thanks for making the video! Okay excellent nice to hear an update after you've used it for awhile. Okay... Think I'll bite the bullet then and get the W5000 then. Good to hear your input. Stay warm this winter! We're getting lots of rain in crazy California which is amazing!
@@UpNorthNybergs Okay I'll totally do! I am in process emailing with Ambient Weather, they were going to send me a 10% discount code. Then getting the optional bird guard and an extra thermometer for a shade temperature reading. Trick is I only get access to it mid-February as it's a birthday gift ha ha! I'll mark my calendar and let you know then however.
Hi Tim, I haven't experienced any issues yet with lack of solar power. Living in N. Michigan we can go days and days (& sometimes weeks) without ever seeing the sun.
It seems to only gauge rain, what about snow? Here in UT we are getting copious amounts, don't know how it handles that data as no one I've seen addressed it but note you get snow there as well. Edit . saw your answer below. bummer!
Agreed! I have yet to find a weather station that measures snow accurately. If you have any luck finding one please share. Perhaps us snow sufferers (or lovers) aren’t important enough to develop one. Thanks for watching!
@@UpNorthNybergs Thanks! We often have light snow that melts quickly, as well as powdery cold snow with low water content that would just blow off the sensor and then the wetter snow. It's a tough one! We are all trying to count how many inches / feet, esp on such a good year. The ski resorts do though, with Mammoth Mtn in CA claiming over 700" and many other resorts in CA / UT hitting the 500" mark by MArch 1. IF you check the KTLA 5 youtube channel, they are covering the paralyzed Big Bear City area that is really jacked up with deep snows. They say it was 50 years ago this happened but I was in SoCal and don't remember it being this bad, of course much less peeps then haha. Thanks for the review. I think I am going to pass on that unit for now, as the snow was my big concern as its a cabin up at 5.400 feet.
@@BootsEditor11 Yowzer, that a lot of snow!! I thought our measly 145” per year was a lot ;-) If I find a unit that does a good job I’ll do another video. Stay safe!
Hi, how has wind readings been with blowing snow conditions? One of my concerns is that the sonic sensor area may fill with snow and lose the current wind readings until it melts. How has your experience been with this? Thanks, great video!
Hi Mark, great question! I haven't experienced this issue yet. Living in northern Michigan we get a lot of snow, but so far, no issues that I can report. Quite often I check my neighborhood local weather stations to see if we are all reading the same wind direction, speed, temperature and other data points to verify my data, for the most part we all have similar data. Based on your question, I will be more aware this winter and update my video (or create another) with any additional information. Thanks for watching!
Good question…I’ve had very limited experience with freezing rain. We get a lot of snow ;-) However, I don’t believe it has any type of system to melt freezing rain or snow. Having said that, when it snows, i rarely see it accumulate for any extended time period. I have read that the top sensor can detect hail and perhaps freezing rain if it is clear. I hope that helps somewhat to answer your question.
I'm tempted but a lack of a permanent display is annoying. The last thing I need is another app to have to look at to check stuff out. I've mounted my cheap station's display on the wall which is great for easy viewing. I suppose you could use a cheap or used tablet instead with Tempest, but yet another device to have to maintain.
That is one of the negatives of this system out of the box. There is a Facebook group that discusses many ideas to work around this issue. I get great tips from that group… Just search Tempest or Weatherflow in “Groups” and you’ll find it. Thanks for watching!
So, do I correctly understand that if one is not on-line, then this station will not work? My cabin is off grid, off line, but has solar power generation.
Unfortunately, I believe that is the case in its current configuration. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...I'll see if there is a work around, I send you a message if I find one.
Any idea on how to keep ants out of the weather station? Ours practically destroyed by ants, who moved in and damaged internal wiring. Tempest does not repair their units, says only thing to do is buy a new one.
Hi Ruth, I have not experienced any issues related to ants or any other pests. If you have it located on a pole perhaps spray the pole periodically with insect spray (Ortho Home Defense)...interesting problem for sure! Thanks for the question, perhaps others may respond with similar issues and solutions.
Hi Jonathon, yes, the app works well as long as you have decent wireless. You can view your weather anywhere via the app…I travel to Florida from Michigan quite often and it hasn’t failed yet. I did have to reboot my system (WeatherFlow) yesterday for the first time in a year and a half, I lost all of my history, unsure why.
I haven't had any issues with false readings. I am constantly checking all of the local stations around us to make sure our readings are accurate. I'm probably a little OCD with this, but so far, so good!
If you have an old iPad or other tablet you can set it on a charging station and the app has an "always on' option for the display. I don't look at the weather all day long so the app on my phone is there when I need it. I also understand they're working on an Apple Watch complication which will be perfect for me.
Good question Mitch….unfortunately, personal weather stations don’t do a great job measuring snow. Our local meteorologists have difficulty too. The best snow measurement is still a manual process. I hope this helps!
@@UpNorthNybergs I have an old Peet Brothers rain gauge that has a heater that melts the snow to give you melted equivalence, and a “snow stick” to measure how deep it gets. Guess I’ll use those next winter.
The unit must have rechargeable batteries for the solar power. How long are the batteries predicted to last, are they replaceable, and has anyone had problems with them?
Hi James, good question…I am going on 2 years and haven’t had a failure with the batteries yet. I suspect like with most rechargeable batteries, you should perhaps get 3-5 years, that is just a guess. They are exposed to tough conditions, so that may change the duration. I’ll update if and when I have a failure…thanks for the question!
Not a fan of the plastic pipe. Station will swing all over the place in a windy rainstorm. Also the rain will be off if it snows and then turns to rain. It does however have better specs than my $3000.00 Vaisala WXT 510 with the optional heater. That being said mine is on the way!
Thanks for the thoughts Johnny! Believe it or not we have had a few 45 mph storms and they have stood up well. My one downside that it doesn’t handle light rain very well, mainly when it is misting or a bit harder, otherwise it does a good job. Good luck with yours and thanks for watching!!
Appreciate the video. I have 66 acres 5 min north of Elk Rapids about 1/4 from lake Mi. Definitely have different weather than TC. Especially precipitation. Will probably get one of these weather stations.
Howdy neighbor!! I like the weatherflow itself, I don’t love the predictability of the forecast, it should be better IMO. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic job reviewing this. I'll be ordering one soon. I am in Florida.
Hi Scott, glad you liked it! Heading to Florida myself in a couple of weeks! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for putting this video out there. My Tempest weather station should arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to getting it up and running. I’ve had an Ambient weather station for a couple of years, but after the third failure of the same model, I’m giving this one a try. Glad to hear you’ve had good luck with yours!
Glad it was helpful! I really like mine, the only downside is the rainfall accuracy. It does a decent job, but when it pours buckets it can under report. Thanks for watching!
Wow crazy! Year later reading your comment I see, but what Ambient Weather station had you purchased that failed three times? Also, not that it is a year later, how has the Tempest served you?
Hey, @@thomascee, I had ordered the Ambient Weather WS-1401-IP Observer back in October 2019. I will say that the two times it needed replacing, it was free of charge from Ambient. I can't remember the exact issues I encountered, but I believe both failures caused the WS-1401s to go offline and not come back. Their customer service was very good! It just didn't seem that stable of a device, though. Funny thing is I just replaced my Tempest unit (under warranty & free of charge from WeatherFlow) due to a battery discharge problem. I had purchased the first unit in August of 2021 and replaced it six days ago - very easy to swap out the device, and it was only the device and not the base unit that needed replacing. Their customer service is also very good. Absolutely love the Tempest. A very simple unit with rock-solid connectivity and accuracy. AI adjustments of rainfall seem to be accurate now, but initially the rainfall totals were wildly out of whack. Not so anymore. Just took a bit of time to adjust. Here's my station tempestwx.com/station/57065/
@@WB0RLJ Interesting on the specific item that needed replacing. Super interesting.
Also super interesting that the Tempest self adjusted it's rainfall readings! Huh I had not considered that as a possibility. Super interesting. That was my prime concern with the Tempest.
Well thank you so much for the input, I'm purchasing one for my father for his upcoming birthday. Actually considering the Ambient Weather W5000 currently. Decently pricey, but hey can't overspend on Dad right??? :)
Happy New Year thank you for the interesting feedback.
Hello from East Jordan,MI
Hello fellow Michigander! Thanks for watching!
Super super cool. I was thinking of purchasing the Ambient Weather W5000, as Ambient Weather has been purchased by high-end Nielsen-Kellerman. The W5000 has a traditional tilting cup rain gauge funnel and cup system, but DOES have the ultrasonic wind meter like the Tempest does.
Your Tempest still serving you well? Thanks for making the video.
Hi Thomas, I’m still satisfied with the Weatherflow, but when the time comes to replace it I may go with a station that does a better job with rain amounts. That is my only complaint right now, the hepatic measuring is a bit too inconsistent. Thanks for watching!!
@@UpNorthNybergs Absolutely thanks for making the video! Okay excellent nice to hear an update after you've used it for awhile. Okay... Think I'll bite the bullet then and get the W5000 then. Good to hear your input.
Stay warm this winter! We're getting lots of rain in crazy California which is amazing!
@@thomascee Good plan! Please let me know if you like it…might be the next weather station purchase ;-) Good luck!!
@@UpNorthNybergs Okay I'll totally do! I am in process emailing with Ambient Weather, they were going to send me a 10% discount code. Then getting the optional bird guard and an extra thermometer for a shade temperature reading. Trick is I only get access to it mid-February as it's a birthday gift ha ha! I'll mark my calendar and let you know then however.
@@thomascee much appreciated!! 👍🏻
Did you ever have any problems with your tempest going into low power mode during the long stretch between any sunny days this past winter?
Hi Tim, I haven't experienced any issues yet with lack of solar power. Living in N. Michigan we can go days and days (& sometimes weeks) without ever seeing the sun.
It seems to only gauge rain, what about snow? Here in UT we are getting copious amounts, don't know how it handles that data as no one I've seen addressed it but note you get snow there as well. Edit . saw your answer below. bummer!
Agreed! I have yet to find a weather station that measures snow accurately. If you have any luck finding one please share. Perhaps us snow sufferers (or lovers) aren’t important enough to develop one. Thanks for watching!
@@UpNorthNybergs Thanks! We often have light snow that melts quickly, as well as powdery cold snow with low water content that would just blow off the sensor and then the wetter snow. It's a tough one! We are all trying to count how many inches / feet, esp on such a good year. The ski resorts do though, with Mammoth Mtn in CA claiming over 700" and many other resorts in CA / UT hitting the 500" mark by MArch 1. IF you check the KTLA 5 youtube channel, they are covering the paralyzed Big Bear City area that is really jacked up with deep snows. They say it was 50 years ago this happened but I was in SoCal and don't remember it being this bad, of course much less peeps then haha. Thanks for the review. I think I am going to pass on that unit for now, as the snow was my big concern as its a cabin up at 5.400 feet.
@@BootsEditor11 Yowzer, that a lot of snow!! I thought our measly 145” per year was a lot ;-) If I find a unit that does a good job I’ll do another video. Stay safe!
Hi, how has wind readings been with blowing snow conditions? One of my concerns is that the sonic sensor area may fill with snow and lose the current wind readings until it melts. How has your experience been with this? Thanks, great video!
Hi Mark, great question! I haven't experienced this issue yet. Living in northern Michigan we get a lot of snow, but so far, no issues that I can report. Quite often I check my neighborhood local weather stations to see if we are all reading the same wind direction, speed, temperature and other data points to verify my data, for the most part we all have similar data. Based on your question, I will be more aware this winter and update my video (or create another) with any additional information. Thanks for watching!
how is it in freezing rain ? does WeatherFlow unit on top melt it so it does not accumulate ?
Good question…I’ve had very limited experience with freezing rain. We get a lot of snow ;-) However, I don’t believe it has any type of system to melt freezing rain or snow. Having said that, when it snows, i rarely see it accumulate for any extended time period. I have read that the top sensor can detect hail and perhaps freezing rain if it is clear. I hope that helps somewhat to answer your question.
I'm tempted but a lack of a permanent display is annoying. The last thing I need is another app to have to look at to check stuff out. I've mounted my cheap station's display on the wall which is great for easy viewing. I suppose you could use a cheap or used tablet instead with Tempest, but yet another device to have to maintain.
That is one of the negatives of this system out of the box. There is a Facebook group that discusses many ideas to work around this issue. I get great tips from that group… Just search Tempest or Weatherflow in “Groups” and you’ll find it. Thanks for watching!
So, do I correctly understand that if one is not on-line, then this station will not work? My cabin is off grid, off line, but has solar power generation.
Unfortunately, I believe that is the case in its current configuration. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...I'll see if there is a work around, I send you a message if I find one.
Any idea on how to keep ants out of the weather station? Ours practically destroyed by ants, who moved in and damaged internal wiring. Tempest does not repair their units, says only thing to do is buy a new one.
Hi Ruth, I have not experienced any issues related to ants or any other pests. If you have it located on a pole perhaps spray the pole periodically with insect spray (Ortho Home Defense)...interesting problem for sure! Thanks for the question, perhaps others may respond with similar issues and solutions.
How well does the app work? Like does it work from anywhere. Like from if I was an hour away from home can I see the info on the app?
Hi Jonathon, yes, the app works well as long as you have decent wireless. You can view your weather anywhere via the app…I travel to Florida from Michigan quite often and it hasn’t failed yet. I did have to reboot my system (WeatherFlow) yesterday for the first time in a year and a half, I lost all of my history, unsure why.
Have you ever had any issues with false wind readings as a lot of owners have had this issue.
I haven't had any issues with false readings. I am constantly checking all of the local stations around us to make sure our readings are accurate. I'm probably a little OCD with this, but so far, so good!
CON: No display for the station.
Agreed, I do use my phone app which is always on me...having a display would be a nice upgrade!
If you have an old iPad or other tablet you can set it on a charging station and the app has an "always on' option for the display. I don't look at the weather all day long so the app on my phone is there when I need it. I also understand they're working on an Apple Watch complication which will be perfect for me.
When is snows what happened for precipitation
Good question Mitch….unfortunately, personal weather stations don’t do a great job measuring snow. Our local meteorologists have difficulty too. The best snow measurement is still a manual process. I hope this helps!
@@UpNorthNybergs thanks
How does it measure snow?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t…I’m not aware of anything that does a good job with snow measurements.
@@UpNorthNybergs I have an old Peet Brothers rain gauge that has a heater that melts the snow to give you melted equivalence, and a “snow stick” to measure how deep it gets. Guess I’ll use those next winter.
@@hamop78 nice! That makes good sense, I didn’t know it existed…thanks for mentioning!
How do u move the forecast cards
Hmmm, not sure I understand the question nordello65...can you restate it again?
The unit must have rechargeable batteries for the solar power. How long are the batteries predicted to last, are they replaceable, and has anyone had problems with them?
Hi James, good question…I am going on 2 years and haven’t had a failure with the batteries yet. I suspect like with most rechargeable batteries, you should perhaps get 3-5 years, that is just a guess. They are exposed to tough conditions, so that may change the duration. I’ll update if and when I have a failure…thanks for the question!
Who would know what type of batteries are use or if they are replaceable?
Not a fan of the plastic pipe. Station will swing all over the place in a windy rainstorm. Also the rain will be off if it snows and then turns to rain. It does however have better specs than my $3000.00 Vaisala WXT 510 with the optional heater. That being said mine is on the way!
Thanks for the thoughts Johnny! Believe it or not we have had a few 45 mph storms and they have stood up well. My one downside that it doesn’t handle light rain very well, mainly when it is misting or a bit harder, otherwise it does a good job. Good luck with yours and thanks for watching!!
Solar in PNW, No thanks!
For sure, certainly not for every climate...this is my third year and so far it hasn't skipped a beat. Now if we can only get more sun ;-)
There are hundreds of stations in Washington and Oregon.