Yachting_Monthly_2016-01

Products tested Eight weather stations tested, from £20 to £150

GEAR TEST

72 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com JANUARY 2016

Oregon Scientifi c

WMR86 £99.95

Technoline WS-1600IT £99.95

Oregon Scientifi c has a wide range of weather stations for all levels of forecasting. This

is a mid-range model, with wireless link-ups between the sensors and base station. The sensors, common to

several of Oregon’s other models, comprise a combined wind speed and direction unit, a rain catcher and a small,

weatherproof temperature and humidity sensor. The lack of wires simplifi es mounting, but each

Supplier Tel Web 01243 558280 http://www.weathershop.co.ukThe Weather Shop

sensor needs two AA batteries. They are said to last for two years, if you use good-quality dry cells.The base station is silver plastic

with an LCD screen the size of a modern smartphone with large, easy-to-read digits and icons, and a selectable orange backlight.

It has a 16-point wind compass and wind speed that can be set to knots, kph, mph or m/s. It also has a wind chill factor readout. A

fl ag icon shows wind strength at a glance and you can select either max/min or real-time modes.Air pressure is measured in

hPa, inHg or mmHg and there’s an historic bar graph going back 24 hours. You can also toggle between rainfall and UV Index

graph with historic data.what all the buttons do, nor in It’s not immediately obvious

which sequence you need to press them, but we got there in the end and found this unit to be a useful tool.

Supplier Tel Web 01243 558280 http://www.weathershop.co.ukThe Weather Shop

This brushed alloy and black plastic desktop display

for bulkhead mounting if has a pull-out stand and keyhole slots at the back

preferred. This LCD display is

easier to read in daylight than many, having a wide viewing angle and crisp, well contrasted

numeral and icons, but it has no backlight, which is a shame.device and an anemometer for It comes with a rain catchment

wind speed and direction, both of which have 10m-long leads that plug into a small, weatherproof wireless

transmitter box that sends the temperature, humidity, wind and rain data back to the display – up to a

distance of 100m.style wind direction icon, but it would have been nice We like the compass-

to set the speed to knots, rather than Beaufort, m/s, mph or kph. It also lacks indoor temperature and

humidity readings, which is an unusual shortcoming.

allowing you to look back for up to 600 hours at three-hourly The history feature is good,

snapshots of all the available measurements. So is the min/max key, which covers all the

Oregon Scientifi c has a wide range of weather stations for all levels of forecasting. This

is a mid-range model, with wireless link-ups between the sensors and base station. The sensors, common to

several of Oregon’s other models, comprise a combined wind speed and direction unit, a rain catcher and a small,

weatherproof temperature and humidity sensor. The lack of wires simplifi es mounting, but each

(^8) / 10 Best on Test
It’s fully wireless, so each sensor needs batteries
Nice long leads are supplied with the rain catcher and anemometer
It has the same sensors as some of Oregon’s pricier units
Eight weather stations tested, from £20 to £150
It has the same sensors as some
6 / 10 recorded measurements.and looks as if it would survive a harsh climate for a decent length of time. The lack of a backlight lets it down, though.This model is well made
http://www.weathershop.co.ukThe Weather Shop
device and an anemometer for wind speed and direction, both
leads that plug into a small, transmitter box that sends the temperature, humidity,
but it would have been nice rather than Beaufort, m/s,
Nice long leads are supplied humidity readings, which is
with the rain
The display is easy to read with a wide viewing angle
and clear read-outs
PHOTOS: DUNCAN KENT