GEAR TESTJANUARY 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 71Technoline WS6750 £54.98Maplin N96GY £69.95This unit is a simple but smart-looking battery-powered, desktop weather station with
a radio-updated clock, two alarms
and a backlit LED display. As well as current air pressure it shows barometric pressure
history as a bar graph over the past 12 hours and has a trend
arrow. Surprisingly, it even has compensation for altitude (relative pressure), if you enter
your height above sea level. A fi ve-way weather forecast icon offers a fairly vague idea of
the weather ahead, calculated from the previous six-hour pressure trend. It
comes with an outdoor temperature/humidity sensor that needs to be mounted in a
protected place to keep the rain out. This allows the display to provide current indoor/
outdoor data, along with maximum and minimum readings and a trend arrow for each.
rise/set readings and a bold moon icon showing eight phases waxing and waning.It also has sun/moon
the display tricky to read. Unless It’s a neat unit but we found
This one has a touch-screen and a USB port for
but the contrast is weak and PC monitoring and control. The display is big,
non-adjustable (as far as weto enable you to change the detail. For other data,
doing this enables you to toggle between fi gures, such as hPa/inHg for pressure. It’s somewhat
long-winded and confusing.shown on a 16-point compass. Speed is in Wind direction is
knots, kph, mph or m/s to one decimal. Toggling the speed fi gure alternates
between current and gusts (for which an alarm can be set) and
shows maximum lost count by now) time (if you’ve not touching it a fi fth
hours, or you can over the past 12 graph of pressure speed. There’s a bar
the pressure history move back through(^7) / 10
log in 30-minute jumps.with all the weather data a yachtsman might need, but it This is a powerful device
really requires the handbook, or a list of ‘screen touches’ pinned up beside it. It’s really intended for use with
a computer (DVD supplied), where access to all the data is much easier and the historical readings can be used to the full.
Supplier Tel Web 01243 558280 http://www.weathershop.co.ukThe Weather Shop
Supplier Tel Web 0333 400 9500 http://www.maplin.co.ukMaplin Electronics
forecast icon offers a fairly vague idea of
rise/set readings and a bold moon icon showing eight phases waxing and waning.
the display tricky to read. Unless It’s a neat unit but we found
we looked slightly down on it, the narrow viewing angle made the fi gures very faint. It’s also quite expensive,
considering it has no wind or rain sensors.
(^4) / 10
The temperature/humidity sensor isn’t rainproof
It’s neat and snazzy, but not the best
for a sailor
between fi gures, such as hPa/inHg for pressure. It’s somewhat long-winded and confusing.Wind direction is Wind direction is
shown on a 16-point compass. Speed is in knots, kph, mph or m/s to one decimal.
Toggling the speed
graph of pressure speed. There’s a bar shows maximum
the pressure history move back through hours, or you can over the past 12
can see) so it’s hard to read at a distance. A green backlight is selected by holding your fi nger
briefl y anywhere on the screen. To adjust time/date and pressure you hold your fi nger on the fi gure you wish to change. It
beeps, then + and – keys appear
It’s a good, powerful unit, but the poor
contrast of the screen lets it down
This one has a full complement of weatherproof sensors