Looking for something to give to your weather fanatic relative for the holidays? The Davis Instruments Weather Box could be the best gift ever. Just announced by the company, the Weather Box is an all-in-one bundle for those weather buffs who want easy access to their personal weather data wherever they go. Yes, Davis Instruments has gone mobile. With the Weather Box, in just a couple of steps, you can install a state-of-the-art weather sensor suite at home, and view all the data on your PC or smartphone.
Weather Box Design and Function
Key to Davis Instrument’s Weather Box is the fact that the sensors run on solar cells, which update measurable date every 2.5 seconds. It does this for all the weather conditions the suite gauges, including rainfall, dew point, wind direction and speed, barometric pressure and both indoor and outdoor temperature. This data is then automatically uploaded to your unique page on Davis’s WeatherLink.com site, and your free WeatherLink® app will display all pertinent weather information right on your phone.
You can even share your data with others, comparing various climates around the world with over 20,000 other weather enthusiasts. You can also archive your information for years, and review any day, month or year’s data with just a few clicks or swipes.
Aside from WeatherLink app and website, you can also access your data through other industry-leading websites such as Weather Underground. Davis Instruments offers an optional display console for those interested in a dedicated display to view current weather conditions.
Set-up
With all you get in the kit, you would think you’d have to reserve an entire day to set this up, but irionically, set-up is very straight forward and only requires a few tools. Mounting the sensors is probably the most time-consuming, but this also has to do with where you’re mounting it. It’s most optimal if you mount it out in the open but close to your home router. And of course, the solar panel needs to be pointing where you’re getting most of the sun.
Pairing the kit’s receiver to the router is also pretty easy, and once that happens, your data starts trickling in, and you’re able to see your individual weather station on the weather app. Unlike many weather stations on the market, the Weather Box is completely wireless, so you’re never contending with cables or wires. This makes the Davis unit stand alone among its competitors.
Weather Box Operation
Once operational, you can use your weather station in several ways. The WeatherLink website shows detailed data from your station, including current conditions and a summary of conditions. WeatherLink also shows all the weather stations on a map along with current temperature via a colorful legend. The graphs WeatherLink produces are gorgeous, full of color, very detailed, and customizable.
The WeatherLink Network is Davis’ global weather network with thousands of weather stations reporting. Each reporting station has its own page on the site and is shown on a map as a temperature-color-coded dot that makes it easy to see temperatures worldwide. Click on a dot to see current weather conditions for that station. Each WeatherLink.com account also includes a private page with enough storage capacity to store up to two years’ worth of weather data, depending on your archive interval. Adding your station to the WeatherLink Network is simple – no web skills needed!
The WeatherLink app on your phone also gives current conditions, along with summary data from that day, that month, and that year. You can also check information for other weather stations in the system, which you follow.
Specs
- Solar Powered Integrated Sensor Suite
The wireless, rugged outdoor sensor suite runs on solar power. A lithium battery provides backup at night and during cloudy, winter days. - Temperature
Current inside (from the Envoy’s on-board sensor) and outside temperature, and for each of the last 25 hours, days or months. High and low temperature alarms. - Humidity
Current inside and outside humidity, and for each of the last 25 hours, days or months. High and low humidity alarms. - Barometric Pressure
Current and for each of the past 25 hours, days or months. Five position trend arrow shows whether pressure is rising, falling, or stable. Storm warning and storm clearing alarms. - Rainfall
Totals for past 15-min, past 24-hour, daily, monthly and yearly. Rain gauge uses tipping bucket (self-emptying) technology. - Rain Rate
Current and for each of the last 25 hours, days, months, or high for the year. High rain rate alarm. - Wind Speed
Current wind speed. Average for the last ten minutes and each of the last 25 hours, days or months. Ten minute high gust with direction of gust. High and 10-minute average wind speed alarms. - Wind Direction
Current, past 6 10-min. dominants on compass rose only; hourly, daily, monthly dominants.
Dimensions:
- Integrated Sensor Suite:
18.25″ x 7.25″ x 15.25″ (464mm x 184mm x 387mm)- With the supplied U-bolt, the ISS can be mounted on a pole or rod having an outside diameter ranging from 1″ to 1.75″ (25 to 44 mm).
- Envoy: 6.5″ x 1.5″ x 3.75″ (165mm x 38mm x 95mm)
Battery Life:
- Integrated Sensor Suite backup battery: 8 months without sunlight – greater than 2 years depending on solar charging. Note: Actual battery life will vary depending on station setup and usage.
- Envoy: Up to 6 months
Bottom Line
The Davis Instruments Weather Box is spectacular for any weather enthusiast. It’s build and mechanics are built with complete quality and integrity, and all of your instrumentation will last for a long, long time. The Weather Box is also super reliable, spitting out data and information in a timely and accurate manner, both on your PC and your mobile device. The wireless features make for easy installation, and little downtime when in use.
Where to buy
The list price for Weather Box is $695, but it is being offered for $595 during the holiday season. It includes the Vantage Vue® wireless weather sensor suite, wireless receiver and datalogger, WeatherLink desktop software and free access to the WeatherLink.com network and our mobile app. Weather Box is available internationally via authorized Davis resellers or directly through the Davis website.
