The system keeps track of indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, wind direction and velocity, solar intensity and rainfall. All of these variables are displayed on a very elegant touchscreen panel that can be wall mounted or set on a table. The display also shows the time and date and has a graphing feature that lets you view the history (last 24 hours or last 8 days) of any of the variables at the touch of a finger.

Wow ... I never thought being a weatherman would be so much fun. The latest addition to the HomeToys Home Demonstration Project is La Crosse's latest touchscreen weather station (Model WS-2510). The weather station is a stand alone system that comes with all the sensors that you need to give you up to the minute data (inside and out). It also has a weather predictor that is uncanny. In fact it made me mad the first time I set it up. 

I received the system 2 days before a planned gathering of about 30 people at the Home Demo. I decided that I'd at least like to have something set up to showcase so out came the instructions for a quick install. I must admit ... I was impressed with the simplicity of setup. Once I plugged in the touchscreen panel and set it on the table all I had to do was insert a small magnet into each of the sensors in turn to activate it. As soon as the panel recognized a wireless input from the sensor ... (just a minute or so) I could move on to the next until all 4 supplied sensors were recognized and starting to read out on the display. That was it as far as electronics is concerned. Now all I needed to do was go and locate the sensors where they would gather the appropriate data. In my case I just ran around and placed them wherever I could ... intending to return later and do a permanent installation. Each of the sensors is powered by a small battery that is kept charged by a photovoltaic solar cell. What a great solution ... wireless in every respect.

The system keeps track of indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, wind direction and velocity, solar intensity and rainfall. All of these variables are displayed on a very elegant touchscreen panel that can be wall mounted or set on a table. The display also shows the time and date and has a graphing feature that lets you view the history (last 24 hours or last 8 days) of any of the variables at the touch of a finger. Also, most of the display fields ... if touched ... show other variations of that variable. For example ... touch a temperature readout once and it displays the dewpoint ... touch again and it gives the temperature accounting for wind chill. 

In the center of the display is a graphic depiction of the weather forecast. 4 possibilities ... sun, sun and cloud, cloudy and rain. Here's where I got mad at the system. A few hours after I'd set it up ... the rain graphic was displayed. I looked outside and it was a brilliantly sunny July day. I tuned in the radio weather forecast and they said we could get showers in a few days ... but the day of our gathering was to be sunny and warm. Whew!

The rain forecast stubbornly remained on the display and sure enough ... just as our guests began to arrive ... the sky opened and the rain came pouring down. Could the weather station have caused this just to prove a point :-(  I'll never question it again ... I promise.

Needless to say ... the weather station was the talk of the day ... and everyone there was totally impressed with the look and feel of the product. Fortunately ... it changed to a sunny with clouds display later in the day and we all enjoyed a pleasant west coast afternoon.

La Crosse's MSRP is $699 for this model but of course they have a wide range of weather products for all interests and budgets.

Features:

• Includes display, (4) sensors and mounting hardware
• Indoor temperature, humidity, and pressure (internal sensor)
• Wireless outdoor
• Eight possible wireless temperature and humidity transmitters (indoor and outdoor)
• LCD back light
• Touch-Screen panel for data access
• Minimum/maximum data for all readings with time and date recorded
• History for all data can be viewed on chart (from 24 hours to eight days)
• Air pressure display with 24 hour bar chart history
• Weather forecast icon and pressure trend indicator
• Wireless rain gauge (solar powered) tracking rainfall amount for last hour, last 24 hours and total amount
• Wireless wind-gauge (solar powered) tracking speed and direction
• US/metric option for all data
• Lux sensor for light measurement
• Current outdoor brightness from 0 to 200,000 Lux
• Simultaneous display of all weather information
• Manual set time and date
• Solar-powered outdoor sensors with rechargeable Lithium battery backup (included)
• Includes (1) WS2010-15 wind-gauge, (1) WS2010-16 rainfall sensor, (1) WS2010-20 indoor temp & humidity sensor, (1) WS2010-25 outdoor temp & humidity
• Free standing or wall hanging display

www.lacrossetechnology.com