So you have decided on your requirements for your personal weather station and if you have decided to log the data for future reference or to upload it to the internet then you will need to have something to store all the data. You have several options available:-
Use the storage in the console. This will usually give you a month's worth of records.
Store the data on your own PC just for your own use.
Create your own web site and host it on your own computer or with a web hosting company.
With some exceptions all but the first scenario will require you to have a computer of some description. A lot of people press an old Windows laptop into service for data logging. If you have one or can get one cheaply then this can be an inexpensive method of logging your readings. I say Windows because most of the software you can use will run on Windows 7 onwards although Mac users aren't forgotten.
Another alternative is with the recent introduction of tiny mini PCs. In order to save on electric usage i purchased one from Geekom as it only has a power consumption of 30W. It was supplied with Windows 11 pro, I've added a second ssd drive and 8Gb ram because I also run Blue Iris CCTV with 5 cameras recording on it and it very seldom has a cpu usage greater than 35% so it is suprisingly powerful for such a small pc.
If you are up for a challenge then the Raspberry Pi, which I used to use, can make a very good data logger. Be warned though it is not an easy task setting up a Pi or similar tiny computer unles you are into Linux and driving everything from the command line. That said, they are a very low cost and cheap to run data logger.There are other little computers running Linux such as the Banana, Orange and Beagle boards.
If you are a glutton for punishment then a number of routers can be reprogrammed to act as little data loggers and there are small weather station loggers such as the Meteo Hub. If you are sufficiently nerdy then I'm sure you can Google how to use them.
My latest weather station does not have a console but a small receiver and internet connector. It is easy to program it from a web browser on your home network and have it upload your weather readings to Wunderground. Being the person I am, I actually intercept the connection to log the data initially into my mini pc then that uploads it to X (formally Twitter), WOW and this site here at magull.org.uk thus enabling me to do a lot of data manipulation before publishing it on to the web.
The Software
Chosing the correct software to meet your needs is very important. Although it is possible down the road to change the software you are using it may mean that you lose all the historical records you have generated over the years.This is especially true if you change the hardware and its operating system. Most companies allow you to try before you buy if it is a commercial system. Open source software on the otherhand allows some free experimentation.
This weather website uses Weather Display software running on a Windows 11 pc. This software, although now rather long in the tooth, is very comprehensive in its facilities. It supports a huge range of weather stations from the very inexpensive hobbiest models through to professional systems. Brian, who is the author of the software, is responsive to requests for enhancements or additional new equipment.
The data on this site is for information only as accuracy cannot be guaranteed. It is not to be used where life or limb may be compromised.
Weather Warnings
Note: This page on this website uses cookies to make it work. See our policy for details. (This will only appear once. Clear your browser cookies and settings to make it appear again.)