[TowerTalk] WX Sensor Placement

[Gedas]

This made me wonder about sensor placement. I have had a number of 
different wx stations and the instructions most provide for the 
placement of the outdoor temperature sensor is to simply mount it on the 
north side of the house just under the eaves. This kind of makes sense 
as it will be away from direct sunlight but what about the heat from the 
house?

How many do this and does it work for you? Do your temperature readings 
match those or come very close to an "official" local temp like at an 
airport.

Has anyone else noticed just how critical the placement of this sensor 
really is? I have 2-3 outside sensors in different locations and they 
all read differently, sometimes as much as a 4F delta. I made sure they 
were all calibrated inside the house to read the same then installed 
them outside. Once the sun goes down my readings stabilize and my 
readings are within a degree of the "official" airport temperatures. 
During the day, esp summer time the readings can be all over the place.

I know enough to keep them out of the sun, away from objects that can 
absorb & retain heat, off the ground at least 10' or so, not above 
concrete, etc......and yet I see big differences. So my question is 
where and how do people mount their temperature sensors?

Also does anyone know where and how the "official" temperature sensors 
used by the NWS are mounted in places like airports?

Gedas, W8BYA

Gallery at http://w8bya.com
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On 3/3/2019 1:19 PM, Michael Forinash wrote:
> I bought a Davis Weather Station for my wife, who is a Weatherbird, seven years ago. As I recall, it was a six hundred dollar unit. In the past seven years, the only maintenance I have performed on it is remove a seed (from my neighbor’s tree) that blocks the flow of moisture through its self-emptying range gauge. It has a solar panel that recharges the unit’s rechargeable batteries. I have yet to change them.
>
> The unit is attached to a twelve-foot pole.
>
> The installation instructions are a little vague on various points, but that’s the only criticism I can make of this package. Not a cheap station, but one my wife has been happy with, as the base unit sits on a end table by her chair in our living room. She checks the base station five or six times a day when she’s not monitoring the Weather Channel or the ND DOT online.
>
> 73,
> Mike
> KB0RIA
>