I hate being hot. If you’ve been to my house you already know this, as it is about 68 degrees here year-round. I get really grumpy any time the temperature is over 80 degrees, especially when circulation is low. Between that and my motorcycle riding I’ve developed a keen interest in the weather. I have three weather/radar sites bookmarked and thermometers all over the house. I kept a thermometer and humidity gauge in my office for awhile, but that didn’t tell me how warm it was in that mystical place called “Outside™.” I had been on the lookout for an Oregon Scientific clock and thermometer, and I snapped one up at tanga.com for $25 shipped.

This particular Oregon Scientific “weather station” has an atomic clock that automatically updates wirelessly from a time server. I am guessing it uses NIST’s server but I’m not sure. Anyway, the weather station immediately locked in the correct time after I inserted the included batteries. I set the date and my time zone via the controls on the front. It was quite easy. I put the batteries in the wireless remote unit and placed it outside. After about a minute the weather station reported both the internal temperature and the outside temperature. I have the base station in my office. Because we have five computers and three monitors going in the office, the inside temperature is 71.4°F. It’s 85.3°F outside, up five degrees since I’ve started writing this entry.

The weather station can support up to three wireless remotes, but I am unsure of the maximum range on the units. My remote is outside and probably twenty feet away. I have not had any reception issues due to rain or overcast clouds, things that would often affect my 802.11b wireless network and/or my cable television and Internet (before I got FIOS).

I wish this weather station would report the humidity. Especially living in this part of Virginia, the difference between 30% humidity and 70% humidity will determine if I ride my motorcycle somewhere or take the Montero. Last year I rode downtown to see Lady Jaye at work; the ambient temperature was in the low 100s but the heat index was over 120°F. I would gladly trade date and region information (do I need to be reminded I am on the east coast?) for a humidity readout.

All in all, for $25 shipped I am very pleased with the Oregon Scientific atomic clock and weather station. Oregon Scientific no longer seems to sell my model, offering a replacement for $100. The newer version seems to come with two wireless monitors, but at that price I would not have purchased the unit. You can still find my model on eBay for equivalent pricing.

Oregon Scientific atomic clock and weather station, I award you four out of five STFU mugs!