Review: Climate Patrol

Sure, you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.But a personal weather station can tell you much more. These models track wind, rain, temperature, humidity, air pressure, and more — and pipe all that data right to your desktop.

Climate Patrol

Learn How We Rate ##### Wired

Uploads data to Internet right out of the box.Solar-powered sensors and transmitter.

• 1/10A complete failure in every way
• 2/10Sad, really
• 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
• 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
• 5/10Recommended with reservations
• 6/10Solid with some issues
• 7/10Very good, but not quite great
• 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
• 9/10Nearly flawless
• 10/10Metaphysical perfection

1. Honeywell TE923W
This superb station has the most sensors, friendliest software, and comeliest countenance of the bunch, and it presents the data in a format that helps you make sense of it all. Rather than just giving a UV index,for example, a smiley face shows when it's safe to head out sans sunscreen. Simply put, it's as chummy and delectable as Willard Scott dipped in butter.

2. Davis Vantage Pro2 With WeatherLinkIP
A true farmer's friend, the Vantage Pro2 was the best in our test at actually measuring and predicting the weather. It was exceptionally sensitive to fluctuations in wind and precipitation, picking up on as little as 0.01 inch of rainfall. With its bevy of buttons, the console lets you create dynamic custom graphs and more than 30 different alarms,as well as drill ever deeper into meteorological porn. But there are draw backs: While installation is straightforward, neither console nor software is particularly simple to operate.

3. Oregon Scientific WMR200A
The Sarah Palin of weather stations: It makes a great first impression but proves flaky on further acquaintance. Oh sure, the 14 data points on the well-dressed console make for easy forecasting, but it claimed to be monitoring a multiday rainstorm during a low-pressure heat wave and displayed a sunny icon on an overcast day. And the included Weather Display program is crippleware; you have to shell out an additional $70for the full version if you want to upload your data to sites like Weather Underground.

WIRED Sensor installation is a breeze. Solar cells extend the life of the batteries. Touch screen easier to operate than a can of beer.

__TIRED__Doesn't care about or adjust for latitude and longitude. Sensors have the communication skills of a sullen teenager.

$400, oregonscientific.com

4. La Crosse Technology WS-2316
The WS-2316 totally rained on our picnic. The viewing angle on the display is frustratingly narrow, and basic metrics like windchill and temperature are buried in different menus. Getting the included serial-to-USB adapter to work properly required reconfiguring ports on our computer. (Shame on you, La Crosse — USB has been the de facto standard for more than a decade.) All told, this station sucks like a tornado in a trailer park.

WIRED Easy outdoor setup. Highly sensitive rain gauge. Batteries included.

TIRED No UV sensor available. Displays only nine data points at once, two of which are time and date. Horrible software offers no Internet functionality. Flimsy wind sensor is about as accurate as The Onion.

$280, lacrossetechnology.com