La Crosse Technology WS-9520U Wireless Projection Forecast Station with Oscar Outlook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the LaCrosse WS-9520U last week. As usual, the transaction and shipping with Amazon was excellent. I very rarely return online purchases, but this one is going back. In general, the unit is as advertised - and others may find it completely satisfactory - but, after two nights of use, I have found the following specific things to be unacceptable:
1. The backlight cannot be set to remain on continuously - it only lights when a button is pushed - regardless of whether you're powering with AC or batteries. I think alarm clocks are always more convenient when you can see them at, well, uh, night. Yes, the on-ceiling projection shows the time, but nothing else. This is less than convenient.
2. General build quality is iffy at best - the buttons are clunky, loud and awkwardly placed. The entire unit seems flimsy - like it's just barely holding itself together. It's extremely light and does not have a very steady base, which will make it prone to being knocked over (like when reaching for the snooze button - which you can't see because it's not illuminated and there's no backlight) and I'm not sure this thing would survive being knocked over. Sorry to say, but for $70, this just seems very cheaply built from the mechanical side of things.
3. I guess this is obvious in hindsight, but the actual time display is tiny, maybe an inch tall. Granted, you have the projector, which works as advertised (only when it's dark in the room - projection is photo-sensitively switched on/off - no other option), but seeing the clock from across the room during daylight (when the projector is not on) is not really possible unless you've got astronaut eyes.
4. There are no alarm options and the only existing tone is - IMHO - obnoxious and too loud - a sort of high-pitched staccato double-chirp. I realize this is a personal issue, but a few buzzer options would have been nice.
5. There is absolutely no way that the battery cover on the outdoor sensor will keep the elements out of the sensor. Maybe this isn't an issue if you have a protected outdoor place to locate the sensor - but if there's any moisture at all, this thing won't last one winter here in Michigan.
In summary:
Electronics: Acceptable and as advertised, tho the few things I mentioned could be better
Mechanical: unacceptably cheap, shoddy assembly fit & finish for this price point.


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From The Weather Channel by La Crosse Technology, this versatile projection weather station shines the outdoor temperature and time in large, red digits on the ceiling or wall for easy nighttime illumination. The radio-controlled clock regularly resets to match the US Atomic Clock and adapts for daylight savings time. Based on temperature and barometric pressure, the weather station gives the forecast using 24 graphic icons and tendency arrows. The weather station even provides a personal weather boy, Oscar, who models what one might wear given current outside conditions.
The weather station's LCD screen displays the time, date, perpetual calendar, US time zone map, and weather conditions. Pushing a button temporarily engages the EL backlight for dimmer settings. To wake sleeping users, the weather station offers a dual alarm with an adjustable snooze. The station monitors indoor humidity levels and indoor temperatures from 14.2 to 139.8 degrees F. Celsius readings are also available. For outdoor conditions, an included TX7U sensor communicates at a 433 MHz frequency from up to 330 feet. The sensor registers humidity levels and temperatures ranging from –21.8 to +157.8 degrees F. The unit also records minimum and maximum readings for indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity percentages. For the most accurate results, install the sensor in a covered location away from direct rain or sun. The base accommodates up to three sensors. Place the freestanding base at least six feet from intended projection surface. To enable constant projection, the weather station comes with a 120-volt AC adapter. The separate purchase of five AA batteries is required. Covered by a limited one-year warranty, the weather station monitor measures 6-2/3 inches wide by 2-9/10 inches deep by 4-1/2 inches high, and the sensor measures 1-3/4 inches wide by 1 inch deep by 6-1/4 inches high.

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La Crosse Technology Weather Channel WS-1611TWC-IT Professional Weather Center Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
Price less than $100.
Fewer batteries, 5 - AA's
Battery only, no wall wart required
Long Battery Life, ~2 Years
Detailed, illustrated manual
Altitude adjustment for the barometer
Impressive wireless range
* Rain gauge more useful than expected
Cons:
Mixed reviews
No radio receiver for WWV's Atomic Clock
Temp sensor not weather proof
No inside temp reading
No PC Connection
*Painful Max/Min reset procedure
Looking at the product picture, one sees The Weather Channel logo, yet if you go to their store, nothing approaching this product exists. My conclusion is that after six-months at the TWC, they wanted no part of the headaches and shipped their inventory back to Lacrosse for sale on Amazon. So this price disappears with that inventory.
* I no longer believe the above, I've seen this exact model for sale at Wal-Mart.
In researching the triple sensor (temp, wind, rain) market I was primarily interested in temp and wind. Since its always windy in the winter, now I'll know how windy. It rains so seldom that why bother measuring, besides it won't measure snow, and humidity is always so low it's at the fringe of dry sensor measurement. I'm not a weather hobbiest, so PC connection was unimportant, besides being impractical in my solar-electric home. I'll just do the same as the last 10-years, write down the daily min and max in the monthly wall calendar, how crude, pen and paper.
I considered Oregon Scientific, better reviews, more features, but much more expensive and it needed 10 batteries and a wall wart. Also Zephyr and Davis, the first had no reviews or downloadable manual and the latter was out of my price range. I read many positive and negative reviews for the 1611/1612 and I downloaded several manuals. In the end, I decided on the "devil I knew", my $20 La Cross wireless thermometer, 9013, had been reliable for many years. I'll keep it around for its atomic clock.
Like all La Crosse weather instruments, the top line of the display is the time and date, on a weather station? Then the date field is so tight, mine now reads 11209, unlike the time field there are no spaces or delimiters. The single most important reading, the outdoor temp, is buried in the fourth group, duh. Since you can get an atomic clock on $15 units, one has to wonder why its not included on the 1611? Having all that in mind, I was price driven, so the 1611 is it.
A clever feature of the 1611 is one pair of AA's inside the temp sensor powers it and both the rain and wind sensors, all wired together. Now it gets strange, if all these sensors are outside and wirelessly connected to the base station, why is the temp sensor not weather proof? It has to be protected from rain and sun, Duh? So I made a "bird house" to protect the "outdoor" sensor from the weather.
I have the sensors roughly 200-feet from the base, the signal has to pass through a 12" solid wood wall and the base is sitting on a table with a wireless b/g router and a wireless mouse, no problems. I'm impressed.
I've attached two photos, may help to visualize setup. *Added three more pics.
Edit (*)July 10, 2009
After the wind blew over my original mast and smashed the wind sensor into too many pieces to count, I bought a second used unit. I guyed the mast with four steel cables, see pic. I now have two working base stations and a few spare parts.
I have two more complaints about the user interface:
1) Resetting the max/min readings. Press Max/Min to scroll through all the possible values > press Set, then press + for every value you wish to reset. Theirs no master reset.
2) The Beaufort wind speed scale is meaningless unless you live on the ocean and own a boat. I'd much prefer the MPH value be inside the wind rose.
Edit: 2-Year Update, Feb 2011
Reliability and battery life (a least one year) have been excellent, even worked at -26F. The new battery install is no problem, I simply carry both base units outside, remove all batteries, insert the sender then the base batteries . . . done! All my previous comments about the display organization and resetting max/min values is still true, much room for improvement. Overall very satisfied features vs. price.

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Keep abreast of weather shifts just outside the front door with this professional weather center from The Weather Channel by La Crosse Technology. Complete with wind and rain measurements, the weather center allows users to assess up-to-date outdoor conditions to plan appropriately. The weather center also records up to 200 sets of weather data, minimum and maximum temperatures and humidity, and barometric pressure over a 12-hour period.
The sleek weather center base mounts on a wall or stands alone. On its LCD screen, equipped with eight levels of contrast and a push-button LED backlight for nighttime illumination, the base displays the weather and time information. Users manually set the date and time, and can also engage the buzz alarm for morning wake-up. To assess outdoor conditions, a thermo-hygro sensor communicates with the base at a 915 MHz frequency from up to 330 feet. This sensor measures temperatures from –39.8 to +139 degrees F, and humidity levels from 1 to 99 percent. Based on the sensor's barometric pressure readings, the base unit presents a 12-hour historical bar graph and an air pressure tendency arrow. A graphic icon depicts the forecast. In the event of storms, the weather center features a storm warning alert, and the user can create additional custom alarms. Connected by cables to the thermo-hygro sensor, a rain sensor records rainfall measurements and a wind sensor analyzes wind chill, speed, and direction. A mounting case comes with the thermo-hygro sensor. To ensure proper function, install the thermo-hygro sensor in a protected location out of direct sun or rain. The weather center requires the separate purchase of five AA batteries. Covered by a limited one-year warranty, the weather center base measures 4-3/4 inches wide by 1-1/5 inches deep by 6-9/10 inches tall.

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