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Ambient Weather WS-2000/ fineoffset HP2550


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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK

OK, I am delighted to say that I now have my Ecowitt HP2550A weather station unboxed and temporarily setup.

Hopefully I will have time tomorrow to treat the sensor array with PTFE and install the bird spikes and place into its permanent home.

So far the display and sensors have impressed mightily.

I have attached a picture. Everything was as they (Ecowitt) promised and even came with a UK PSU for the display. Everything had been pre-tested and configured for me so it was a doddle getting going.

See attached pic. Interestingly it also shows the PM2.5 air quality sensor data and also the soil moisture sensor.

The Gw-1000 gateway picked up all the sensors and is uploading them to ecowitt.net. 

skBhwBLORU3UMKGwZO5nRd10Yk9eCtLXCRMUWJa3uAlnsUZ1PvO33FHGpcjIAyjAv_hIzvnf2sEk2wsTlKNpTYa8X_dArmLxNs4xPyz2yIFwTciSHYQvvuPmmcG27ZaBxLVjvI3Z6xubz141Pk3v0J5Jf6SAVnxQ_aGk6ufxgaHIZorgrlh2nKSLi87KjxlEOxQ0xOzIJpW6GzRuEONE.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK

So I have had my new Ecowitt station (HP2550/2551) in place now for approximately a week and I have been delighted. You can see my weather data on WU as IGUILDFO67

I thought I would share some pictures and a small review as I have been well pleased and thought somebody may well else benefit from my purchases

The system arrived extremely well packaged and in my case was shipped by FedEx fairly swiftly from Hong Kong (2 days)

205933978_WeatherStationPacked.thumb.jpeg.07022406e87d2c86db54aa5dbc60cdb9.jpeg Here you can see the items just as I opened the box

1420455275_WeatherStationUnpacking.thumb.jpg.ce81b4a49f7780b2f3972997df843fb1.jpgThe various components as I started to put the station together.

I had some optional components; 5 extra Hygro/Thermo sensors, a Soil Sensor and a PM2.5 Air quality sensor and a IP Logger (Gw-1000). You can have up to 8 additional thermo/Hygro sensors and these can be named on your console for ease of identification. You ask what use are these? Well I have some dotted around the house, one in the garage and one in the Freezer so I can tell when my son has left it open!

The most interesting additional Ecowitt sensor is the PM2.5 Air Quality sensor. This device is solar powered with rechargeable batteries as backup. The sensor should last 10-20 days and then can be topped up via a Micro USB socket which will probably be required quite a lot in the UK winter climate! There is an optional battery powered additional display you can have elsewhere in the home/office etc which shows Air Quality live and 1 hour/24 hour views. It also indicates the battery state of the remote PM2.5 sensor. So far after 7 days the indicated battery still shows good in March daylight conditions. As a bonus the small PM2.5 display also has an internal temperature and humidity sensor and displays that as shown in the photo.

298269768_EcowittPM2.5MonitorandSensor.thumb.jpg.8a8ed6388851e71d18704f7988c03573.jpg1057578254_EcowittPM2.5sensorandmonitor.thumb.jpg.c5d5ac6e4a3fafa6352989ef145a820f.jpg1279174520_Ecowittpm2.5Monitor.thumb.jpg.b2eb48afd3391f7bcf8d82a3eb64a033.jpg 

The Soil Moisture sensor is also a new additional sensor and measures the % soil moisture through conductivity. I understand that you can have up to 16 soil sensors. These are battery powered by a single AA battery cell. The device is fairly large as seen by the photo in my hand and I currently have this on test in a hanging basket left over from last summer which still has petunias proving that winter was a non event in the South! There is a mini monitor that can be purchased as an additional display for this as well but I did not have one of those so cannot share a photo though you can see it on the Ecowitt site. In my case I observe the data directly on my HP2551 console or on the Ecowitt.net website via the GW-1000

973381435_EcowittSoilSensor.thumb.jpg.fbe962600a6750aba225d37e92e6577e.jpg2027062373_SoilSensor2.thumb.jpg.8a784762c9cf97b086d2d61dbfc26484.jpg

The final extra I am playing with is the GW-1000 IP Logger. This matchbox sized device is powered via a USB socket so can be plugged into the side of a PC or a spare phone charger. This is how I am powering the device with a USB extension lead. For note the battery in the picture was purely there as a scale reference. The GW-1000 in itself contains a temperature/Humidity sensor and barometer which you can see on the wired extension. The clever little beast see's all the sensor sources such as the station sensor array, 5 x internal thermo/hygro sensors, PM2.5, soil sensor etc and uploads the data to the usual sources (WU etc) as you require (some sites only accept certain data). In addition it allows upload of the full sensor set to Ecowitt.net. This is great and allows full graphing and viewing of all your uploaded data over time which means that you can have a independent external copy of your data. The device itself has no obvious storage and you have the capability to view the data from your sensors live via WS-View app on Android should you not want to upload to the Internet or in addition. 

GW-1000.thumb.jpg.c56b8b0f7024bd74fa5efd07787e9e20.jpg 

Ecowitt_net.thumb.JPG.a46f940b8e88209bf37ef0c712b3b03d.JPG

Going back to the HP2550/2551 display which you can see in the previous post above, I have to say is great. It is super clear and displays everything  in a logical manor. There is a capability to back received data up to a MicroSD card that you can pop in its side. You can even make the display show graphs of various data source if you want though I prefer to use Ecowitt.net and the data from the Gw-1000 for that! As previously mentioned the HP2550/1 display also shows the Soil Moisture data and the PM2.5 sensor summary.

Finally a pic of the array in position

597135351_EcowittArray.thumb.jpg.b0fd93f9a45e6db2c28c4a322495b7cd.jpg

I hope this summary has been of use to folks who might be looking for a new weather station in the UK.

Take a look at http:\\www.ecowitt.com

Be warned though the prices quoted are bit all over the place as sometimes they are Canadian dollars or Aussie and of course US$ and if you are genuinely interested then drop Ecowitt an e-mail at support@ecowitt.com and they will quote you a shipped price which is what I did. You may get a import bill a week or so later which caught me out but it was only £18 and most of this was admin by FedEx. I absolutely do not regret this purchase given the lack of choice now that Maplin is gone. The bonus of dealing with Ecowitt is that they are connected with Fine Offset the manufacturers and so have all the latest kit and tech support etc.

20190312_170040.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire

This has been an interesting read. I too found Ecowitt whilst shopping around for a new station, I've had a Oregon Scientific WMR200 for many years now, but alas, the cold spell in February appeared to have killed it (weird 2018 cold spell didn't!).

The HP3501 station has attracted my attention, as I like the addition of separated sensors for optimal mounting locations and heights ect. (akin to the Vantage Pro 2).

image.thumb.png.e7cf6e69deaad1f4de7be0dcd3560ef6.png

Am intrigued to see that the other Ecotwitt station that @Mandrake has used is working well. May give Lucy lady a email today to see what the options are for myself in regards to the station I'm after.

Does anyone already have this station either in the UK or Europe?

Edited by Dean E
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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
2 hours ago, Dean E said:

This has been an interesting read. I too found Ecowitt whilst shopping around for a new station, I've had a Oregon Scientific WMR200 for many years now, but alas, the cold spell in February appeared to have killed it (weird 2018 cold spell didn't!).

The HP3501 station has attracted my attention, as I like the addition of separated sensors for optimal mounting locations and heights ect. (akin to the Vantage Pro 2).

image.thumb.png.e7cf6e69deaad1f4de7be0dcd3560ef6.png

Am intrigued to see that the other Ecotwitt station that @Mandrake has used is working well. May give Lucy lady a email today to see what the options are for myself in regards to the station I'm after.

Does anyone already have this station either in the UK or Europe?

Not aware of anyone in UK/Europe having the HP3501 yet as its a new variant. The individual sensors were only released in the last few months and paired together with the display console.

I am not sure if you are aware but Ecowitt works hand in glove with Fine Offset so these are the latest and greatest and they do provide great support. I am sure you will find Lucy responds quite quickly.

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  • 1 month later...
Posted
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
On 22/03/2019 at 15:51, Dean E said:

This has been an interesting read. I too found Ecowitt whilst shopping around for a new station, I've had a Oregon Scientific WMR200 for many years now, but alas, the cold spell in February appeared to have killed it (weird 2018 cold spell didn't!).

The HP3501 station has attracted my attention, as I like the addition of separated sensors for optimal mounting locations and heights ect. (akin to the Vantage Pro 2).

image.thumb.png.e7cf6e69deaad1f4de7be0dcd3560ef6.png

Am intrigued to see that the other Ecotwitt station that @Mandrake has used is working well. May give Lucy lady a email today to see what the options are for myself in regards to the station I'm after.

Does anyone already have this station either in the UK or Europe?

Update: I went ahead and ordered this station from Ecowitt direct, spoke to Lucy who guided me through the purchase. I ordered Monday 15th April and the station arrived today (23rd) after being dispatched from Hong Kong on Sunday. Very speedy delivery indeed! I ordered the upgraded screen from another station, which are all compatible with the station.

The station came very well packaged and arrived in one piece! 

IMG_20190423_154202.thumb.jpg.b6884e19145be1929bf54159b38460eb.jpg

Awaiting a longer pole for permanent location which needs to be ordered for the anemometer, but currently have it set up in a temporary location for testing. 

Incredibly pleased with the service from Ecowitt and Lucy! Anyone with reservations about ordering, be assured all is perfect!

Will keep updating my testing and final thoughts over the coming months, I have no doubt! 

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
20 hours ago, Dean E said:

Update: I went ahead and ordered this station from Ecowitt direct, spoke to Lucy who guided me through the purchase. I ordered Monday 15th April and the station arrived today (23rd) after being dispatched from Hong Kong on Sunday. Very speedy delivery indeed! I ordered the upgraded screen from another station, which are all compatible with the station.

The station came very well packaged and arrived in one piece! 

IMG_20190423_154202.thumb.jpg.b6884e19145be1929bf54159b38460eb.jpg

Awaiting a longer pole for permanent location which needs to be ordered for the anemometer, but currently have it set up in a temporary location for testing. 

Incredibly pleased with the service from Ecowitt and Lucy! Anyone with reservations about ordering, be assured all is perfect!

Will keep updating my testing and final thoughts over the coming months, I have no doubt! 

Looking good.

Please post about your experience of the individual sensors and your console. I am curious as to which console you got with the sensors! Was it the HP2551/WS2000 style console rather than the HP3500 console as if that works with the individual sensors then this will the first example seen in that configuration. I believe Lucy mentioned to me that it was possible but I went for the all in one array for ease of use. Top tip, though is to get hold of a GW-1000 as that gets you access to the ecowitt.net data repository. Its only $35 and is great giving you an independent way to upload without using the console. The HP2551 console will eventually get the ecowitt.net upload sometime soon though so it might be worth waiting for the eventual firmware update.

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Posted
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
19 hours ago, Mandrake said:

Looking good.

Please post about your experience of the individual sensors and your console. I am curious as to which console you got with the sensors! Was it the HP2551/WS2000 style console rather than the HP3500 console as if that works with the individual sensors then this will the first example seen in that configuration. I believe Lucy mentioned to me that it was possible but I went for the all in one array for ease of use. Top tip, though is to get hold of a GW-1000 as that gets you access to the ecowitt.net data repository. Its only $35 and is great giving you an independent way to upload without using the console. The HP2551 console will eventually get the ecowitt.net upload sometime soon though so it might be worth waiting for the eventual firmware update.

The individual sensors are perfect for my setup as I wanted all the different measurements as close to recommended heights as possible. The anemometer comes with a solar power and 1x AA battery backup for nighttime/dark winter months, but also includes a solar radiation and UV sensor. The arm is made from metal and the the direction and wind cups are made from what appears to be very durable plastics. They are attatched via a metal plate at the bottom with u-bolts used for a secure connection to a metal pole (greater than 1 inch in diameter).

The rain gauge is powered by a single AA battery and should last. The whole array is made from plastic and is very well built. The black rainfall collector removes easy to show the internal rainfall bucket type system to collect rainfall measurements. Again the unit can be attached to a metal pole (one small one is included for this) via u-bolts or can be screwed directly to a suitable surface.

Now the console I chose to use was the HP2551-C version (high resolution and just looks more sleek). Lucy spoke to me and said this was compatible with this station. It is also compatible with other sensors I believe, but if you require that info, best to ask her via email for confirmation.

I plan to keep the station as purchased for now, especially as I test this over the coming months once moved into the stations permanent location (awaiting a tall pole to mount the anemometer at a better height!). However, after summer I plan to purchase the air quality and soil temperature monitors to further add to this wonderful station!

 

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
36 minutes ago, Dean E said:

The individual sensors are perfect for my setup as I wanted all the different measurements as close to recommended heights as possible. The anemometer comes with a solar power and 1x AA battery backup for nighttime/dark winter months, but also includes a solar radiation and UV sensor. The arm is made from metal and the the direction and wind cups are made from what appears to be very durable plastics. They are attatched via a metal plate at the bottom with u-bolts used for a secure connection to a metal pole (greater than 1 inch in diameter).

The rain gauge is powered by a single AA battery and should last. The whole array is made from plastic and is very well built. The black rainfall collector removes easy to show the internal rainfall bucket type system to collect rainfall measurements. Again the unit can be attached to a metal pole (one small one is included for this) via u-bolts or can be screwed directly to a suitable surface.

Now the console I chose to use was the HP2551-C version (high resolution and just looks more sleek). Lucy spoke to me and said this was compatible with this station. It is also compatible with other sensors I believe, but if you require that info, best to ask her via email for confirmation.

I plan to keep the station as purchased for now, especially as I test this over the coming months once moved into the stations permanent location (awaiting a tall pole to mount the anemometer at a better height!). However, after summer I plan to purchase the air quality and soil temperature monitors to further add to this wonderful station!

 

That's excellent news. What does the sticker on the back of the console say (HP2550A)? Just curious, as the product naming can be ambiguous.

I have the HP2550A display console and that seems to connect to just about everything but would be good to know positively that it works with the individual sensor suite. I think the current crop of weather stations from Fine Offset/Ecowitt are a genuine leap forward from where consumer level stations have been for a long time.

If you can post some photo's of the setup that would be nice for folks to see.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset

Well, I decided I needed a new project, so I went ahead and emailed Lucy and put in an order for a bunch of stuff. You can never have too many weather stations!

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
15 hours ago, Mapantz said:

Well, I decided I needed a new project, so I went ahead and emailed Lucy and put in an order for a bunch of stuff. You can never have too many weather stations!

Excellent news..need more UK representatives on the Ecowitt Map!

Sorry that you had difficulty getting in touch with Lucy...but all good now!

Ecowitt really do seem to be motoring along with new kit and projects. As much as I would love Davis they seem to be stuck in the last decade compared to the evolution that Fine Offsett/Ecowitt are bringing to market.

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Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset
5 minutes ago, Mandrake said:

Excellent news..need more UK representatives on the Ecowitt Map!

Sorry that you had difficulty getting in touch with Lucy...but all good now!

Ecowitt really do seem to be motoring along with new kit and projects. As much as I would love Davis they seem to be stuck in the last decade compared to the evolution that Fine Offsett/Ecowitt are bringing to market.

I like the layout data & map on the ecowitt site. It's flawless on a mobile device too.

Any idea what the 'camera' page is for? Is it to show an existing webcam or will they be developing one that can be purchased?

It'll be interesting how they manage to show the lightning (once the sensor is released) on the consoles, as there's already a lot being shown.

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
1 hour ago, Mapantz said:

I like the layout data & map on the ecowitt site. It's flawless on a mobile device too.

Any idea what the 'camera' page is for? Is it to show an existing webcam or will they be developing one that can be purchased?

It'll be interesting how they manage to show the lightning (once the sensor is released) on the consoles, as there's already a lot being shown.

All I know from Lucy is that a weather cam is in  'Development' so we will see!

I have also suggested a soil temperature sensor as well as I could see that being useful for gardeners/farmers. Lucy seemed to like the idea.

As you say the HP2551 does pack a lot in already so imagine they will have to re-organise although for the console it might be as simple as showing a lightening symbol if detected. I am not too familiar with other lightning sensors so I am not sure what other data would or could be determined and displayed..

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Posted
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
On 10/05/2019 at 20:51, Mapantz said:

Well, I decided I needed a new project, so I went ahead and emailed Lucy and put in an order for a bunch of stuff. You can never have too many weather stations!

Always glad to hear this! Nice to also see a fellow south coast member! 

Let us know your thoughts/review etc.

On 25/04/2019 at 15:33, Mandrake said:

That's excellent news. What does the sticker on the back of the console say (HP2550A)? Just curious, as the product naming can be ambiguous.

I have the HP2550A display console and that seems to connect to just about everything but would be good to know positively that it works with the individual sensor suite. I think the current crop of weather stations from Fine Offset/Ecowitt are a genuine leap forward from where consumer level stations have been for a long time.

If you can post some photo's of the setup that would be nice for folks to see.

Full breakdown and photos to follow from me. Have completed testing and seeing how the station performs. Awaiting a very tall pole to properly mount the anemometer!

Model number of the screen is HP2552AE

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Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset

This is what I purchased:

  • WS68 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- Wireless Solar Powered Anemometer with Light & UV Sensor
  • WH40 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- Rain Gauge Sensor
  • GW1000 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- USB Gateway with Indoor Temperature, Humidity and Barometric Sensor
  • WH32 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- Outdoor Temperature and Humidity Sensor
  • WH41 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- PM2.5 Air Quality Sensor
  • WH51 - WIFI Weather Sensor Series -- Soil Moisture Sensor 
  • HP2551 console
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Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset

I don't suppose those with a HP2551 display could post a picture of it, could you?

I've seen that there's a firmware update which shows rain rate and signal strength.

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
On 14/05/2019 at 21:43, Mapantz said:

I don't suppose those with a HP2551 display could post a picture of it, could you?

I've seen that there's a firmware update which shows rain rate and signal strength.

See Photo....remember its signal quality (not strength)

Rain rate is there, small font and is more obvious if you compare with one of my original pictures above.

 

tr1XgIJr4-t_kRxzIQfaZF4P6lTubQw3y4ZyGYgEGvIu62DdCVwHNNsBQj7EIgtbHaUCUucXIdrdaGcs8Jxpe4IePCF9Be-6cCj2YJGoSTflF4r6crPfbnH9COYVran-uAEqve-ugIk1PX8I34n5PSe36r3biaHD-D8tMGFhDUm2smOZhKEK0R_rdyQL3ieyFVVboEYB7j_wFaYfRtWw.jpg

Edited by Mandrake
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Posted
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
  • Location: Emsworth, Hampshire
4 hours ago, Mapantz said:

How long did your orders take - to process and be delivered?

My station took around a week and a half from ordering to being delivered. Hong Kong appeared to have many public holidays during my order time, hence why it took longer.

Once the station is shipped, it took just over 24 hours to get from Hong Kong to my front door. Yours shouldn't take too long!

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
7 hours ago, Mapantz said:

Confirmation of dispatch and tracking number! 

Woot!  Good news!

My kit took greater than 3 weeks from order to dispatch but it did cover the Chinese New year which is a 2 week shutdown! Once shipped mine took 2 days to reach me via a convoluted trip around the world. Always fascinates me the way parcel routing works!

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Posted
  • Location: Swansea (Abertawe) , South Wales, 420ft ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Storms & Snow.
  • Location: Swansea (Abertawe) , South Wales, 420ft ASL
On 16/05/2019 at 09:51, Mandrake said:

See Photo....remember its signal quality (not strength)

Rain rate is there, small font and is more obvious if you compare with one of my original pictures above.

 

tr1XgIJr4-t_kRxzIQfaZF4P6lTubQw3y4ZyGYgEGvIu62DdCVwHNNsBQj7EIgtbHaUCUucXIdrdaGcs8Jxpe4IePCF9Be-6cCj2YJGoSTflF4r6crPfbnH9COYVran-uAEqve-ugIk1PX8I34n5PSe36r3biaHD-D8tMGFhDUm2smOZhKEK0R_rdyQL3ieyFVVboEYB7j_wFaYfRtWw.jpg

Can you tell me a bit more about this station? It looks great! Is it accurate? Did you pay any import fees? Where have you located the outdoor sensors?

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Posted
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
  • Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK
1 hour ago, Marcus_surfer said:

Can you tell me a bit more about this station? It looks great! Is it accurate? Did you pay any import fees? Where have you located the outdoor sensors?

Most of my story can found in the thread above..

I find it pretty accurate and you wont get better unless you invest in a Davis Vantage weather station and that will be 2-3 times more expensive at least. I am a few miles from the RHS Wisley Gardens which has an official Met Office weather station so I can do a reasonable bench mark against that and Farnborough Airport some 10 miles away also.

I have my sensor array on a small aerial mast attached to the side of my garage.

I think my import fees were something like £15 which was mostly DHL's admin costs for importation.

The HP2551 colour console is lovely to look at and can be mixed with pretty much all options (either all in one sensor array (like me) or the newest individual sensor arrays)

You can look at the WU data as IGUILDFO67

Ecowitt Array.jpg

Edited by Mandrake
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Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset

Weird how your stations didn't take long to arrive. Mine set off on Wednesday and it's only just got to Stansted. It's due for delivery on Wednesday which will almost be 3 weeks in total, with no holiday shutdowns.

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