And Now For Something a Little Different

Oregon have a long history of innovation, and have often taken the lead in developing new features for their products. They were the leaders in linking the US Atomic Clock into the time keeping functions of many of their products, including weather stations. This means that every day, through a radio signal from the Atomic Clock in Colorado, the clocks on Oregon products are reset to US standard time (allowing for timezones and daylight saving).

They have also developed touch screen models, and products that use voice activation. While some of these are a little gimmicky, there is no doubt that Oregon are capable of considerable creative thought, and it shows on the margins of the Oregon Weather Station range.

Let's take a look at what they've come up with.

So When is a Weather Station not a Weather Station?

Oregon is certainly testing the limits of the concept of the weather station. And I don't just mean the combination of temperature or humidity stations with alarm clocks, including ones which project the information on the bedroom wall.

Neither do I mean hand held weather stations, usually limited to temperature and wind speed, or rain gauges which transmit their data to inside consoles, but don't record anything else. These kinds of instruments either are, or will be, covered elsewhere on this website.

One very sensible idea from Oregon is a combination weather station and weather radio. This is also discussed on the Weather Radio page . Weather radio sets are a USA concept, where weather warnings are broadcast on special radio frequencies and picked up on purpose built or modified radio receivers.

With their WRB308, Oregon have combined a temperature humidity station with a weather radio plus stand and recharger. I have not yet seen it at retail outlets, but I'm sure that will come. It's a great idea, although the $149.95 price may seem high. Check it out at the Oregon Weather Station site.

No doubt we'll see the price drop over coming months. It is also available under the John Deere brand, but at about $25.00 more.

And how about a weather station with no outside sensors? Check out the WMS801. This one is for those who want to be up to date with their local weather but don't want the hassle of setting up their own station.

This little device receives frequent signals from MSN weather and displays the data on a console like any normal weather station, but none of it comes from immediately outside your window.

Added information includes three day forecasts, warnings, chance of precipitation, phases of the moon, and much more.

It does record and display inside temperature and calculates comfort levels, but overall I guess its a weather station you have when you don't have a weather station. It's relatively new, costs $199.95 from Oregon, and must be fairly popular because last time I checked it was out of stock. You can find out more at this Oregon Weather Station page.

As you can see, Oregon is an innovative company, and you may care to check through their complete range at the Oregon Weather Station website. Many of their products are sold through giftshops, but Amazon has a large selection, often at attractive prices.

If you would like to return to the main Oregon page, just click Here.

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*Product links and pricing. The products I mention are, in my opinion, the best of the range in each category. But this doesn't mean they are just what you are looking for, and it is always worth following the link to the manufacturer's page.

But don't buy from there - in almost all cases much better prices are available from both shopfront and internet based retailers. At all times eBay and Amazon are worth checking out, and you will notice many of the links go to Amazon. Amazon has built a very sound reputation for customer service, given the huge amount of business that passes through their website, and many products are accompanied by clear descriptions, alternatives, and reviews from customers. These can be very helpful, and I shop at Amazon myself.

But prices can change very quickly there, so if you have made up your mind on a product and you see a good price there, grab it before it goes.

Where possible, I provide links to other retailers where their prices are competitive. Some may be better than they seem if the prices include delivery and, where needed, batteries - check the terms they offer.

Finally, I stand to make small commissions on some of the products I recommend. A lot of work goes into building and maintaining a site like this, and I am not ashamed if I recoup some of the costs, and even make a little money on top.

That being said, I will and do recommend sellers where I will not make anything for myself. One of these is Ambient Weather , a useful retail site with good supporting information. But if you visit there, don't forget to come back!

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Last update 31/12/2006