Cheapest reliable barometer

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eddystone

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Any recommendations on a battery powered barometer to use on the boat. I have one of those decorative clock/barometer sets but I'm not sure the aneroid is working. I have other ways of getting weather forecasts obviously, including navtext, but I would like a reliable indication of pressure. If it has a memory to record changes that's a bonus but not essential. I've seen those yellow things that the chandlers sell for £30-40; one review says the electronic compass is inaccurate but doesn't say anything about the pressure function. Of course I could change my iphone 5 for a 6 which has one built in but that would be a lot more expensive and I don't want a bigger phone anyway.
 
RichardS said:
I have one of these Oregon type ones, although not this one as there are cheaper versions, which has a 24 hour barometric bar chart display and shows the trend direction. It seems to be accurate and the short-term "forecast" is nearly always spot on.

https://www.weathershop.co.uk/shop/...on/oregon-scientific-bar908hg-weather-station

Richard
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Unfortunately no longer available - all the similar ones seem dumbed down - they show pictograms of "weather" temperature, humidity etc but no pressure display.
 
This seems to be about the only one available now apart from complete weather stations c/w wind speed and direction, although at £140 hardy "cheap".

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http://www.force4.co.uk/force-4-vion-electronic-barometer.html?sqr=barometer&#.WLltPfmLSHs


I have an inexpensive weather station ( no wind data) The problems I have is that when the battery is changed the barometer defaults to a reading of 1013 mb and has to be recalibrated. The pressure reading also seems to be affected by the (ambient) temperature .
If I move it from its normal position on the window sill to the warmth of the centre of the room the pressure reading goes down!
 
Interesting. When I rang the weather shop they didn't recommend any of these devices for marine use as the sensor needs to be protected from the weather and salt air will destroy them.
I think I would rather get a NASA weatherman than the force4 electronic barometer at that price
Or maybe get a new analogue barometer and clock set
 
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I've had an unbranded one which looks identical to this onboard down below for must be over 15 years and still going strong. Plenty accurate enough as it's pressure trends that are of interest rather than precision to the nearest mB..

EquipmentImage_75.jpg
 
I have one of these £22 instruments from Amazon - although mine has a different brand name - and the barometer function seems OK. You can add an offset to the pressure reading, as well as the temperature and humidity settings, so it at least agrees with, say, the local weather centre when setting it up.

Not sure what you would do with the remote temperature unit in a boat, though.
 
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KeithH said:
I have one of these £22 instruments from Amazon - although mine has a different brand name - and the barometer function seems OK. You can add an offset to the pressure reading, as well as the temperature and humidity settings, so it at least agrees with, say, the local weather centre when setting it up.

Not sure what you would do with the remote temperature unit in a boat, though.
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My remote temp sensor is in a cockpit locker hidden away from direct sunlight. I like knowing what the outside temp is in the Med ...... when it get's more than 30 degrees I know it's time for a swim! ;)

Richard
 
A barometer on its own is not terribly helpful, at least, not to the visually-minded like me, but a barograph can give a good picture of what is happening. You need something like VicS's, and then you can tell if the forecast change is coming early or late. I have one on a Casio watch which works well but haven't researched the fixed ones.
 
RichardS said:
My remote temp sensor is in a cockpit locker hidden away from direct sunlight. I like knowing what the outside temp is in the Med ...... when it get's more than 30 degrees I know it's time for a swim! <img src="images/smilies/wink.png" border="0" alt="" title="Wink" smilieid="4" class="inlineimg"><br>
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Richard
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Mine's in the fridge - I like to know when the beer is cold enough!<br>
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Other's have placed their's in the engine compartment.
 
johnalison said:
A barometer on its own is not terribly helpful, at least, not to the visually-minded like me, but a barograph can give a good picture of what is happening. You need something like VicS's, and then you can tell if the forecast change is coming early or late. I have one on a Casio watch which works well but haven't researched the fixed ones.
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Yes and the big advantage of the watch is that you have it with you all the time rather than just on the boat. I'm now trying to convince myself that a Casio PWR 2500 is good investment as it would also save me buying a new dinghy race timer. Only 10 hours baro history but should be enough
 
GHA said:
I've had an unbranded one which looks identical to this onboard down below for must be over 15 years and still going strong. Plenty accurate enough as it's pressure trends that are of interest rather than precision to the nearest mB..

EquipmentImage_75.jpg
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I have that one too, Oregan branded, on the boat, must be 20 years old and still accurate and does what it says on the tin.
 
I have an "Auriol" branded weather station which I bought at Lidl. It does proper pressure (in mbar) as well as a five-stage bar graph pressure history. It also does inside and outside temperature, radio-controlled time and high water times for a small range of European ports ... "Glasgow" works quite well for me.
 
If you have NMEA2000 instruments, most multifunction displays can show you a barograph if you add an NMEA2000 pressure sensor to the system. The Wind mast head unit from one maker (Garmin?) actually incorporates a pressure sensor.
 
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