Which station?

To participate in WOW-BE, you first need an automatic weather station. There are many different brands and types of weather stations, ranging widely in price. WOW-BE leaves the choice of station entirely up to you. However, before purchasing, you should check whether it is possible to upload your station’s data to WOW-BE. In practice, this means verifying that the station you want to buy is compatible with external software that handles the upload.

With WOW-BE reboot, we have made it easier to connect your stations, at least if you have a “WOW-BE ready” station.

Placement of your station

Proper placement of your station is especially important, as it largely determines the quality of the observations.

	The thermometer should preferably be placed in an open area, away from buildings. It must certainly not be located near walls or other surfaces that may cause heating. Ideally, the thermometer is installed in a well-ventilated weather shelter, which provides protection from sun and precipitation while still allowing sufficient air circulation.
	Finding a good location for an anemometer (wind sensor) is often not easy, as ideally there should be no major obstacles in the surrounding area. Choose an open spot if possible and measure the distance from the wind sensor to the ground. Note this height and provide any other relevant information, such as the building’s height and the location of nearby trees or obstacles.
	As with wind measurements, sheltering is also an important issue when measuring precipitation. Try to ensure that no major obstacles are located in the prevailing wind direction.
	For humidity measurements, a deviation of 5% or more is normal. Accuracy can be checked to some extent: on misty days with temperatures above freezing, the meter should indicate a humidity of around 95–100%.
	For air pressure, there are no particular points of concern.

If your weather station consists of a single unit (a so-called sensor array), you will need to find a compromise between the above factors.