AcuRite Smart Weather Station with Remote Monitoring Compatible with Amazon Alexa (01012M), Internet Connected

No one should be under any illusions that the physical installation of the Acurite 5 in 1 can be a challenge. The device must be securely and safely mounted high enough to enable the wind meter to be accurate and the other sensors to be unaffected by the house itself. I already owned two six foot lengths of 1" steel pipe and mounting bracket I decided to use that. It took some finagling to adapt the 1" pipe to the provided adapter'. I had purchased the remote battery pack since I knew that once aloft I did not want to go through the hassle of lowering the masts every time the battery wore out. Since I live in NH, I followed the advice and order the lithium batteries so that would not freeze. I wisely decided to get the unit operating to be sure I wouldn't have to pull the unit down to solve some problem. I was amazed how quickly the unit appeared to connect with the display - five minutes for everything to appear. I think it is important to have the 5 in 1 working before bring the display up. Next, I brought the remote Access unit online and again was amazed how quickly the unit acquired the roof top device. Since we had not had rain in six weeks, I didn't realize I was going to have problem with the rain gauge. However, I went ahead and extend the pipes and wrap the provided tie-wraps, cleaned and went inside to download the myacurite.com app and was again amazed to see the device come up! Finally we got some rain and discovered that while the rain gauge was communicated with the display device it was not communicated through Access with myacurite.com. I went through the debug process suggested with the Access device but no luck. After waiting a week in case it started working, I contacted service through the website through email form. I received an instant acknowledge of my submission and received a human response within an hour or so. After a couple of emails I discovered that somehow a "phantom device" had intruded into myacurite.com and when I selected the correct device, the rain gauge started being picked up within a few minutes! I don't often write reviews but felt that when a company makes a complicated set of products that works out of the box and when I have a problem I receive a service response within an, I am impressed and wanted potential buyers to know. I would be happy to answer any questions.

good

I purchased this unit to replace another Accurite weather station that had been damaged in a recent hailstorm. The weather station itself seems to be fairly accurate and is easy to setup. The only problem I have with this system is the background light on the digital display. It can be dimmed but can NOT be turned off. Overall I would recommend this weather center to anyone who is looking for a mid level weather center.

This may be the best weather station we have ever had. We haven't had it that long, but love the features! So far it is working perfectly. I have checked the information on the Display, which is easy to read, and it corresponds almost perfectly with the information from the NWS 30 miles from us. Very happy with our purchase.

While visiting a relative in another state, I saw and admired a weather station display in their livingroom. I got some information from them to look into a possible purchase. I have always been fascinated in the weather and I send reports in to a local TV station for their "skywatcher" spots. I knew this product would make my observations more complete, and a lot more fun! I was not disappointed! It was an easy installation and easy to use with my smartphone and desktop computer. The measurements appear to be accurate; I was able to verify measurements with other equipment. I think it's great that I can monitor conditions at home while on the road and even submit TV reports as if I was actually at home in my livingroom. I am monitoring a rainstorm as I write this....

4 times in just under 3 years I had to remove the 5-in-1 sensor housing to clean connector contacts on the temperature sensor CCA. This was to address the all too well known "ridiculous outdoor temperature reading" problem (+147°F, -92°F, etc.) that, for me, cropped up every 8 to 12 months (see pictures). Cleaning the main sensor cable connector plug and jack with 91% isopropyl alcohol would usually address the problem, but it still meant an annual trip up the extension ladder to take the unit down. My 4th occurrence resulted in only 3 hours operation after the usual fix, requiring me to replace the 5-in-1 module. There are conformal coatings that are designed to protect exposed electrical contacts from condensate buildup and/or corrosion. I would think a system intended for exposed standalone operation like this would have this sort of protection from the factory. My other concern is with durability of the plastic that the outdoor system is composed of. Note the attached photo. The foreground unit that I replaced was approx 2-1/2 years old. The material color change was drastic and notable even on the first instance of taking it down to address the temperature sensor mentioned above. Additionally, one of the anemometer cups snapped off quite easily during one of these incidents. Bottom line, just one thing to pass on the next time you communicate with your injection molding supplier: UV STABILIZED MATERIAL. I've never seen a product application where this requirement is more desperately needed (and using material with this property is not going to clobber your cost model). My only other beef is that my Acurite Access (internet gateway) module had it's 3 Duracell AA batteries rupture and essentially destroy the unit. It's odd because 1) the batteries were only about 18 months old and 2) I've never had Duracell alkalines do that before (and I've got many that have been installed for much longer periods). No problem - Acurite offered to sell me a replacement module for $129, two thirds of what I paid for my entire system. I do like my Acurite system. Don't get me wrong. I just wish they could apply a couple of relatively minor design changes to make it a tad more robust. If so, they would have a true winner! Note on Rating Stars: I would have likely given more stars for "Sheerness", only if someone (Amazon) would have bothered to describe what the heck "sheerness" even is!

We did not require Tech Support for setup nor have we had the station long enough to comment on battery life, so I've given each of those ratings only 3 stars at this point, but 5 stars overall. The station appears to provide accurate readings, looks fascinating on our deck, has an awesome display screen offering a wide variety of real time and historical info, no problems with networking connections/setup, has a great app for your remote device to check your backyard weather anytime from anywhere, components are easy to set up provided you're the type who can follow written instruction verbatim....who could ask for more from a personal weather station? We love it!

This is a great addition to my backyard soundtrack! I will definitely recommend purchasing the one with the hub so that you can add additional sensors! And it also allows you to check it from anywhere you have Internet access!