Hands-On with the La Crosse WiFi Weather Forecaster
Sometimes the best reviews are short--sometimes you just want to know that a product does what it claims well and that you're not in for any headaches. Purporting to be the first WiFi-powered weather station, the La Crosse WD-3105U 4-Day Weather Forecaster pulls forecast data and weather alerts for up to five locations over your home 802.11 wireless network. It pulls data from two sources: a from the Internet via a wireless gateway connected to your network's router, and via an outdoor sensor mounted in a reasonably dry location outside your home.
The first thing I was pleased to note was that there was no install disc, although you will need an Internet-connected PC to set the device up. After connecting the Gateway to your router and powering it on, you register the device at www.weatherdirect.com which will give you instructions on how to sync the Wireless Display and let you pick your forecast location.
For the here and now, you'll need the wireless outdoor sensor. It's weather-resistant but not waterproof, so you'll need to mount it somewhere out of direct moisture, like under an eave. There's an articulating plate at its base that gives you a few screw holes for mounting. It's got a 330ft. range, so unless your house if bigger than a football field, you can find a safe place for the sensor and get an accurate reading.
Setup was easy, but the instructions were very clear about doing things in the correct order. There's a fair bit of syncing you need to do, so if you attempt to set this device up and something goes wrong, my advice would be to take out all batteries, unplug everything, and start all the way over rather than trying to backtrack and fix the problem. After it's set up, though, it should take care of itself if your router drops a connection or you power-cycle it.
The device itself reports the 4-day high/low temps along with sky conditions and sunrise/sunset time on its 5"-tall, black-and-white display. It has a clock and its alarm can be set for a specific time or to go off for severe weather alerts. There's no backlighting unfortunately, so make sure this device sits in a well-lit area if you plan to refer to it often. Since the device is connected to your network, you can monitor your home's temperature and forecast by logging into your provided subscription to www.theweatherclub.com.
Be aware that having more than one location or severe weather alerts requires a subscription to one of Weather Direct's Gold or Platinum packages. Since upgrading the package requires syncing the device, you need to be logged in to see the cost structure and upgrade instructions. The package costs are not public on the website, which was a bit annoying since if I were a customer shopping for the device I'd want to see the package costs in order to help make up my mind. Whether you want to make the upgrade is up to you, but I'm settling for the free content.
Pros: Easy to set up, updates itself, no software to install or manage, robust and easy-to-read forecasts. Set it and forget it.
Cons: Subscription required for severe weather alerts or multiple locations. No backlight.
--Aric A.
Nike Air Force One on April 23, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Awesome
Chris on November 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Are you sure about the 802.11 connectivity? Lacrosse's website doesn't even say that it connects over Wifi, but rather that it uses a wired network connection or their proprietary "Secure Weather Gateway".