I really like the netatmo weather station. It has an elegant modern design, is well built & accurate (within < + or - less than one degree - when installed correctly) for the price (you aren't paying $1,000.00 for a laboratory grade thermometer). The iOS is good, but the web page my.netatmo.com (and shared public map of aggregated user data - assuming that you opted in to publicly sharing your readings) is absolutely amazing! (Note: the Alexa skill is a fun + too). If you are considering a connected weather station, I completely recommend that you buy the Netatmo (seriously it is that good).
Now for the frustrating (bad stuff). The documentation is a complete joke (a very small picture book with no words except at the back to satisfy government compliance - boilerplate that no one but regulators cares about). You will need to muddle through setup on your own.
But to help out other Amazon customers I am providing a brief setup guide (spoiler alerts). First the outdoor module needs to be installed under a roof eaves or similar to protect from elements for accuracy (requires drill, hammer & Phillips screwdriver - which isn't mentioned). After you have installed the outdoor module securely (Do NOT inert batteries yet), remove the module and bring it inside. The following is for iOS (but since Android is open source....) download the Netatmo weather app (there are several Netatmo apps and some weird other stuff when you search for netatmo). Open the app & sign-up for an account, wait for the email that confirms your email and click on the link (you may need to check your spam/junk folder, I did). Login from your browser then reboot your iPhone, disconnect any Bluetooth devices and make sure you are connected to your wifi. Open the Netatmo app and proceed to follow the steps by step instructions on screen (IMPORTANT: only but the batteries into the outdoor module when instructed to do so), allow 20 minutes to download and update firmware. Mount your outdoor module outside and then wait an hour or five for the modules to calibrate and record some measurements.
Wow. How fantastic is this. I love it. I also bought an extra indoor one (different floors) and a rain sensor and wind sensor. An amazing setup. I have one at 3 different locations (home, office, extended family's home).
I could say a lot more, but for now, I will keep it at this. Try it out. Easy set up, great app. great data.
Main indoor/outdoor set: Netatmo Weather Station for Smartphone, Compatible with Amazon Alexa
Extra indoor unit: Additional indoor Module for Netatmo Weather Station - Retail Packaging - Aluminium
Wind sensor: Wind Gauge for The Weather Station
Rain sensor: NETATMO Rain Gauge for Netatmo Weather Station - Retail Packaging - Black
Sensor brackets: Netatmo Mount, for Netatmo Rain Gauge and Wind Gauge - Retail Packaging - Black
My old weather station was doing very strange things so I decided to check into what's new. Much to my surprise you can pretty much still buy my 10+ year old weather station. You know the type, pretty base station that you have to put on a flat surface somewhere in your house and then you hang a remote sensor outside somewhere. That's all OK I guess but there are times that I'm standing in my walk-in closet wondering what to wear and wishing I knew the weather so I use my phone to check the forecast but that doesn't tell me if I'll need a sweater when I walk out of the house.
The Netatmo (try saying that 10 times real fast) solves my problem. I whip out my phone and it tells me the current temp inside and outside, whether the sun is shining or it's cloudy or rainy, etc. the humidity and a 7 day forecast. Inside it also gives me a CO2 reading and a decibel level. You can receive notifications on your phone for weather alerts, freezing conditions, low room temp, CO2 levels, rise in humidity, and a few others. You can also invite guests to view the weather so my entire family has access and since our phones are always nearby the information is always easily accessible.
Well this is a great little device! I have always been a weather buff. I always have my eye on the sky looking out for the next Thunderstorm in the Summer, and Snowstorm in the winter. Anyways, I installed the Netatmo Weather Station at our cabin so we could monitor the temperature inside and out when we are away.
Setup was a breeze. I plugged the main Netatmo indoor device into my computer, setup an account and downloaded the setup software. It detected my wireless network right away and I was able to connect the indoor device to it. I then installed the batteries into the outdoor device and mounted it on our shed outside about 30 ft away from the indoor device. I fired up my web browser, logged back into my Netatmo account, and everything was there! Indoor temp, humidity, pressure, CO2 levels, sound dB's, Outdoor temp, and humidity. I was also able to download the app on my iPhone quite easily, login to my account, and see the same data I could see through the web browser.
The Netatmo website is laid out quite beautifully and graphs all of your data over time. I especially like the fact that after about an hour, my weather station showed up automatically on the Wunderground website. I then sent Wunderground an email and they linked my Netatmo to my Wunderground account!
I am somewhat disappointed that Netatmo does not have some sort of package that includes the wind and rain sensors. I did end up having to purchase them separately at quite a premium. I am knocking off one start for that as well as what seems to be the somewhat limited range of the outdoor sensor included in the package!
PRO TIP: Invest in some Energizer lithium batteries for any outdoor sensor you plan on using. I chose not to use the included batteries and instead use the Energizer batteries. They stand up a lot better than most batteries in outdoor extremes.
I bought the Netatmo Weather Station in 2016 and wanted to use it for a while before posting my review. Right now all I have is the inside and outside modules - I may add a rain gauge sometime later; definitely do not plan to add a wind gauge as it will not be easy for me to periodically access it for battery replacement.
Never having owned a weather station before, I don't have a reference point to compare it against. I decided to install a Netatmo because there are substantial microweather effects where I live (New Orleans), and I wanted relatively accurate local weather conditions to control various HVAC-related devices within my house. I chose the Netatmo over other home weather stations primarily because it has an IFTTT channel - rendering it easy to use Netatmo inputs to trigger events controlled by other IFTTT channels, such as Wink Hub shortcuts. Also, Netatmo integrates nicely with Stringify, which I also use for automations.
The Netatmo weather station was simple to setup with the Android app - it took me no longer than 10 minutes. My phone paired to the indoor module by bluetooth readily; configuring the inside unit to use my WiFi access point was quick, and the outdoor module paired immediately with the inside unit.
The first issue I had was that after equilibration for several hours, during which time both modules were next to each other in a well-ventilated space, the relative humidity readings were way off. Relative humidity (RH) being a function of temperature, I must point out that the temperature registered by both modules was exactly the same. I have an Accurite humidity monitor; when placed next to the indoor and outdoor modules, it became apparent within a few hours that the indoor module needed to be calibrated, while the outdoor unit was within the Accurite's margin of error. I contacted Netatmo's tech support and received a response within 24 hours - they asked me to place both modules next to each other and proceeded to calibrate the indoor unit within a day. Since then, the indoor unit has been within the Accurite's error margin (+/- 2% RH).
The next issue I had was the Android app (and Netatmo website) did not display the "Feels Like" temperature accurately when I selected the "Feels Like" temperature to be calculated using Heat Index calculations. Whether I selected Heat Index or Humidex, the Feels Like" temperature was always calculated using Humidex. It took Netatmo support a while to recognize the problem, but it seems to be fixed now - for temperatures over 80F, the "Feels Like" temperature uses the Heat Index calculation method. At less than 80F, no correction is applied for the "Feels Like" temperature.
Finally, because my outdoor module is an atmosphere that is both humid and somewhat saline (New Orleans!), I chose to seal the bottom with a little marine wax to keep water/humidity out of the battery chamber. I also have it enclosed within a Stevenson screen to protect it from solar radiation and direct rain. The Stevenson screen I used was the Ambient Weather SRS100 Temperature, Humidity, and Solar Radiation Shield.
For three years, the Netatmo has worked flawlessly. I like being warned by the CO2 meter that the indoor air needs refreshing. And its IFTTT and Stringify integrations have been excellent.
Feature Product
- Made for iPhone Weather Station: access to its sensors from anywhere, at any time.
- Temperature, Humidity, Barometric Pressure, indoor CO2 concentration and Sound Meter
- Real time Notifications & Graphs for data history (record frequency: every 5 min.)
- Connect multiple Stations to your iPhone and multiple iPhones to a Station.
- Lifetime free personal account for your data.
Description
The Netatmo Personal Weather Station lets you measure key data about your indoor and outdoor environment. Pull up your weather details any time, any place using your Android or iOS smartphone, tablet or computer.
The smart Weather Station features a unique set of sensors that let you track your indoor environment as well as the weather outside. Data on temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and CO2 concentrations are sent to your smartphone seamlessly and wirelessly. Monitor and measure your environment and your weather any time, any place, intuitively and effortlessly, indoors and out.
We spend 90% of our time indoors. The Netatmo Weather Station CO2 sensor warns you when you need to air out your home. The Weather Station lets you monitor indoor air quality, obtain real-time information on official pollution levels and choose the best time to get outside.
Sensors and measurements:
The outdoor module is now completely waterproof
Measurement frequency: every 5 minutes
Temperature units: °C (metric system) and °F (US system)
Barometric units: mbar (metric system) and inHg (US system)
Indoor:
Temperature: 0°C to 50°C / 32°F to 112°F; accuracy: ± 0.3°C / ± 0.54°F
Humidity: 0 to 100%; accuracy: ± 3%
CO2 sensor: 0 to 5000 ppm; accuracy: ± 50 ppm (0 to 1000 ppm) or ± 5% (1000 to 5000 ppm)
Sound meter: 35 dB to 120 dB
Outdoor:
Temperature: -40°C to 65°C / -40°F to 150°F; accuracy: ± 0.3°C / ± 0.54°F
Min and max temperature, "real feel" and dew point
Humidity: 0 to 100%; accuracy: ± 3%
Barometer: 260 to 1160 mbar / 7.7 to 37.2 inHg; accuracy: ± 1 mbar / ± 0.03 inHg
Seven-day weather forecasts
Connectivity:
Wi-Fi: Compatible with 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) Supported security: Open/WEP/WPA/WPA2-personal (TKIP and AES)
Wireless connection between sensors. Extended range of 100 m
Wi-Fi router and Internet access. Hotspots are not supported.
Compatibility:
iOS 9 or later, Android 4.2 or later, Windows Phone 8.0 or later | PC & Mac via the Webapp | IFTTT compatible
This is my first connected weather station. After three months of having this set up:
PROS:
1) Netatmo sensors are completely wireless, therefore you can put the outdoor sensors in the best location for that particular sensor.
2) statistical tracking of sensor readings
3) easy to set up
4) automatic posting to WeatherUnderground. You can email WU to ask them to connect your netatmo station to your WU account.
CONS:
1) there have been two instances of the product not posting readings to netatmo, and therefore not sending to WeatherUnderground, resulting in a lot of emails from WU over a couple of days indicating that my station was offline for two hours then online then back offline. My internet connection was fine. One of these instances was 12/26 so I suspect netatmo didn't have enough servers or suitable load balancing. When the station starts reporting again, missing history seems to get reported.
2) the instructions tell you to put the outdoor sensor near the house, which can adversely affect the temperature reading. If you put it out in the open and unprotected, the sensor gets saturated in rain and the humidity reads 100% for a couple of days or until it dries out. Owners should follow proper siting guidelines from WU and not from Netatmo. i.e. install in a radiation shield or Stephenson screen or something similar.
3) there is NO indoor display to mount on the wall with batteries. I knew this when I ordered; this ended up being less of a big deal as I was expecting.
4) I have no idea what is taking so long to get the wind gauge to the US. I'm not letting that affect my review, though.
4b) WU doesn't report my station as the closest station to me, and I _THINK_ it's because I am not reporting wind data.
Love this Weather Station! Along with Added Rain and Wind Gauges this is an Great Wireless Weather Station!
Luckily I had 2 unused Tripods I wasn't using!
These are Really needed Especially for Wind Gauge!
Wind Gauge is preset for a height of 33ft!
But App allows you using height of tripod and Wind Gauge to subtract difference to get an accurate reading!
A little tricky setting up Rain and Wind Gauge but then again I am 67!
If I can figure out anyone can!
Just follow set up in app!
Only gave it 4 stars today because I will track performance over a few weeks and will update after using for a few weeks!
So far so good and Love Netatmo!
I was skeptical that this unit would perform, but I was wrong! This little unit keeps accurate temperatures and after having Netatmo adjust the humidity sensor it works perfectly. I purchased this along with the rain sensor and have compared it with my neighbor's expensive Davis unit and we are almost identical on the numbers. I really thought about spending the extra money on the Davis system, but this one works with your Nest thermostat and Rancho Iro system via the If This Then That interface(iftt.com). It is so nice to have my sprinkler system automatically adjust based on the weather station data and not me having to remember to do it!
This is relatively easy to set up. I had some trouble getting the outside device connected due to the barely readable indicators for the battery pos/neg installation. If you want to integrate this with your Wink, don't count on it. Netatmo did set up an Amazon Skill for this which works great. The Netatmo app provides notification settings. For those not supported in the application, you can set up an IFTTT account and use some of their Netatmo resources. The outside sensor works great for me without any issues so far and is about 25 feet away from the main unit. Though I tested as far as about 50 feet from the house.
I've had this PWS for about 3 months now. For a while the outdoor temperature readings have been 2-6 degrees off whenever it got cold in my area (also hot too). All other readings seemed okay. After a bunch of experimenting over weeks I think I finally have been able to get accurate outside temp readings without even applying any calibration offset in the iOS app. In fact that offset isn't very good because if your temp is off, it will be off in a non-linear fashion with changing temps, so applying a hard offset won't really help.
The outside module is so convenient to just place on top of a table or any hard surface without trying to mount it on an arm. Initially I had it placed on the edge of a patio to try to get it as close outside as I could but also keeping it away from sun and rain. But that gave incorrect readings. I think the issue is that whenever you have the module anywhere close to the home structure there must be some non-negligible heat radiation coming off the structure to influence the module significantly. I moved the module to the outer edge of my pool cage on a waist-high railing, which put it about 20 feet from the main house structure and now temp readings day and night are definitely in good agreement with surrounding stations and airport, maybe a 1 or 2 degree difference among some surrounding stations (looking at wunderground's map). Also, since its not mounted on an arm, I found placing it upside down so that the vent holes are not close to the surface it sits on helps too. There is also temperature influence with what it sits on.
The only other main challenge now with its new position is ensuring sunlight never hits it directly. I think I have that resolved but its definitely something you will have to consider if you move it away from say a protective patio of your house. Also, while folks claim that the module should not be exposed to rain - I do not see that mentioned in the manual, only that it should not be in sunlight since it will absorb heat and throw off the temp reading. There are companies that sell solar radiation shields for PWS use as well, so that is always an option. I think Netatmo should sell that as an add-on.
Hope these little findings of mine helps anyone that may have similar troubles. I must say that when I look at the wunderground map I see some station reporting temps that are outside the consensus of stations around it. I look at the hardware being used and it's been about 8/8 being a Netatmo PWS! This means that it is fairly common for folks not taking great care in the placement of the outdoor module but I don't really blame them, the documentation is severely lacking. The hardware is fine, I wish Netatmo would have basically provided the information I mentioned in this review in the manual. I had to figure it out myself over time. It is almost as if they don't really know their hardware very well because I have read some of the reviews on here reporting issues with the module and the suggestions given from Netatmo were a bit crazy. Have to dock a star for that.
I love using Netatmo despite the documentation/tech support issue however. I've given new life to old iPhones and iPads being mounted weather info screens around the house. There is an SDK for those who are interested in having custom software interface with the hardware. My next task is to have some code which will acquire rain totals and use that to configure a sprinkler controller that is also internet connected. One practical use of having a PWS that is internet/intranet capable. If you are on the fence about buying this PWS I'd say to go ahead and get it once you give some thought to where you will position the outdoor module.
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