A slim and sleek weather station, the La Crosse Wireless Weather Station is an entry-level weather station for beginners. This weather station offers a large, reasonably attractive screen, one sensor capable of communicating at a decent range, and the ability to add additional sensors as expansion. With a very low price relative to more complex units on the market, it appears to be a great deal.
However, the unit lacks sophistication compared to what is found in more expensive weather stations. This means that its competitors are smartphone apps, as opposed to proper weather stations that allow for data collection and analysis. Compared to free phone apps, the La Crosse WS-9077U-IT is actually quite expensive!
In this review, we will look at the Wireless Forecast Station by La Crosse Technology for what it is, consider it on its merits, and zoom in on who might find it useful.
The La Cross Forecast Station won our Best Budget Wireless Weather Station in our Review Round-Up.
La Crosse Wireless Weather Station Product Review
In this section, we’ll be looking at a variety of aspects that make the La Crosse Technology WS-9077U-IT a decent weather station, including its basic features, dimensions, aesthetics, functionality, and more.
Basic Features
One of the most important features of a wireless weather station is its screen. The La Cross WS-9077U-IT has a large, easy to read screen, which is certainly helpful for those who want weather information without having to pull out the smartphone. Still, the screen is black and white and feels like it is from yesteryear.
In terms of data, the La Crosse has five measurements immediately visible on its main screen. These are:
- Time
- Date
- Forecast
- Inside temperature
- Outside temperature.
The forecast has three different icons, letting you know whether to expect rain, sunshine, or clouds. Keeping it simple, there are 4 main buttons: “Set”, “In”, “Out”, and “Ch” – allowing you to set it up, view temps, min/max, and so forth.
This station includes one weather sensor, though it can support data from up to three wireless temperature sensors. La Crosse boasts a 300-foot range with this weather station – however, be sure to keep it in the open if you expect to reach such a range. If you want information from different areas of the yard, multiple sensors are a must.
La Crosse has a pretty straight-forward 1-year limited warranty on most of their products, this one included.
Dimensions and Specs
- Display: 1.2″ x 3.2″ x 5.8″
- Weight: 7.2 ounces
Who Needs the La Crosse Technology Wireless Forecast Station?
This wireless weather station does not give much information, does not allow for any data collection, and is not particularly useful. It is certainly not a good choice for a budding “weather geek” or anyone interested in local weather data analysis. In fact, it is even less complex than free weather apps found on smartphones. The La Crosse Weather Station is really only useful for those people who don’t use smartphones, or who often don’t have their phones with them when they want to look at the weather.
The Details
In this section, we will look closely at various aspects of the unit, and the general experience of interacting with it.
Aesthetics
Sitting across the room from you, it’d be hard to differentiate this weather station from a tablet. A slate grey encapsulates the screen and the 4 buttons. It should fit in nicely into almost any room or house. It is easy to read, and the icons are crisp.
However, there is no question it looks like a technology object from the past.
That said, some of the more expensive, much more powerful weather stations on the market also have primitive displays, though these are supplemented by much more powerful data collection, storing, and analysis systems.
Functionality
The La Crosse Weather Station is a simple monitoring tool, best used as a slightly more complex version of a thermometer capable of identifying the temperature in the backyard. Its other functionalities – date and time – are probably unnecessary to most users.
There is one caveat on the time: the La Crosse runs on atomic time, which is the most accurate measurement of time we have. This could come in handy if you have to reset the clocks after a major storm. It functions perfectly as a way to give you a definitive temperature to allow you to make the best choice possible on what to wear when heading out, without the hassle of having to turn on the weather channel, but it really doesn’t do anything more than that.
Mounting
One of the common questions for the La Crosse WS-9077U is whether or not it can be mounted on the wall. La Crosse included a cut out on the backside that fits perfectly over a screwhead if you feel the need to mount it, adding a professional look to wherever it rests.
Assembly & Cleaning
Fortunately, this weather station is almost good to go right out of the box, which is a considerable improvement over other weather stations that require significant setup. With this weather station, there’s no need to worry about trapped water or ice like you may find in others – it’s relatively safe from the elements.
Be sure to check up on it every so often to make sure all is well, and a gentle cloth cleaning should keep it in good shape.
Accessories
It should be noted that 4 AA batteries are required (2 for display and 2 for the sensor). This weather station can support up to three sensors, and these will have to be purchased separately. Additionally, when the cost of a couple of sensors and the base unit are combined, the La Crosse WS9077U-IT starts to approach the cost of the much more useful, and much more attractive Netatmo Wireless Weather System. However, a smartphone is required for the Netatmo, so it may not be of use to those allergic to smartphones!
The Bottom Line
The La Crosse Technology WS-9077U-IT functions competently as an intro weather station, in a price range that makes it perfect as a gift. Anyone really interested in analyzing weather information will quickly outgrow it and should look toward more expensive, and more powerful options, like the Netatmo System or the Davis Vantage Vue.
That said, La Crosse Technologies has been making weather stations since 1985. It and has always been a suitable brand in weather instruments, making this a fine choice for those looking for simple weather data in a no-nonsense package. The bottom line is that the majority of customers are pretty happy with their La Crosse WS-9077U-IT, being a simple weather station with a large display.
For those not worried about all the nuances of weather such as barometric pressure or humidity, and who don’t like smartphones, this is the weather station for you.
- 3 Weather forecasting icons and air pressure tendency arrow
- Self-set Atomic time and date with automatic DST reset
- Can receive up to 3 sensors
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The forecast has three different icons, letting you know whether to expect rain, sunshine, or clouds. Anyone really interested in analyzing weather information will quickly outgrow it and should look toward more expensive, and more powerful options