Weather Clocks

Review by Q. Fu:

I bought it in February 09′. After two months’ use, the display was dead. I thought it was the batteries. So I replaced all the batteries. The display beeped once and then nothing. Same thing when I tried at least 3 types of alkaline batteries as recommended. As other reviewer mentioned, La Crosse has ZERO customer servce.

1)I contacted them using their online Contact Custome Service form in early May.

2)Having hearding nothing from them, I sent a email on June 10. An email came on June 12 with the typical Battery instructions despite the detailed problem description in my email. It also asked for the purchase info that I already sent in the previous email.

3)Anyway, I resent all the info requested on the same day, June 12. And guess what, nothing happened after that.

It’s 10 days now after I sent the last email. My patience ran out. So I filed a complaint with BBB. And I strongly encourage any one who have similr problems with La Crosse to do the same. We can’t just let them sell faulty products and ignore the customers.

Update: My case with BBB was closed as UNRESOLVED due to NO RESPONSE from La Crosse. Now La Crosse has the lowest rating of F in BBB system. Check it out before you buy!

Review by E. Maddox:

First off, this thing works. Second, I am kind of sorry I didn’t find money to buy even more options. But for the price I am thoroughly delighted with a working outdoor sensor giving me current temperature and an inside thermometer/humidity reading. The little man icon is kind of icing on the cake. Calendar and sunrise are nice. It’s a compact worthy desktop addition. My first go-round with setting it up was clumsy. Then when I had fresh new batteries in hand I decided to change to fresh (supposedly will last a year) and reset the station. The second go-round went much smoother and I suspect any problems I had with originally setting up the station were my own problems, not the unit. My recommendation is to buy this one if you want an economical weather station that works. But if you can afford more options, go for one that provides temps, humidity and perhaps a heat/chill index for outside. I’m saving up and looking for such a unit now.

Review by GRM:

I purchased the LaCrosse WS-9520U last week. As usual, the transaction and shipping with Amazon was excellent. I very rarely return online purchases, but this one is going back. In general, the unit is as advertised – and others may find it completely satisfactory – but, after two nights of use, I have found the following specific things to be unacceptable:

1. The backlight cannot be set to remain on continuously – it only lights when a button is pushed – regardless of whether you’re powering with AC or batteries. I think alarm clocks are always more convenient when you can see them at, well, uh, night. Yes, the on-ceiling projection shows the time, but nothing else. This is less than convenient.

2. General build quality is iffy at best – the buttons are clunky, loud and awkwardly placed. The entire unit seems flimsy – like it’s just barely holding itself together. It’s extremely light and does not have a very steady base, which will make it prone to being knocked over (like when reaching for the snooze button – which you can’t see because it’s not illuminated and there’s no backlight) and I’m not sure this thing would survive being knocked over. Sorry to say, but for , this just seems very cheaply built from the mechanical side of things.

3. I guess this is obvious in hindsight, but the actual time display is tiny, maybe an inch tall. Granted, you have the projector, which works as advertised (only when it’s dark in the room – projection is photo-sensitively switched on/off – no other option), but seeing the clock from across the room during daylight (when the projector is not on) is not really possible unless you’ve got astronaut eyes.

4. There are no alarm options and the only existing tone is – IMHO – obnoxious and too loud – a sort of high-pitched staccato double-chirp. I realize this is a personal issue, but a few buzzer options would have been nice.

5. There is absolutely no way that the battery cover on the outdoor sensor will keep the elements out of the sensor. Maybe this isn’t an issue if you have a protected outdoor place to locate the sensor – but if there’s any moisture at all, this thing won’t last one winter here in Michigan.

In summary:

Electronics: Acceptable and as advertised, tho the few things I mentioned could be better

Mechanical: unacceptably cheap, shoddy assembly fit & finish for this price point.

Review by J. Hannah:

Until recently I had the little brother to this unit and really loved it. My needs recently changed and I wanted to be able to view the clock at night without having to reach over and tap a button. I chose this unit because it projects the time and outside temperature on the ceiling so all I have to do is look up and see the time.

It gives a fairly accurate forecast depicted by Oscar Outlook (the little man in the display). Oscar will dress according to the weather conditions to give you an idea of what to expect. I’ve found that the forecast is about 90% accurate!

The clock sets itself via radio waves from the atomic clock in Boulder, CO. It is very accurate and I never have to worry about setting it.

Overall I’m extremely pleased with my purchase and I would do it all over again if I had to.

Review by M. Elliott:

All in all, this little gadget is OK. It could really use a backlight and the atomic clock feature only works if you live within 932 miles of Boulder, Colorado. The weather forecaster is based on detecting fluctuations in barometric pressure. The thermometer appears to work fine and I didn’t have much trouble synchronizing the remote sensor. Finally, you’ll need 3 AA batteries to run the main station and 2 AAA batteries for each remote sensor.

Review by Laura Schwartz:

My only complaint with this is that it seems to lose the signal for the outside temperature frequently. Other than that, I think it works very well.

Worth noting: I thought that it was wall-mountable. It is NOT. There is a large plastic base built in that makes wall-mounting impossible.

Bottom line: Great for the price

Review by SoCalReviews:

I have another automatic time adjusting atomic digital wall clock with a large display that I purchased a few years ago at Radio Shack that is similar but only has the indoor temperature. I liked the remote outdoor temperature sensor feature and the moon phase displays so I decided to purchase this La Crosse brand as an upgrade. The automatic updating and self adjusting nature of these extremely accurate digital atomic clocks is what makes them really different from less accurate traditional quartz clocks. After going through the process myself I must emphasize how important it is that the directions in the provided instruction booklet are followed exactly when setting this clock up.

Here are some tips for obtaining the best results. Install the remote temperature sensor batteries before installing the batteries on the main unit. I have read in other reviews that Energizer lithium or similar non-rechargeable lithium batteries work the best for a longer life and to hold up during colder freezing outdoor weather. Start by placing the outdoor sensor within a few feat of the main unit so they can sync and so you know the outdoor sensor transmission works properly. What I did was manually set up the clock first and the atomic auto-time feature is supposed to adjust the time later but make sure you have the correct time zone and the daylight savings set for your location. I manually set the time two minutes faster than my other atomic clock and sure enough had adjusted the time automatically and it exactly matched my other atomic clock by the next day.

Make sure the clock is in a location where it can receive the atomic clock radio signal. Thick concrete walls, basements, extreme weather, and the time of day can alter the ability of the atomic radio signal transmission (which bounces off the atmosphere) to reach this clock. If it doesn’t update right away make sure you have exited the setup mode (usually done by pressing the snooze button once after being in setup mode). Give it at least a day to see if it it does in fact auto update the time from the radio signal it is is supposed to receive. If it doesn’t adjust to the correct time then try placing the clock in another location that has less potential obstructions in the direction of the sky so that the atomic radio signal readings are not inhibited. There will be a small digital symbol of a radio signal in the LCD display above the time after it has updated and has been able to properly receive the signal.

Choosing a good location for the outdoor temperature sensor is also important to its proper function. After you have confirmed that it works near the clock and the clock has been properly set up try placing the remote temperature sensor outside in a location you believe the signal will be able to reach the clock. The directions say the remote sensor’s maximum range is 300 feet but I would recommend setting it up closer or within fifty feet if possible. Before mounting the sensor make sure it is in fact properly updating the outside temperature reading on the clock inside. Thick concrete walls and metallic window blinds can block the signal strength so try to install the remote outdoor temperature sensor as close to and in line of sight to the clock as you can while being aware of possible obstructions that could block its radio signal.

The quality of the outdoor temperature reading will be determined by having a good location for the outdoor remote sensor. The sensor is not waterproof so it should not get wet, should not have direct sunlight, or be in a location with excessive direct wind or weather. Here are some ideas about finding a good location to mount the sensor. You will want to choose a shady covered location on the side of your house with a location underneath cover. Its the end of December in California and I first installed my remote temperature sensor not too far from the inside wall where the clock was but just outside above a large glass window. It was a good location to avoid direct sun and it was protected from rain by the top of the window frame but I found that there was enough heat escaping from the glass window to increase the sensor’s temperature by at least five degrees F. I took it down and placed it on a chair outside the window and the temperature dropped to its proper reading. I searched for a better location that would not be effected by heat from the house. I found one around the corner of the house that was still near in distance to the indoor clock and just below the roof overhang but protected from rain, wind, and sun, etc.. and used the screws provided to mount it into the wooden siding of the house. The plastic mounting hardware keeps the sensor floating more freely in the air. I also placed a separate wooden screw directly underneath the sensor for it to sit on just to make it more secure.

This seems to be a good product with great features for the money. The indoor clock readings are easy to see. The moon phase display was a little confusing at first. Apparently it displays the black shading to correspond to the brightness of the moon. My older atomic clock has the setup buttons on the back while this model has them on the front. This made the setup and adjustments of this La Crosse brand clock much easier than my other atomic clock. I will find out if the claims of longer battery life and reliable function are true within the coming months but so far this seems like a good product. The only other issue I would like to note is that I first noticed the indoor temperature sensor on the clock reading about one to one and a half degrees higher than my older atomic clock. This difference might be explained because the La Crosse clock is capable of displaying the temperature in tenths of a degree F of accuracy while the my older clock displays only within a single degrees F of accuracy. The La Crosse clock is also capable of updating more frequently which means that you will sometimes see the temperature display vary from half of a degree F to one degree F several times per minute. The temperature of the air inside a living space often changes and varies as the air moves around from the activity of fans, air conditioners, heaters, doors opening, etc..

There are other models of atomic clocks from La Crosse available in different looks (desktop sizes, wood styling, traditional analog styling, etc.) with more features including weather prediction capability, more sensors, humidity, second remote sensor, etc. but this basic model with indoor and outdoor temperature sensing, moon phases, time and date does seem to work well. Because of the finicky nature of setting up the outdoor sensor and the fact that the outdoor sensor is not water proof I lowered my rating one star from the highest five star rating. I still recommend this large display La Crosse atomic clock and think it is an excellent value for the money.

Review by CFH:

The “La Crosse Atomic Digital Wall Clock” is a very attractive device that can be hung from a wall or placed on desk/table/counter with the included folding legs.

The unit comes with an outside transmitter for reading the temp and the inside unit displays both the inside and outside readings. We have found it to be very accurate and it has a very good range (over 100′ from the house).

Our unit keeps perfect time and also displays the date, day of the week, and phase of the moon.

The clock and transmitter each take 2 AA batteries (not included).

This has been a handy device and is well worth the price. Recommended!

Review by subardude:

This is a great weather station to determine if you will leave the windows open at night or use the AC. I check it before bed and I know what I am going to wear in the morning. I would buy it again.

Things I like:

-Timex indiglo style backlighting. Much easier to read than those without it.

-Nice design. It sits out on my night stand and I didn’t want anything too industrial looking.

-Fairly accurate weather predictions in my area.

-No problems receiving the MSN signals.

-LED changes color and blinks when a storm advisory is in effect. This is more handy than I expected it would be.

-Easy to setup.

-Well built.

Things I don’t like:

-No way to silence the beeping when pressing buttons.

-Very loud alarm. At the quitest setting, it is much too loud to be used as an alarm clock.

-Has some bells and whistles that are more for show than usefulness.

-Fairly large unit. It’s almost as wide as my laptop.

-Have to toggle between indoor and outdoor temp settings. They are not both on the screen at once.

-Too many weather forecast icons.

-User interface could be better, but it is not too bad.

-Weather report scroll bar runs too slow horizontally and is difficult to read.

I also have the weather channel model #WS-9043TWC made by lacrosse. I prefer the Oregon because of the forecasting feature. Of course, you can get the same info from online or tv as well.

Review by Chaz:

I got this as a Christmas gift in 2006. It worked beautifully as soon as I plugged it in, and I really enjoyed using it. The problem came after a year.

One day it had a message that it had lost the signal from MSN. I tried moving the unit closer to the window, I tried bringing up to the highest point in the house, and it still didn’t work. I thought maybe my area had been dropped from the MSN service, so I called Oregon Scientific. They assured me that my area was still covered, and recommended unplugging the unit for 24 hours. I tried this and the problem still existed.

So, I brought the unit to my work in New York City where coverage is very strong – and it still didn’t work. So I took it apart to see if the antenna was loose – but it wasn’t. So basically something is wrong, the unit cannot pick up the signal anymore, but there is no obvious reason why.

Oregon Scientific customer service was not able to help me further as the warrantee is only for one year, and by the time I had gone through all my trouble-shooting steps it was over a year. So, I am left with a 0 paperweight.

My story may be unusual, there may be units that have been operating for years without issue, but I am definitely disappointed and will think very carefully before purchasing another OS product (at least one with the MSN service).