AcuRite 01036M Home Weather Station Review of a Perennial Best Seller

Weather Station Depot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and others. Affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other programs.

Most people will tell you that the main benefit of having your very own weather station is that it gives you the ability forecast, plan, and prepare for weather events.

This is, of course, true.

But, the reality is, having a home weather station like the 01036M is just flat out fun!

Having a weather station for home use just makes sense, especially with such an affordable weather station as the Acurite 01036M.

The Acurite 01036 5-in-1 Pro Weather Station is a Best Seller. Featuring the 5-in1 weather sensor which sends data to an indoor display equipped with PC Connect.

PC Connect uses a USB cable and provides a way to save your outdoor weather measurements as a data file on your computer, or post the weather data online through your computer’s internet connection.

A cable from the display connects to a USB port on your Windows or Mac-equipped computer. If you want to, you can start uploading your weather info to myacurite.com or Weather Underground the data becomes available for you to see with the free myacurite app.

   Visit Amazon for more pictures and information.

If you are buying a weather station to be prepared for weather events and emergencies, you may also be interested in MyMedic.com with their astonishing array of first aid kits and other emergency medical supplies.

There are different versions

If you took a look at the 01036m on Amazon you may have noticed that different display versions are available. Everything about the weather stations are mostly the same but for the display appearance.

The Acurite model 01536 has a lighter-themed display.

Acurite’s model 02032 has another variation.

Is the Acurite 01036m for You?

This home weather station uses Acurite’s original 5 in 1 outdoor sensor suite. Only one solar cell is installed on the sensor. Is that a big deal? Maybe not.

The solar panels do not run the weather station or charge the batteries. Solar power runs a fan to circulate surrounding air over the thermometer. When the weather station gets warm from the Sun the thermometer is not as affected.

While most weather stations use solar power to run the station during the day and a couple of batteries to get through the night, the Acurite 01036m uses solar power to run a cooling fan on the thermometer. Four AA lithium batteries operate the rest of the weather sensor functions of the 5-in-1.

What does this mean to you?

Not having to rely on solar power allows the 01036m to operate in areas with low light like in northern places with long nights or in locales with a lot of cloudy days. And of course, if this is your situation, your need for a thermometer air circulation fan would be much less.

Of course the Acurite 01036m will work almost anywhere that’s not exceptionally hot.

By using 4AA batteries instead of the standard 2, Acurite can claim the same two year battery life as most other weather stations.

Upgrade your 01036m to the Pro+ status

Unless you live in a very hot and sunny place, the Acurite 01036m should perform just fine. If you DO live where it’s very sunny you might look to buy a Pro+ model (watch that “+” symbol!) with 2 solar panels included or just upgrade the single panel with a Pro+ replacement two panel top.

How the 01036 works

A wireless transmitter in the Acurite 5 in 1 weather sensor sends the data to the receiver in the display and the weather data is shown to you. On the Acurite digital color display, you’ll see all of the weather data sent by the 5 in 1 weather sensor plus indoor/outdoor temperature and relative humidity, and barometric pressure. From the Acurite color display the weather information is sent by USB cable to your computer. You would then be able to upload your weather readings to Weather Underground and MyAcurite through your normal internet connection.

Internet Connection with PC Connect

PC Connect enables you to log your weather data on your computer through a USB port and from there post to the internet if you want to. The Acurite software download is on their website. You have a choice of Windows or Mac. PC Connect works with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. For the Acurite software for Mac, you’ll need OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) and higher.

The Acurite Pc connect software is very easy to install; after you download the program, just agree to the default settings and in a minute or two your are done. You are presented with the choices of sending the weather data to a file of your choosing, sending your weather measurements to Weather Underground, and sending the weather info to the MyAcurite site. Choose none, one, or all of them.

MyAcurite Weather Station App

The MyAcurite weather station app allows you to see your current and historical weather station data on your mobile device from anywhere. Additionally, you can set it up to alert you when certain things happen that might need attending to, like freezing temperatures, flooding rains, or high winds. Receive the alerts by email or phone.

MyAcurite weather data is confidential, so you’ll have to register online for access.

The Remote Battery Pack Accessory

An excellent accessory you might consider is the remote battery pack extension. This device plugs into the regular battery compartment on the Acurite 5 in 1 weather stations and has a 30′ cable to a remote battery holder you can more easily reach. No need to climb up to the 5 in 1 or to take it down to change batteries. Why doesn’t every company offer this feature?

Pros

• Very easy to set up and get running.
• From the #1 weather equipment seller in North America.
• Simple and intuitive “best in class” weather software.
• By using your computer you can install additional software allowing you to upload to 3d party weather websites.
  

Cons

• There are reports of the batteries in the 5 in 1 sensor going bad too soon. My suggestion is to buy premium lithium batteries and purchase the battery extension cable so you can bring the batteries closer to the ground.
• Uploading to Weather Underground and MyAcurite requires a computer that is always on. This what I’ve been doing for over a decade, so to me it’s no big deal. This is a great use for an old computer not otherwise used.

Lots of weather data

• Indoor temperature range of 32°F to 122°F (0° – 50°Celsius) with an accuracy of +/- 2°F.
• Indoor relative humidity range is 16% to 98% with an average accuracy of around 4%.
• Trend arrows for the temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure readings.
• A 16 point wind rose displays the wind direction graphically.
• 12 to 24-hour forecast provided by Acurite’s patented Self-Calibrating Forecasting feature.
• A signal strength meter to help with connection issues.
• The Weather Ticker gives you weekly and monthly highs/lows and averages of your weather measurements. The rainfall rate in inches per hour is displayed here. Also, weather alarms, moon phases, “feels like” temperature, and more are presented on the Weather Ticker.
• The Acurite digital color display is powered by the included 4.5v power adapter or six AA alkaline batteries (not included). I use both to keep the display operating through power failures. The display will keep 2 weeks of data in memory.

Features and specifications

Acurite’s 5-in-1 weather sensor collects current weather information including:

1. Temperature  -40° to 158°F (-40° to 70°C). Updates every 36 seconds. Accuracy is +/-2°F
2. Humidity  1% to 99% Relative Humidity. Updates every 36 seconds. Accuracy is +/-3% from 20%RH to 80% RH then slowly falling to +/- 5% at the limits.
3. Wind speed  0 to 99 MPH (0 to 159 KPH). Updates every 18 seconds. Accuracy is +/- 2mph below 10mph, +/- 3mph from 10 to 30mph, +/- 4mph from30 to 50mph, and +/- 5 from 50 to 99mph.
4. Wind direction  Updates every 36 seconds.
5.  Rainfall  A self-emptying cup with an accuracy of 0.05 inches per inch.

Additional features:

1. Wireless transmission of the weather measurements up to 330 feet.
2. The 433MHZ signal passes through obstructions better than the common 915MHZ.
3. A solar-powered fan helps with the temperature accuracy by passing ambient air over the thermometer. The four AA batteries power the transmitter, not the fan.
4. Claims a 2-year battery life. In my experience, this is possible if you start with new lithium batteries and check the expiration date.
5. Acurite software for Mac and Windows
   

What people are saying:

“The weather station and display work great. Installation was easy ….”

“…The display is bright with large, easy to read numbers. It is  well arranged with little clutter.…”

“…5-in-1 sensor array is a very easy setup
Bright display with large, easy-to-read symbols
Wireless reception is great…”

“…works perfectly. I wish I had bought one years ago“

Verdict

This is an easy-to-set up and very reliable personal weather station with lots of satisfied buyers. Get this very popular weather station on Amazon!

If you are looking for an affordable home weather station from the #1 seller, you’ve found it.

Don’t care to connect direct through your computer? Here is my review of a related model that connects through an internet bridge instead of your computer.

Here is another page that compares the top Acurite weather stations.

Be prepared!

Specification chart for the Acurite 01036:

Do you want to see more weather station options? Take a look at this page.

Or check out my list of the best weather stations!