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The easiest way to choose the best wireless rain gauge that includes an outdoor thermometer is to pick from the best-selling popular models.
Three companies have developed wireless rain gauge/ thermometer combinations that now dominate the market.
- Best Rain Gauges with Thermometers:
- The Acurite model 01089M
- La Crosse Technology model 724-1710
- Oregon Scientific model RGR126N
- AcuRite 01089M Review
- La Crosse Technology 724-1710 Wireless Rain Gauge Weather Station with Thermometer Review
- Oregon Scientific Wireless Rain Gauge Weather Station with Remote Thermometer Review
- Rain gauges with thermometers: comparison table
Following are quick reviews of the most popular rain gauge with thermometer products :
First is the Acurite 01089M, a top seller and would be my #1 choice.
Next is the La Crosse 724-1710 rain weather station. Customers are delighted with this model—#2 for me.
Oregon Scientific has the #3 spot.
Each of these rain sensors features a tipping bucket rain gauge. Tipping bucket-style rain gauges never need emptying; the rainwater just drains out the bottom. Automatic rain gauges are the way to go!
Best Rain Gauges with Thermometers:
The Acurite model 01089M
This is the Acurite 01089M, a top seller and would be my #1 choice.
My Pick for #2
La Crosse Technology model 724-1710
The 724-1710 is usually the lowest priced of the three and sells very well. This is a good model for you to see the rainfall and temperature with a quick look.
And for the #3 Spot:
Oregon Scientific model RGR126N
Oregon Scientific rounds out the list with their rain gauge thermometer combo. If you want the most basic unit possible, this is it. This model displays only rain and outdoor temperature without any bells and whistles.
Keeping it neat and tidy
If you are looking for a way to have a rain gauge with a thermometer connected to a single indoor display, rather than separate gauges sending their info to separate indoor displays, here ya go…
AcuRite 01089M Review
This, in my opinion, is the best of the three. The 01089M offers you far more features for your dollar than the others.
See if you agree…
This offering from Acurite appears to be the newest model. The 01089M is also the most feature-rich.
There is a lot of useful information on the display!
Features of the Acurite 01089M
- Rainfall and inside & outside Temperature
- Rainfall Calibration (if needed)
- Indoor and Outdoor Humidity
- Dew Point & Heat Index
- Barometric Pressure & Trend
- Keeps Data during Battery Changes
- Accurate and Easy to Setup
- Good customer Service
The Acurite 01089M digital display shows the rainfall and indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity. You’ll also see whether the barometric pressure is steady, rising, or falling.
Also shown are the time and date. The time and date are set automatically.
Another useful feature is a simple air pressure sensor that shows whether the barometric pressure is rising or falling.
This feature makes this model a simplified forecast station. Rising air pressure is associated with fair weather, and falling pressure means potentially stormy weather ahead.
One of the best features is it doesn’t have the problem others have of losing all of the data every time you change batteries. If the batteries fail during a rainstorm, you’ll lose some data.
You can calibrate the rain gauge at home manually. Almost everybody is happy with the gauge way it comes. Still, if you must, instructions are included about how to pour a precise amount of water through the rain funnel and then adjust the sensor so it registers correctly. See more info on Amazon.
Most people are thrilled with the accuracy, the ease of setup, and the helpful customer service. The online Acurite knowledge base is also available for troubleshooting should you need it.
Are there any problems?
This suffers from the same problems almost all rain gauges have; they can get clogged with leaves and other debris. Make your life easier; install the gauge where it’s easy to clean.
Another issue is the outdoor temperature/ humidity sensor is weatherproof, NOT waterproof. Placing the sensor in the shade as the directions suggest should eliminate water issues.
The wireless range of the Acurite 01089M rain sensor is the shortest of the three at 100 feet. If you need to place your rain gauge further away than 100′ from the indoor display, you will have to go with one of the other two models. The thermometer range of the Acurite model is 330′.
La Crosse Technology 724-1710 Wireless Rain Gauge Weather Station with Thermometer Review
My pick for #2 is the La Crosse 724-1710.
This has the highest ratings, according to Amazon. Of the three models, this is usually the lowest priced.
If the Acurite model is more than you want, the La Crosse would be an excellent choice. Simpler is often better.
A high contrast digital display screen with the rainfall displayed prominently makes this model very easy to read.
The best things about the La Crosse 724-1710
Rainfall is shown both numerically and graphically, making for easy reading at a glance.
Indoor and outdoor temperature is displayed, but additionally, this model features a temperature read-out on the outside temperature sensor, pretty nice if you already are outside.
Easy to set up and use according to most purchasers, and they are happy with the accuracy.
The rainfall information is prominent on the indoor display and can be read at a glance from a distance. You can also see the data graphically. See more about this model.
The La Crosse, 724-1710, has a transmission range for both of the outside sensors of 300 feet.
The not so good
There have been comments about poor battery life in the indoor display. Maybe this is due to using low-quality batteries.
The reason that battery life might be important is that you lose your data history when you change batteries.
I almost always install lithium batteries in everything and have been very happy with the long life.
Another potential issue could be the 99.99″ maximum rainfall total. That’s a lot of rain! I guess you could look at it as a maximum of about 100 inches of rain between battery changes.
Oregon Scientific Wireless Rain Gauge Weather Station with Remote Thermometer Review
The Oregon Scientific wireless rain gauge with a thermometer is the oldest of the three models, and so has the most overall sales and the most comments from buyers.
The best things about the Oregon Scientific Model RGR126N
Many people say that it is easy to set up and install.
The history function is easy to use. This is nice if you want to see what happened after you get home from work, for instance.
It is accurate and easy to read. The battery life is very good. See more about this model on Amazon.
This has the simplest digital display readout of the three, showing rainfall and outdoor temperature only.
What is not good
Removing the batteries will erase your temperature and rainfall data. Actually, this is not a big issue as this model only saves 10 days of data. Only 10 days of history could be at risk...
The maximum range between the outside thermometer and the indoor display is 100 feet. The rain gauge itself has a 300′ range.
No indoor temperature displayed.
The Oregon Scientific rain measurements are accurate to 0.04 inches while the others measure down to 0.02 inches. It will miss very light rainfall.
There have been quite a few complaints concerning poor customer support. I’ve had this issue with them myself.
Well, there you have it…
…Which of these rain gauges with thermometers so you think is best for your needs?
The Acurite 01089M with all the extra weather information…
Maybe the Oregon Scientific RGR126N for the easy history access?
Or the La Crosse 724-1710 with it’s easy to read display…
The best things about a wireless rain gauge
–> Having your weather measurements sent wirelessly to a display inside can sure make life easier and way more fun.
–> You can sit inside, warm and dry, while watching the thermometer and see the rainfall numbers accumulate.
–> No more going out in the cold rain to read the numbers off of a rain collecting jar.
–> No worries about having to empty the rainwater or having the water freeze and break the collector.
–> No more having to write things down before you forget what the rain measurement was.
Rain gauges with thermometers: comparison table
| In order of my preference ——–> | Acurite 01089M | La Crosse 724-1710v2 | Oregon Scientific RGR126 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size | 5.8″ High x 3.4″ Wide x 1.0″ Deep | 4.27” x 1.47” x 3.88” | 5.59″ x 3.54″ x .98″ |
| Rainfall | 0.01 inches and up | Up to 99.99 inches .01″ increments | Up to 999.99″ .04″ increments |
| Temperature | Indoor: -4F – 158F Outdoor: -40F – 122F | Indoor: +14F – 140F Outdoor: -40F – 140F | Outdoor only: -22F to 140F |
| Humidity | Indoor & Outdoor1% to 99% Relative Humidity | No | No |
| Barometric Forecast | Yes, Rising or Falling Pressure Indicator with Storm Alert | No | No |
| Time & Date | Yes, Time sets Automatically | Yes | Time & Day |
| Alarm | Rain Alert | 1 – Rain Alert 2 – Time Alarm w/ Snooze | High Daily Rainfall |
| History | Previous Day, Last Hour, Week, Month, Year, and Previous Year | Current, 1hr, 24hr, 7 Days, Last month & Total 365 Days Max | Daily, 9 Day, and Total |
| Graphic View | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rain Sensor Range | 100 feet | 300 feet | 300 feet |
| Thermometer Range | 330 feet | 300 feet | 100 feet |
| Other Indicators | 1 – Low Battery for Rain Sensor and Display. 2 – Temperature Trend | 1 – Low Battery on all three units 2 -Rain Sensor Wireless Connection | None |
| Warranty | 1 Year Limited Warranty | 1 Year Limited Warranty | 1 Year Limited Warranty |
| $ | $ | $ |
Other pages that may interest you…
This page shows a way of using your rain gauge to measure snow.
So you don’t need a rain gauge? See this page
Here is some info about installing your weather gauges
Here is how knowing the weather conditions can help you
Here is my page on inexpensive weather stations