Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I did not get mine from Amazon. I purchased direct from AcuRite for the same price+shipping. They also threw in the bridge ($40 extra on Amazon), which is needed to be able to see your weather on an internet website. So far, after two weeks, I love it. Although there are some design deficiencies which may limit the lifespan. Radio transmission is good and strong with my unit. It's about 100ft, as the crow flies, from the bridge and the display unit. It is also separated by a couple walls. Signal strength is good on both units, and data is transmitted without a problem. When selecting your location, be sure to insert the four AA batteries and then take the 5-in-1 out to the location and verify that it is communicating with your display console, before placing your permanent mounting post. It comes with a couple mounting options. I chose the one that mounts to a flat surface, or a post (at least 4in wide). I got a 10ft 4x4 at HD, and planted it in a hole 2ft deep, filled with QuickCrete. Plumbed and leveled the post, let it set for a day, then mounted the 5-in-1 at the top. Tools and supplies you will need to mount the unit to the post are basically a ladder, a phillips screw driver, a carpenter's level, and a compass. There is a plastic strip inserted to protect the rain gauge mechanism during shipment. Do not remove that until the 5-in-1 is secured to the mount on the post, but don't forget to remove it when you are finished installation. Also, use a ladder that is tall enough for you to look down on the 5-in-1. So that you can watch the leveling bubble in the top of the unit, and make sure it's centered when you lock it down. Also prior to locking it down, using your compass, line up the unit north-south according to the needle, with the solar panel facing south. The leveling bubble will be centered, the solar panel will be facing south, and the unit will be aligned north-south when you tighten the locking/mounting screws. Once the 5-in-1 is mounted and secured then you are finished. Remove the shipping strip from the bottom of the unit, and your weather station will be fully operational. -------------------- UPDATE (2/18/2015): This little weather station is still going strong. It's operating on the same, original batteries, and signal is still strong to the base station and bridge. The mounting pole has warped a little bit. So will have to re-align the station when winter is over. However, it still reports accurate wind speed/direction, and reports temps. The rain gauge was amazing last summer. Reported rain fall in real time (i.e. as it was raining), and the online connection maintains a running log of rain totals day to day. My only compliant is that daytime temps consistently read about 5 degrees high. There is supposed to be a little fan that blows air across the temperature sensor, so that direct solar heating of the chassis does not affect the reading. Unfortunately, either the fan stopped working, or it simply doesn't do the job. If I place the unit in shade, then the solar panel won't get enough light, and rain totals might be incorrect. Temp readings are accurate during the night, on cloudy days, and at times when the Sun is not shining directly on it. The website is also a nice feature. I can check the weather station online from anywhere. It also linked up nicely to Weather Underground.