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Predicting the weather.... Is it feasable ? Handheld Barometer ? Predicting the weather.... Is it feasable ? Handheld Barometer ?
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 11 Sep 2013
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Predicting the weather.... Is it feasable ? Handheld Barometer ?
Whilst doing some test rides in heavy rain today, my mind wandered to thoughts of travel as they usually do and I was thinking how much I hate dislike getting soaked through when I'm riding/camping. There's the odd occasion where it's an exhilirating feeling but usually it's just a damp, cold , pain in the ass..

And some roads become impassble in heavy rain. Some are easier.... It can be pretty important in some parts of the world.

So, when you're out in places beyond the internet and want an idea of what the weather might do over the next couple of days, what can we do ??

As a kid, we had a posh brass barometre and my dad was great at predicting the weather for the next two days. He was 90% right and he didn't cheat... Probably lol.

I've seen digital hand held barometers for £150. Are they any good at predicting the weather..

hmmmmmm
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Old 11 Sep 2013
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I have an electronic "weatherstation" in my home, bought for around 40$. It shows actual temperatures and pressure but has also two pictograms showing what the weather tendency is. Its very consistent with the official forecasts.

I do however also have such an oldfashioned thing as a radio, where I can get weatherforecasts 5 times a day, depending on the country.

Its got FM but also Short Wave.


Here is the weatherstation:
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Old 11 Sep 2013
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I'm thinking about Siberia/Siberia. I can't understand Russian.
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Old 11 Sep 2013
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Weather Underground
G'day Ted

I find this website (unusally named) but very good, type your destination or location and you have a 5 day forcast! The rest is up to the powers to be!

Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather Underground
I'm in your neck of the woods soon

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Old 12 Sep 2013
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Yes it is
As a sailor---www.canal-river-boats .com
We use barometers all the time
Sudden falling and look out
As you travel, observe the sky and log in your mind what happens
Which is what they did in the old days before forcasting
old adage
mackeral skies and mares tales
makes tall ship
Shorten sails
when the wind turns
again the sun
don't you trust her
Cos back she'll run
this;ll make you ponder
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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If you travel with a barometer then you soon realize that you have to adjust it for your height... go up or down in altitude then the pressure changes .. OK for a boat.. fairly useless in a plane.
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warin View Post
If you travel with a barometer then you soon realize that you have to adjust it for your height... go up or down in altitude then the pressure changes .. OK for a boat.. fairly useless in a plane.
well seeing as we are not in a plane and altitude is not changing, then observations in difference are all that count? Voila
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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If you can't be bothered with all this hi-tec stuff and you're not sure which end of a mare's tail to look at, you'd have a 60% chance of being right if you just assume that tomorrow's weather will be the same as today's. Based on my experiences over the last week that's a better result than the Met Office managed to come up with.
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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I always use this: (also applicable for non-golfers...)



It's never been wrong so far.
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
If you can't be bothered with all this hi-tec stuff and you're not sure which end of a mare's tail to look at, you'd have a 60% chance of being right if you just assume that tomorrow's weather will be the same as today's. Based on my experiences over the last week that's a better result than the Met Office managed to come up with.
Smile, well can you actually see the blue sky in UK? cos you will only see mares tails in a blue sky
I can say what I want abt Eng. cos I was born there--albeit sometime last century
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
I'm thinking about Siberia/Siberia. I can't understand Russian.
Well, for starters, if you get yourself a local sim card, you will have some really inexpensive Internet access wherever there is cellular coverage (I'm not well prepared to advise which operator has better coverage in the areas you plan to cross, MTS and Megafon are usually a safe bet, or maybe ask someone like Mr. Colebatch who traveled yonder recently). Then use something like the abovementioned Weather Underground (has smartphone apps too).

And if you are really out in the boondocks, your best bet are locals, and you would be wise to at least prepare some cards with translations of "is it going to rain bad?" and some such, if not actually learning a dozen phrases. It is not that difficult. If you are a smartphone or tablet owner, Google Translate is pretty nice (and free), and allows you to pre-download language packs for offline use.

My point is that a barometer is pretty useless if you don't know the local weather patterns and how they arrange along the terrain.
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Old 12 Sep 2013
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Originally Posted by lazeyjack View Post
Smile, well can you actually see the blue sky in UK? cos you will only see mares tails in a blue sky
I can say what I want abt Eng. cos I was born there--albeit sometime last century

Oh the sky does turn blue in the UK occasionally but, round my way at least, the air turns blue a lot more often - particularly if it's a day when I have to work outside.
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Old 10 Jun 2014
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
I've seen digital hand held barometers for £150. Are they any good at predicting the weather.
When stopped for the night you can check a handheld barometer for the pressure in the evening and then in the morning to get an idea if a high pressure system is moving in (fair) or low pressure moving in (foul).

If you're moving it's more difficult. Riding 400km from here to central New Hampshire would drop the barometer by 4 inches of mercury or 140 millibars. This clearly says "storm" even if the weather is the same as here at the coast.

Weather stations all adjust their barometric pressure to pretend they are at sea level. When stations in Miami, Florida and Denver, Colorado tell the pressure on nice days, the numbers they use are similar. Coastal Miami's are "real" and mile-high Denver's are "corrected".

Some GPS units and smart phones include barometric pressure sensors that automatically calibrate the barometer while changing elevation. The Garmin 76s, for example does this. My Garmin Montana does not.

EDIT: Error in edit above; my Montana DOES report a steady, compensated barometric pressure even while I ride from the ocean over 400 meter hills.

I completed my field testing AFTER Bertrand posted below.
Last edited by Grinnin; 10 Jun 2014 at 21:56.
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  #14  
Old 10 Jun 2014
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Talking
A handhelp barometer would work but you would have to record the result over distance to see if pressure was rising or falling- a bit of a nuisance I'd say.
Tecchies have satnavs have Barometer options- very handy for watching pressure either rise or fall- with trending option / time/distance
The Montana, 64ST and Monterra all have automatic/and manual calibration options -
I'm hooked on the accuracy and speed given by the twin systems using GPS and Glonass (sad as it may be and there is no cure!)

Or your cheaper option, strap a pine cone to your handlebars - it opens when it is warm, closes when it is wet.
Of course, by the time it has done that, you'd already know

Don't follow me; I usually manage to find the rain!
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Old 11 Jun 2014
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Originally Posted by Warin View Post
If you travel with a barometer then you soon realize that you have to adjust it for your height....
I can't what the difference will be between 5'2" and 6'2"
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