Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The idea of this product is great: Place sensors around your house (basement, garage, wine cellar, outside) and upload the temperature and humidity to the Internet, where you can check the info from wherever you are. Unfortunately, although this product sounds great it comes up short in many ways, in summary: Missing and broken parts, poor customer service, limited online functionality, and product use restrictions (not outdoors!).
A fuller review of the numerous ways this product is a failure:
1) When I received the product it was missing an AC adapter. This is an included part and required for operation of the Gateway, so pretty fundamental. No biggie, right? I'll email support. Well, I did, using the online form. But it took a week to get a response other than the automated one generated by the email server at LaCrosse. When I got a response, they said they'd ship the missing part, but provided no timetable. So I called--I spoke to a pleasant woman who told me it was a good thing I called because they didn't know what state to send the adapter to. Why not? Well, because the drop down menu on the website form does not include an entry for Washington, DC (where I live). And they couldn't be bothered to figure it out from the zipcode I supplied. The adapter took another 2 weeks to arrive--I'll give them the benefit of a couple of days because it came two days after Christmas, so may have been sitting in a USPS facility for 2-3 days.
2) With the AC adapter, I'm in business, right? Well, no, because the network (ethernet) cable was broken. I followed the online directions to setup the gateway for online access. Plug it into my router and I get a red blinking light. I check the troubleshooting guide for what this means and it's not listed anywhere. One buried instruction suggests one gets a blinking red light once the gateway has contacted the server but has yet to be set up. Not true! I did some network diagnostics to figure out the gateway was not on my network. I tried my own Cat-5 cable and that worked just fine--apparently the one included was no good (I didn't waste more time confirming if it was in fact defective, but I unplugged/replugged and tried different jacks). Finally paired the gateway with my online account.
3) So now I'm good to go? Well, sort of. I paired the remote sensor to the gateway and it started uploading data to the LaCrosse servers. Went to check the readings, and what do I get? Only the last 5 data points. That's not much, given the measurement intervals are 2, 5, 10, or 20 minutes. So at most you can see at a glance data for the last 100 minutes--not so hot. If you want more, you have to download the data in an Excel spreadsheet, which is great if you want long-term trending but not very convenient if you just want to see what temperatures have been over the last day or so. And forget about seeing multiple sensors at once--you have to click through for each one. Some points, however, for providing both a battery level and "link" quality (signal between gateway and sensor).
4) I dug a little deeper on the website to get a better feel for things. It's a terrible website. First off, even though it provides an option for "remember my password" your login times out after an hour or two, and you have to reenter your login info again to access your data. So forget about leaving a window up to check on the data. Second, it's chock-a-block with ads. I understand the need for ads on a free website, but this is a site that you've more or less paid for access to by buying the product. At a minimum, your data should be more front and center. Third, in theory LaCrosse also supports a "WeatherClub" website where you can post your data and weather conditions. But the website gives an page not found error for every page and doesn't seem to work. As other posts on this product note, LaCrosse also had some major server migration issues in recent months. Overall, the website gave me little confidence that it will be supported, or even around, in a few months. And since data access is provided solely through a website, if the website is gone you've basically got bricks.
5) Finally, a word about the sensor quality and functionality. First, if you plan to use this to monitor outside temperature and humidity, forget it. The sensor is not waterproof and cannot be exposed to rain (fog and mist are okay though!!). So, indoors only. Also, I realize that for $30/sensor you're not getting scientific calibration. But why do the probe and the sensor differ in temperature readings by .5 degree or more regularly, even when they're inches apart?
I really had high hopes for this product. The concept is great, the price is reasonable, but the execution, customer service, and backend support all are sorely lacking.
Click Here to see more reviews about: La Crosse Technology Weather Direct TX60U-SET Online Temperature and Humidity Wireless Alert System
While it is impossible to be in two places at once, it is possible to monitor a remote location\'s current temperature and humidity level with this online wireless alert system from La Crosse Technology. The TX60U-IT system uses a thermo-hygro sensor with a 6-foot water-resistant probe to collect environmental data to transmit to the system\'s Weather Direct Gateway. Connected to a network router with the included LAN cable, the Gateway uploads the sensor\'s measurements to the user\'s account at www.weatherdirect.com. Online, the user creates custom alert parameters for e-mail and text message alerts in the event that the remote location\'s temperature or humidity level goes above or below the user-defined conditions. Offered for one year free with purchase, this alert service is great for ensuring a pet\'s wellbeing at home on hot days, guaranteeing atmospheric stability at warehouses with particular temperature or humidity needs, or for protecting seedlings from frost in greenhouses. The probe comes in useful for monitoring an aquarium\'s water conditions, soil temperatures, or home brewing.
Equipped with a LCD for on-site readings, the sensor communicates with the gateway from up to 200 feet unobstructed. The sensor and probe analyze outdoor temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees F and relative humidity levels from 3 to 99 percent. While fog- and mist-resistant, the sensor is not waterproof and should be sheltered from rainfall and direct sunlight. A mounting bracket for wall hanging or free-standing installation comes with the sensor. The sensor requires two separately-purchase AAA batteries; the gateway is powered with an AC adapter. For operation, this system necessitates a computer, network router, high-speed internet access, e-mail account, and a program capable of viewing Microsoft Excel formatted files. A one-year warranty covers this item. The sensor measures 1-1/2 inches wide by 3/4 inch deep by 5-1/4 inches high.
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