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Today we're taking a look at the La Crosse Technology WD-3209U Weather Center. This unique device utilizes both locally collected weather information as well as internet data to provide a quick look at current and future weather predictions. See how the Weather Direct station stacks up after the jump.At ConnectReviews, we try to review a bit of everything in the technology world; software, hardware, cool looking gadgets. However, until now, we haven't reviewed anything in the relatively popular field of weather stations. Think about it. Most houses these days have some sort of weather center letting you know exactly how warm it is outside on those hot summer days. For this reason, we felt it was about time to take a look at what's available at the cutting edge of weather devices.

We picked out the WD-3209U from La Crosse Technology as it shows what current weather centers do. Instead of solely collecting data using local sensors, the station utilizes a connection to the internet to download and update the current weather, as well as forecasts for the next three days.

Now, off the bat, the station doesn't support a WiFi connection to obtain this information. It comes with a small adapter that connects to an ethernet line and transmits this signal to the weather center within a 330 foot radius. Transmitting from a basement to a second story was a breeze, so I'll believe their claims for wireless range.

Setup is relatively painless providing that you read the setup instruction manual word for word. You have to register your device online prior to usage to setup city data, etc. Therefore, there's a good deal of button pressing that is required between the wireless adapter and the clock itself. However, 15 minutes later, I was in business with my newly setup weather center.

The clock presents a large amount of information, but typically, the most important number to see is the current temperature. Sadly, the only time that is visible is when it's scrolling on the bottom of the clock (which doesn't occur nearly enough). I would've liked to see that instead of the barometric pressure or wind speeds.

However, all in all, the clock does display a good deal of information about current and projected weather. My only complaint lies in how the information is displayed. I don't want to watch a scrolling line of text at the bottom of the clock for five minutes trying to figure out how warm it is outside right now. In addition, the layout of other pieces of information seems like it could've been done better. For example, a large bar in the middle of the clock displays information such as chance of precipitation in very large text (it can also show pressure, wind speeds, gusts, etc.). This information is simply not crucial and show be made smaller or somehow more compact.

In addition to displaying information on the clock itself, you can setup mobile alerts to your phone or email for certain weather situations. For example, if you own a convertible and like parking it outside with its top down, you can setup an alert to warn you when there's greater than a 50% chance of rain within the next 24 hours so you can go and park your beloved automobile in the nearest garage. This seems somewhat useful, but I couldn't find a practical application for it in my daily life.

Ultimately, if you are not a fan of The Weather Channel, don't like getting your weather information off the internet, and are a weather enthusiast, I would certainly recommend the WD-3209U weather center from La Crosse Technology for you. However, the steep price tag of $149.99  ($99 on Amazon.com) is likely to deter many potential buyers. The WD-3209U could make a great gift for a more tech savvy weather enthusiast, gardener, or outdoorsman. Just remember that at the end of the day, it still does virtually the same job as any major weather website, but costs a lot more.

Pros

• Plenty of good information displayed
• Backlit screen can be useful
• SMS/Email alerts for certain weather conditions

Cons

• Expensive ($149.99)
• Information poorly arranged on the screen
• Sometimes difficult to switch settings

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