I recently had the opportunity to test out the Sainlogic SA3 portable personal home weather station.
The folks at Sainlogic found my weather articles here at TheFunTimesGuide and reached out offering me the chance to test and review one of their personal home weather stations.
The weather bug I am, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see if their products are the best home weather stations.
This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Sainlogic home weather stations — I also enjoyed the affordable and easy-to-use Sainlogic SA1 home weather station.
The home weather station I’m reviewing in this article is quite a bit different from the Sainlogic SA1, which I’ll explain in detail in a minute. I’ll also show you what it’s like setting up and using the Sainlogic SA3 home weather station — and give you my opinion as to whether you should buy one for yourself.
Why I Like Using Home Weather Stations
I’ve been using home weather stations for many years now.
I bought my first one in 2010 — a Davis 6250 Vantage Vue that still works all these years later. I’ve regarded the Davis weather stations as sort of a gold standard among amateur weather stations. Some of that company’s weather stations are used by professional outfits, not to mention many full-time meteorologists.
It’s because of my longtime success in using a Davis weather station that I’ve remained brand loyal to them. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be persuaded to use another type of weather station… and that’s where Sainlogic comes in.
My experience with the Sainlogic SA1 home weather station was good, and I wrote a review about it. I noted that it’s an affordable home weather station offering a variety of features that would suit most any backyard weather observer.
As someone who has enjoyed studying meteorology since I was a child, I love using personal home weather stations — especially when they offer most of the weather data I’m looking for.
So how did the Sainlogic SA3 personal home weather station measure up?
Here’s my review…
How To Set Up The Sainlogic SA3 Weather Station
It’s easy to set up!
The first thing I did when I slid my new SA3 weather station out of its box was insert three AAA batteries (which are not included). A little blue LED light immediately started blipping on the front of the small console.
Cool… We were already up and running. Well, almost.
Time needed: 30 minutes
It’s easy to set up!
The first thing I did when I slid my new SA3 weather station out of its box was insert three AAA batteries (which are not included). A little blue LED light immediately started blipping on the front of the small console.
Cool… We were already up and running. Well, almost.
- Download The Weatherseed App
I would need to install the Weatherseed app on my smartphone to begin using my new Sainlogic weather station.
The Weatherseed app is where my Sainlogic SA3 weather station reports the data that I can see and use.
The Weatherseed app is free and obtainable via a simple download.
From there, I began pairing my phone to the weather station and the console to my wifi. - Pair The Sainlogic Weather Station With My Internet
To pair my sensor to wifi, I first needed to ensure that my router could support 2.4GHz bandwidth AND that my phone was set to Bluetooth mode.
From there I began setting up the Weatherseed app.
- Select Your Model
I made sure I selected the correct model of home weather station. In this case I selected “Portable Weather Station” and “SA3.”
I created a name for my device, hit “Next” on the screen, and then pressed and held the pairing button on the side of the weather station console.
Weatherseed found my new Sainlogic SA3 weather station in just a couple of moments, and after clicking on the right device options, I was off to the weather station races!
- Setup Preferences,
Next, I setup my preferences, such as:
– Choosing temperature readouts (Fahrenheit vs. Celsius)
– Selecting time readout (12-hour clock vs. 24-hour clock)
– Choosing speed readouts (miles per hour vs kilometers per hour)
- Choose A Location For The Sainlogic SA3 Weather Station
Sainlogic recommends the SA3 weather station sensor be installed in a shaded area — such as a north-facing part of the house that will receive shade throughout most of the day.
The reason for choosing a shady location is that direct sunlight and radiant heat can cause inaccurate temperature readings.
What’s more, Sainlogic states that their SA3 weather console is NOT waterproof. Therefore, the weather console should be located away from direct water exposure — such as under an eave.
Given these precautions, I hung my SA3 weather console in the innermost corner of my carport (under the ceiling). This will keep the weather sensor away from direct peak-afternoon sunlight and ensure that it stays dry from rainfall. (Thankfully, the SA3 weather station comes with a handy lanyard that can be used to hang it from a hook or nail, as I did.)
- Start Receiving Weather Data From The Sainlogic Weather Station
By the time I hung my home weather station under my carport, the console was already reporting real-time data to my Weatherseed app.
That’s SO cool!
Unique Features Of The Sainlogic SA3 Weather Station
Here’s a basic rundown of the many features you will find with the Sainlogic SA3 home weather station:
- Temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure readouts in real-time via the Weatherseed app
- Sunrise and sunset times from local reporting stations
- AI-assisted 7-day, 24-hour weather forecasts
- 2 years of weather data storage
- Round-the-clock email and app alerts
- 1-year warranty from Sainlogic
Pros & Cons Of The Sainlogic SA3 Weather Station
After using the Sainlogic SA3 personal portable home weather station for a few days, I discovered some pros and cons about using it. I have mostly positive things to share, though a few negatives, too.
The Pros:
- Super easy to use — It was a snap to setup my Sainlogic SA3 weather station. As you can see from my phone screenshot time stamps, I was up and running with this home weather station in like 10 minutes.
- Wealth of data reporting — Once equipped with the Weatherseed app, the Sainlogic SA3 was providing me with a wide variety of handy weather data as well as local weather forecasts.
- Inconspicuous weather sensor — The Sainlogic SA3 weather station is compact (basically smaller than a deck of cards). This is a terrific advantage for people who live in apartments, condos, or HOA communities that may not allow larger weather stations with rain gauges, weather vanes or windspeed anemometers, and the like.
- Affordable and simple enough for novices — Check out the price of the Sainlogic SA3 weather station and you’ll see what I mean; it’s ideal for anyone on a tight budget. And it’s very straightforward to setup and use… making it a cinch for just about anyone to get personal home weather station data.
The Cons:
- Requires wifi and apps in order to receive weather data — I’m going to say it again… I don’t prefer using home weather stations that require me to tie it into my wifi or connect it to an app. It’s nothing against this Sainlogic weather station. I’d have the same complaint about ANY home weather forecast product that requires this type of setup. I like a plug-and-play setup that’s totally insular and self-contained.
- Doesn’t include native wind and rain data — I like having a little more holistic weather data, including wind speed, wind direction, rainfall amounts, and other more advanced weather data like that. The Weatherseed app can supply this from other sources and spit out this data relevant to my neighborhood. But I prefer knowing what the wind and rain data is for my OWN yard from my personal weather station, when possible.
- If the power goes out, so does the weather data — One reason I like self-contained home weather stations that don’t rely on apps and wifi is you will lose access to live weather data should you experience a power outage. This isn’t ideal, especially during stormy weather!
Do I Recommend Buying A Sainlogic SA3 Weather Station?
I’ve got to say, the Sainlogic SA3 weather station is an all-around good product.
- While I didn’t purchase the Sainlogic SA3 weather station, its price is affordable.
- It’s super small (like 3 inches square, less than 1 inch thick, and weighs about 2 ounces).
- It provides all the basic weather data most backyard weather observers would want.
I don’t know if the Sainlogic SA3 home weather station is going to provide everything an advanced weatherbug might want for their home weather station needs. But for someone who wants to know the temperature outside, whether or not it’s muggy or crisp, and the barometric pressure, it’s a great purchase that won’t disappoint.
How long will the Sainlogic SA3 weather station work? I can’t vouch for that yet, as I’ve been using mine for only a few days. But the 1-year manufacturer’s warranty provides added peace of mind — rain or shine!
All in all, this is a weather station I would buy myself. I also recommend it for anyone who wants an affordable, basic backyard (or carport!) weather station for home weather reports.
