EcoWitt HP2551: Flight Field Weather Monitoring Like a PRO!

My flight field is nearly 30km (19 miles) from my residential home, and before going out to play with my drones, I always check the wind conditions in various weather apps. The area is between some valleys and has its microclimate; the weather applications are often wrong. Installing a home water station, like the EcoWitt HP2551, is the best way to track Mother Nature. Thanks to the built-in WIFI connectivity and free cloud service, you can monitor both indoor and outdoor environments remotely anytime from anywhere on the globe.

The EcoWitt HP2551 home power station consists of three main parts: the control unit (console), indoor sensor, and outdoor sensor. The two sensors and other optional sensors connect with the HP2550_C display wirelessly. According to your region and local RF regulations, you can opt for 433Mhz (Oceania), 868Mhz (Europe and UK), and 915Mhz (North America).

In addition to real-time weather monitoring, the HP2551 sends data to the Ecowitt server to track the history of weather evolution (temperature, wind speed/direction, rain quantity, air pressures, humidity, solar radiation, and UV level). It also supports uploading weather data to popular platforms such as Weather Underground (WU), Weathercloud, and WeaWOW.

EcoWitt HP2551 weather station review

Disclosure: I received this WiFi weather station in a product review collaboration with Ecowitt. Although the product was free, all opinions in this article remain mine, and the sponsor did not influence me.

Initially, I wanted to build my own weather station using Arduino, but seeing that I could obtain the same results with a ready-to-use solution, I gave up the project. I contacted a few manufacturers to see if they want to provide one of their products for review. Ecowitt was the first to answer my email. I asked for the 5-in-1 WN1910, but being out-of-stock, they sent me the more versatile 7-in-1 HP2551.

The weather station comes in a suitcase-like box with protective cardboard inside. The kit includes everything to start using it; you will need only four AA batteries (two for the external sensor and two for the internal) and a 50mm diameter pole for mounting.

What’s inside the box?

• HP2550_C Wi-Fi Display/Console
• WH32P indoor 3in1 sensor
• WS69 outdoor 7in1 sensor
• Wind speed cups (tri-blade)
• Wind vane (direction blade)
• Set of mounting accessories (2x U-Bolts, 4x M5 nuts, mounting plate and M5 wrench)
• USB power adapter with USB to 3.5mm DC 5V power cord

Ecowitt HP2551: Control unit and dashboard (HP2550_C)

First, we’ll discuss the indoor control unit (Display/Console). The HP2550_C looks like a tablet with a few buttons at the bottom. Unfortunately, unlike most modern devices, the 7″ TFT full-color LCD does not have touch features. You can control it only through the eight buttons, whose functions are changed from screen to screen -the actual function of the button is displayed on the bottom ribbon. The unit communicates wirelessly with the sensors (indoor/outdoor), the range being up to 100 meters. It can manage multiple sensors and even up to eight of the same type. Here, I should mention that you can’t mix frequencies; for example, if the console works on 868Mhz, you can’t use 433Mhz sensors.

The HP2550_C display has two working modes, day (black background) and night (white background), and you can also adjust the screen’s brightness. The unit has a built-in foldable stand to be placed on a desk and two holes if you prefer to mount it on a wall. The unit is not self-powered (battery-operated) and requires an AC outlet nearby.

At a glance, besides the sensors’ inputs, the console shows the Time and Date, ‘Feels Like’ Temperature (Wind Chill and Heat Index), Dew point, Sunrise, Sunset, Moon Phase, Forecast, and many more details.

The HP2550_C main console also displays minimum and maximum conditions with time and date stamps and historical archived data, which can be exported to a micro SD Card for advanced data analysis in spreadsheet editors like Excel. Firmware updates can also be done using the micro SD slot.

In addition to the included indoor and outdoor sensors, the Ecowitt HP2550_C can monitor many other types of sensors, including lighting, air quality, and soil moisture.

Ecowitt HP2551: Indoor sensor (WH32P)

The WH32 looks like an air conditioner remote but without any button. It has a built-in screen that shows the actual temperature, humidity, and barometric air pressure. It measures 123*42*14mm and weighs about 140 grams.

The unit can measure indoor temperatures from -10°C to 60°C (-14°F to 140°F) with an accuracy of ± 0.3°C (± 0.6°F) and resolution of 0.1°C (0.1°F). You can add up to eight WH32 sensors to the system, one for each of the house’s spaces. If the WH32 is installed in a position exposed to direct sunlight, Ecowitt’s dedicated sensor shelter is recommended to enhance the accuracy of daytime temperature readings.

Ecowitt HP2551: Outdoor sensor (WS69)

The WS69 is a complex unit that includes seven different sensors. In addition to temperature, humidity, and barometric air pressure monitoring, it can measure wind speed, wind direction, rain quantity, UV radiation level, and solar power through a tiny built-in solar panel.

The wind vane (direction) can cup (speed) needs to be installed on the shaft. Note that the wind can be installed in only one position (see photo below). Another important thing is to position the sensors according to the West arrow on top of the unit. I used my Kopset T3 Ultra watch as a compass, but you can also use your smartphone. If you install the weather station with many birds around, I recommend mounting bird spikes because they like making nests on surfaces like the rain gauge.

Remote weather monitoring: Ecowitt mobile APP and Cloud Interface

Thanks to the built-in wifi connectivity, you can monitor the real-time weather conditions and review stats through the Ecowitt mobile APP (available for Android and iOS devices) or the company’s cloud interface. Both options provide the same detailed view of the actual and historical sensor’s inputs.

Under the settings menu, you can customize weather units (temperature F/C, Pressure inHg/hPa/mmHg, Windspeed mmph, m/s, km/h, knots, fpm, BFT, Precipitation inch/mm, Solar irradiance: Q/m2\lx,fc, and Capacity: L\m3\gal).

The app has a map feature where you can share your weather station and have access to others installed around the world. I was surprised to find out how many there are, even near my location.

You export stats in Excel format from the cloud interface for further analysis and comparison.

Pricing and availability

The HP2551 Wi-Fi weather station can be ordered directly from the manufacturer’s official online store for $199 (this price includes all 3 main components: console, indoor and outdoor sensors). Ecowitt products can also be available on AliExpress, Amazon, and other platforms.

Who should buy this weather station?

As mentioned at the beginning of my review, I needed a real-time weather station for my flight field to know remotely whether there were good flight conditions. After starting to use it, I discovered it has many other usages. Integrated with Google Home or other smart home systems, you can control room temperatures and humidity, optimize heating and cooling, or automatically close the blinds of your terrace in case of a storm (strong wind or heavy rain).

Based on the history of the data obtained from the wind sensor and the solar radiation, you can decide whether wind or solar green energy suits you. These days, everyone started installing solar panels on the roof without considering the solar coverage in the area or if wind energy would not be more efficient.

Farmers can use weather stations to optimize irrigation, planting, and pest control. Using Ecowitt WH51 soil moisture sensors, they know precisely how much watering is needed to improve crop yields and keep costs low.

Key features

• [Personal Weather Station] Provides accurate weather information with a newly designed interface; it allows you to monitor your home and backyard wirelessly and have fun (No additional Software required).
• [Wi-Fi Capable]: Enables your weather station to publish its data wirelessly to Weather Underground/Weather Cloud/WOW and view the current weather condition directly via our weather app WS View; supports uploading to ecowitt.net to get email alerts for all the sensor data.
• [Large TFT Color Screen]: User friendly & well-designed interface with 2 backgrounds (dark/light) selectable; Displays wind speed and direction, dewpoint, rainfall, indoor outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, moon phase, solar radiation, and UV; with weather forecast function.
• [All-in-One Outdoor Sensor]: Wind vane, wind speed cups, UV / solar radiation sensor, thermo-hygrometer sensor, rain gauge, bubble level, and solar collector 7-in-1 integrated sensor; 100-meter long-range wireless connectivity.
• [3-in1 Indoor Sensor] Wireless temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure with built-in screen.
• [Max/Min & History Records]: View max/min and historical records of sensors directly on the console with sunrise and sunset time display; supports adding max 8 WH31 multi-channel temp and humidity sensor, one WH51 soil moisture sensor, and one WH41 PM2.5 air quality sensor.
• [Smart Features] Calculates dew point, wind chill, heat index, moon phase, and sunset/sunrise time. Weather forecast and sending alarms.

Accuracy and measuring range

Ecowitt weather station: Optional sensors

In addition to the optional sensors listed below, the Ecowitt ecosystem supports its time-lapse camera.

EcoWitt HP2551 alternatives

When I started researching a weather station for my flight field, I came across various models, and to be honest, many look the same despite being from different brands.

Vevor and K&F Concept are well-known brands on FirstQuadcopter from other review corporations, and after checking their website, I found out that they also have a weather station. The Vevor YT60234 features similar features as the HP2551, but it comes with a larger screen, and its outdoor sensor is self-powered through a solar panel and rechargeable batteries. The Kentfaith GW40.0009US WIFI weather station has a 10.2″ display, a 5-star review score, and costs only $179.

The Logia 7-in-1 LOWSC710B, ACCUR8 DWS7100, Ambient WS-5000, and Bresser NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC are also great options if you are looking for a remote weather monitoring system.

Ecowitt’s HP2561 comes with a touchscreen control unit and costs only a few bucks more, making it a good alternative for the HP2551. The Ecowitt GW2001 features a new-generation ultrasonic wind speed sensor and haptic rainfall sensor, making the outdoor unit much more compact and robust. The GW2001 WittBoy has no moving part and is more proper for harsh weather conditions.