Handheld Weather Forecaster, Oregon Scientific EB313HGA

The Oregon Scientific EB313HGA Handheld Weather Forecaster is a highly practical yet inexpensive accessory for hikers, campers, boaters, and almost anyone else who spends a lot of time outdoors, away from television, radio, and the weather station at home. In the top section of the EB313HGA's backlit LCD panel are displayed any of five animated weather forecast icons and a barometric pressure trend arrow. One of the icons is a severe weather alert. Below the icon and trend arrow are displayed the temperature and relative humidity. You can select the current temperature and humidity or the minimum and maximum temperatures and humidity recorded since the EB313HGA's memory was last reset. Time, calendar data (month, date, and weekday), and one of eight moon phase icons are displayed in the lower section of the LCD panel.

Features and Benefits

• Displays any of five weather forecast icons, one of which is a Severe Weather Alert icon.
• Displays a barometric pressure trend indicator arrow.
• Displays temperature in °F or °C and relative humidity in percent.
• Has minimum/maximum memory for both temperature and humidity.
• Integral digital quartz clock has both time and calendar displays plus a daily crescendo alarm with available 8-minute snooze function.
• Time is displayed in 12-hour mode with AM or PM.
• Weekday abbreviation (in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish) can be displayed as an alternative to seconds.
• Moon phase (as one of eight icons) is displayed along with time and calendar information.
• LCD panel has bright blue HiGlo electro-luminescent backlight for night viewing.
• A belt clip that doubles as a table stand is included.
• The two required CR2032 (3V) lithium batteries are included.

As you might expect, the EB313HGA can display temperatures in °F or °C. Because the slide switch for the temperature unit is in the battery compartment (whose cover is secured by four Phillips screws), you make this selection when you insert the two included CR2032 (3V) lithium batteries. All other setup and display selections are made via pushbuttons on the front, back, and top of the EB313HGA's case.

The five animated forecast icons that the EB313HGA can display are Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy, Rainy (which predicts snow in cold temperatures), and Severe Weather Alert. The Severe Weather Alert icon is a solid black cloud with rain falling from it and an exclamation point (!) inside it. This icon is displayed when the barometric pressure drops more rapidly and significantly than normal. Seek shelter when you see the Severe Weather Alert icon.

Current and recorded minimum and maximum temperatures and humidity are easy to display on the EB313HGA. Pressing the MEM button momentarily toggles these readings from current to maximum to minimum. Also, the min/max memory can be easily reset at any time. You simply press and hold the MEM (memory) button for 2 seconds. A beep indicates the reset.

Another handy feature of the EB313HGA is the LOCK button. It's the one on the back with the padlock symbol on it. Pressing the LOCK button deactivates all other buttons on the EB313HGA to avoid accidental display and operating mode changes. Pressing the LOCK button again activates the other buttons.

The EB313HGA's integral digital quartz clock shows the time in 12-hour mode with AM or PM. It also shows the month, date, and either seconds or weekday as selected via the front-panel MODE button. Although the EB313HGA's clock is not atomic, you do need to select your continental U.S. time zone, which is displayed only during setup as PA, MO, CE, or EA. You also need to set the hour, minute, year (displayed only during setup), weekday, and also the language for the two-letter weekday abbreviation. You can choose English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. With the calendar correctly set, the moon phase icon will also be correct. The + and - buttons on the back panel let you view the moon phase for the next or previous day and also let you scan quickly through the years (2001 through 2099) to view the moon phase on a particular day. 

The clock in the EB313HGA has a single daily alarm that sounds with a 2-minute crescendo pattern of beeps. If you let the alarm sound for the full 2 minutes, it will automatically silence and then sound again after 8 minutes. While the alarm is sounding, you can turn it off in two ways. One way is by pressing the SNOOZE/LIGHT button on the top right corner of the case. Doing this temporarily lights the bright blue HiGlo^TM electro-luminescent backlight and silences the alarm for the 8-minute snooze period, after which the alarm sounds again. The other way to silence the alarm is to press the ALARM button (the one with a bell symbol) on the back of the case. This turns the alarm function off altogether, so you'll have to turn it on again the next day if you want the alarm to work. By the way, you can press the SNOOZE/LIGHT button at any time to temporarily light the backlight.

As mentioned above, the two required CR2032 batteries are included with the EB313HGA. Also included is a belt clip that doubles as a table stand. With the EB313HGA, you get a lot of functionality and practicality at a very affordable price.

Specifications

Click here to see the instruction manual. (It is a large file and will open in a separate window)

Please Note: This product comes in a clear plastic blister pack that, once cut open, cannot be resealed. Because opening a blister pack renders the enclosed product unfit for resale, non-defective products whose blister packs have been opened are not returnable. If you receive this product and it is not to your liking (for example, if its appearance does not meet your expectations), please leave the blister pack unopened and contact us for return instructions. Defective products, however, can be returned for replacement. Again, please contact us for instructions.