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How to set up a Hama weather station

Updated: October 2026

The first evening usually looks the same: the indoor digits appear, the outdoor line stays blank, and the clock sits an hour ahead of the kitchen. That hour is German legal time, not a broken movement. This is how to set up a Hama weather station so the sensor pairs on the table before you hang it, and so the UK offset is still there after the night-time search. You do not need a professional for the pairing. The models differ on the [Hama weather station comparison](/hub/climate-measuring/hama-weather-station). Where the probe should live once it is talking is the [outdoor sensor](/hub/climate-measuring/hama-weather-station/sub/hama-weather-station-outdoor-sensor) page.

The first evening usually looks the same: the indoor digits appear, the outdoor line stays blank, and the clock sits an hour ahead of the kitchen. That hour is German legal time, not a broken movement.

Our top picks

Hama Hama EWS Intro

Best overall

Hama Hama EWS Intro
8.6/10about £18.40
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Hama Hama Bahamas

Best value

Hama Hama Bahamas
8.2/10about £15.21
View offer
Hama Hama Black Line Plus

Alternative

Hama Hama Black Line Plus
7.8/10about £44.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put the sensor and the base on the same table
  2. 2.Let the clock finish its search
  3. 3.Set the offset for the UK
  4. 4.If UK time will not stick
  5. 5.A blank forecast is a different fault

Put the sensor and the base on the same table

Hama's set-up guide puts batteries in the outdoor sensor first, then in the base, with both units side by side for about 30 minutes. Match the channel if the sensor has a switch. Many of these links use 433 MHz, the same band as some routers. The first link is one sensor, on one channel, next to the base. Stop once a stable outdoor temperature is on the base. If the line never appears, and the set is not as described, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, is the short-term right to reject, generally within 30 days.
Hama Hama EWS Intro

Testsieger

Hama Hama EWS Intro
8.6/10about £18.40
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Set the offset for the UK

The manuals describe the zone as a numeric offset against the German signal. For the UK the offset is -1. GMT stays an hour behind Central European Time, and BST stays an hour behind Central European Summer Time, because both clocks move on the same night. Many models store a number of hours. On the EWS Intro, confirm the zone with CLOCK so the display shows ZONE. On the Bahamas and the Sylt, the listing says DCF can be switched off. Do not assume every model has that switch. Sets without a radio clock, such as the Action, are separated in the buying guide. An hour ahead the next morning means the offset was not stored.

If UK time will not stick

Two UK reviews of the Black Line Plus say the zone does not hold and that updates go back to Central European Time. That is reported on that model, not on every Hama clock. If yours returns to German time after you have stored -1, set the offset again and watch the next search, or switch DCF off if that booklet allows it. The Bahamas and the Sylt are the listings that say the signal can be switched off. If the outdoor reading is present and only the hour is wrong, do not reset the sensor.

A blank forecast is a different fault

A missing forecast on a Meteotime set is not fixed by the clock offset. Since 30 June 2026 the multi-day packet can be absent while time and the local sensors continue. Leave that set switched on and leave its place alone. The packet and the TEST button are on the Meteotime page. A local icon that is blank in the first hours has not stored a trend yet.

Common questions

Which batteries go in first?
The outdoor sensor first, then the base, on the same table. Remove any cells already fitted so both sides start together. Wait about 30 minutes before you carry the probe outside. A base that is powered first can finish searching before the sensor has woken.
How long do I wait before I move the sensor?
About 30 minutes, until the outdoor temperature on the base is steady. Moving it during the search makes a weak link look like a fault. Once the number is stable, then choose shade and shelter. Height and rain cover come after that half-hour.
Why is the clock an hour ahead?
DCF77 carries German legal time, and Hama presets the zone to Germany. In the UK that reads as one hour fast unless you store -1. BST does not need a separate summer switch if that offset stays stored. A manual time without a stored zone is overwritten on the next search.
What if the DCF symbol never stops flashing?
Leave the base near a window overnight, about a metre from the router, and read it in the morning. Repeated battery pulls restart the search. If your model allows the signal to be switched off, as the Bahamas and Sylt listings say, you can keep a manual time. A flashing symbol is reception, not the Meteotime outage.
The outdoor number never appears. What next?
Repeat the table pairing: sensor batteries first, matching channel, 30 minutes, away from other 433 MHz transmitters. If it still never links and the goods are not as described, the 30-day right to reject is the starting point. Another nail will not help a sensor that has never spoken indoors.
What does LL on humidity mean on the Touch?
A UK review of the Touch shows LL where outdoor humidity would sit. The review does not define the letters, and this page will not invent a percent. Treat it as that humidity reading missing. Re-pair on the table before you decide the sensor is finished.
Will the next automatic search undo my manual time?
Yes, if the zone was never stored. The Bahamas manual says a later reception overwrites a manual time. Store -1, confirm it the way your model requires, and look again after the night search. On the EWS Intro that confirmation is CLOCK and a ZONE indication.

Related pages

Hama weather station

Best Hama weather station: pick by the job you need

Hama weather station buying guide: four checks first

Hama Meteotime weather station and the 2026 outage

Hama outdoor sensor placement: shade, height, range

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources used for this comparison, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for the eleven models. Retrieved 20 October 2026.

  1. PTB, dissemination of legal time, DCF77 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Find a Tender, NPL time broadcast (MSF, 60 kHz) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Hama support, Meteotime forecast outage (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Meteotime, transmission problem, 30 June 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Meteotime, forecast data still unavailable, 30 July 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Hama support, setting up the weather station (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Centre for Sustainable Energy, home temperature and humidity (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 20 October 2026)