Barometer QNH or QFE?

[New Bloke]

I've been given a barometer for Christmas and on the back is a subsetting scale. Now I live at 480' amsl, do I set the subscale to todays QNH (1007) or should I subtract 16 mb to give me the QFE of my house?

[HugMonster]

You need to check your house's Operations Manual - or refer to one of the training pilots (if your household is like many I've encountered, you will discover that you're married to the Chief Training Captain). They will advise whether your household lands QFE or QNH.

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Breeding Per Dementia Unto Something Jolly Big, Toodle-pip

[cossack]

You need the pressure at Mean Sea Level.
If you live near an airport then get the QNH from the ATIS. Pressure does change quickly so set it straight away, preferably on a calm day (ie not tomorrow, having seen the forecast!)

As for siting your barometer, make sure its in a place which doesn't suffer from rapid changes of temperature ie hallway, or somewhere where it may get knocked.

Info courtesy of Mrs cossack (Met Office)

[New Bloke]

Thanks Huggy, the Chief Pilot of our household has set me this as an initiative test. I think she knows but isn't saying.

Thanks Cosack, that makes sense as it gives "fair" for today instead of "rain". The instructions that came with it are ambigous in the extreem. I think they started life as Japanees and have been translated to English via Hungarian. After reading "The barometer is set to indicate true pressue when read at 1312ft above sea level and will indicate change as different weather systems pass the point of use". Now, does this mean I must move to somewhere 1312'AMSL? Most weird.

Thanks again both.