Davis Weather Vue

[nickjwhite]

Hi All

After years on unreliable weather stations (last 2 were LaCrosse 3650 and Easy Weather FWS20) and constant problems with sensors dying, not resetting, spikes, troughs, freezing wind vanes, freezing rain gauges etc etc et-flippin-cetera, I am seriously contemplating Davis.

Okay, much as I dream/aspire/long for, I cannot afford the VP2, unless I actually stop eating and being warm, so I have had a good look at the Vue on line.

Can get through Amazon today for £354.79 and free delivery.

A couple of things.

1 Realistically, am I jumping from the pan to the fire, or will I get Davis quality/reliability/accuracy for a decent price? (any ups and downs know would be appreciated)
2 On one web site, it states that it must not be mounted high on a roof. er... why? Surely if it's the old problem of the rain gauge flapping about in strong wind, then a good solid pole will cure that. My belief is that getting the thing on the apex in free air will get much more wind and rain and directional accuracy than on the washing line in the garden where it is too sheltered. Anyone got a view (Vue???) on this?
3 If it is a USB connection, can Cumulus see it and get the data (as I do now) or do I really need to purchase another bit (Data Logger) as well?

All contributions (comments and financial lol) gratefully received.

Thanks all

[steve]

The Vue is a compromise; if you mount the sensors on the roof, while that helps with wind speed readings (as long as you mount it well above the roof so you don't get odd effects caused by the roof) you won't be reading the temperature at the correct height, and the wind may tend to cause the rain gauge to under-read by preventing all the rain from being collected.

You will still need 'Weatherlink' in addition to the station if you want to connect it to a PC.

[nickjwhite]

Thanks Steve

Compromise is what we seem to have to deal with. Financial or otherwise (lol)

The opposite compromise (to get accurate rain and temp) is to then mount this all lower (on the corner of the garage roof?), but then the wind will not be accurate although the temperature will be.

My old LaCrosse, was separate components, but the whole thing became unreliable in less than a year. The Fine Offset is also just under a year old, and I have no rain gauge now (no spiders or webs, just dead).
All very difficult and tedious. Maybe I just need to go on saving for the VP2, and pretend I live in a desert until then. Have tried to locate spare rain gauges for F/O bot they do not see to be available anywhere.

Love the new version... no issues here.

[steve]

Even the standard VP2 is a compromise, to a certain extent, with the rain and temperature sensors being mounted together.

[AllyCat]

Hi Nick,

The Fine Offset is also just under a year old, and I have no rain gauge now (no spiders or webs, just dead). .... Have tried to locate spare rain gauges for F/O bot they do not see to be available anywhere.

The FO rain sensor is very simple (so potentially very easily repaired) and I believe spare units are availble for £10 + shipping. But it might just be bad/corroded connections, or a fault in the transmitter unit (in which case a replacement sensor wouldn't help).

I must admit that I was tempted by this advert for a Vue at £270 (in fact it was only £255 in a promotional email sent a month ago) but as Steve says the USB/logger/software is extra (another £180 from the same supplier). Is that the same as available from/through Amazon?

Cheers, Alan.

[nickjwhite]

Alan

434.94 inc vat from here http://www.cactusnav.com/davis-vantage- ... 11076.html Probably even better if we shop around long enough. Shame these things are alwasys extras. Who wouldn't want to log their data if they have gone to the trouble of getting a Davis?

If anyone knows the link for a FO replacement rain gauge, please let me have it... I cannot find it anywhere. Thanks

[AllyCat]

Hi Nick,

There is a link to the Waters & Stanton equivalent ("8681-RGC Spare rain guage with cable for W-8681") in this thread however I see the availability is described as "Low Stock - Phone". But if you can, I would try a few simple tests first (the see-saw just bridges the two wires together as it tips) since a complete replacement sensor might be unnecessary or ineffective.

Cheers, Alan.

[gemini06720]

Even the standard VP2 is a compromise, to a certain extent, with the rain and temperature sensors being mounted together.

Well, if one is that picky, one could always get the FAR (the solar-powered, 24-hour fan-aspirated radiation shield) or even a separate temperature/humidity unit (sensors with radiation shield and transmitter)...

One must also remember that additional units can only be used with the Davis Instruments Wireless Vantage Pro2 weather station...

And finally, one gets what one pays for (such as endurance, quality and reliability)...

[grandrouge]

Hi,

I bought a Lacrosse WS 3250 and after 3 months of missing data and readings not showing I gave up and gave it to one of my sons.

I then bought for xmas 2010 the Davis Vantage Vue and it is installed on a post 100 m from the house in the middle of field. Not one data problem since. Here in France the system was very expensive so I surfed a bit and ended up buying in the USA from http://www.scientificsales.com/Bundle-D ... 510usb.htm Our current low price for the Bundle Deal! Model 6250 Davis Vantage Vue and 6510USB WeatherLink is $360.99 = £230 + postage

I stuffed up by first buying the station and buying Weatherlink a week later.

Need to install the USB to virtual serial port software at the start otherwise its all good.

[grandrouge]

Just remembered....choose the right Weatherlink version. USB if you plan on keeping your data local with no website or the Weatherlink IP version which is slightly more expensive but allows the exporting of data to websites etc.

Again I bought the wrong version....and now have the pleasure of keeping all my data to myself!

[nickjwhite]

Thanks guys

All starting to get complex. Glad you mentioned about the right version of the datalogger.... didn't even know there was a choice. Steve.... is this correct for uploading through Cumulus?

[steve]

No, it's not correct. What Weatherlink IP gives you is the ability to have a page on the Davis web site and upload to it even when your PC is switched off. Uploading to your own web site from your PC (with Cumulus or whatever) is possible with the USB or serial loggers, just as it is with other types of weather station with serial or USB interfaces.

[nickjwhite]

Aha....thanks Steve. Wouldn't want to get that one wrong. lol

[dmac]

It depends on which readings you want to be the most accurate and which are most subject to your environmental factors e.g. buildings affecting wind speed and direction.

I am lucky enough to have a field away from the house and sited the Vue at 2.5m so the wind and rainfall and temperature will all be reduced but not by much. The Vue is after all 40-50% cheaper than the VP2.

The recomended height for anemometer is 10m and/or 1.5 times the height of surrounding buildings. This in itself is not a easily achieved task and depends what we want to measure; how windy is it when you walk out the door or how windy up at 10m? Do we want to compare with others or our own previous readings.

Good luck with your purchase!

David

http://houndallweather.dyndns.org