Topic: Any rumors on New Davis Stuff coming soon??

[wase4711]

I know this might be a useless thread, but, I would like to buy a Davis station before the end of the year, and, I am concerned that they might be finally coming out with some new stuff to go up against the new stuff from Acurite and Ambient Weather, and wouldn't want to buy existing Davis stuff if new stuff is just around the corner..
I've searched the Web, and there is no mention of anything; just wonder if there are any Davis "insiders" here that might have some inside info on what might be in the pipeline..

Thanks in advance!

[Old Tele man]

Silence is Golden...so is lack of knowledge.

[DaleReid]

Remember Osborne Computers, the sewing machine sized 'carryable' (if you were Arnold Schwarzenegger) with a hot item.  They made the mistake of announcing a new model months before it was to go into production.  These things were expensive even by today's dollars and back then they were phenomenally expensive.

Sales dropped to zero, with potential customers waiting for the new one, and all cash flow in stopped.  Company went broke.

I, too, have been waiting for a revised Davis Vantage line.  There have been slipstream improvements, with new sensors and anemometers and rain gauges and so on.

I think that they could continue to improve the current stuff as new options for them building a sensor (after all, you want a temperature and a humidity, who gives a darn about what furnishes that number as long as it is relatively accurate and can be field replaced), but the absolute albatross of a display unit that is literally a decade and a half, two if you count the VP1, is what is needing updating.  There has been nothing at all done about this, and while some only look at a web page their software generates, many of us use the display box for daily use.  Just minutes before opening this forum, I took my flashlight and shone it on the display to see what's going on outside.

How advanced is that!
Dale

[evergreek]

I would second the "refresh" need for the display. It is archaic.

A revised rain gauge would be a good addition as well.

[vreihen]

There's always good Davis announcements and rumors...on April 1st every year.....

[ValentineWeather]

Not saying I'm not looking forward to something better especially in the VP2 console like altimeter, external temperature probe for indoors and would love to seen the high humidity bias addressed on SHT31 sensor. Acurite has a little unit with the SHT31 cost only $15 that doesn't display the same high bias so it's an exclusive Davis issue.
 
The display is old for sure but will run battery powered for months. Big advantage over almost all others IMO when Davis units keep on going (receiving and data logging) when major storms have shut down all others.
 
I personally have the backlight on all the time so no issue seeing the display and don't worry about the indoor temperature I have other devices for that. Ie the Acurite SHT31 works great and inexpensive.

[wase4711]

I'll agree the display is horribly archaic, but, its hard to believe you have to pay another 150-300 to be able to get your data anywhere away from sitting in front of your console...that is more aggravating to me than the display from 1980..

[Bushman]

Just before or at this https://www.ces.tech/About-CES.aspx  is the most likely.  Davis does not innovate because they don't have to!  Rainwise in the only thing in their class and it is pretty small by comparison.

[Old Tele man]

Best way to snoop around for "new" info is to search the FCC website for info about new products which MUST have FCC clearance if they transmit, as all wireless weather stations do.

[nincehelser]

Best way to snoop around for "new" info is to search the FCC website for info about new products which MUST have FCC clearance if they transmit, as all wireless weather stations do.

There are exceptions.

https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/ea/presentations/files/oct16/11-Operation-of-RF-Devices-Prior-to-Authorization-101216-GM.pdf

[wase4711]

  Davis does not innovate because they don't have to! 

you're right, however, the only way to stay on top of the pack is to lead with innovation/quality/and unique ideas, so, hopefully, they add to their quality and add some "new" stuff to their offerings..obviously, the prosumer catagory is a large, lucrative business, and I'm sure they dont want to lose their #1 status anytime soon
 

[galfert]

The idea of Davis improving a sensor here or there is not a sustainable plan in the very short term. This is because Davis is going to have to address the lack of sensor availability of Legacy Sensibus (LSS) protocol pretty soon. Pretty soon nobody will be able to buy the LSS version of the SHT31 that Davis uses. This means that they will have to do an overhaul of their PCB design and programming to use the new stuff.

Davis just has to know that their screen is very outdated and they most definitely are working on a replacement. Anyone look at Davis want ads for new jobs? That might yield a clue too. The fact that Davis just this year joked about the VP3 is another indicator that they know people want it. I think that was a poor joke given the fact that they should have had a VP3 by now.

Davis should realize that just making minor improvements does not create big revenue. Hardly anyone upgraded just because to the SHT31 when they came out with it for example. If instead Davis were to come out with an entirely new product then people would be more apt the replace the whole thing and that would drive bigger sales and notoriety and would show that the company cares about product innovation.

There are times when coming out with a new product may be difficult when everything seems like it has been invented. But when you haven't updated your product in over a decade and then some, there are tons of areas for improvement. A VP3 should offer tons of improvements. I know I could make a decent size list of possible improvements and the display screen is about the most obvious first item on the list.

I understand the Osborne Computer effect. But I still think you can keep the consumer informed to some degree without cannibalizing sales. Apple does it. Google does it. Acurite just had about an almost 2 year publicly known beta run.

The bottom line is this...Ambient and Acurite to some degree are cutting into potential Davis sales. To be fair Davis is on a different level. But there are many people that value something like connectivity and the screen more than everything else the Davis represents. I'm one of those people. I would have bought a VP2, but decided that this late in the product life cycle it was not a good investment as I would most surely have buyers remorse with a new model most likely out very soon. If Davis does not come out with a new model then Ambient and Acurite sales will continue to grow and Davis will stagnate. If you don't innovate then some other company will fill in the void. Look at Acurite's Atlas Elite...on paper it seems much better than a VP2. We'll see what happens and if it has the bugs ironed when it finally comes out by the end of this year. Also what if Ambient decided to design a new station with separate anemometer? Could happen.

[ValentineWeather]

My understanding the SHT31 Davis uses (LSS) has never been available directly other than through Davis. I'm sure they can continue special orders through Sensirion with about any sensor if they order enough.
My hope is they will up the sensor to SHT35 and not screw it up molding into the board.  Somethings different with the Davis 31 version on humidity side. Either calibration from factory or the molding process onto board has messed them up.

[CW2274]

When the "VP3" does come out, I'm somewhat concerned with sticker shock. When I got my wireless 24hr VP2 in 06, they retailed at about $1100, but I miraculously found one for $575. I highly doubt I'll be so fortuitous next time.

[Old Tele man]

Forthcoming? Will we be seeing "Green Dot" • sensors?   

[CW2274]

Forthcoming? Will we be seeing "Green Dot" • sensors?   

As long as it works as advertised, I don't care what it's called. Unlike 99% of the forum, the dated console bothers me not. Would new and pretty be nice? Sure. The 24hr shield is still a benchmark, and as long as the sensor issue is addressed properly, and is compatible (sticking point), I'll probably use the VP2 til the wheels fall of.

[DaleReid]

An affordability will be a key.

The design and hardware to make stuff with injection molding and of sturdy enough build to take what we put them in (often pretty severe for year after year) is already done.  A whole new line means a whole new design and testing, of course.

Anyone who's held some of the top of the line stuff knows a lot of it is built like the proverbial brick outhouse.  And the $100 station at Target feels like a $100 station, and all the time we are bellyaching that we need 1% humidity and 0.05 degree temperatures.   Yes, looking at the stuff that we can buy for Arudinos is amazing, but a company wishing to service the agriculture and semi-professional needs of us guys will have to get at least a $1000 for a decent next generation station.

[CW2274]

but a company wishing to service the agriculture and semi-professional needs of us guys will have to get at least a $1000 for a decent next generation station.

Completely concur. If I were a betting man, it'll be ahellofalot more, lets see what they bring....(clears throat) when they bring it.

[wase4711]

agree; no one has a problem spending 400-800+ on an antiquated setup right now; I cant imagine anyone complaining about spending 400-800 MORE for a Davis with HD color display, and built in wifi, especially if that "updated" stuff is built like their current stuff is..

[WheatonRon]

Like most other VP2 owners that post in this Forum, I want to see a VP3 with all the latest and greatest technologies. I have been waiting years and nothing happens of significance. Bird spikes on the rain cone, releasing the “wet” SHT31, adding the Davis logo to the vane and rain cone are not siginificant—sorry Davis. Unfortunately, us weather enthusiasts are not on every street corner, that is, we are a very small market that will not generate the revenue of a new product, I won’t analogize to an iPhone! Bottom line? I guess we must live with the product as is and hope some minor tweaks are forthcoming, notably fixing the SHT31 wet bias. I am also not happy Davis dropped its USB Weatherlink software, but understand why they did it as long as they keep supporting the software, like they said they would.

In short, the product works, parts are readily available, so I guess we shouldn’t complain, right?

[DaleReid]

Sure, we can ask.

Davis has amateur wx folks they sell to, but also a lot of agricultural accounts and even some state and county resources like parks and such. 

Not all of them have research grade instruments.  But like Texas Weather Instruments, whom I happen to like a lot, the better built stuff seems to never stop working.  My original VP Pro is a 1 even though they never called it that.  I got it at least 12 if not 15 years ago and other than the poorly designed temp and humidity thing, it is still working!  The solar is still right on compared to the three others I have up.

It's hard to toss something that is a utilitarian piece of material when you are on a budget and it still works, so its sort of a catch 22 as to not having a big market, or having a big market but your stuff is so good it doesn't get replaced often.

[Jstx]

  Davis does not innovate because they don't have to! 

you're right, however, the only way to stay on top of the pack is to lead with innovation/quality/and unique ideas, so, hopefully, they add to their quality and add some "new" stuff to their offerings..obviously, the prosumer catagory is a large, lucrative business, and I'm sure they dont want to lose their #1 status anytime soon

  (et alia)

I'm not sure that most here realize that WX stations are just a fraction of Davis' overall business. I don't know the Davis corp financials breakouts for Davis (would like to see them if anyone has some), but they cover many other product sectors that probably drive the bottomline much more than prosumer WX does.

http://www.davis.com/ , versus the limited:   https://www.davisinstruments.com/

I too would like a Davis setup, at a reasonable pricepoint, based mostly on their perceived quality and durability (although the many threads here seem to expose some problems, eh?).
But like others, I'm really turned off by their overly proprietary designs (IMO*) and very dated product.

Also by the staggering costs to 'upgrade' a Davis to a 'modern' IP functionality. Having to buy costly extraneous doodads in order to have basic internet connectivity is absurd. The wireless-IP tech today is so cheap that they could build it into every system shipped, including all the non-IP models, just in case (excessive 'model sub-speciation' is a design flaw IMO). Their proprietary cloud scheme/subscription service is a negative too.

At the same time I don't want to mess around with a 'build your own' Pi/Arduino type system (don't care to be guruing around anymore, too much other carp to do). Just want to pull it out of the box, fool around a little setting it up, and leave it alone indefinitely.

* I worked decades for a giant corp that tried that ol' 'proprietary' BS in an attempt to move into the personal computer market. They got their PC lunch eaten as that market commodisized itself.

[wase4711]

hey, I too had a "VP1" or what ever they called it 20 years ago, in Chicago, sitting outside all winter/summer, and, after 10 years, all that it needed was to be cleaned out of bugs/bird crap, and the battery changed out every couple of years, so no one is questioning that their stuff works, and lasts a really long time.
i'm referring to the "up and coming" weather geeks, who, are super tech savvy, and expect stuff to look as cool as it works..those folks buy 1200 ibones every year or two, new ipads just as often, and have no problem paying alot for tech. THOSE are the folks that probably wouldnt buy a existing Davis product because they look like they are from 25 years ago...add that group, to the group of us older folks, who have had a Davis/acurite/LaCrosse/Ambient/TI/whatever, who would like to upgrade their stuff, and I think its a pretty viable market..
Although someone else mentioned this might just be a tiny part of their overall corporate nestegg..
Is Davis a public company?  If so, does anyone know what their stock has looked like over the last couple of years?

[ValentineWeather]

I was told by Davis on phone the other site http://www.davis.com/  is not affiliated.   Who came first don't know but the other site is taking full advantage of the Davis Instruments name even selling Davis stations.

[Jstx]

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