Author Topic: Welcome to Rainwise  (Read 11360 times)

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Offline VaJim

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Welcome to Rainwise
« on: February 10, 2012, 05:59:18 AM »
Rainwise owners and those who desire info or to discuss the Rainwise line now have a place to call their own.


http://www.rainwise.com/


I've been using a Rainwise since 1999 and it's a solid performer.


Offline smorris

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2012, 08:26:52 AM »
Good morning, Jim!

Ahh, so that's why you made the Rainwise suggestions in the various "What to buy" threads. Are you a distributor, vendor, or factory rep?

I'll just copy my quote and response here from the Texas heat thread.

Quote
Rainwise may be on the higher end of the price scale, only to find it's quality is unsurpassed.

Of course there are always exceptions. My $199 Rainwise rain gauge didn't last two summers. Wouldn't receive data even ten feet away. Changed batteries, channels, orientation, etc. The one year warranty was up, so I had a very expensive funnel. I know there are flukes now and then, but based on that experience, I personally probably wouldn't buy one of their products again.

YMMV,
Steve

I got it back out this fall before I bought the Davis VP2. What it would do was either not report any precipitation at all, or report much more than actual. Sometimes the daily would be dozens of inches while the total was zero or only a few tenths. It worked great the first summer and in the next spring. But when it started acting up, it happened quickly, not over time.

Granted, this was the older model from before the external antenna. But the experience still swayed further purchases. Anyone else see anything like this?

Thanks,
Steve
Steve - Avon, Ohio
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Offline DanS

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2012, 08:52:30 AM »
Steve, I think you hit the nail on the head with your previous statement, " Of course there are always exceptions."  Just about all the different wx station companies that I read about on here have had an issue or two with their products to deal with, reed switches, Super Caps, battery packs, firmware (2X rain amount), etc. You get those occasional rotten apples in the barrel of an otherwise good product. ;)
« Last Edit: February 10, 2012, 09:20:31 AM by DanS »

Offline Gulfcoast

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2012, 09:26:39 AM »
Very true Dan... like most products, we never hear about the thousand's that work well on the net, just the few that don't.  :-)

Offline smorris

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2012, 10:00:32 AM »
Oh, I understand and completely agree. I worked in engineering and manufacturing for 37 years, so I know things can go inexplicably wrong on occasion. I probably just got a bad apple. But you also know of many cases where that one bad apple spoils people's perception of the company against future purchases.

I do try to "spread the word" when a product does live up to expectations or a company goes above and beyond to ensure a happy customer. I'll be an evangelist for businesses like this and butt in on discussions where an uninformed salesman isn't doing a customer justice.

I guess I replied just because even years later, it still irks me that I spent a lot for the very best, but with the short warranty, I was left with a useless product so quickly. No parts or service was available, so I couldn't fix it. :shrug:

Steve
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Offline Weather Display

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2012, 12:24:24 PM »
the earlier models did have reception problems (mine included)
but since they improved on that I have not read about that problem, so thats good
Brian
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2012, 01:44:13 PM »
I've had my Rainwise MK-III for a few years now and have been very pleased with it (much more that with my Davis).  I had a possible problem with the humidity sensor just a few weeks ago.  With very few questions they sent out the latest version of the temp/humidity board, updated firmware and even a chip puller to change out the firmware.  A couple other questions I've had have been answered very promptly.  Their developers have been responsive and receptive to a couple ideas I've tossed at them.  And I have yet to have to change the battery in the ISS and probably won't have to for at least another few years (whereas my Davis needed four batteries in the first three years).  Considering the steep pitch of my roof that means a lot to me (and even more to my wife who's afraid of me falling :D ).  The extra money spent on the Rainwise was well worth it not only in the equipment quality but overall experience with the company!
Joe Torsitano


Offline Skywatch

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2012, 02:18:24 PM »
How's the wind sensor? I see those same type aerovane anemometers on WeatherBug stations and every now and then a stray wind will come up and catch the sensor off gaurd and stop the propeller completely. I like cups because wind speed and direction are independant. Wind speed is measured from a full 360. Just curious.


VaJim, You should Email Rainwise and ask one of there tech guys to join WXforum.
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline Feelgood Ranch

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2012, 02:20:21 PM »
Thanks VaJim.  It's about time RainWise is recognized in this forum.  I have owned their products for 20 years, starting with the wired version, which had multiple problems with reliability around electrical storms, and now wireless version for a decade with no problems. Battery replacement at 7 years. Replaced wind gauge after several years for bearing failure, with wind velocities commonly 40-85 mph and one recording of 111 mph.  Not bad IMHO since out in the Rocky Mountains extremes of weather are common.
Lonnie White, long time employee of RainWise, and now in sales, has always been prompt and helpful addressing any questions or needs I asked of him.  I could not be happier with this company and it's quality products.

Ken Keyes
RainWise MkIII-LR, WeatherView 32 v8, StarDotXL 3mp cam, Boltek PCI lightning detector/L2K, CWOP/CW4669, Weather For You
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMTBOZEM2&wuSelect=PWS
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Offline VaJim

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2012, 05:30:21 PM »
Good morning, Jim!

Ahh, so that's why you made the Rainwise suggestions in the various "What to buy" threads. Are you a distributor, vendor, or factory rep?


Hi Steve

In answering your question...none of the above.  I'm just another weather geek like most everyone else here on the forum.  I've been interested in weather for years.  I used to plot daily highs/lows from the newspaper back in the 70's.  Whoa!

About the mid-late 80's I started to see some interesting weather stations.  The weather guy on D.C. TV (I lived in Dc 89-92) had a nice Heathkit in the studio.  After returning a wired Radio Shack, I settled on the Rainwise.  This was in 1999 when the wife and I made the trip to Bar Harbor, ME.  The folks there were real nice, even got a tour of the factory. 

Back then there weren't many of us on the web.  The station I bought (WS-2000) came with the WV32.  I've even had the opportunity to visit Dave Heider in Oregon.  He has quite a setup as he writes software for many different stations.

Although I own a couple of other stations (Davis & Lacrosse), the Rainwise remains the Godfather.  As I think back to my research of buying a station, what sold me on Rainwise was their LED displays.  As much as I like the Davis and Lacrosse displays,  they are fairly useless from across the room and when the lights go out, well it's 'lights out'.

I've notified Lonnie White that we now have a Rainwise area in the WXForum.  Frankly, I was surprised when I joined here back in 2009 that Rainwise didn't have their own area.  It just didn't seem right to find Rainwise topics buried inside the 'Others' folder.

I'm glad this area is open and will contribute in anyway I can.  Glad to see the activity and lets keep it going.

Thanks to all!

Offline smorris

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2012, 05:37:37 PM »
Thanks for the background, Jim. I'd been interested in weather as related to gardening, but it wasn't until I lived in Virginia (Orange County 1980-1986) and started sailing all over the state that the interest grew to buying some instruments. Hand-held wind speed, along with the normal rain gauges and barometer were the extent of it then. I was on the newsgroups back then, but there sure wasn't anything like tying the stations into a computer like today.

Thanks,
Steve
Steve - Avon, Ohio
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Offline DanS

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2012, 07:04:50 PM »
Looking at their products page it appears they've added some new items since my last visit.  http://www.rainwise.com/products/index.php?Category=Industrial_Sensors

Offline VaJim

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2012, 07:22:02 PM »
....I like the addition of the Rainwise.net:

http://www.rainwise.net/

Offline Swede

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2012, 11:25:15 PM »
I've been a RainWise customer since the early 1990s, upgrading to the WS-2000 in June of 2000.  That unit is still in operation.  Sent it in finally last year for a new anemometer and humidity sensor.  The wind sensor bearing were finally wearing out.  RainWise is a great company to work with and excellent service after the sale.

Swede
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2012, 01:29:26 PM »
How's the wind sensor? I see those same type aerovane anemometers on WeatherBug stations and every now and then a stray wind will come up and catch the sensor off gaurd and stop the propeller completely. I like cups because wind speed and direction are independant. Wind speed is measured from a full 360. Just curious.

I've never observed that problem on mine.  However I was on a radio tower with a cup anemometer a couple weeks ago and did see the phenomenon you speak of.  I was bolting a dish on the tower just above where the wind sensor is and saw the cups suddenly stop for about a quarter of a second.  I thought for a brief moment it had suddenly seized up, but it started spinning again and remained so for the rest of my time on the tower.  So maybe they're all prone to that.
Joe Torsitano


Offline Feelgood Ranch

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #15 on: February 13, 2012, 01:50:48 PM »
I agree with last post.  I have never had the propeller on the RainWise ananenometer stop and the winds out here are pretty funky and variable, both in force and vector. 
Station atop a 30 ft. mast and mast top with station sways a bit in high winds.

Ken Keyes
RainWise MkIII-LR, WeatherView 32 v8, StarDotXL 3mp cam, Boltek PCI lightning detector/L2K, CWOP/CW4669, Weather For You
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Offline blizzardof78

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #16 on: May 04, 2012, 10:52:10 PM »
Hello Everyone... Well I received my Rainwise MK III on the 20th of April. Only issue I've had with it is the barometer readings. They are sending me a new mother board for the white box mounted on the pole. 

I will say I've not noticed any significant difference between the peak gust on the Rainwise unit compared to the Maximum instrument I have. Rainwise meets right there with the peak gust as it happened with Maximum and that I'm very pleased about!  \:D/

I was also concerned that the roof, albeit ours is not the 'traditional' real dark shingled roof, would make a big difference in the temperature readings. Just the other way around! I do notice there may be a slower 'cooling' period after the sun goes down, but nothing major. On the 'normal' day my readings are right in line with METAR stations around me!!  =D>

One last thing... I like to see how people have not only their outdoor units but the indoor units as well! I'm attaching a photo of mine. Anyone care to share?


Offline VaJim

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Re: Welcome to Rainwise
« Reply #17 on: May 05, 2012, 09:07:11 AM »
Hello Everyone... Well I received my Rainwise MK III on the 20th of April. Only issue I've had with it is the barometer readings. They are sending me a new mother board for the white box mounted on the pole. 


One last thing... I like to see how people have not only their outdoor units but the indoor units as well! I'm attaching a photo of mine. Anyone care to share?



I went throught the same with the barometric pressure.  The 'new' motherboard should fix the problem.  The problem is related to the temperature compensation on the board.  Evidently the new board addresses it well.  One recommendation; when you go to replace the motherboard, you'll notice several connection to the board itself (much like a PC motherboard).  Bring the station in-doors or a place where you can lay it horizontal.  Bring the 'new' board along side and watch the connections as you unplug them.  Unplug one and then immediately plug it in on the new board.  That way you shouldn't lose track of where you are.  Although the connectors are marked, I found this method to work for me.

A pic of my station is in my Avatar. I have 3 displays (one large multi and 2 small Oracles) Been with Rainwise since 1998 and I live the red LED especially at night.  My Davis Vue is basically useless at night.

 

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