Topic: Looking for a new station, give me some choices

[bbowers]

I've been looking for a new station for a while... I used to have a basic LaCrosse one, w/ wind, temp, humidity, rain, pressure, etc. Looking to get a new one again. I live in an house (read: apartment) and have the whole first floor/basement, w/ front and back porch...but not much of a yard. I have a data collection PC with a wireless card to put wherever I need it. Looking to put a PWS up on wunderground again as I did in the past.

I've had this one bookmarked for a while, not sure what it compares to, but I'm looking for similar ones...

http://www.ambientweather.com/dain62vavuew.html

Also another I saw...I'm a fan of the solar stuff...and wireless is a plus as well.

http://www.ambientweather.com/wmorscwiprwe.html

Any other suggestions? I'd like to spend ~$300

[Garth Bock]

You are on the right track. I had an OS-986 but had a problem with the individual transmitters breaking off at their mountings. While the price was right for me it gave me many good years of service and I learned alot. I moved on to a Davis Vantage Pro2 because it was one unit and not individual transmitters like the OS. The Vantage Vue is the newest and according to the rest of the forum the best out there. The Vue is solar powered but only for charging is supercap that runs the station for several cloudy days and then a lithium battery takes over...same as in the Vantage Pro. Two differences though....the OS986 has the serial port built into the console. This is a cost savings over the Davis where the serial connection through the Data Logger is an extra cost. BUT...the Davis has the Envoy which is a screenless receiver that you can have at the computer while your console is free to roam around the house. The OS986 doesnt have this luxury.

[Downlinerz2]

    I used to have an OS WMR968 and it served well, but I did have some difficulty with humidity readings. This is easily corrected and there are more than one thread on the forum on the subject.  Everything I have heard about the Vantage Vue has been very good.  Good luck.  It sure is fun shopping around for weather stations!!!

[DaculaWeather]

I've had my Vue since October and love it.

[SlowModem]

I have a Davis, OS and LaCrosse on the same pole.  You can compare the data at WU or my website (click on link in signature)

Of course, right now it's hot and dry with little to no wind.

After straightening out a few bugs, I am happy with all three.

[Weather Display]

the Davis has the Envoy which is a screenless receiver that you can have at the computer while your console is free to roam around the house. The OS986 doesnt have this luxury.

you can purchase another OS986 screen though, to get the same end result

[mackbig]

Do you only have access to the backyard for positioning your station? Or can you put something on the roof?

Where do you plan to put your anemometer?  The VUE is all in one, so your rain, temp, wind is all going to be in the same place.   The OS you can put your anny, rain, and temp in three different spots to rule out wind and rain shadows.  With VUE you are either on the roof with everything, or in one place in yard with everything.

If your ~300 has a hard ceiling the Vue will run $386.95 (vue sale price $269, low price quote for weatherlink 117.95) in order to get it connected to your pc.  OS will just cost you price the listed of $189.95 and a serial cable to connect (few bucks)

I have a vp2 now, but my OS 968 is still kicking after 4.5+ years, only issue was humidity sensor (which unlike others I killed it, not faulty), but a $20 replacement and it works fine.  While Davis has far superior customer service, the number of Vue issues raised here are far more than I have seen over the years with Vantage Pro 2 users.  New product growing pains I assume.  Although even with my VP2, I already had to replace, ironically enough, a humidity sensor....)

Good luck with your decision.

Andrew

[SlowModem]

I already had to replace, ironically enough, a humidity sensor

Andrew,

If you'd mount your weather stations somewhere besides in the pool, the humidity senors might last longer.   

[mackbig]

Low blow Greg.  The THGR968 flipped upside down and became a rain catcher, and the pool sensor that became a bottom sensor was not even meant to measure humidity....
Andrew

Andrew,

If you'd mount your weather stations somewhere besides in the pool, the humidity senors might last longer.   

[bbowers]

Right now I'm torn between a local person selling a new Oregon Scientific WMR200A for $150, or buying a new Davis 6250 and then getting the data logger and the software for it... The guy on CL isn't very responsive...then again, a lot of people don't just sit at a PC all day like I do

[mackbig]

Personally I would tear yourself away from the wmr200 idea.

Andrew

[Bushman]

Yeah, "Buy Once - Cry Once" like Dad used to say.

[4wd]

I have a feeling you know you want the vue 
It's a nice unit, apart from anything else the styling makes it quite 'pretty' to have right by the house.

[SlowModem]

Right now I'm torn between a local person selling a new Oregon Scientific WMR200A for $150, or buying a new Davis 6250 and then getting the data logger and the software for it... The guy on CL isn't very responsive...then again, a lot of people don't just sit at a PC all day like I do

For $30 or so more, you can get a 968.

[Clay]

I have owned a Lacrosse 2308, an Oregon Scientific WMR100, and a Davis Vantage Pro 2 (6152 plus FARS). The Davis is my current WX station and by far the best I've owned. I would even say that it is the best product I have ever purchased. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the excellent build quality. It just felt studier than the OS and Lacrosse. It has hardly missed a beat since I got it back in November. Last month, I ran over the anemometer wire with a lawn mower. I called Davis and in only 2 or 3 minutes had a rep on the phone. They insisted on sending me a water proof splice kit free of charge. They shipped it for free as well. Anyway, you get the point, excellent CS.

You won't be disappointed with a Vantage Vue but I would recommend a high end Lacrosse if you ended up passing on the Davis.

[Skywatch]

I have owned a Lacrosse 2308, an Oregon Scientific WMR100, and a Davis Vantage Pro 2 (6152 plus FARS). The Davis is my current WX station and by far the best I've owned. I would even say that it is the best product I have ever purchased. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the excellent build quality. It just felt studier than the OS and Lacrosse. It has hardly missed a beat since I got it back in November. Last month, I ran over the anemometer wire with a lawn mower. I called Davis and in only 2 or 3 minutes had a rep on the phone. They insisted on sending me a water proof splice kit free of charge. They shipped it for free as well. Anyway, you get the point, excellent CS.

You won't be disappointed with a Vantage Vue but I would recommend a high end Lacrosse if you ended up passing on the Davis.

I wouldn't recommend a Lacrosse. I think one would be better of with Oregon Scientific. Even the WMR968 packs some punch, I had 2 Lacrosse units die in a years time. They arn't known for longevity. My oldest Oregon Scientific BAR609HGA which is almost 5 years old still works. I to have a WMR100A, which is a great station. But I'm trying to save up for a Vantage Pro 2 or Vue. One thing I don't like about Davis stations is you need additional 165$ for Weather Link. I like simple weather stations like Oregon Scientific or Zephyr which don't require extra hardware to sync to a computer.

[BigOkie]

I have owned a Lacrosse 2308, an Oregon Scientific WMR100, and a Davis Vantage Pro 2 (6152 plus FARS). The Davis is my current WX station and by far the best I've owned. I would even say that it is the best product I have ever purchased. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the excellent build quality. It just felt studier than the OS and Lacrosse. It has hardly missed a beat since I got it back in November. Last month, I ran over the anemometer wire with a lawn mower. I called Davis and in only 2 or 3 minutes had a rep on the phone. They insisted on sending me a water proof splice kit free of charge. They shipped it for free as well. Anyway, you get the point, excellent CS.

You won't be disappointed with a Vantage Vue but I would recommend a high end Lacrosse if you ended up passing on the Davis.

I wouldn't recommend a Lacrosse. I think one would be better of with Oregon Scientific. Even the WMR968 packs some punch, I had 2 Lacrosse units die in a years time. They arn't known for longevity. My oldest Oregon Scientific BAR609HGA which is almost 5 years old still works. I to have a WMR100A, which is a great station. But I'm trying to save up for a Vantage Pro 2 or Vue. One thing I don't like about Davis stations is you need additional 165$ for Weather Link. I like simple weather stations like Oregon Scientific or Zephyr which don't require extra hardware to sync to a computer.

Honeywell's TE923W is not a bad choice either.  Least for me.  It's not the fasting reporting (wind sampled every 11 and reported every 33-48 seconds; rain sampled every 10 seconds reported every 183 seconds, temperature sample every 10 seconds) but it doesn't require extra hardware to make a pc link and it does store history on board.  Plus, replacement sensors are a heck of a lot less expensive than any of the Davis products.

[bbowers]

I grabbed the local WMR200A... had it for a day and sold it already. Ordered the Vantage Vue last week and got it yesterday...a MUCH better unit... but I knew that ordering it, and getting the other one to try out.

I have it on the fence in the back yard... it's pretty much isolated from the wind. I convinced my upstairs neighbor (no convincing, he was happy to donate his upper front porch to science!) to let me use the uncovered portion of his deck to place the sensor unit. So I'll be relocating it tonight, I just hope that it can get all the way down stairs and to the back of the house to the console in my room!

I'm going to wait a bit to get the WeatherLink USB I think... the console at this point is adequate for me.

[Clay]

I have owned a Lacrosse 2308, an Oregon Scientific WMR100, and a Davis Vantage Pro 2 (6152 plus FARS). The Davis is my current WX station and by far the best I've owned. I would even say that it is the best product I have ever purchased. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the excellent build quality. It just felt studier than the OS and Lacrosse. It has hardly missed a beat since I got it back in November. Last month, I ran over the anemometer wire with a lawn mower. I called Davis and in only 2 or 3 minutes had a rep on the phone. They insisted on sending me a water proof splice kit free of charge. They shipped it for free as well. Anyway, you get the point, excellent CS.

You won't be disappointed with a Vantage Vue but I would recommend a high end Lacrosse if you ended up passing on the Davis.

I wouldn't recommend a Lacrosse. I think one would be better of with Oregon Scientific. Even the WMR968 packs some punch, I had 2 Lacrosse units die in a years time. They arn't known for longevity. My oldest Oregon Scientific BAR609HGA which is almost 5 years old still works. I to have a WMR100A, which is a great station. But I'm trying to save up for a Vantage Pro 2 or Vue. One thing I don't like about Davis stations is you need additional 165$ for Weather Link. I like simple weather stations like Oregon Scientific or Zephyr which don't require extra hardware to sync to a computer.

OS has it's drawbacks though. I had to replace to thermo sensor twice (once was my fault) in the year that I owned it. Also, I hated the .04" tip guage. That's so bad that they couldn't give it .02 or .03 resolution at least. In the end, however, the old saying holds true..." You get what you pay for."