Topic: Davis Newsletter - way to go dalecoy

[PaulMy]

Congratulations to our dalecoy

JDale Coy had a bone to pick with us over a question in our
 last e-newsletter. We asked: True or False: The solar panel recharges the
 lithium battery in the ISS.
We then told you: "The lithium battery is not rechargeable. The solar panel
 powers the station during the day, while the battery powers it at night or when
 sunlight is low."
Wherein lay said bone. Dale said it is incorrect to say the battery powers
 the station at night, "because really, the super capacitor, which is charged by
 the solar panel, is what is doing the powering when the solar panels are in the
 dark. When the super capacitor runs out of juice, the battery takes over."
He's right of course, and we were wrong to so underestimate the brain power
 of our readers. We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue and
 just focus on the fact that the lithium battery is a backup battery and is not
 rechargeable. No dice, says Dale, because as we ought to know by now, Davis
fans  are tech-minded folks who value accuracy. Thanks for the reminder, Dale!

Paul

[CW2274]

Show-off...

[dalecoy]

 

[Mark / Ohio]

You tell em Dale!      

Just finished reading that and came here to see if anything was posted yet.   

[wxtech]

Thanks Dale.

[JECO]

I will be paying more attention to what dalecoy has to say. I add my congrats to Dale.

[Bushman]

Good on Dale, but hard to believe that Davis made such a boo-boo.

[johnd]

Good on Dale, but hard to believe that Davis made such a boo-boo.

Well they didn't of course, they were just abbreviating for the sake of, um, brevity. I can sympathise with the writer's predicament, as per their explanation: 'We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue and just focus on the fact that the lithium battery is a backup battery and is not rechargeable.' It's a fairly familiar story - you provide too much detail in an explanation and people get bored and don't read it or you simplify or omit an important part of the detail and hence provide an incomplete answer.

But clearly a wrong call in this case because they were oversimplifying too far and got picked up on it.

[ValentineWeather]

Have you spoken to Davis lately? I have. The knowledge of some is very lacking and may have been the issue in the e-newsletter. I actually had tech help say the Vp2 wireless anemometer couldn't be selected for small cups in the Vue console because the Vue gave you no options. I told him to check again.

You tell 'em Dale

[johnd]

Have you spoken to Davis lately? I have. The knowledge of some is very lacking and may have been the issue in the e-newsletter.

I wouldn't speak to front-line support at all normally, partly because it tends to be the wrong timezone for calls from the office here, but more because I've got access to dealer support deeper inside Davis if there's some uncommon issue that I can't answer directly. (Actually, as it happens, there was one today - what's the spec of VP2 wireless consoles sold in China? EU seems to be the slightly bizarre but accurate answer.)

But I agree, Davis front-line support sometimes does not seem to be as knowledgeable as it could be, indeed as I admit myself on here from time to time. What does irk me in particular is the seeming tendency to make up an answer rather than to say 'I don't know for sure but I'll find out and get back to you'. Some might say that it's the enthusiasm of youth, but I'd probably use different words. But from what I know this newsletter is not written by anyone in front-line support hence my rather different view of it.

[Skyview]

We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue

When I read that, I interpret that they don't want to bring attention to a part that has been known to be a problem.

[CW2274]

We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue

When I read that, I interpret that they don't want to bring attention to a part that has been known to be a problem.

Well I must be a lucky one.

[Bushman]

Good on Dale, but hard to believe that Davis made such a boo-boo.

Well they didn't of course, they were just abbreviating for the sake of, um, brevity. I can sympathise with the writer's predicament, as per their explanation: 'We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue and just focus on the fact that the lithium battery is a backup battery and is not rechargeable.' It's a fairly familiar story - you provide too much detail in an explanation and people get bored and don't read it or you simplify or omit an important part of the detail and hence provide an incomplete answer.

But clearly a wrong call in this case because they were oversimplifying too far and got picked up on it.

Yeah, not like there is anything to hide about the supercapacitor.   

[SlowModem]

Yea!   

[ed2kayak]

Good work Dale!

[FL Bluejay]

We only wanted to skip the whole "super capacitor" issue

When I read that, I interpret that they don't want to bring attention to a part that has been known to be a problem.

I thought the same thing. I like Davis and have received decent support for them, but it is almost like they don't want to acknowledge the super capacitor is the elephant in the room.

[Old Tele man]

Supercapacitor = Achilles-heel of VP2 ISS if there ever was one.

[CW2274]

Supercapacitor = Achilles-heel of VP2 ISS if there ever was one.

Apparently I'm the only VP2 owner on the planet that still has an 8 year old operating SC.

[Old Tele man]

Supercapacitor = Achilles-heel of VP2 ISS if there ever was one.

Apparently I'm the only VP2 owner on the planet that still has an 8 year old operating SC.

My VP2 is only 3 years old and I'm always checking for "bad" SC, because HEAT is what kills them...and (ahem)...that's what we've got plenty of here during the summer months.

[CW2274]

Supercapacitor = Achilles-heel of VP2 ISS if there ever was one.

Apparently I'm the only VP2 owner on the planet that still has an 8 year old operating SC.

My VP2 is only 3 years old and I'm always checking for "bad" SC, because HEAT is what kills them...and (ahem)...that's what we've got plenty of here during the summer months.

Then I must have woken up on the right side of the bed that day when I bought mine.

[dalecoy]

I really did not want to start a debate about the merits of the supercapacitor.

[d_l]

Apparently I'm the only VP2 owner on the planet that still has an 8 year old operating SC.

I have one that is 7, and two that are almost 4.  Think they are a lot more reliable than some believe.

... and congratulations, Dale.

[FL Bluejay]

I really didn't mean to imply that I wasn't happy with my VP2 units. I do believe they are still, by far, the best total stations on the market. Everything has it's flaws.