Topic: New Member, New VP2

[DA270]

Hello fellow weather buffs! After a long time coming, my VP2 station went in service yesterday! I've been "doing" weather instruments since childhood and for me that's a long time. This looks like a great group and I'm excited to be a member. 

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[Intheswamp]

Welcome to the forum!!!  That is a fantastic installation of the anemometer sensor...wireless, I presume?  How high is it?  It should give you some good accurate readings. 

I'm not so sure about the cement pad beneath the ISS, though.  Seems that block of cement could be a big heat sink that might skew your temperature readings...???  .  Most of what I've seen/read said to mount the sensors over grass but it seems some airports, etc., place them over asphalt, cement, gravel at times, though, so maybe it's not a bad thing.  Looks like it's several feet in the air...how high is it (the ISS)?

Where are you located at?

Again, welcome aboard!!!
Ed

[Jáchym]

Hi,
welcome to the forum!

Looking at your installation you obviously take this seriously, good job!

Best regards from the Czech Republic

Jachym

[cospringswx]

Welcome from Colorado Springs. Nice set up.

[PaulMy]

Hi and welcome from Komoka, Canada.  A very nice installation and the new rain gauge as well .

Enjoy,
Paul

[Aardvark]

Welcome.

ISS should be over grass or soil, otherwise the heat radiates from the concrete up.  It should be 5 feet up according the the sitting requirements.  However, looking at your setup, you should have no problems  from the mounting pad you have.

[DoctorKnow]

That is a fantastic installation. It's one everyone would like to have. I don't think there is enough cement around that pole to affect anything, IMO, it's when you have lots of tarmac, or gravel, etc that it becomes very obviously an issue. There is grass all around that installation. Did you install the rain gauge away from the tower to make sure rainfall wasn't blocked? There is a Davis on a tower not far from me that I believe causes the rain gauge to read way too low.

[CW2274]

That is a fantastic installation of the anemometer sensor...wireless, I presume? 
I'm not so sure about the cement pad beneath the ISS, though.  Seems that block of cement could be a big heat sink

That's a really nice anny setup! Yes, it's wireless, you can see the TX box at the base of the single pole.
Don't know about the cement with all that grass around, all I know is it would drive me nuts knowing it might have an effect. I'd throw some green dirt over it.

[CW2274]

Well, I am Irish...

[CW2274]

Well, I am Irish...

William Wallace is my hero: "Dulce periculum"

I had to google everything but "is my hero". He's a Scott!

[MBYWxWatcher]

Hello fellow weather buffs! After a long time coming, my VP2 station went in service yesterday! I've been "doing" weather instruments since childhood and for me that's a long time. This looks like a great group and I'm excited to be a member. 

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Welcome from Mount Airy, North Carolina! Nice set-up!

[DA270]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and comments!
There were several questions so hopefully I'll answer them all.

The wind sensors are at a height of 10m and use the Davis 6332 wireless anemometer transmitter kit. I'm located in northern Palm Beach County, Florida between Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens.

I decided to separate the ISS from the tower because I thought the tower would most likely affect the rain gauge readings. We also have a lot of lightning here and it's fried many sensors, circuit boards, and various consoles over the years, so separating the tower with the bare minimum equipment and wireless transmission will hopefully help on maintenance.

I didn't think about heat radiation being significant from the small concrete pad under the ISS. The pad is 2x2 feet, surrounded by grass and the ISS is mounted at 2m above the ground. My main objective with the ISS concrete pad and height was trying to keep the lawn maintenance guys from tinkering with the sensors or crashing in to the pole with their mowers. 

[cospringswx]

Now you need a website to post the data live.

[DA270]

Now you need a website to post the data live.

I agree! That's next on my to-do list.

[George Richardson]

Good Morning DA270,
You will have to change the battery in the 6332 wireless anemometer transmitter kit. I would suggest you consider relocating it to 6' to 8' so it can be easily done. Then, if you're really into climbing towers, you can do that whenever you want to, not when you need to, which could be inconvenient.
FWIW
George

OH! Great site!

[ConligWX]

Wow, Nice Setup somehow I dont think my neighborhood would let me stick a mast that big up in my back yard

[DA270]

Good Morning DA270,
You will have to change the battery in the 6332 wireless anemometer transmitter kit. I would suggest you consider relocating it to 6' to 8' so it can be easily done. Then, if you're really into climbing towers, you can do that whenever you want to, not when you need to, which could be inconvenient.
FWIW
George

OH! Great site!

Yes! This was actually a decision I mulled over for a long time. Having the 6332 down at the tower base would definitely make for easy servicing. There were three reasons I decided to put it up on the "stick". The way the tower is oriented with relation to the receiver, the 6332 antenna would not have a clear line of site through all of the tower metal, so I was concerned about signal strength. Also the tower legs are wider than the 6332 stock mount, so some sort of modification would be required and finally, as I mentioned before, lightning is intense here and I wanted to keep all cable runs as short as possible. So, climb I will! 

[DoctorKnow]

Is this you? Seems like you are in a "hot spot"! You are running 2 F lower than the acurite next door. This I find to be "normal". My acurite 5in1 runs 2 F over also.

https://english.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLPALMB6

[WxLover16]

Is this you? Seems like you are in a "hot spot"! You are running 2 F lower than the acurite next door. This I find to be "normal". My acurite 5in1 runs 2 F over also.

https://english.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLPALMB6

That's not him. If you look at the PWS info it says the station is a FARS. His is not. I bet everyone here wishes they could all somehow find a way to put their anemometer as high as you have yours. Well done!

[Jáchym]

Is this you? Seems like you are in a "hot spot"! You are running 2 F lower than the acurite next door. This I find to be "normal". My acurite 5in1 runs 2 F over also.

https://english.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLPALMB6

That's not him. If you look at the PWS info it says the station is a FARS. His is not. I bet everyone here wishes they could all somehow find a way to put their anemometer as high as you have yours. Well done!

Not just that high, my anemometer is technically speaking also 10m above the ground because I have it on a pole on the roof and my house is about 8m high, the problem is obviously that I live in a large city and there are much higher buildings all around me... This setup seems to be really good and the concrete block at the bottom is IMHO going to have absolutely negligible effect.

[DA270]

Is this you? Seems like you are in a "hot spot"! You are running 2 F lower than the acurite next door. This I find to be "normal". My acurite 5in1 runs 2 F over also.

https://english.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLPALMB6

No, my station is not online yet.

[CW2274]

You will have to change the battery in the 6332 wireless anemometer transmitter kit.

Not saying this isn't true, however the battery in my ISS is almost 10 years old, and the one in the anny is about 4, both original.

[ALITTLEweird1]

I've seen those type of towers that have hinges on them so you can lower them very easily. But very pricey.

[DC]

Congrats, impressive, heck of great install.  What is the height of the ISS?  Looks a lot taller than the recommended 5-6'?  Any reason for that or is it camera angle?

[DA270]

Congrats, impressive, heck of great install.  What is the height of the ISS?  Looks a lot taller than the recommended 5-6'?  Any reason for that or is it camera angle?

Thank you! The ISS is at 2m.