Author Topic: New VP2 Plus installed  (Read 4883 times)

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Offline JohnN

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New VP2 Plus installed
« on: January 06, 2017, 09:22:13 PM »
For Christmas, I got a new Vantage Pro 2 Plus to replace my Vantage Vue. Here are some pictures of my installation. The lower box is where I shoved all the electrical stuff for the rain gauge heater and the box on the pole is an outlet and switch to turn on the heater. The anemometer is mounted at about 21 ft. In the future, I'd like to get a tower or something to mount it at the proper 10 m. The main pole used to be used for a satellite dish. It's not going anywhere because it is set in about 4 ft of concrete. Trust me, everything is more level than it looks in my pictures.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2017, 09:25:05 PM »
Here's some more pictures.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline DanS

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2017, 09:36:31 PM »
Looks like a job well done! Nice Christmas gift to receive too.

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2017, 09:47:31 PM »
Thanks! When your dad is a retired union electrician, you can bet the electrical work will be quality work. It certainly was a great gift. Maybe next year will be a 30 ft tower...
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2017, 09:54:29 PM »
Just for reference, here is the old weather station with the old satellite dish.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline CW2274

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2017, 10:01:40 PM »
 =D>

Offline cospringswx

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2017, 11:07:38 PM »
Looks good. Great job on the install.




Ryan 

Colorado Springs, CO
www.cospringsweather.com
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Offline George Richardson

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2017, 10:02:19 AM »
Just curious - How big a pad do you have that mast in?

And it DOES look great!

George

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2017, 10:32:48 AM »
The anemometer mast is actually just resting on the ground. The original satellite post seems sturdy enough to keep it from moving much at all. So far it has held up to 20 mph wind gusts nicely without much shaking at all. I'm going to keep an eye on it to make sure it stays nice and steady.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline ValentineWeather

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2017, 11:50:09 AM »
Those 10' dishes have a good base. I use to install them on the side back in the day.
Randy

Offline alexstaar

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2017, 01:02:02 AM »
Very nice installation!
-Alex

Davis 6153 VP2 with 24-hour FARS/
Davis 6250 Vantage Vue
WU: KNJMOUNT68/KSCGREER81
CWOP: FW5135/EW6390
www.uah-mcthornmoracres-weather.com

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2017, 07:31:26 PM »
I can now confirm that my installation is snowproof. We got 7.0" of snow yesterday, a lot of which stuck to my weather station. It made for some nice pictures, though. I wonder how much the snow messed with the solar and UV sensor readings. I tried to brush them clean a little bit, but didn't want to touch the sensors so some snow had to be left.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline Intheswamp

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2017, 08:51:27 AM »
Looks good, John!  Yes, that satellite dish footing should hold *well*...that's a BIG chunk of cement in the ground!

Ed

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Cumulus v1.9.4  Build 1079
Today's weather beats no weather at all!
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Offline Jester

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2017, 10:03:23 AM »
Nice setup... :grin: You will enjoy your Davis, very reliable and accurate. I have been running mine since 2012, Birthday present from the Wife and Kids. Started out with a Oregon Scientific WMR 968 in 2009. It went through TH's like butter.  The only issues I have had w/ my VP2+ is the 24hr FARS, I got tired of replacing it and put in a 9VDC electric fan and upgraded my TH sensor to a SHT31.
MADIS D4557
CWOP DW4557
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Offline Jester

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2017, 10:09:00 AM »
I can now confirm that my installation is snowproof. We got 7.0" of snow yesterday, a lot of which stuck to my weather station. It made for some nice pictures, though. I wonder how much the snow messed with the solar and UV sensor readings. I tried to brush them clean a little bit, but didn't want to touch the sensors so some snow had to be left.

Now all you need John is a rain bucket heater. Nice having precip totals when it snows. I installed a heater on my and love it but I also report prcip to CoCoRaHS and measure my precip the old fashion way from a snowboard.
MADIS D4557
CWOP DW4557
Wunderground KVAVIRGI57
CoCoRaHS VA-VBC-13
Davis VP2+ 6163
WiFi LoggerV2


Offline ValentineWeather

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #15 on: January 10, 2017, 10:22:38 AM »
Hi Jester,
Just letting you know the WU flash you're using on website no longer works or supported by most browsers.
Randy

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #16 on: January 10, 2017, 12:58:38 PM »
I can now confirm that my installation is snowproof. We got 7.0" of snow yesterday, a lot of which stuck to my weather station. It made for some nice pictures, though. I wonder how much the snow messed with the solar and UV sensor readings. I tried to brush them clean a little bit, but didn't want to touch the sensors so some snow had to be left.

Now all you need John is a rain bucket heater. Nice having precip totals when it snows. I installed a heater on my and love it but I also report prcip to CoCoRaHS and measure my precip the old fashion way from a snowboard.

Funny you should mention that as that is one of the reasons I wanted a VP2. It seems like the heater may not be too accurate, though. It seems like it makes a lot of snow evaporate before being measured. As for CoCoRaHS, if you look at my 3rd picture, you can just barely see my CoCoRaHS gauge and snowboards, marked with orange flags. As nice as my new station is, I just don't trust it to give me accurate precip data. Can't beat the old fashioned method.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline ValentineWeather

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #17 on: January 10, 2017, 01:21:16 PM »

Funny you should mention that as that is one of the reasons I wanted a VP2. It seems like the heater may not be too accurate, though. It seems like it makes a lot of snow evaporate before being measured. As for CoCoRaHS, if you look at my 3rd picture, you can just barely see my CoCoRaHS gauge and snowboards, marked with orange flags. As nice as my new station is, I just don't trust it to give me accurate precip data. Can't beat the old fashioned method.

Same here, I'm seeing 35-40% under count with snow using heater.  I spent some money on aftermarket setup TE rain bucket and heater thinking it would help but it didn't. Wetter snows accuracy is better but the dry snow stuff  its way off. 
Randy

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #18 on: January 10, 2017, 02:05:39 PM »
This was really dry snow. We got 7.0", and it was only 0.45" liquid equivalent (a 15.5:1 ratio). The VP2 only recorded 0.26". I don't really care that much because I don't even pay much attention to my automated rainfall measurements. I always look at my CoCoRaHS records. I do like having the heater, though, because 0.26" is still better than 0".
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline ValentineWeather

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #19 on: January 10, 2017, 02:15:19 PM »
Exactly what I'm seeing. .45-40%=.27
Randy

Offline WheatonRon

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2017, 03:15:19 PM »
Thanks! When your dad is a retired union electrician, you can bet the electrical work will be quality work. It certainly was a great gift. Maybe next year will be a 30 ft tower...

I understand why a electrician is important, but why a union electrician?
Davis VP2 with SHT31 (3 complete VP2 systems—2 with a daytime fan and 1 that has a 24 hour fan); CWOP--CW5020, FW3075 and FW4350; WU--KILWHEAT17, KILWHEAT36 and KILWHEAT39; WeatherCloud.net; CoCoRaHS--IL-DP-132; and Weatherlink 2.0

Offline JohnN

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2017, 03:42:51 PM »
The union part isn't really that important. It's just that he was a union electrician, so that's why I said it. I'm sure non-union electricians do quality work as well.
www.monmouthcountyweather.comUK Met Office: 45560463
Twitter: @John_N_WxCoCoRaHS: NJ-MN-64
CWOP: E1682Davis Vantage Vue, Pro2Plus w/24 hr FARS, Ambient Weather WS-1000
PWS/WFY: SOUTHARDNJCumulusMX
Wunderground: KNJHOWEL11
                       KNJHOWEL15
LiveATC: KWRI/KNEL/New York Center
             KMJX/KBLM/3N6/N12

Offline Old Tele man

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #22 on: January 12, 2017, 11:59:41 AM »
Have you thought about NOT having to traipse out into the snow to turn the Rain Bucket heater on? Maybe adding an X10 remote ON/OFF power switch...or something similar?
« Last Edit: January 12, 2017, 12:26:23 PM by Old Tele man »
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Offline miraculon

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2017, 12:17:25 PM »
Have you thought about NOT having to traipse out into the snow to turn the Rain Bucket heater on? Maybe adding an X10 remote ON/OFF power switch...or something similar?

I use a Aeon Labs DSC06106-ZWUS - Z-Wave Smart Energy Switch as part of my SmartThings system. Same idea, different system (I used X10 for years, but have migrated to Z-wave).

I also have a temperature controller that senses ambient temperature and shuts the heater transformer off at temperatures above 35°F or so. In the winter I leave the Z-wave switch on all the time and let the temperature controller handle it.

Of course both controllers are on the 110VAC side of the power supply, not the 24V side.

Greg H.


Blitzortung Stations #706 and #1682
CoCoRaHS: MI-PI-1
CWOP: CW4114 and KE8DAF-13
WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF

Offline Old Tele man

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Re: New VP2 Plus installed
« Reply #24 on: January 12, 2017, 12:26:55 PM »
Have you thought about NOT having to traipse out into the snow to turn the Rain Bucket heater on? Maybe adding an X10 remote ON/OFF power switch...or something similar?

I use a Aeon Labs DSC06106-ZWUS - Z-Wave Smart Energy Switch as part of my SmartThings system. Same idea, different system (I used X10 for years, but have migrated to Z-wave).

I also have a temperature controller that senses ambient temperature and shuts the heater transformer off at temperatures above 35°F or so. In the winter I leave the Z-wave switch on all the time and let the temperature controller handle it.

Of course both controllers are on the 110VAC side of the power supply, not the 24V side.

Greg H.
Yep, that's what I was heading for...
• SYS: Davis VP2 Vue/WL-IP & Envoy8X/WL-USB;
• DBX2 & DBX1 Precision Digital Barographs
• CWOP: DW6988 - 2 miles NNE of Cortaro, AZ
• WU - KAZTUCSO202, Countryside