Topic: Vantage Pro2 and pumping data to the web

[Stickymatch]

I bought a Vantage Pro2 over the holidays and will be installing over the next week or two as the weather warms up.  I've been doing a lot of reading regarding what is needed to pump data to the web, specifically Wunderground and I think I get more confused the more I read

I have two display mounting options:  1:  place on nightstand with wired Ethernet close by or 2:  Mount on wall,  no wired Ethernet but wireless is available throughout the house.  I don't have a preference as to location, just want something clean.

At this time, this is a hobby and somewhat a novelty for me.  I want to pump data to Wunderground but don't necessarily want to limit myself to just that.  If the equipment is scalable depending on where else I want to pump to the web, then I can always buy what I need when I need it but I also don't want to have a bunch of unused overhead either.  I would also like to plot graphs, etc. for my own amusement.  With that being said:

For pumping to Wunderground, is WeatherLinkIP all I need?  Is there a wireless version that will allow me to mount on the wall or will this require me to place on nightstand for the wired Ethernet connection?

Can I use Cumulus with the WeatherLinkIP to plot data or is there something else I need?  I have a PC running 24/7 but it's in a different room.

What does MetroBridge/WeatherBridge get me that WeatherLinkIP doesn't by itself?

Any info is appreciated.

[Bushman]

http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06555  Not wireless. 

As for MB vs. WLIP - WLIP has slower update rate to weatherlink.com from where you have to grab your data:  MB keeps some data local plus can reroute to your local PC.  Can be wireless, too.  The MEteobridge wiki explains all this and more.

[CNYWeather]

Can I just chime in a say I like his user name?

Thats all. 

[WheatonRon]

Welcome to the world of amater weather stations! The Davis Vantage Pro 2 is a great station. I use Weatherlink 6.0.3 via a USB cable hooked up to a computer that is on 24 hours a day. It works great (although the design and look of the software reminds me of our DOS days--clunky) and you can review your weather data from the time you started using the datalogger.  I wish wireless from the console to the computer was possible--but Davis isn't there yet. Please upload your data to CWOP as well as Weather Underground--both are accomplished in the Weatherlink software. We need all the "good" stations we can find to help CWOP and the WU, and the DV Pro 2 fits that definition.

[Stickymatch]

Thanks for all the comments thus far.  I'll address a few of the points that were brought up:

I have a computer running 24/7 but not in the same location as to where I'll put the console, so having the console "hard wired" to the PC isn't an option I want to gravitate towards.  My reason for bringing this up is in regards to the Culumlus software.  I've read the install doc for Cumulus and believe that the console needs to be connected to the PC all the time in order to use Cumulus, is this correct?

I understand that traditional context of wireless refers to the communication between the console and sensor array but I'm speaking wireless in terms of connection of console to web.  I believe I can get this with the WeatherBridge Pro.  Are there issues with the sensor array talking to both the console and the WeatherBridge Pro?

I admit it's been some time since I read the MetroBridge wiki and probably need to re-read to refamiliarize myself as I'm struggling to determine what it gets me (other than wireless with the Pro version) above WeatherLink for what I want to do.

[PaulMy]

Can I use Cumulus with the WeatherLinkIP to plot data or is there something else I need?

My reason for bringing this up is in regards to the Culumlus software.  I've read the install doc for Cumulus and believe that the console needs to be connected to the PC all the time in order to use Cumulus, is this correct?

The Davis station with WeatherlinkIP, or the Davis Serial or USB datalogger, is all you would need.
 
Cumulus processes live data so for it to be effective, like any weather program, it should be run 24/7.  Some use it on a daily start up in the morning and shut down in the evening, or the like, and that can work and Cumulus would download the data from the logger (from the last time Cumulus was running) each time you re-start Cumulus.  There is a Catch-up feature in Cumulus that you can have WU also updated from the logger each time you restart Cumulus.
 
Enjoy,
Paul
 

[Bushman]

Be aware that the Weatherbridge/Meteobridge PRO module effectively acts as the receiver for any ISS signals it can hear.  The ISS outputs a stream of data (LOOP2 if you want to be specific) and it is picked up by the receiver - MBP, Vantage console etc.  So there should be no issue whatsoever.  In fact, lots of people have more than one Davis console so they can see the current weather in multiple locations.  However, a standard Weatherbridge/Meteobridge will attach to the logger (Davis or cheaper third party) and then transmit that data via your wifi to the web.  It can also use Port 22222 to redirect the data to a PC listening on your network so you could simultaneously run Cumulus (or another weather program).  The Meteobridge box is pretty darn impressive on its own IMHO.

[johnd]

The ISS outputs a stream of data (LOOP2 if you want to be specific) ...

Really?

[WheatonRon]

Now I am confused with the details in this thread, which is good--I joined this forum with the expectation that I would contribute some ideas but as importantly, I want to learn stuff--the purpose of this reply. I have a Vantage Pro 2 and two consoles. One console has a Davis datalogger that is hooked up to the computer via a USB cable that is on 24/7 and uploads to WU and CWOP using the Davis Weatherlink software on the computer. My second console is located in a more convenient place in the house that both my wife and I can readily view-unlike the one with the datalogger. Are folks saying that I could buy "Weatherbridge/Meteobridge PRO" and hook it up to my WiFi router which would upload data to WU and CWOP without Weatherlink software? If so, where you do buy this equipment, what does it cost, and can the data be transferred to the Weatherlink software for detail analysis and history?

[johnd]

Are folks saying that I could buy "Weatherbridge/Meteobridge PRO" and hook it up to my WiFi router which would upload data to WU and CWOP without Weatherlink software? If so, where you do buy this equipment, what does it cost...

Yes that's correct. I believe that Ambient are the outlet in the US - you'll need to check with them for pricing.

and can the data be transferred to the Weatherlink software for detail analysis and history?

No, as far as I'm aware at present, the answer to this specific question is no for the MeteoBridge Pro Red version. [Actually - if this isn't an overly confusing addendum - it's potentially possible in principle (or at least it might be if Boris were to add a string to binary selector) but it's not something that's availble AFAIK right now. In other words, the potential capability to do this, at least as archive data, is probably there, but it's not currently implemented in any usable form.]

For the MB PRo Black and plain MB versions, the data input needs to be from an existing WL logger rather than direct from the ISS. In this case there is the possibility of using the data bypass feature to allow the real-time data still to pass through to a PC running the WL software,

[WheatonRon]

Then I like my set up. While I like to upload to WU and CWOP, I also like to be able to review the weather data in Weatherlink, that in my case goes back several years--great stuff. I guess I will keep receiving data from my ISS at my console with the Davis datalogger and uploading data from the datalogger to Weatherlink on my computer and onto CWOP and WU. It would be nice to not have the computer on 24/7 but it sounds like that is not possible if a person wants to store his or her data in Weatherlink for future use.

[johnd]

@WheatonRon: OK let's be clear: If you have an MB Pro Red unit then you can receive data direct from the ISS and do with it whatever you want, while any existing console/logger can be receiving the same data in parallel also direct from the ISS and either storing the archive data for later download or passing it direct to a PC.

The question I was answering was whether MB Pro Red alone can store data in WL-compatible format.

There is no doubt that the number of ways in which the Davis data can be captured and processed is multiplying and as a consequence it can get tricky answering this kind of question - there are a substantial number of permutations of different data configurations and so it's quite important to frame any question carefully.

[Garth Bock]

Why not get an Envoy and connect the Datalogger to it which would free up your console ? I have a console and an Envoy at home. At work we have 2 consoles that float around and 1 Envoy to send the data to the computer which is running VWS.

[WheatonRon]

Getting an Envoy doesn't solve the problem of having the computer on 24/7 to post to WU and CWOP. All it does is free up a console.

[johnd]

Getting an Envoy doesn't solve the problem of having the computer on 24/7 to post to WU and CWOP. All it does is free up a console.

You can handle the real-time and archive/historic data separately though. If you were to get an MB Pro Red then this could process whatever you want to do in terms of real-time data uploads to websites like WU, CWOP etc etc. Then use your existing data logger to store the archive data and download it to the PC once a day or to whatever time interval you choose (but obviously bearing in mind the logger's 2560 records capacity). That way the PC only needs to be on when you choose, but would retain the ability to look back at the full historic record.

[Sooner Al]

I bought a Vantage Pro2 over the holidays and will be installing over the next week or two as the weather warms up.  I've been doing a lot of reading regarding what is needed to pump data to the web, specifically Wunderground and I think I get more confused the more I read

I have two display mounting options:  1:  place on nightstand with wired Ethernet close by or 2:  Mount on wall,  no wired Ethernet but wireless is available throughout the house.  I don't have a preference as to location, just want something clean.
Any info is appreciated.

From the FWIW department here are a few photos of my recent, as of last September, VP2 console with Meteobridge installation in my kitchen. Just an example of a wireless installation...

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[duke666]

OK, <rant-on>
I don't get the need / want for people to have second, third consoles etc around the place to view data when most of us are displaying our data either on our own site or WU and probably have multiple internet enabled devices around the place to view that data.
</rant-off>

[WheatonRon]

I have two VP 2 consoles in my house. One is in my office on the 2nd story and hooked up to my computer 24/7 to upload to WU and CWOP. My second console is on the first floor in the den by the kitchen. My wife does not like having to go to the computer or phone to get weather readings from my station--just a quick look see in the den works really well for us. A third console would clearly be a waste. Also, during a heavy rain, it is interesting to view how quickly the rainfall totals change as my uploads to the Internet are only every 5 minutes. I prefer the second console approach.   

[Coolerman]

Sooner Al, Thanks for that drawing showing your very neat hook up. That clearly shows exactly what I was just researching.