Author Topic: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old  (Read 4401 times)

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Offline alexstaar

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My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« on: January 26, 2015, 07:15:50 PM »
Figured I would post some pictures of my weather station(s) here!

A blurb about my setup(s)...

Well to start, I'm a college student renting a house in Huntsville, AL (attending UAH [University of Alabama in Huntsville] studying meteorology). This is why the station isn't permanently mounted to the house, fence, etc. I went with a tripod setup for easy portability when I move in a few years. It's a Davis Vantage Pro2 6153 Wireless with 24-hour FARS; I got it as a Christmas gift from my parents. It is on the north side of the house. The ISS is about 6 feet AGL (the radiation shield is about 5.5 feet AGL) and the anemometer is about 12.5 feet AGL. It's about 10 feet off the house, 11 feet off the fence behind it, and 24 feet off the blue garage. I chose the best spot for measuring rain given the surrounding trees. The house, as you may be able to tell, is shaped like a big "L". So I suppose wind turbulence and/or eddies may affect the wind speed and/or direction, but so far it seems to not have too much impact on the readings. I will admit that it's not the best place for a weather station, but so far it's accurate enough to my liking for a relatively temporary setup. I'm always within a degree or so of surrounding stations and the AWOS we have on campus about 1 mile away. Rain measurements are also very close to other stations. I have a WeatherLink IP logger hooked up to the console (in the kitchen) and then to a WiFi bridge. The computer in my room is connected through WiFi to the same router the logger is connected to. I did this because I like to see the console and station at the same time when it's windy and so my roommates could look at it if they wanted. I'm running Cumulus on my dad's old office Dell XPS (running Windows Vista) and so far I haven't had any issues. I really like Cumulus! It's displayed on my tv in my room. I love the setup so far!!  :grin: (WU: KALHUNTS54; CWOP: EW6360)

I also posted a couple pictures of my "old" weather station, a cabled Weather Wizard III, I got as a gift a couple years ago (it was from someone who never used it, it was basically new). I set this one all up late this past summer (2014). I built a make shift anemometer "pole" and "platform" to shield the thermometer from the sun. It is  about 6 feet off the south side of the house. I have it connected through WeatherLink (serial) to the same computer running WeatherLink 4.04.

We also recently got a Davis Vantage Vue set up at my parent's house near Greenville, SC. It's hooked up through Meteobridge. (WU: KSCSIMPS8; CWOP: EW6390)

Enjoy the pictures! Hope you like them. Thanks for checking it out!
-Alex

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

Offline alexstaar

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2015, 07:19:23 PM »
Here's the rest. The Weather Monitor III console is pictured on the bookshelf.
-Alex

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

Offline alexstaar

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2015, 07:20:50 PM »
Last ones... I'm not sure why the others posted twice.
-Alex

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

Offline SlowModem

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2015, 07:59:10 PM »
It's my understanding that UAH is the Mecca for hockey in the south.  There's enough interesting weather in that area to keep weather students involved.  Good luck!  :)
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN USA

Offline alexstaar

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2015, 10:44:14 PM »
That it is! Thanks! Hoping to get some good spring storms this year. Though, I would like one good snow first  ;)
-Alex

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

Offline drew

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2015, 10:12:51 PM »
Nice setup! Also nice having another member from north Alabama here! Hopefully we can get a good snow this year. Welcome from the Shoals area just to your west!
-Drew Richards

Offline alexstaar

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2015, 01:27:46 AM »
Thanks! I'm also hoping we can pull off a decent snowfall  :grin:
-Alex

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

Offline ArmySlowRdr

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2015, 05:03:30 PM »
Nice ! Like the Cumulus software !

Offline miraculon

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2015, 09:06:58 AM »
Figured I would post some pictures of my weather station(s) here!

A blurb about my setup(s)...

Well to start, I'm a college student renting a house in Huntsville, AL (attending UAH [University of Alabama in Huntsville] studying meteorology). This is why the station isn't permanently mounted to the house, fence, etc. I went with a tripod setup for easy portability when I move in a few years. It's a Davis Vantage Pro2 6153 Wireless with 24-hour FARS; I got it as a Christmas gift from my parents. It is on the north side of the house. The ISS is about 6 feet AGL (the radiation shield is about 5.5 feet AGL) and the anemometer is about 12.5 feet AGL. It's about 10 feet off the house, 11 feet off the fence behind it, and 24 feet off the blue garage. I chose the best spot for measuring rain given the surrounding trees. The house, as you may be able to tell, is shaped like a big "L". So I suppose wind turbulence and/or eddies may affect the wind speed and/or direction, but so far it seems to not have too much impact on the readings. I will admit that it's not the best place for a weather station, but so far it's accurate enough to my liking for a relatively temporary setup. I'm always within a degree or so of surrounding stations and the AWOS we have on campus about 1 mile away. Rain measurements are also very close to other stations. I have a WeatherLink IP logger hooked up to the console (in the kitchen) and then to a WiFi bridge. The computer in my room is connected through WiFi to the same router the logger is connected to. I did this because I like to see the console and station at the same time when it's windy and so my roommates could look at it if they wanted. I'm running Cumulus on my dad's old office Dell XPS (running Windows Vista) and so far I haven't had any issues. I really like Cumulus! It's displayed on my tv in my room. I love the setup so far!!  :grin: (WU: KALHUNTS54; CWOP: EW6360)

I also posted a couple pictures of my "old" weather station, a cabled Weather Wizard III, I got as a gift a couple years ago (it was from someone who never used it, it was basically new). I set this one all up late this past summer (2014). I built a make shift anemometer "pole" and "platform" to shield the thermometer from the sun. It is  about 6 feet off the south side of the house. I have it connected through WeatherLink (serial) to the same computer running WeatherLink 4.04.

We also recently got a Davis Vantage Vue set up at my parent's house near Greenville, SC. It's hooked up through Meteobridge. (WU: KSCSIMPS8; CWOP: EW6390)

Enjoy the pictures! Hope you like them. Thanks for checking it out!

Sorry for such a belated response, your station looks great but I have one concern about the "anchoring" with the bricks. I don't think that they have enough mass to stabilize the station during high winds.

I used "deck blocks", which weigh over 40 lbs each. (see pic)
I got mine at the local Ace Hardware, but I see that HD has them as well.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-10-in-x-10-in-x-8-in-Concrete-Deck-Block-012023A/205613606


Where I worked prior to retirement, we set up a VP2 on the building roof with cinder block anchors. This survived a strong thunderstorm. This station also had the anemometer, whereas mine is separated and on the house roof.

I know that it is always a pain to "do over", but you might avoid a calamity by getting some more weight on the tripod base.

Greg H.



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

Offline alexstaar

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2015, 06:59:22 PM »
Thanks for the advice! That is a good idea... I currently have 12" long tent stakes anchoring the tripod with the brick for added support, even though I know they aren't really doing anything. How did you anchor the tripod "feet" to the deck blocks?
-Alex

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

Offline miraculon

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Re: My Station Setup(s) - New and Old
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2015, 08:26:43 AM »
I used ¼ inch "Redhead" anchors. You can get them at almost any good hardware store. I used a generic one that the store had.

Here is the "official" one and a pic. You will need a masonry bit. You need a clean hole, but the deck anchor blocks drill well. You pound in the spreading part of the anchor, then tighten the bolt until the wedge expands in the hole. Then you unthread the bolt and place the leg anchor over the bolts.

http://www.itwredhead.com/product.php?Trubolt-Wedge-Anchor-9



Greg H.


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