Author Topic: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations  (Read 3458 times)

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Offline DGwx412

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So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« on: October 28, 2012, 10:01:20 PM »
I'm rather curious...having spent a little time crawling through the various forum threads here I have noticed that a fair number of weather enthusiasts here have multiple weather stations that they monitor, generally of different brands.  Is this a case of "I started with station A but then added B and since A was still working I just left it running"...or maybe "I wanted to compare accuracy between these models so I kept them going"....or perhaps "you know, I just don't feel like taking the old one down."

So what's the story?  Inquiring minds with nothing better to do on a Sunday night want to know.
"Alright this next test may involve trace amounts of time travel. So word of advice: if you meet yourself on the testing track don't make eye contact. Lab boys tell me that'll wipe out time - entirely. Forward and backward. So do both of yourselves a favor and let that handsome devil go about his business."
- Cave Johnson, Portal 2

Offline DanS

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2012, 10:16:15 PM »
Neither are Davis but I have an older LaCrosse (2310) that's been running since 2004 and saw a newer model (2810) that was all wireless and for a "steal" so bought it. It is now the primary station and ol' reliable (2310) is left up running as a backup. When the 2810 arrived I installed it as close to NWS/WMO suggested guidelines as possible to compare and show the difference with the 2310's installation per manufacturers guidelines (open grassy area vs. north side if house under eave).
« Last Edit: October 28, 2012, 10:18:04 PM by DanS »

Offline Skywatch

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2012, 10:45:30 PM »
Multipul weather stations are nice. Compair readings, More locations of sensors that are limited to one, Backup station in case one fails. I had a WMR100 for years before I upgraded to a Vantage Pro2. Left my WMR100 up because as you mentioned I was too lasy to take it down. Still some things I liked about the WMR100. Back last december my WMR100 was getting old after 5 years. I still loved that station. I ended up replacing it with a WMR200 and gave the WMR100 display to the neighbors which are in range of the sensors. I still love my Vantage Pro2 even more but the WMR200 has some things about it I like.

For a while I also had a Lacrosse WS1910U-IT which was so fragile that it didn't make 2 years life. Needless to say that was my last Lacrosse product. Some have better luck than I do with Lacrosse. I've always had trouble with their stations.

I've even toyed with the idea of adding a 3rd.  :-)
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline SlowModem

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2012, 11:09:53 PM »
That's me all right.  I started out with Station A (968), added Station B (2315) then added Station C (VP-2).  At the time they were all popular, and I thought someone in the market might like to compare the readings.  That's why they all are on the same pole, and they all use the same software and they all input to the same computer which uploads the data to the same places (with the exception of CWOP).

Since they don't sell a 2315 or 968 any more, comparison shipping is not done.  So now I guess I'll leave them up to see which one lasts the longest.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN USA

Offline moehoward4

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2012, 12:26:50 PM »
2 Davis stations here, the old stand-by...my 16 y.o. WW III(now a Weather Monitor II) and a 5 y.o. VP2 wireless. Always looking at ways to improve/modify either one.      Jack
3 Davis set-ups...which one ya wanna talk about? And I got ALL my manuals....

Offline d_l

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2012, 12:41:37 PM »
One and a half Davis stations. One low-mounted, VP2 and a high mounted, Davis anemometer/temp/hum station that measure boundary layer differences.  Also have access to neighbor's high-mounted, VP2 wireless data for comparison purposes.
--Dave--

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Offline SLOweather

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2012, 01:22:31 PM »
I use my stations both for keeping SLOweather.com going, as well as development stations for WeatherElement.

So, I have a wireless VP2 that drives VVP for WD, VWS, and a serial-Ethernet adapter. That's used to create a virtualized hardware serial connection to connect to a WeatherElement Data Hub to create a page with the same data as SLOweather for comparison and engineering.

Then, for development reasons, there is at least one of every kind of Davis wireless station except the anemometer. I have 2 temp only stations, one official temp/hum station, another temp/hum station built from parts, 2 soil moisture/leaf wetness stations, (one for soil, one for leaf).

Then there's a brand new cabled station on the bench just for testing new Data Hub firmware loads prior to release, as well as testing WeatherElement dev web page programming without messing up live customer pages.

And a second wireless console that I keep in the kitchen that sometimes gets used for testing DSI-01 interfaces.

And a Stratus rain gauge and an 8" standard gauge to keep the Davis tipper honest.

And 3 Hydreon RG-11 sensors for rainfall sensing, irrigation control, and rain gauge testing.

Offline Scalphunter

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2012, 05:15:44 PM »
Own 3 stations. two I bougth one I rebuiltedafter was given to me and that was the Davis vp2. It is used in SEAk. The other 2 are at different sites in the interior wheretemperatures drop where Davis ceases to record correctly. WMR-220 goes to 55 below and this summer set up an Rainwise which goes to 60 below. With last winter temps hit 58 below be interesting to see what it does. Durning that time frame for the coldest temps sunligth down to 3.5 hours.

John

Offline DGwx412

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2012, 07:43:27 PM »
Well now that is quite interesting all the way around!  Huh.  Reasons that run the gamut.  Certainly satiated my curiosity.  I was mainly curious because I was thinking "why have two or three when one is enough?"  'Course now some of those answers make sense and I can see why you'd have more than one.

Cheers!
"Alright this next test may involve trace amounts of time travel. So word of advice: if you meet yourself on the testing track don't make eye contact. Lab boys tell me that'll wipe out time - entirely. Forward and backward. So do both of yourselves a favor and let that handsome devil go about his business."
- Cave Johnson, Portal 2

Offline zackdog

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2012, 03:30:21 PM »
I currently have three Davis weather stations.   I started with a "bare bones" cabled Wizard II in 1994.  It now monitors the temperature in my unheated walk-out basement. In 2003, I purchased a wireless Monitor II and it is the one that I report to COP and WU.  In 2011, I purchased a VantageVue to mount on my travel trailer while I am camped for three months during early summer and fall, fishing in northern Colorado.  During the remainder of the year it resides next to the Monitor II.  The time on it is set so that midnight comes at 7:00 am.  I do this to get accurate Heat Degree Days on the same time period that I read my electric meter and pellet stove.

I hope to eventually replace the Monitor II with a VP2, but it just keeps going, like the "energizer bunny".

Mark
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." - Dylan

Vantage Pro2 Plus w/ 24 hr FARS and (2) VantageVues

VP2 uploading via Vue console to CWOP, WU, PWS, and Weathercloud.


Offline Old Tele man

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2012, 09:48:58 PM »
Started with a LaCrosse WS-8610, added a Oregon Scientific Instruments WMR200 when the LaCrosse began having problems, but always ran both concurrently for comparison tracking of NEW vs. OLD data. Then added a Davis VP2 when it became obviously that the OSI humidity sensors are crap below 25%RH and above 80%RH. So, was briefly operating three systems.

Now, only operating the Davis VP2 and Envoy8X. To put it bluntly, NONE of the three systems (LaCrosse, OSI, Davis) is 100%. And, ironically, the "newer" Davis Envoy8X has "less" functionally than the VP2 and its Console...in fact, it almost seems to me that its firmware is NOT fully tested or finished. I've contacted Davis already but they seemingly do not wish to hear & admit there are "...problems..." with the Envoy8X and its WDTU software.

My 2-bit summary:

LaCrosse WS-8610--excellent TEMP and RH sensors; lousy internal memory storage (literally died); no longer supported.

OSI WMR200--decent TEMP, lousy RH sensors; excellent 10-remote sensor capability; lousy after-sales support.

Davis VP2--excellent TEMP and RH sensors; additional sensors limited to integer values; OK after-sales support.

Davis Envoy8X--additiontal wireless sensors have XX.X values; RH from ISS captured as XX.X value but its calculated DP is truncated to integer value (XX.0) even though the DP calculated from the internal RH sensor inside the Envoy8X case is NOT truncated(!); not-so-OK after-sales support.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2012, 09:56:12 PM by Old Tele man »
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Offline Weather Display

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2012, 10:57:55 PM »
Quote
Davis VP2--excellent TEMP and RH sensors; additional sensors limited to integer values
seemingly that is no longer the case for newer systems
Brian
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http://www.weather-display.com

Offline Old Tele man

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2012, 02:38:22 PM »
Quote
Davis VP2--excellent TEMP and RH sensors; additional sensors limited to integer values
seemingly that is no longer the case for newer systems
"...tell me MORE cried the CURIOUS man!" Firmware updatable?
« Last Edit: November 17, 2012, 02:41:02 PM by Old Tele man »
• 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

Offline miraculon

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Re: So I'm curious re: multiple weather stations
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2012, 03:10:42 PM »
My old "One-Wire" equipment is still running with the exception of the AAG V3 Anemometer/Vane unit and DalSemi rain gauge. The vane ADC started acting up which had the tendency of rendering the whole set of equipment in-op. This is what prompted the Davis VP2 purchase, to which I have added a couple of VUE consoles and the remote Temp/Hum station.

My main motivation for leaving the old stuff running is the lightning detector. I also like to check the deck temperature (one-wire, albeit in a Davis passive shield). The AAG barometer displays via a legacy plotting program that looks like a barograph.

Although my main focus is now the Davis gear, I only removed the troublesome hardware. Hence, it still chugs along.


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WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF

 

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