Author Topic: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--  (Read 7691 times)

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Offline alanb

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2017, 02:21:42 PM »
I am in Iowa.  We got the snow (7") a few days before you got hit in New England. It is 52 today tho, so the snow is pretty well gone.

I was hoping to get a weather station sooner rather than later, but I guess I would rather wait a few months than be sorry I didn't wait to see how the Elite fares. I hope the price is no more than the $300 to $400 range. I wish I could go with a Davis unit, but it is just beyond my budget with all the add-on's you seem to need.
Alan - Ambient WS-2000, WH31E x5, WH31L, Ecowitt WN32(WH32E)
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Offline PaulMy

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #26 on: March 17, 2017, 07:35:48 PM »

Quote
with all the add-on's you seem to need.
The all the add-on's is a Weatherlink datalogger!
However there are options and additions for the VP2 like additional temp and soil sensors, UV/solar, FARS, Envoy as an alternative to console, etc, etc. for those who would like these.  Not sure if most or any of these options and additions are even offered by other stations.


Enjoy,
Paul

Offline CW2274

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #27 on: March 17, 2017, 07:52:36 PM »
I was hoping to get a weather station sooner rather than later, but I guess I would rather wait a few months than be sorry I didn't wait to see how the Elite fares. I hope the price is no more than the $300 to $400 range. I wish I could go with a Davis unit, but it is just beyond my budget with all the add-on's you seem to need.
Sometimes folks need to be reminded of cost vs longevity. Not saying the Elite won't be durable, but you can get a wireless VP2 with 24hr FARS for less than $600 now. Mines lasted 10 years in the Az. desert, and not one single structural piece has been replaced on the ISS. That's pretty good bang for the buck.

Offline Scalphunter

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #28 on: March 17, 2017, 07:54:29 PM »
 If you shop around you can get an Davis unit for around 400 bucks, another 120 will get you the data logger if you are going to stow  your data or send to internet. Console is older graphic  but  who cares  as long as it is readable.  All the color graphics is just added coast and one more thing to break down as pixels deteriorate.

John

Offline WetCoyote

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #29 on: March 20, 2017, 07:18:32 PM »
i would have to have some serious points answered before I ever bought another AcuWrong product.

#1a.  Does it have flashable firmware?
#1b.  Is this going to be easy and user doable across platforms?

I ask this first set because the 1035 unit i bought in Nov. 2016 has the programming wrong for the moon phases from 2017 on.  Cannot be fixed.  Their solution was a replacement unit - not a fixed 1035, but a different unit that does not do moon phase is my only recourse.

#2a. Barometer is located on the head unit currently. This is, im pretty sure, almost always indoors. My house is sealed well, so this does not reflect the true reading, so is the barometer on the atlas actually ON the atlas?
#2b. Can I calibrate it from the head unit instead of relying on its gimmicky “learning mode”?
#2c. Same for humidity.

#3a. Rain.  Instead of a 24 hour rain total (resetting at midnight), a monthly total, a yearly total…  We get a “rain event”, so often midway through a day, the days rain total goes POOF.  Not to mention, the forever rain total is nice to know, as well as the rain event start time, but when it uses that data to push the info to say, WU or other WX sites then its useless.  Display it, have it displayble, but dont have it clog the data that should be sent.
#3b. Like for #2, calibrating to fix faulty data.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2017, 07:24:46 PM by WetCoyote »

Offline CW2274

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2017, 07:38:37 PM »
My house is sealed well, so this does not reflect the true reading
For this to be true, you'd have to actually create a measurable pressure difference between the inside and outside, as in opening an outside door would equalize it. Do you really think you have that?

Offline WetCoyote

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2017, 08:02:01 PM »
My house is sealed well, so this does not reflect the true reading
For this to be true, you'd have to actually create a measurable pressure difference between the inside and outside, as in opening an outside door would equalize it. Do you really think you have that?

This was a guess on my part. I Have to use the calibration settings on the upload software to get the output to show what is actually out there. My 5 in 1 unit is at 254 Ft elevation, but to get it close to what it really is, I had to jack its output to calibrate for 350 Ft.

I guess the main thrust is,  shouldnt have to calibrate it, but if I do, it should be an adjustment i can do from/on/with  the equipment, instead of the software i upload from.

Offline CW2274

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #32 on: March 20, 2017, 08:08:53 PM »
My house is sealed well, so this does not reflect the true reading
For this to be true, you'd have to actually create a measurable pressure difference between the inside and outside, as in opening an outside door would equalize it. Do you really think you have that?
I guess the main thrust is,  shouldnt have to calibrate it
Completely concur.

Offline Scalphunter

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #33 on: March 20, 2017, 08:09:56 PM »
Too my knowledge all barometers on PWS are in the console  not the outside unit. Also there is no such thing as an sealed house . If there was you would eventually consume the oxygen in the air and then  you have an real problem.


John

Offline WetCoyote

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #34 on: March 20, 2017, 08:20:30 PM »
Too my knowledge all barometers on PWS are in the console  not the outside unit. Also there is no such thing as an sealed house . If there was you would eventually consume the oxygen in the air and then  you have an real problem.


John

After a profitable 6 years of work that had me travel the globe and getting paid to do it, I now work for WalMart.
I have been living in an oxygen free place for 5 years...  8-P

It is a bit baffling why it cant simply be on the sending unit to me.  It will be exactly where it needs to be for the measurement it is taking.

Offline CW2274

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #35 on: March 20, 2017, 08:24:00 PM »
Too my knowledge all barometers on PWS are in the console  not the outside unit. Also there is no such thing as an sealed house . If there was you would eventually consume the oxygen in the air and then  you have an real problem.


John
It is a bit baffling why it cant simply be on the sending unit to me.  It will be exactly where it needs to be for the measurement it is taking.
Why? It does it's job perfectly well on the inside. Experience tells me this.

Offline WetCoyote

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #36 on: March 20, 2017, 09:06:08 PM »
Too my knowledge all barometers on PWS are in the console  not the outside unit. Also there is no such thing as an sealed house . If there was you would eventually consume the oxygen in the air and then  you have an real problem.


John
It is a bit baffling why it cant simply be on the sending unit to me.  It will be exactly where it needs to be for the measurement it is taking.
Why? It does it's job perfectly well on the inside. Experience tells me this.

I will take your experience on that one. It just seemed to me that logically it should be there.

Offline CW2274

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #37 on: March 20, 2017, 09:13:59 PM »
Too my knowledge all barometers on PWS are in the console  not the outside unit. Also there is no such thing as an sealed house . If there was you would eventually consume the oxygen in the air and then  you have an real problem.


John
It is a bit baffling why it cant simply be on the sending unit to me.  It will be exactly where it needs to be for the measurement it is taking.
Why? It does it's job perfectly well on the inside. Experience tells me this.
It just seemed to me that logically it should be there.
Oh, I hear ya, I thought the exact same way when I got into the PWS world 10 years ago. Now I know better. ;)

Offline DoctorKnow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #38 on: March 21, 2017, 09:11:14 AM »
I've never been able to figure out why acurite barometers loose their pressure readings like they do... They will be set fairly close or right on, and then they will begin to drop significantly. This is on the consoles, the smarthubs seem to be very accurate, if you can figure out how to calibrate them, which is something 95% do not know how to do.

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #39 on: March 21, 2017, 09:19:52 AM »
So would that make it a software problem or a sensor problem?

I've never been able to figure out why acurite barometers loose their pressure readings like they do... They will be set fairly close or right on, and then they will begin to drop significantly. This is on the consoles, the smarthubs seem to be very accurate, if you can figure out how to calibrate them, which is something 95% do not know how to do.

Offline DoctorKnow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #40 on: March 21, 2017, 10:10:59 AM »
I'm not sure on the consoles, the smarthub is software, since once the pressure is set, it is very accurate.

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #41 on: March 21, 2017, 10:56:26 AM »
DoctortKnow:

Wouldn't that would rule out it being a sensor problem if it is accurate with the smarthub once recalibrated?*

*By recalibrating  do you mean via the console software or do you have to mechanically recalibrate the sensor? Why is it so difficult that only 5% of users are able to do it?



Offline DoctorKnow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #42 on: March 21, 2017, 11:53:44 AM »
You can't calibrate the console, that is the problem... You also cannot mechanically set it. I've never heard of a "learning barometer", but that's what acurite says it is. It goes thru a period where it is supposed to calibrate itself, but it does not work over the long run, it looses calibration. I have thought of tearing open the console, but I figured it may never work again.

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #43 on: March 21, 2017, 12:04:49 PM »
Doesn't this section of the manual address the calibration issue?

7. 
Calibrate
Access the “Calibrate” sub-menu to adjust display or sensor data. First,
select the display or sensor for which you wish to calibrate readings.
Second, select the reading you wish to calibrate. Lastly, follow the on-screen
prompts to adjust the value.

Offline DoctorKnow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #44 on: March 21, 2017, 12:25:15 PM »
What manual? Maybe the newer models, but not all of them apply to what you have there...

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #45 on: March 21, 2017, 01:03:22 PM »
I went on the Acurite website and d/l'd Instruction Manual the pdf for:

High Resolution
Weather Station Display
model 06058

I guess there are different generations of consoles and units. My interest is all in advance of the Atlas and Atlas Elite. I want to make sure I invest in a system that has reliable hardware AND software. I realize there will always be glitches and malfunctions. I have found such problems among Davis pws comments as well. My hope is that Acurite really ups the game by coming out with a highly competitive product-- solidly built, accurate hardware, with well tested and minimally troublesome software.

Offline SufferinSuccotash

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #46 on: March 21, 2017, 07:18:08 PM »
I went on the Acurite website and d/l'd Instruction Manual the pdf for:

High Resolution
Weather Station Display
model 06058

I guess there are different generations of consoles and units. My interest is all in advance of the Atlas and Atlas Elite. I want to make sure I invest in a system that has reliable hardware AND software. I realize there will always be glitches and malfunctions. I have found such problems among Davis pws comments as well. My hope is that Acurite really ups the game by coming out with a highly competitive product-- solidly built, accurate hardware, with well tested and minimally troublesome software.


If you are going to wait for the Atlas systems, then I would suggest that you may have to wait AT LEAST another 6 months after release.  Given Acurite's track record I would be leary of jumping into a "new" product too soon.  I really wonder if these are home grown products of did they get outside assistance to design them.  I think the big question is who developed the software to gather the data and send it to either Acurite and/or other weather services?


I too am interested in these units but once bitten, twice shy.


 

Offline Skywatch

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #47 on: March 21, 2017, 09:39:22 PM »
Just learned about the Atlas stations today and while I agree with everyone that their products are buggy, I'll admit I'm intrigued by these. Guess one would say I just like buying new toys. My birthday is in July so hopefully by then I should have an idea of whether or not it's a good buy or not and if so I might get an Atlas 8 for my garden that is if it's not prohibitively expensive.

I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline Bushman

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #48 on: March 21, 2017, 11:06:29 PM »
My Dad used to say "Never buy the first model year of ANYTHING!".  He was right.
Need low cost IP monitoring?  http://wirelesstag.net/wta.aspx?link=NisJxz6FhUa4V67/cwCRWA or PM me for 50% off Wirelesstags!!

Offline Scalphunter

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Re: Was ready to buy first ws, now waiting for Atlas line--
« Reply #49 on: March 21, 2017, 11:11:16 PM »
One thing you have to think about is where you are  above sea level.  Are you low like on the coast or High like in Denver and mountainous area.  Davis  products have very little problems where it is warm or low elevations.  The problem with barometer is after you start getting up in elevation . Most of Davis problem with barometer is high elevation  stations. Here where is gets extremely cold the  barometer reading go out the window also just due to cold dense air. shows up every fall and last till every spring  when the  valleys equal with  stations that are  at different elevations.
  I had an Accurite unit that didn't even make it  thru an Alaskan winter and they refuse to repair it even tho it was only 6 months old. That learning barometer was so far off as winter progress it was absolute joke. My OS WMR 2000 was spot on within  couple mB of an station 25 miles away.

John