Got my new Davis Vantage View Friday and got it installed on Saturday!
I asked here in the Davis forum about siting my station, giving a number of options. I ended up going with the overwhelming consensus on location and got it installed this weekend.
I concreted a piece of 1 1/2" heavy wall square tubing 18" into the ground. I then took a piece of chain link top rail and slid it inside the square tubing. The ISS was installed on that piece so I can easily remove it for maintenance as needed. I drilled holes in the square tubing so I could screw 2 metal roofing screws through it and into the inside pipe to hold it all sturdy and make it easy to remove. This thing is rock solid, dead level, and sits exactly 65" above the ground to the top of the rain collector.
I just need to now drill a hole in the bottom of the square tubing to let out any rain and moisture that gets in and then paint it. It is working now, however, and thanks to SLOweather's DSI-01, it is now online without needing Davis' expensive cable!