Author Topic: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect  (Read 10960 times)

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Offline rkrmpg

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Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« on: September 28, 2008, 02:43:30 PM »
I have had my Vantage Pro2 for a couple of weeks now and it appears that the internal temperature being displayed on the console is about 2-3 degrees higher than other thermometers I have in the same exact location.

The temperature remains the 2-3 off even with external power unplugged as well as the WeatherLinkIP cable.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Offline tomcj2

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2008, 03:10:17 PM »
All electronic equipment will generate some heat.  I would expect that the temperature inside the console should be higher than the surrounding space.  You will notice that the difference will be greater if you turn the back light on.  I have my console and two other temperature sensors in my kitchen; they never read the same.

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Offline Sigdigit

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2008, 05:17:35 PM »
As stated above, running the backlight, even on battery power, will elevate this temperature.  On battery power, it turns back off by itself, which usually prevents the heat from building up in such a short time. If the light is turned on frequently during the period you are monitoring, it may have an effect.  Also, I see you have the IP cable unplugged.  If you have the datalogger connected to the console, it may be feeding off the console batteries to generate this heat.  The latest firmware update for the IP datalogger includes an offset to counter the heat buildup when the IP datalogger is in use.

Offline Sigdigit

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2008, 05:22:33 PM »
One more thing.  Most of the values displayed in the console can be adjusted by applying an "offset" to correct any known deviation from the true reading.  Bear in mind too, that cheaper digital thermometers have inherent error margins plus or minus a degree or two.  Simply moving the unit closer to a lamp on a desktop or old school computer monitor you will note temperature differences as well due to the radiant heat, as little as it may appear to you and I.

Offline jmyg

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2008, 12:58:15 AM »

What is the version of your logger's firmware ?
Here is what can be found for release 1.03 on the davis' site at http://davisnet.com/support/weather/software_frmwr.asp

Quote
3. Added a -3º F inside temperature offset to compensate for heat produced by the WeatherLinkIP data logger.

HTH

Offline Carson Weather

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2008, 11:07:30 PM »
I'll give them credit when credit is due, but....

Davis' placement of the indoor temperature sensor makes about as much sense as placing your air conditioner thermostat on the outside of your house :)


Offline superduty

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2008, 09:49:30 PM »
I'm with Carson on this one.  The internal temp was not a very good design.  It would have been nice if they included a remote sensor with the console.  That said the cheapest remote temp sensors....are not so cheap?    :eek:

Offline NiceBill

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2008, 10:05:26 PM »

I must agree with Carson, but I don't even look at it.  When I am hot, I Adjust the air conditioner. When I am cold I turn up the heat.

Now if it's raining and the monitor says it's sunny, then we have a problem. #-o

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> :-)
[note: Bill passed away December 31, 2008 -- Rest in Peace Bill, you'll be missed!]

Offline ryan hothersall

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2008, 04:20:17 AM »
I would have thought with the price you have to pay for a Davis station, I would have thought the inside sensor being separate from the console would have been better.

My console is next to my computer and in a room where are four computers running just about all day, so that room is a lot warmer than the rest of the house.

Offline racenet

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2008, 07:46:30 AM »
Darn those Davis people!

Mine doesn't dispense chilled water either. For the price, it should.  :roll:

Seriously, you purchased an outside weather station. Not a HVAC controller to handle your inside climate.  ](*,)



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Offline Anthony

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2008, 08:22:21 AM »
If my $200 dollar OS station has a seperate indor temp/humid/hudro sensor. Then I deffinately think the more expensive Davis stations should to. How much more could it possibly cost to simply put those electronics in a seperate enclosure? But as racenet said. You should be more concerned with the accuracy of the outside sensors than the accuracy of the indoor temp. After all. Thats what I bought my weather station for in the first place.



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Offline racenet

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2008, 10:35:55 AM »
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Offline tomcj2

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2008, 12:25:50 PM »
This would be a slightly less expensive route to go.
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06372

Davis VP2 (6163), WL 5.9.0..  VWS 14.01 p25, Panasonic HM371A camera. WU & W4U KORCANBY3, CoCoRaHS OR-CC-27

Offline Cienega32

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2008, 02:07:58 PM »
I ordered a 2nd temp in January to use in the pool during the warmer weather. But over the winter, I used it to check the return air temp at the heater and kept it in one room or another to check the temps trying to determine the cold spots in my 'new to me' house. It was helpful.

A poor man's thermal imaging technique :lol:

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Offline racenet

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2008, 04:43:39 PM »
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Offline mackbig

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2008, 04:29:06 PM »
The "cheap" $166.50 sensor only does temp.... you need to pony up another 45 bucks for the other one to do humidity too. 

Looks like Davis needs an indoor thermo-hygro model...  Considering you can do 8 channels with the VP2, some might want a few indoor zones and you dont need this large unit with built in radiation shield for that.

Andrew

This would be a slightly less expensive route to go.
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06372

Andrew - Davis VP2+ 6163, serial weatherlink, wireless anemometer, running Weather Display.  Boltek PCI Stormtracker, Astrogenic Nexstorm, Strikestar - UNI, CWOP CW8618, GrLevel3, (Station 2 OS WMR968, VWS 13.01p09), Windows 7-64

Offline Carson Weather

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2008, 05:41:13 PM »
Seriously, you purchased an outside weather station. Not a HVAC controller to handle your inside climate.  ](*,)

I could give a hoot about the indoor temperature. The point is, I/we have spent considerably more than the $200 OS systems and this particular function in inaccurate to the point of being unusable.

The fact that Davis makes a product and MUST KNOW that it is defective/inferior makes me wonder what else is wrong with this system.
Expensive does not necessarily equate to quality.

Offline racenet

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2008, 07:23:54 PM »
Seriously, you purchased an outside weather station. Not a HVAC controller to handle your inside climate.  ](*,)

I could give a hoot about the indoor temperature. The point is, I/we have spent considerably more than the $200 OS systems and this particular function in inaccurate to the point of being unusable.

The fact that Davis makes a product and MUST KNOW that it is defective/inferior makes me wonder what else is wrong with this system.
Expensive does not necessarily equate to quality.

Well then, if you don't give a hoot about the inside temp, then why are you still bitching about it?  :roll:

And to be percise, it really isn't inaccurate. That IS the actual temp inside the console.

I remember the time someone was griping about the color of the lighted display. They insisted the color should have been different. Give me a break. Just gotta bitch about something.  :roll:

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Offline Mark / Ohio

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #18 on: October 23, 2008, 08:34:01 PM »
My console sets on a chest of drawers in my bedroom (computer connected to it is in the basement).  It has always read accurate right along with any other thermometer / hygrometer I've set next to it as long as I leave the light turned off.  I think that whoever designed it just never gave thought to anyone leaving the light on all the time which was a major oversight.  But if you do leave the light on all the time a temperature offset would probably get it back pretty close.

Digital HVAC thermostats don't have external sensors for indoor temp neither and have lights and a control processor in them.

I only wish the digital thermostat I have for the heatpump was as accurate as the Davis is.  It runs invariably 2-4 degrees low from it's set point.  I sent an email to Honeywell about it.  Their reply was it was reading radiant temperature of the wall along with air temp and was working the way it was supposed to.  Funny, the old analog t-state that it replaced held the temp right on the set point for 20 years.  Just goes to show that adding a digital display and higher price does not always give better accuracy then the old fashioned way that worked for the past 100 years.
Mark 
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Offline mmorris

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #19 on: October 23, 2008, 08:39:20 PM »
My station sits on the a table next to the bed along with the weather radio alarm clock and phone no light and I have not touched the station in about two week. I just look at it and the indoor temp reads 75 deg F and if I walk out into the hall and look at the Honeywell furnace temp ( this is also digital ) it reads 75 deg F

I'm  a happy camper

Then again the reading could be off by + or - 1 deg F
>>Miles<<  By from Portage Lakes, OH.
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Offline NiceBill

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #20 on: October 23, 2008, 09:06:40 PM »

Hay Carson,

It,s your turn.  Why don't you just call Davis and ask then why, for all that money, it doesn't work right?

Maybe you can preform surgery on the console, remove the temp sensor and wire it to an extension and throw it over the door or something.

There is not one sole on this forum that will ever give you the answer you are looking for.

Well, maybe, but you would not like to hear that.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>> :-)
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Offline mmorris

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2008, 10:03:01 PM »
My station sits on the a table next to the bed along with the weather radio alarm clock and phone no light and I have not touched the station in about two week. I just look at it and the indoor temp reads 75 deg F and if I walk out into the hall and look at the Honeywell furnace temp ( this is also digital ) it reads 75 deg F

I'm  a happy camper

Then again the reading could be off by + or - 1 deg F

Just took a pic of the console and the Honeywell showing the same Temps just to verify. Link below

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/29199231@N07/sets/72157608403266779/detail/



>>Miles<<  By from Portage Lakes, OH.
Been using VWS since 1996 Ver# 14.01P43
Wireless Vantage Pro2Plus Serial Data Logger, Anemo Tran Kit
Win XP, Firefox, WXSIM, Cumulus, NexStorm, Yawcam, VVP, BadBlue Web server, Quake Catcher Net
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Offline WeatherHost

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Re: Vantage Pro2 internal temperature incorrect
« Reply #22 on: October 27, 2008, 06:28:20 AM »
I guess it depends on where and how it's mounted also.  Mine is wall mounted about 2' above a countertop with good airflow from bottom to top and reads high.  I don't know where the sensor is actually located inside the unit, but in my case it would probably be more accurate if it were at the bottom edge of the case.  That may not be true for everybody.