Topic: Stand alone rain guage

[Aardvark]

Saw that Davis now has a stand alone  rain guage. it hooks into the wireless anemometer(6332) station for a remote setting.  Part #: 7857
$100 Davis price, comes with new rain cone.
http://www.davisnet.com/product_documents/weather/manuals/07395-335_IM_7857.pdf

[johnd]

In case anyone gets the wrong idea, this updated gauge is simply a replacement for the existing 7852 gauge. It should be a better gauge - as we've discussed here before I think - being easier to mount as a standalone gauge, less prone to blockage etc.

But unless anyone knows to the contrary, it does not add anything to the existing rainfall display or logging functionality. So, yes, while you can certainly hook it up to a 6332 transmitter AFAIK you would have to receive that 6332 transmitter as an ISS in order to get a rainfall reading from the gauge**. And of course you can only receive one ISS per console (Envoy8X excepted). I suppose the implication is that if you do have an Envoy8X then this is a reminder that you can have a second rain gauge inputting via a 6332 box.

** There is this rather mysterious RAIN station option in the transmitter configuration (which isn't even listed as an option in the Weatherlink Set Transceiver dialogue last time I looked) and which gets scant mention in the console documentation. But AFAIK use of this option with the standard VP2 console is limited to a few unusual configurations where there might be eg a rain gauge and temperature and wind on separate transmitters and no ISS as such in the system.

NB Not meaning this to be a critical post in any sense, but it's just raised the whole question again of why you might ever consider attaching a rain gauge to a 6332 box (other than if you have an Envoy8X or MeteoStick). Why have Davis bothered to mention this option at all? Isn't it just adding to confusion when it doesn't really have much practical relevance? What am I missing?

[snapper]

What am I missing?

Perhaps they are setting up a standalone sensor range for the VP3 that will allow multiple ISS transmitters?

[johnd]

Perhaps they are setting up a standalone sensor range for the VP3 that will allow multiple ISS transmitters?

Perhaps? But I think it's more likely just to be a production rationalisation, eg possibly they've discontinued product of the 7852 base (or maybe stocks have at last run out) and so have simply switched to using the VP2 ISS base. Marketing have then taken the opportunity to package it with the new cone (which they would presumably have done anyway) and present it as a new and improved product.

My point is really that there's nothing that you can do with 7857 that you could not have done for the past 10 years with 7852. Certainly you'd rather have 7857 rather than 7852 because of the new cone features giving more consistent performance and easier maintenance but it doesn't add per se to the display or logging options so what's leaving me scratching my head is the comment about the 6332 box.

I suspect that the main buyers of 7857 will be users either replacing a 7852 gauge on a WMII station (there are still quite a few around) or using the 7857 with a VP2 system to allow the rain gauge to be sited closer to ground level where it will read more accurately (but still be cabled back to the main ISS in place of the built-in rain gauge). Or it could be a better/easier replacement for an old VP2 rain gauge. And of course Envoy8X and MeteoStick users will be able to use it with whatever ISS-type transmitter board they choose.

No sign of a VP3 at present. I think you're on the right lines by implying that there will be few major changes to the sensors or wireless technology. My guess would be using a more powerful microcontroller in the console along with more memory which would then allow multi-transmitter reception to become more flexible and major enhancements to weatherlink.com. But that may well not happen for a year or two yet.

[Aardvark]

Or.. John maybe Davis is tired of having to repair what some people are doing.  Taking their VP2 apart?    The Mysterious Plug, as you call it.  The wireless anemometer transmitter is identical to the board for the wireless ISS and some other transmitters. If you read it says that this unit can be mounted elsewhere.

So it appears that rather than take apart the rain guage off the ISS,  they are providing a unit and transmitter (sold separately) to achieve that.

I have read on this site, ad nauseum for years and years about people taking off the rain gauge and putting it somewhere like on the roof, then the solar and UV sensors on top of a pole  and so forth.   None of the improvements that Davis has put out , the bird spikes and this unit are a vast improvement. Oh let me correct that, they changed the outer cover on the UV sensor to get the sun angle at the horizon for those who think they want that.

So.. is it something big,  sure,  for someone who wants to separate their rain gauge unit  and put it somewhere else to measure rain or even watering  .      What it doesn't say, is to remove the plug on the ISS from the ISS Board.

Unless, that is.. down the road that option is going to be available in either their firmware for the Console, Envoy or their software.  You can do  that , you know with the Envoy8x,  have as many ISS stations with rain guages running.   Maybe they will be expanding that unit.

Then again, I really don't care.   I made a simple observation, reported it here and then I get the impression that  someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning and reports it isn't something .   Go read the ad yourself.