Author Topic: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather  (Read 21014 times)

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Greg_M

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #100 on: April 02, 2017, 06:01:43 PM »
A big thing with me is how long the unit will last.

Offline SnowHiker

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #101 on: April 02, 2017, 06:33:23 PM »

As far as I'm concerned, all should have a fan, at least in the daytime.
Maybe they should make it a law
For "official" measurements, it is.
Get a grip, it's called an opinion.
You made the law comment, and I merely played along not knowing you'd take it literally. My statement here is about NWS/FAA ASOS's which are required to be, and manufactured aspirated, and are used for official observations. Nothing difficult here.
So my words are supposed to be taken to some kind of an extreme that your's aren't?  You got all bent out of joint because I said "before you mandate..." But in your own words you said that as far as you're concerned that all stations should be aspirated.  No matter how you try to walk it back now, you weren't only talking about "official" stations.  Anyone can go back and read the context.

More of your words that aren't to be taken literally:
I'm done with this topic.
Yeah, right. :roll:  Then you suggest I'm the liar.  :lol:

Maybe you'd be better off keeping your word if all you can do is make accusations and not address the issues.

Offline CW2274

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #102 on: April 02, 2017, 06:46:26 PM »
Whatever.............You're right, I'm wrong.

Offline WxLover16

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #103 on: May 26, 2017, 08:26:14 PM »

As far as I'm concerned, all should have a fan, at least in the daytime.
Maybe they should make it a law
For "official" measurements, it is.
Get a grip, it's called an opinion.
You made the law comment, and I merely played along not knowing you'd take it literally. My statement here is about NWS/FAA ASOS's which are required to be, and manufactured aspirated, and are used for official observations. Nothing difficult here.
So my words are supposed to be taken to some kind of an extreme that your's aren't?  You got all bent out of joint because I said "before you mandate..." But in your own words you said that as far as you're concerned that all stations should be aspirated.  No matter how you try to walk it back now, you weren't only talking about "official" stations.  Anyone can go back and read the context.

More of your words that aren't to be taken literally:
I'm done with this topic.
Yeah, right. :roll:  Then you suggest I'm the liar.  :lol:

Maybe you'd be better off keeping your word if all you can do is make accusations and not address the issues.

He's right about the aspiration. I understand some people don't care enough for and/or can't afford a fan, but there are days almost everywhere where the sun is shining bright and the wind is little to none. It is on these days when a fan is needed. For those who truly care about their (especially afternoon) temps being as accurate as possible, a fan is highly recommended. I, for one, would never do without a fan, no matter where I lived, but I'm all about the utmost temperature accuracy; that's just me. And that's also CW. I totally understand where he's coming from. Aspiration vs. non; any day.

Just think about it. Would you rather your sensor be sensing old stagnant air (in a passive shield with sun beating down on it) or fresh air that is being pulled across it with a fan? Absolutely a no brainer to me.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2017, 08:29:36 PM by WxLover16 »
Davis Wireless VP2 SHT31 24hr 24CFM FARS

Offline SnowHiker

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #104 on: May 26, 2017, 10:12:59 PM »
Yeah. Then maybe if you really care about accuracy you'd better buy a station that costs several thousand dollars and the perfect lot of land to put it on.  (I suspect most people with the most expensive and supposedly accurate stations they can get negate all the benefits by siting them less than optimally.)

If you don't have a Davis, you're just some kid with a toy.  If you have a Davis, but it isn't fan aspirated, then you're just a wannabe, hobbyist.  If you have an aspirated Davis with all the accessories and the latest temp/hum sensor that's 1/10,000 of a degree more accurate, and you go out and buy the latest and best of everything, then you are a Great Meteorologist, far greater than us hobbyists with our little passive toy weather stations.  (I wonder if those with RM Young or Campbell stations look on people with aspirated Davis stations with the same disdain that those with aspirated Davis stations look on those with non-aspirated stations.)

I'm glad everyone here understands the weather where I'm at better than I do, and knows exactly what I'm looking for in a weather station.  I also hope that since you are so concerned with having 100% accurate readings 100% of the time, that you have plenty of backup stations for when something goes wrong with your mandatory fan aspirated station, or is being professionally calibrated, and to know when one of your stations gets a little out of calibration, or when there is some anomaly in the data from one of your stations.

I'll point out once again that I don't use my station for any official purpose other than for myself, I don't pretend to be a professional, and my station works for what I intend it for and for where I live, believe it or not.  This subject has been covered over and over again from both sides, I don't think it's even about the facts anymore, I think's it's just become about who has the biggest and best toys.

Offline WxLover16

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #105 on: May 27, 2017, 07:23:22 PM »
Yeah. Then maybe if you really care about accuracy you'd better buy a station that costs several thousand dollars and the perfect lot of land to put it on.

Not sure why I'd want to buy a station more expensive than the VP2 when it does everything I want and is accurate, especially with the newly released most accurate-to-date SHT31 temperature/humidity sensor. Awesome configuration of a radiation shield, check; triple wall technology for ample aspiration ventilation, check; 24 hr fan to be move air past temp sensor in said perfectly constructed radiation shield; check. I'm content. As far as a perfect lot of land, don't have that, but I have a nice compromise going for me.
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Offline alanb

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #106 on: May 27, 2017, 11:17:35 PM »
I am convinced the Davis VP2 is a wonderful product, but to get the features I want, it costs more than I am willing to spend. So I will keep looking for something that is affordable and reasonably reliable, accurate and durable. I am still waiting to see how the Acurite Atlas Elite shakes out (if it ever shows up in the market). I don't need something that is perfect, but there must be a "sweet spot" out there somewhere in the available products in the $500 or less price range. If I never find it, then I will just pass on having a PWS and let my neighbors invest in the Davis VP2 and hopefully publish on WU or another site that I can use. :-)
Alan - Ambient WS-2000, WH31E x5, WH31L, Ecowitt WN32(WH32E)
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Offline Bashy

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #107 on: May 28, 2017, 02:01:40 AM »
I do believe that many/most if not all of the UK met office temp housings are normally aspirated, many in stevenson screens
some at airports in other shields, I feel the fan idea is a must for most back garden enthusiast due to the obstructions. Official
sites have uninterrupted sensor placements, no trees, no buildings, no hills etc, then there is the height of the grass, even that
can make a difference, having a fan can make up for some of our less fortunate sensor placings, I myself had to go 24hr fan
and still had to place it on the mast (13ft est) and i still think i maybe slightly above during the afternoon when there is little to
no breeze but no so much when there is some decent winds.

The image below is of 3 RAF bases, only Marham (EGYM) is the offical Met Office station but, the other 2 are still used
when looking at extremes, i.e. if Lakenheath (EGUL) was the hottest place in the UK it would be still mentioned regardless
The pink line is a Davis Vue, the day was yesterday and it was very breezy, 30mph+ gusts. The second image is minimal winds
bear in mind i am running a 4k rpm PC fan at 12v (VP2 Plus bought feb this year)

D7935: 1.6 miles (Lakenheath, UK: lat 52.4417, long 0.5982, altitude 14 metres)
EGUL: 4.3 miles (Lakenheath Royal Air Force Base, United Kingdom: lat 52.4093, long 0.5610, altitude 10 metres)
EGUN: 8.8 miles (Mildenhall Royal Air Force Base, United Kingdom: lat 52.3619, long 0.4864, altitude 10 metres)
EGYM: 12.9 miles (Marham, United Kingdom: lat 52.6483, long 0.5670, altitude 23 metres)
« Last Edit: May 28, 2017, 02:03:13 AM by Bashy »
Kind regards
Bashy

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: My findings comparing Acurite, Davis Instruments, and Ambient Weather
« Reply #108 on: May 28, 2017, 07:14:41 AM »
I am convinced the Davis VP2 is a wonderful product, but to get the features I want, it costs more than I am willing to spend. So I will keep looking for something that is affordable and reasonably reliable, accurate and durable. I am still waiting to see how the Acurite Atlas Elite shakes out (if it ever shows up in the market). I don't need something that is perfect, but there must be a "sweet spot" out there somewhere in the available products in the $500 or less price range. If I never find it, then I will just pass on having a PWS and let my neighbors invest in the Davis VP2 and hopefully publish on WU or another site that I can use. :-)

I was in the same situation as you: new to weather stations, not wanting to spend relatively big money for a Davis, hoping the Acurite Elite would be a serious compromise between the shortcomings of the 5in1 type units and the more expensive systems. I was ready to wait for late spring and even early summer but with the VAGUENESS being exhibited by ACURITE with NO info forthcoming I got kinda frustrated. I speculated that they were having unforeseen problems somewhere along the line. (Better to not release a problematic product but still it would have been nice for some kind of updates). That being said, my research indicated to me that Acurite was a good company with fair customer relations and that the 5in1 systems they sell, while far from perfect, were being used very successfully by many hobbyists. So I decided to shop around and I got an awesome deal on a system on Amazon that included lightning detection FOR $130! I bought it with the intention of learning about and enjoying having a pws and am very pleased so far after about 5 weeks of use. Now I am no longer ANNOYED by the lack of the Elite being available and if/when it does get released I will still be able to sit back and wait to see just what more experienced hobbyists think about the quality of construction, improvements to software over Acurite's current sw, and of course just how accurate it really is vs. the teaser specs they put out when they first announced the product line.

Finally, Dear ACURITE: as much as I like you, you really should lose the COMING SOON on your website for the Atlas line. Change that to TBA (to be announced), or EXPECTED BY.........