Author Topic: Davis weather station tuneup  (Read 2936 times)

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Davis weather station tuneup
« on: June 03, 2013, 04:39:25 PM »
I got to looking at my weather station and it is showing its age. the solar panels are all fogged over now. and I am wondering how much longer till it starts recording strange temps.  I got it 8-25-05. I have seen on here that some people have sent in there davis weather stations for a check over. How would I go by doing that?

Anthony

Offline SLOweather

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2013, 04:41:16 PM »
Call 'em. Tell 'em you want the $100 station refurb. They'll tell you what to do.

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2013, 04:46:41 PM »
Call 'em. Tell 'em you want the $100 station refurb. They'll tell you what to do.

Thanks I will go back to there site and look for a phone number.

Anthony

Offline jgillett

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2013, 01:18:22 AM »
Seems many folks have had good luck with this. FWIW - I did not. They did not do everything I mentioned in my letter, and also managed to mess up one of the sensors that was working fine. Not at all worth it for me.

Just FYI - YMMV.
John
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Offline Bunty

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2013, 01:36:27 PM »
I emailed Davis about getting my station refurbed.  But in the answer back, it was mentioned to specify what needed repaired on it.  Since nothing seems to need repaired, I decided to forget about sending it to them.

Also the 2nd home page using modified AltDashboard 6.95 at http://stillwaterweather.com/2ndhome.php

Offline jgillett

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2013, 02:11:17 PM »
I definitely had issues the I felt were completely legit. They ignored most of those and, as mentioned, managed to break something that was working (actually it still works, but not properly).

No more Davis for me...
John
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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2013, 04:32:52 PM »
got a reply on my email yesterday. I just sent the info back to them. my address my phone number model number system number things like that.

Anthony

Offline W3DRM

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2013, 06:23:25 PM »
Mine has gone back twice - both times for anemometer and wind-vane problems. Both times it came back fixed and with "other" items that Davis found to be out of spec or defective (a leaky super-cap and a very cloudy solar panel the last time). They fixed those items too and did a great job cleaning it up. To me the biggest problem was being without my "baby" for a week to 10 days  :-(

It was $100 + shipping well spent IMHO.

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2013, 03:10:37 PM »
Mine has gone back twice - both times for anemometer and wind-vane problems. Both times it came back fixed and with "other" items that Davis found to be out of spec or defective (a leaky super-cap and a very cloudy solar panel the last time). They fixed those items too and did a great job cleaning it up. To me the biggest problem was being without my "baby" for a week to 10 days  :-(

It was $100 + shipping well spent IMHO.



thanks! I feel better shipping mine soon.

Anthony

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2013, 02:24:49 PM »
got my weather station back today. so we will see how it works now :)

Anthony

Offline Aardvark

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2013, 03:13:44 PM »
I sent in my old soil moisture temperature station to be fixed (I broke the far left tab on the wire junction) and to check it over. 72, isn't back yet, but no worry.

There isn't a lot of things on the weather station to fix, really.  I purchased a new ISS board from Archer Trading post.  The board  he sends is  the whole unit minus the solar panel.   I just soldered in a new supercap and of course it sits in the basement measuring the temp/humid of my crawl space.    I suppose if I get tired of that I can move it out to the garden and have it power the soil temperature probe.

I replaced my own solar panel again from Archer and added a 24hrs FARS as well.   I see the leveling bubble on my solar sensor has leaked and is dry, but the sensor works.

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2013, 04:40:32 PM »
I sent in my old soil moisture temperature station to be fixed (I broke the far left tab on the wire junction) and to check it over. 72, isn't back yet, but no worry.

There isn't a lot of things on the weather station to fix, really.  I purchased a new ISS board from Archer Trading post.  The board  he sends is  the whole unit minus the solar panel.   I just soldered in a new supercap and of course it sits in the basement measuring the temp/humid of my crawl space.    I suppose if I get tired of that I can move it out to the garden and have it power the soil temperature probe.

I replaced my own solar panel again from Archer and added a 24hrs FARS as well.   I see the leveling bubble on my solar sensor has leaked and is dry, but the sensor works.

I am happy with it.

Anthony

Offline Aardvark

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2013, 06:04:53 PM »
considering how much abuse the station gets, it holds up.   really I think there are only a few problem areas on the main station,  reed switches, super cap and the forever missing debris screen (which I believe Martians take to build their home stations in the trees  =D> )

Offline Intheswamp

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2013, 10:38:43 PM »

I am happy with it.
Now, *that* is what matters!

Did they replace the solar panel?  Polish them up?

Ed

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2013, 07:05:55 PM »

I am happy with it.
Now, *that* is what matters!

Did they replace the solar panel?  Polish them up?

Ed

That is a strange thing I thought they would have a print out to show what they did. From what I can tell they put in a new fan and rechargeable batteries replaced the door with the solar panel on it replaced the UV sensor replaced the wind cups replaced the rain buckets and put in a new reed switch. oh and they updated the firmware on the display and the station. and they also put a new controller board on the station

Anthony

Offline jgillett

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #15 on: July 14, 2013, 07:32:31 PM »
You got lucky. They left me completely out in the cold on mine - actually did only two of the things I had indicated as bad in my letter, and broke something else (still works, but no longer properly).

Very disgusted...
John
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Offline Intheswamp

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #16 on: July 14, 2013, 07:56:13 PM »
jgillett, how did Davis respond when you contacted them about your dissatisfaction?

FOTW, sounds like they did a MAJOR overhaul for you!  With all they did they would've been better off to have shipped you a new unit!  :grin:   Interesting the difference in service you and jgillett received.  If you run VVP you are aware of the firmware/software issues involved with the new firmware version, correct?

Ed

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2013, 09:27:05 PM »
jgillett, how did Davis respond when you contacted them about your dissatisfaction?

FOTW, sounds like they did a MAJOR overhaul for you!  With all they did they would've been better off to have shipped you a new unit!  :grin:   Interesting the difference in service you and jgillett received.  If you run VVP you are aware of the firmware/software issues involved with the new firmware version, correct?

Ed

That is strange on what they do work on. I did read some people got new wind gages I did not. But I did get new wind cups. I run weather display. I have not had any problems yet.

Anthony

Offline jgillett

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Re: Davis weather station tuneup
« Reply #18 on: July 16, 2013, 05:13:31 PM »
jgillett, how did Davis respond when you contacted them about your dissatisfaction?

Pretty much with indifference. Had listed the following items in my letter...

* Fan has stopped running - once in a blue moon it works (noisy), but usually not
* Both solar panels are clouded over and showing possible cracks
* Console is old analog style - will not accept current firmware update
* Readings of temp, hum, dew, etc., 'jump around' a bit and do not follow my closest METARs (each only a few miles away)
* Did not pop the cover to check the supercap, but I have my doubts

They replaced the fan and cap, and said they found a 'missing segment' on the console display so they replaced a chip. They also 'calibrated the barometer', but when I put it back in operation it was way off the mark. Had to re-do that myself. Readings still jump around (graphs are not smooth), their comment on the solar panel cracks was 'as long as it's putting out the voltage', and on the console upgrade 'most people don't need what's in the upgrade so we didn't do it'. With the heat we have here the cracks are just going to get worse, and for the console what happens when they have another upgrade that requires this one as a pre-req? Lose the station for another 2 weeks, and maybe pay another 100 bucks?? Not!

I realize the majority of folks here gotten great service (which I had come to expect from them), but I didn't, and I'm pretty sour on Davis.
John
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