Here is the recent installation of my Davis Wireless Vantage Pro2 in the backyard of my house in Camas, WA.
The site choice is far from ideal. The restrictions were considerable. First (and always foremost
)my wife. She wanted me to have the weather station, but she didn't want to see it. At all. Anywhere. Not on the roof. Not off the deck. Not on either side of the house. Secondly, I live in a neighborhood with covenants and restrictions. Finally, the property slopes in the back.
By process of elimination (and compromise with the most-important-person-in-my-life) we decided on an area behind a hedge facing out across the lake with the ISS at about 5' and anemometer pole about 11' high. This hides the ISS from our home and our neighbors.
In addition, the anemometer is in a good position to record the dominant weather feature which are the strong Columbia River Gorge winds that race up the lake.
Another key factor in making this happen is the color black. Black pole, black anemometer (thank you Davis), black rain bucket, etc. I also painted the U-bolts black. This helps it blend in.
In my research on this forum I stumbled across the idea (I am sorry I can't remember which member to credit) of using a slightly larger diameter pipe as support for the ISS with a slightly smaller diameter pipe (but much taller) nestled inside for the anemometer. That way I can easily remove the taller, skinnier pipe to maintain the anemometer (or replace with taller pipe).
Supplies:
(I couldn't find any appropriate black conduit or chain-link fence pipe at Home Depot or Lowe's, so I called a chain-link fence company which cut a couple of pieces to size and threw in the cap.)
12' black "chain-link fence" pipe 1 3/8" in diameter for the anemometer
8' black "chain link fence" pipe 1 5/8" in diameter for the ISS and support for the 12' pipe
Small cap for top of 12' pipe
Sakrete concrete tube form
Quikrete fast setting concrete
Pole level
Clamps
Scrap wood to support pipe with clamps
Main support pipe leveled, clamped with temporary wooden supports and setting fast in cement.
12' pipe (1 3/8") nestled into the main 8' (1 5/8") pipe. ISS installed. Note U-bolt painted black (spouse-appeasement). See below for plans to handle the cable.
Anemometer up and ready to go for a spin. It tops out about 4' above the hedge. That is Mt. Hood in the far distance behind the decidious trees.
I plan to drill and tap a hole in the shorter pipe for a screw/bolt to hold the taller pipe in position (like you would do with an umbrella stand). I will also drill a hole at the top of the taller pipe and below near the ISS to put the cable inside the pipe. And, working from Heirphoto's idea, I will come up with some sort of container for the extra cable. Black, of course.
So, all in all, not an award winning location (please be kind
). But, it serves the purpose and makes everyone happy.
Thanks.
Brian