Author Topic: My set up for the VP2  (Read 7598 times)

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Offline ASTMedic

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My set up for the VP2
« on: December 25, 2013, 09:25:29 PM »
Got my Davis VP2 ISS in place today.

Here is the site



Here is the view back to the house



This was my temporary set up for the past week to test things out before making it permanent. Just a T post I pounded.



Thank god for the auger on my tractor. Nothing like punching a 12" x 3ft hole in nothing flat.



All done, about 7ft AGL. Now I just have to run the hot fence around it to keep the cows off of it. I'll assess the need for guy wires when we get some wind. Shouldn't be a big deal but we'll see.


Offline Aardvark

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2013, 09:32:45 PM »
it looks great. I would secure the cable with some of those plastic straps like the cops use, but for electric cables , it keeps the line from flopping around in the wind.

I would have loved to have your auger when I had to sink 2 and 3 foot holes for my soil moisture sensors.  But it looks great. You are going to get some excellent data .

Offline ASTMedic

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2013, 09:41:28 PM »
Going to throw some ties on the anemometer cable on Friday. Got some of the Ambient Weather bird spikes coming on Fri so I'm going to finish things off then.

Also getting the Meteobridge on Fri so I should be live then.

Offline piconut

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2013, 03:03:12 AM »
It probably won't make too much difference but I would suggest that your either move the anemometer mount to the top of the pole or cut it off just above the mounting location.  The part sticking up may or may not cause some turbulence for wind direction but why risk it when the fix is easy? 
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Offline DanS

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2013, 05:57:34 AM »
That's a good looking setup!

Offline ASTMedic

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My set up for the VP2
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2013, 07:42:12 AM »
It probably won't make too much difference but I would suggest that your either move the anemometer mount to the top of the pole or cut it off just above the mounting location.  The part sticking up may or may not cause some turbulence for wind direction but why risk it when the fix is easy?

Good point, I'll have to move it up. There's narrower section there so you could put it inside another section of the same pipe. I was avoiding that spot but I didn't think about it causing turbulence. Should be able to move it up

Offline Ian.

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2013, 06:44:26 PM »
Cool setup, nice job. By the way, your plot looks bigger than my town  :grin:
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Offline ASTMedic

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2013, 10:18:25 PM »
Cool setup, nice job. By the way, your plot looks bigger than my town  :grin:

10 acres

Offline SlowModem

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2013, 11:26:32 PM »
Cool setup, nice job. By the way, your plot looks bigger than my town  :grin:

10 acres

Land spreading out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan just give me that country side!

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Offline ASTMedic

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2013, 12:20:16 AM »


Black lines outline our 10 (green) acres. About 30 min from town. The property has a gradual slope from the road (right) till about the barn (last building to the left) and then it's a bit steeper till the big pond but nothing bad. Accessing the section to the far left across the pond can only be done from that side so it's not very usable from the house.

Upper right corner is my garden, fills the pantry with canned veggies very well. Good bass fishing in the bottom pond (left pond) and catfish as long as my arm in the upper pond (right one).

Middle bottom below our property line is the neighbors "cash crop". Ahhhhh got to love living in California.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2013, 12:25:50 AM by ASTMedic »

Offline ASTMedic

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #10 on: December 28, 2013, 12:48:09 AM »
Well got some free time after my daughter went to bed since the wife is working this evening. Raised the anemometer above the top of the post and put the bird spikes on the rain gauge.

Also live on WU now. Just can't figure out when I'll be able to add my station as my home station on the WU iPhone app.

The neighbors think I've clearly lost it. As I'm standing in the middle of a pitch black pasture with my head lamp on they drive by, back up, drive forward, back up again and then stop and get out. I had to repeat my self 3 times when they asked what I was doing. It was quite funny.

Offline Tall_Guy

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2013, 08:52:51 AM »
LOL...that's funny...welcome to the "club".
I bet lots of ppl on here have similiar stories.
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Offline blizzardof78

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2013, 12:57:21 PM »
Now you need a web camera!!  \:D/

Offline dj1111s

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2013, 02:35:52 PM »
The neighbors think I've clearly lost it. As I'm standing in the middle of a pitch black pasture with my head lamp on they drive by, back up, drive forward, back up again and then stop and get out. I had to repeat my self 3 times when they asked what I was doing. It was quite funny.

I stopped worrying about what the neighbors think a long time ago.  They're just jealous.

Nice setup you got going on a beautiful plot of land.
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Offline Aardvark

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #14 on: December 29, 2013, 02:57:39 PM »
Well got some free time after my daughter went to bed since the wife is working this evening. Raised the anemometer above the top of the post and put the bird spikes on the rain gauge.

Also live on WU now. Just can't figure out when I'll be able to add my station as my home station on the WU iPhone app.

The neighbors think I've clearly lost it. As I'm standing in the middle of a pitch black pasture with my head lamp on they drive by, back up, drive forward, back up again and then stop and get out. I had to repeat my self 3 times when they asked what I was doing. It was quite funny.
My neighbors have ignored me and my set up over the years.  I have had only some repair/electrician folks ask about it when they do work around here. But other than that, I've been pretty lucky.

Now you need to invest in some soil moisture/Soil Temperature station somewhere to complete your set up.  Heck with that auger you have, you could poke the holes at the various depths, run in your sensors (I put mine in pvc conduit to keep critters from munching)  and have a huge picture there. 

You have the perfect setup.

Offline Cienega32

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #15 on: December 29, 2013, 03:22:58 PM »
Nice spread and even nicer for a Wx Station.

Do you get a lot of wildlife by the "lower pond"? Looks like webcam territory to me!

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Offline ASTMedic

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My set up for the VP2
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2013, 11:55:41 AM »
Ya the soil sensors are my next purchase. We have very dense soil in the big garden, since it was pasture for a long time, and it's really hard to tell if I need to water since it will look wet for 4-5 days after a watering even in 90 degree weather. Adding organic material is a work in progress right now, this last fall I planted a nitrogen fixing cover crop that I can till in to help loosen the soil.

As for the web cam, my internet wouldn't support it. I'm on a spotty 1.5mbps DSL that I'm stuck with since that's the only service available. I'd have to set up a repeater system since wifi signal doesn't penetrate the walls of our house well. It was built in the 40's so who know what all is in the walls. All I know is its like a Faraday  cage when it comes to radio signals. My scanner has to be sitting in a window of I can only pick up the strongest signals. I'm totally capable of setting up external antennas but that's more money than I need to spend.

We do get a fair amount of wild life, the dogs can attest to the presence of skunks and the deer love my garden. Plenty of coyotes and turkey's too. We also have 5 head of cattle that serve as food for us and about 20 chickens for eggs.

Offline ASTMedic

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #17 on: January 01, 2014, 11:52:13 PM »
Added bird spikes today and tied off the anemometer wire.



This should about wrap up the ISS install. I'm about done all together, I just need to figure out how to push the data to my network hard drive from the Meteobridge now.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2014, 11:55:13 PM by ASTMedic »

Offline PatrioticRick

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #18 on: January 06, 2014, 07:21:12 AM »
Good looking set up, real close to mine, except-- I don't have bird spikes and in the last two years haven't needed them. \:D/  Post hole digger would have been nice to have I used a 10' chain link corner post and pounded it in with a post pounder from the bed of my truck, not fun!
CWOP=DW9069
MADIS=D9069
WU=KIDRIGBY2
PWS=RIGBYWX1
WxBug=p19372
WOW=373047692

Davis VP2 6152 w/WeatherLinkIP
WeatherLink 6.0.3



Offline ASTMedic

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My set up for the VP2
« Reply #19 on: January 06, 2014, 07:46:13 AM »
Good looking set up, real close to mine, except-- I don't have bird spikes and in the last two years haven't needed them. \:D/  Post hole digger would have been nice to have I used a 10' chain link corner post and pounded it in with a post pounder from the bed of my truck, not fun!

They make a post pounder that will fit around a 2" post? I've only seen/used the T post pounders. I bet one that big would be hell to use.

I figured I'd just beat the birds to the punch and put the spikes on there rather than have to clean it out. The one big up side to having such an open area is I don't have to worry about leaves and such getting into the bucket.

Offline PatrioticRick

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #20 on: January 07, 2014, 06:09:08 AM »
Good looking set up, real close to mine, except-- I don't have bird spikes and in the last two years haven't needed them. \:D/  Post hole digger would have been nice to have I used a 10' chain link corner post and pounded it in with a post pounder from the bed of my truck, not fun!

They make a post pounder that will fit around a 2" post? I've only seen/used the T post pounders. I bet one that big would be hell to use.

I figured I'd just beat the birds to the punch and put the spikes on there rather than have to clean it out. The one big up side to having such an open area is I don't have to worry about leaves and such getting into the bucket.
I had to buy a new pounder old one wouldn't fit, the sucker is heavy too.  I have the same open area all farm land around me so no trees either, only problem I have is horses in the summer, so had to fence around it. ](*,)
CWOP=DW9069
MADIS=D9069
WU=KIDRIGBY2
PWS=RIGBYWX1
WxBug=p19372
WOW=373047692

Davis VP2 6152 w/WeatherLinkIP
WeatherLink 6.0.3



Offline PatrioticRick

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Re: My set up for the VP2
« Reply #21 on: January 07, 2014, 06:17:27 AM »
Marysville, CA..... :idea: I went to a summer camp as a kid in Marysville in the late 60's, remember having a float in the Marysville 4th of July Parade down Main street. :roll:
CWOP=DW9069
MADIS=D9069
WU=KIDRIGBY2
PWS=RIGBYWX1
WxBug=p19372
WOW=373047692

Davis VP2 6152 w/WeatherLinkIP
WeatherLink 6.0.3



Offline ASTMedic

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My set up for the VP2
« Reply #22 on: January 07, 2014, 08:42:45 AM »
Good looking set up, real close to mine, except-- I don't have bird spikes and in the last two years haven't needed them. \:D/  Post hole digger would have been nice to have I used a 10' chain link corner post and pounded it in with a post pounder from the bed of my truck, not fun!

They make a post pounder that will fit around a 2" post? I've only seen/used the T post pounders. I bet one that big would be hell to use.

I figured I'd just beat the birds to the punch and put the spikes on there rather than have to clean it out. The one big up side to having such an open area is I don't have to worry about leaves and such getting into the bucket.
I had to buy a new pounder old one wouldn't fit, the sucker is heavy too.  I have the same open area all farm land around me so no trees either, only problem I have is horses in the summer, so had to fence around it. ](*,)

We have cows so I'll have to do the same. For now they're just kept out of that pasture.

That's funny you know the area. We actually live about 20min outside Marysville in the foothills, old town called Loma Rica.

 

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