Firmware 1.90 for console & envoy is out

[meteolarissa]

Ηello friends,

I have many times wondering if there is anything change in update firmware...way....
I have a console and vp2 plus with firmware 27 may 2005....
I knew that i need the updater to do the update so i never did it till now....
I have the same firmware like this when i bought davis....
Is here anyone sure what i need to update my console firmware????????or its better mail to davis??

I have usb weatherlink 6510eu and wirelless station...........

[WeatherGoose]

Rick, here's what I found:

Vantage Pro2 Wireless
If your Vantage Pro2 has firmware dated November 28, 2005 or later, your console is prepared for the new daylight savings schedule. As long as your console is set to "Daylight Savings - Auto," the console will display the correct time following the new standard

If your Vantage Pro2 has firmware dated earlier than November 28, 2005 you will need to do two things:

Call 1-800-678-3669 and rent an Updater (part #R6311VP2) for $20 plus shipping.

Download the latest Vantage Pro2 Wireless Console Firmware. Follow the Updater instructions for details on uploading the firmware into your console.


Frankly, I'd borrw the neighbour's PC.  It updates via the USB cable to the data logger.

As for why no browser interface?  Well, for starters there is no RJ45 port.  And no MAC address.

Thanks man!

Looks like borrowing a PC is the only way to do this.

As far as updating this thing with a multi-platform online based application... I know it can be done because Logitech provides just such a system that updates their Harmony universal remotes using a browser based, online system via USB.  All it takes is a commitment by the company to support EVERYONE that uses their product.   Obviously Davis doesn't consider universal support of their user base a high priority like Logitech and dozens of other electronics companies do.   

[Bushman]

How many Logitech/Harmony remotes are sold?  Compare to weather stations sold.

[Strgazr27]

Rick, here's what I found:

Vantage Pro2 Wireless
If your Vantage Pro2 has firmware dated November 28, 2005 or later, your console is prepared for the new daylight savings schedule. As long as your console is set to "Daylight Savings - Auto," the console will display the correct time following the new standard

If your Vantage Pro2 has firmware dated earlier than November 28, 2005 you will need to do two things:

Call 1-800-678-3669 and rent an Updater (part #R6311VP2) for $20 plus shipping.

Download the latest Vantage Pro2 Wireless Console Firmware. Follow the Updater instructions for details on uploading the firmware into your console.


Frankly, I'd borrw the neighbour's PC.  It updates via the USB cable to the data logger.

As for why no browser interface?  Well, for starters there is no RJ45 port.  And no MAC address.

Thanks man!

Looks like borrowing a PC is the only way to do this.

As far as updating this thing with a multi-platform online based application... I know it can be done because Logitech provides just such a system that updates their Harmony universal remotes using a browser based, online system via USB.  All it takes is a commitment by the company to support EVERYONE that uses their product.   Obviously Davis doesn't consider universal support of their user base a high priority like Logitech and dozens of other electronics companies do.   

Not picking an argument B but in reality, How many stations are sold compared to Webcams, Mice, Keyboards, steering wheels, remotes? Now how many of those stations are being run on a MAC? I think when you look at it that way it makes a bit more sense no? I just get curious why it seems almost every MAC user thinks it's the companies fault or they have no desire to support their users when it isn't Davis' fault that you chose to use a machine that is not very well supported in MANY different areas of the personal computing world, not just this hobby. Like I said, not picking, just offering an opinion.

[WeatherGoose]

I'm not "picking" either. 

Here is my take on this whole multi-platform support issue, or the lack thereof in the case of Davis...

If a company markets and sells products for the Macintosh operating system, which Davis obviously does, then it would follow suit that those users should be granted the same level of support as any other segment of their customer base.

How many users are on Mac versus Windows isn't the issue.  They can choose to either think like a large company and aspire to becoming something larger by supporting everyone that they market to, or they can think like a tiny company with a narrow minded focus and only support those who they feel are worth supporting. Obviously, Davis has chosen the latter and in my opinion are missing out on a lot of potential future sales.    Many will site the low number of Mac version sales as an indicator of how small the Mac segment is.  However, there is a big problem with relying on those sales figures.  Here's why... By offering a dumbed down and practically useless version of their Weather Link software to OSX users, they end up skewing their own sales numbers because most Mac users purchase the Windows product instead even though if given choice between the two would obviously prefer to run on OSX if that version was comparable.

The technology is out there to offer everyone the ability to update their firmware regardless of what OS they are using.  Logitech didn't get to be as successful as they are by ignoring an affluent and steadily growing segment of the computer using public. They embaced the Mac community and have reaped the benefits of that segment of the market.  Davis chooses to treat their Mac users as second class citizens.  Most companies have wised up at this point in time and realize that there is a lot of money to be made by embracing the Mac user base.  A user base that is growing far more rapidly than the industry average, and continues to do so wth every passing quarterly earnings report that Apple releases.  

As far as my choice of computer brand...

I chose to run my weather station on Macintosh because Apple hardware is some of the most reliable computer hardware around, and in this case the OSX platform also has the best weather station and webcam software applications available on any platform in my opinion.  It worked out nicely that I didn't have to turn one of my Macs into a permanent Windows PC.  Prior to discovering LWC and EVOcam, I had every intention of doing just that and using a Windows based weather station and webcam package.  As I have mentioned numerous times, I test drove everything available on Windows and OSX before going with what I am now using.

Perhaps one of these days, Davis will wise up and stop living in their 1980s-90s mind set where Macintosh support was considered unimportant in what was then a Windows dominated world.  That world is changing rapidly and companies like Davis better figure that out sooner rather than later.  

[dalecoy]

If you sell products for the Macintosh operating system, which Davis most certainly does, then it would follow suit that those users should be granted the same level of support as any other segment of their customer base.

I'm not expressing an opinion on what Davis should do.  However, it turns out that Davis does not sell products for the Macintosh operating system.

Davis formerly sold WeatherLink for Macintosh, but that product has been discontinued. 
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07866

Weather stations are not specific to any particular operating system. 

[WeatherGoose]

If you sell products for the Macintosh operating system, which Davis most certainly does, then it would follow suit that those users should be granted the same level of support as any other segment of their customer base.

I'm not expressing an opinion on what Davis should do.  However, it turns out that Davis does not sell products for the Macintosh operating system.

Davis formerly sold WeatherLink for Macintosh, but that product has been discontinued.  
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07866

Interesting.  This was done very recently, since I checked the product page less than two weeks ago and it was still current then.  Not surprised that they finally decided to kill this poorly conceived/horribly designed product considering that they haven't bothered to update or improve it for years now.  

Anytime I get questions from Mac users interested in buying a Davis station like mine, I tell them to buy LWC and the Windows version of the USB data logger package because the OSX version of WL was useless.   At least that way, if their machine is fast enough and has enough RAM, they can run WL for Windows in a Parallels partition along with LWC on the OSX side.   Although LWC does everything WL can do much better, running both simultaneously can be done on a Mac with Parallels installed.  I use to run both here until LWC's graphs system was updated to be much better than WL's graphs.

Still haven't been able to figure out why the VP2 firmware update program fails when used the same way, but it does.  Tried it again last night just to confirm that this was still a problem.  Davis probably mistakenly assumes that Mac users can update their firmware using the above method but hasn't bothered to test it first to make sure it works.  

Weather stations are not specific to any particular operating system. 

Unfortunately, Davis makes the VP2 a Windows-centric product by failing to provide a universal firmware update product that everyone can use, regardless of what computing platform they choose.  That was the entire point of my original commentary. 

[Bushman]

Out of curiosity have you tried VirtualBoc (www.virtualbox.org) to run Windows in Mac?  I wonder if it would talk to the ports better.  FWIW, I am running an Android session inside Win 7 using VB and it talks to all the devices incl. Bluetooth etc.

[Bushman]

If you sell products for the Macintosh operating system, which Davis most certainly does, then it would follow suit that those users should be granted the same level of support as any other segment of their customer base.

I'm not expressing an opinion on what Davis should do.  However, it turns out that Davis does not sell products for the Macintosh operating system.

Davis formerly sold WeatherLink for Macintosh, but that product has been discontinued. 
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07866

Weather stations are not specific to any particular operating system. 

Weird.  http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06520  You can still buy it from Davis.  No note that it is EOL.

[WeatherGoose]

Out of curiosity have you tried VirtualBoc (www.virtualbox.org) to run Windows in Mac?  I wonder if it would talk to the ports better.  FWIW, I am running an Android session inside Win 7 using VB and it talks to all the devices incl. Bluetooth etc.

Hmmm...No, I haven't tried that.  Since I have Parallels installed on all the Intel Macs here, I haven't really been looking for another produt that does the same thing.  The port communication through Parallels is working fine for everything else I ever want to do with it.  Just this updater thing that locks up and fails to communicate.  I don't get any error messages or anything.  It just doesn't do anything.

[johnd]

Interesting.  This was done very recently, since I checked the product page less than two weeks ago and it was still current then.  Not surprised that they finally decided to kill this poorly conceived/horribly designed product considering that they haven't bothered to update or improve it for years now.  

The 6520 Weatherlink for Mac (for Vantage stations) is still very much alive and available, although seldom requested (maybe 2-3% of Weatherlink enquiries IME ask about availability for Mac). 7866 was the old part for WMII stations.

I'd suggest that thinking that availability of a better Mac WL version would boost sales is maybe wishful thinking. Why would you expect the sales of a Mac version to be any greater than the penetration of Macs overall into the PC ('personal' computer) market, which is, what, 4-5% - something like that in terms of boxes sold? (Actually I'd predict that the sales of a new improved WLfMac would be lower than Mac penetration overall, because of a different user profile, but that's a separate and very hypothetical debate that's not worth getting into.)

ICBW (definitely) here, but I'm sure I heard somewhere that WLfMac is written in Java (maybe (?) because it's contracted out from Davis) and so is not maintained in-house, which accounts for why it lags some way behind the Windows version.

Actually, if development of a second-string WL was to be organised according to its likely market success wouldn't a Weatherlink for Linux be a better option than WLfMac? (I guess it might not then be too difficult to recompile it for OSX, but I'm straying beyond the limit of my knowledge here.)

[Bushman]

Out of curiosity have you tried VirtualBoc (www.virtualbox.org) to run Windows in Mac?  I wonder if it would talk to the ports better.  FWIW, I am running an Android session inside Win 7 using VB and it talks to all the devices incl. Bluetooth etc.

Hmmm...No, I haven't tried that.  Since I have Parallels installed on all the Intel Macs here, I haven't really been looking for another produt that does the same thing.  The port communication through Parallels is working fine for everything else I ever want to do with it.  Just this updater thing that locks up and fails to communicate.  I don't get any error messages or anything.  It just doesn't do anything.

My guess is that there are low level writes direct to the hardware of the interface.  I'm too lazy to confirm that though. 

[WeatherGoose]

The 6520 Weatherlink for Mac (for Vantage stations) is still very much alive and available, although seldom requested (maybe 2-3% of Weatherlink enquiries IME ask about availability for Mac). 7866 was the old part for WMII stations.

As I said,  the general consensus in our group for potential VP2 owners running Macs is to purchase the "Windows" version of the USB data logger package and NOT the OSX version.  This advice is pretty much the standard recommendation on the LWC forums and most other Mac based weather discussion forums these days.  The OSX version is just such a joke, that it isn't even worth opening the disc package.  At least you can sell the Windows version of WL on eBAY. 

So... If any potential new VP2 owners running on Mac asks around before purchasing, that is what they will be advised to purchase.  How much of an impact this has on WL for OSX, I don't know, but you can't simply use the low sales of the OSX version of WL as an accurate indicator of how many Mac users are out there running VP2s.  

My guess is that there are low level writes direct to the hardware of the interface.  I'm too lazy to confirm that though.  

No problem... I am still trying to track down a Windows laptop.  Even if I could get this to work on the iMAC, at this point I would be scared to attempt to actually run the update.  The last thing I need is for my VP2 to get corrupted if things go south.  

I may not even bother with this, since my original firmware has been working fine all this time, so I am not even sure if the changes are worth all this hassle to begin with!  

[dalecoy]

Sorry - I didn't notice that the discontinued Mac stuff at http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07866 was for older hardware - apparently they still sell the Mac software for the VP.

My good friend, who is a hard-core Mac user, owns an airplane.  He installed a high-priced navigation system that needs periodic data updates.  When he installed it, he knew that it required a Windows system to update it.  That was part of the requirements, and although he remarked about it to me, he didn't complain.  He wanted that particular navigation system, and that was a requirement.  

I don't know whether (1) there is no navigation system that can be updated by a Mac; or (2) there is such a system, but he preferred the one that required a Windows system to do updates.  

It was his choice to buy one that wasn't supported on a Mac.  I think that perhaps applies here.  

I really don't know - is there a weather system that's supported (by the manufacturer) on a Mac?

Unfortunately, Davis makes the VP2 a Windows-centric product by failing to provide a universal firmware update product that everyone can use, regardless of what computing platform they choose.  That was the entire point of my original commentary.  

Davis provides a "universal firmware update product that everyone can use" - even if they don't have a computer.  There is no requirement (by Davis) that a VP or a Vue be hooked up to a computer.  

[WeatherGoose]

Davis provides a "universal firmware update product that everyone can use" - even if they don't have a computer.  There is no requirement (by Davis) that a VP or a Vue be hooked up to a computer.  

I assume that you are referring to this product?

Vantage Pro2™ Updater

Price: $155.00
Part #: 06311VP2

http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06311VP2

This device still requires a computer with a "serial" port in order to upload future versions of the firmware to this device, so I wouldn't really call this a Universal option.  Mac hardware does not have a serial port, so again, even with this device, you would not be able to use it more than one time with the firmware version it comes with unless you have a PC with a serial port.  

Besides that, expecting an existing customer to lay out over $150.00 just to be able to update their VP2 firmware is ridiculous.  I know that you can rent one of these things from Davis for a one shot update, but again, the non-Windows using VP2 owner is being asked to lay out some considerable cash simply because Davis refuses to provide a piece of update software that will work on any operating system.

Little tiny shareware developers have no problem providing universal versions of their products.  Why can't a company as established as Davis that markets their products to Macintosh owners provide something similar?   I am sure it cost them a lot more R&D money to develop this expensive hardware updater than it would ever cost to develop a universal update software product.

Even if they charged a couple of bucks for it, I would be willing to buy it.  Even if this hardware updater could be used more than one time on my system, I'm not going to spend $155.00 to update my VP2's firmware.  Why should anyone have to spend even more money than they have already spent on the Davis hardware simply to keep the firmware current?  That is simply adding insult to injury as far as non-Windows using VP2 owners are concerned.   Especially when every other hardware device I own that provides the ability to update the firmware provides a universal application to perform the update.  Either via a browser or a proprietary universal application.

Like I said earlier... Davis does not consider their Mac using customers worthy of the same consideration as their Windows using customers.  For whatever reason this situation exists, I consider it a very LAME and outdated policy, and with the technology to support everyone so easily attainable, a perplexing position for any company to take that wants to sell a niche product to as many people as possible.

While I love my VP2 system, I have a real problem with the company that produces it, and wish that Davis was managed by a more forward thinking group of people without such an obvious Anti-Apple bias.

[Bushman]

Get a USB-to-Serial adapter (based on PRolific).  Go to the Prolific site and get the Mac drivers.  Done.

[dalecoy]

I understand your frustration, and didn't mean to be argumentative.

Is there a weather system that's properly supported (by its manufacturer) on a Mac?

[WeatherGoose]

I understand your frustration, and didn't mean to be argumentative.

Is there a weather system that's properly supported (by its manufacturer) on a Mac?

No problem... I didn't consider your comments to be argumentative at all!    This issue is something that myself and other VP2 owners who run on Mac discuss all the time when new users come through asking about Mac support from Davis and other station manufacturers.  Windows users have never had to deal with this level of discrimination on the part of these "behind the times" electronics companies so they really can't understand what it feels like.  

The most frustrating ones are those that are totally preventable as is the case here.

I believe that La Crosse provides Mac software tp update their systems, but I am not sure how many other companies provide Mac software for firmware updates.  Davis being at the high end of the Prosumer market for this stuff would be well advised to stop writing off a faction of the public that are statistically more affluent/more disposable income than their Windows using counterparts.  Would seem like a no brainer to me.  That is why I suspect that this lack of Mac support runs a lot deeper than what appears to be the reason on the surface.  My theory is that the person pulling the strings at Davis is a die hard Mac hater, and this is driving their lack of Mac support.

I was once told by a Davis tech that the Macintosh hardware was incapable of updating to CWOP or Wunderground via the internet. Amazing I know, but this guy actually said that with a straight face!  I can only imagine how many potential customers have been given that same absurdly false imformation when asking about using a Mac with Davis products.

If we ever hear about someone over their stepping down, and then learn about some new Macintosh supported policies, then we will know for sure.  LOL!

Cheers all and thanks for all the input!  

[Weather Display]

While I love my VP2 system, I have a real problem with the company that produces it, and wish that Davis was managed by a more forward thinking group of people without such an obvious Anti-Apple bias.

I think thats over the top
I dont know how you get away with / are allowed to, the stuff you post on this forum

and what do you base this on?

That is why I suspect that this lack of Mac support runs a lot deeper than what appears to be the reason on the surface.  My theory is that the person pulling the strings at Davis is a die hard Mac hater, and this is driving their lack of Mac support.

again, I dont know how you get away with the stuff you post on a public forum
Also note that there are other Mac software out there and not just LWC

[WeatherGoose]

While I love my VP2 system, I have a real problem with the company that produces it, and wish that Davis was managed by a more forward thinking group of people without such an obvious Anti-Apple bias.

I think thats over the top
I dont know how you get away with / are allowed to, the stuff you post on this forum

What are you referring to?  I haven't breached any of the forum rules in these posts.  I haven't attacked anyone in this thread.  How interesting then that my credibility is always open game around here, and taking potshots at me personally regardless of what my comments are referring to is always acceptable to a certain group here.  Heaven forbid that I respond in kind to these kinds of remarks, as it sends them away crying to the moderator like little girls.  Based on a recently closed thread, I no longer bother.   I just report these posts to the moderator, just like others love to do with mine.  

Back to the actual topic of the anti-Mac bias shown by Davis...

I guess it is easy for some here to sit back and criticize others for being upset when they have never had to deal with a situation like this themselves. Even if I was using a Windows PC with this product and saw someone complaining about this situation, I would sympathize with them, not chastize them for telling the truth about their experience.

and what do you base this on?

I thought I was pretty clear on how I and other Mac users have arrived at this conclusion.

Just to recap:

1) The OSX version of WL does not contain any of the online features found in the Windows version.  It is also years behind with other features also found in Windows version.
2) Davis Tech support claims the reason for the huge difference in features is that the Mac hardware is not capable of uploading weather data to the internet or supporting the other features that are missing. (Pure BS of course)
3) The OSX version of WL has not had a significant update in 3 years. (How many updates to the Windows version have there been in that time?)
4) Firmware update software for VP2 is Windows only even though it would be relatively straight forward to port the updater to other platforms.
5) Cost of updater hardware is prohibitively priced.
6) Updater Hardware requires a serial port to upload firmware to device.  (Apple computers do not have an onboard serial port)
7) Rental of the device is also expensive.  The most proactive thing for Davis to do would be to make this device available for free to those who can't run the PC updater because of Davis' OS support policies, minus the cost of shipping.

I think item #2 is pretty telling.  When you have company spokesman baically lying to the public about the capabilities of a platform they refuse to properly support, that screams of bias if you ask me.

again, I dont know how you get away with the stuff you post on a public forum

Get away with what?  If any of what I have posted in this thread is untrue then by all means please point it out for everyone and provide the evidence to prove that it isn't true.

Also note that there are other Mac software out there and not just LWC

Please name another Mac based weather station software package that uses the Apple SDK and is written as a Native OSX application following Apple's OSX user interface guidelines.  I am not aware of any other product besides LWC that currently fits that description.

You always get upset when I fail to mention YOUR software program in my recommendations.  For one thing, you have never come clean and let everyone know that you are the author of this application, and I have told you before that until you actually write a true OSX version of your application using the same development kit that LWC uses and follow the OSX interface guidelines, I don't consider your product a TRUE Macintosh application. It is a PORT of your Windows version, and based on my first hand experience with your software, a very clunky one at that.

Besides the fact that it doesn't look or feel at all like an OSX application, it doesn't provide the same rich feature set that LWC offers,  so why would I recommend it to someone over LWC in the first place?  

I find it interesting that you claim to be a Mac developer, yet you are arguing with me over a Davis customer support decision that all Mac users agree is grossly unfair to them and demonstrates a clear anti-Mac bias.  I am not going to be the only Mac user reading this thread, so I have to ask... What do you hope to gain by siding with Davis on this?

Finally, let me get this back to the topic of this thread with a challenge for you...

If you want me to start taking you seriously as an OSX developer, then why don't you write an application that can update the VP2 firmware with a Macintosh?  Frankly,  I don't think you have the OSX programming experience to pull it off, but I would be the first one to admit I was wrong if you can deliver a functioning product that actually works within a Native OSX shell.

[saratogaWX]

Enough bickering.

WeatherGoose, you appear to have very strong opinions not necessarily shared by others.  You infer there is malice behind the reasons for weather software (other than LWC) being either unsupported or inferior to the features on the Windows systems.  It may be a simple matter of investment v.s. target market available, and not your "theory is that the person pulling the strings at Davis is a die hard Mac hater, and this is driving their lack of Mac support."

WeatherGoose, you are excused from this forum.. sorry that your time here didn't work out.

We have little regard or tolerance for posters that use denigration as their primary means to support their positions.

Good bye, and good luck to you.  You are now banned from posting.

[W3DRM]

Just downloaded and installed the new firmware release 1.90 on my VP2 wireless.

Install went smoothly and quickly took only a few minutes from start to finish.

Some notes along the way for those who are interested:

• The package is distributed as an .exe file. It is not in a ZIP format.
• Make sure you have shut down all of your weather programs that may be attempting to connect to the console BEFORE you run the executable.
• Once downloaded, just click on the executable
• To read the help file just click on HELP and then hit Ctl-P to print it out. I would suggest doing this just so you know what to expect before your begin the process. I created a pdf file of the help file and have attached it to this post. You can also open up the release notes on the same screen.
• NOTE: It took my console several minutes after rebooting to register all of the sensors. Humidity was the last to come up. During that time, the readouts showed ---.

VPLive shows the following:

• Station: Vantage Pro 2, Firmware: 9/29/2009 Rev B
• VP2 Console ticker shows: REV 1.90 (US) ENGLISH

[dalecoy]

VPLive shows the following:

• Station: Vantage Pro 2, Firmware: 9/29/2009 Rev B
• VP2 Console ticker shows: REV 1.90 (US) ENGLISH

Interesting.  1.90 came out yesterday, and the date is roughly 5 months ago.

[dalecoy]

Sorry - I didn't notice that the discontinued Mac stuff at http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07866 was for older hardware - apparently they still sell the Mac software for the VP.

Just to add to the confusion - this just received from Davis, in response to my email:

"Part number 7866 was replaced with part number 7855...


http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07855


Larry Smith
510-732-7814"
 

[Ryan Hothersall]

I installed the 1.90 firmware this morning. No problems. Also while I was at it I also installed the 5.9.1 update for weatherlink. Only things there was I had to reset the sea level barometer calibration and my longitude and latitude settings went funny, but once fixed no problems.