Author Topic: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?  (Read 7026 times)

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Offline WheatonRon

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #50 on: September 17, 2021, 08:34:14 AM »
$200 is a great price for a  complete refurbishment of a VP2+. Thanks for sharing this information.
Davis VP2 with SHT31 (3 complete VP2 systems—2 with a daytime fan and 1 that has a 24 hour fan); CWOP--CW5020, FW3075 and FW4350; WU--KILWHEAT17, KILWHEAT36 and KILWHEAT39; WeatherCloud.net; CoCoRaHS--IL-DP-132; and Weatherlink 2.0

Offline andrewrckt

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #51 on: December 22, 2021, 12:18:44 AM »
My Davis VP2 has been running strong since 2006.  I have replaced the wind, reed switch on the rain gauge, and temperature sensors, but the ISS is still running strong.  Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. 

I just ordered another VP2 and RM Young 05103 to interface with the ISS via the Universal Anemometer Mount.  Very happy with the VP2 system.

Offline 50ShadesOfDirt

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #52 on: December 27, 2021, 01:57:31 PM »
Settling on a WeatherFlow Tempest ...

Previous Acurite (Atlas) PWS had parts that go longer than a year, and parts that barely make a year (inside touch screen display failed at 13 months, can't access menu). Add to that the changeover in their data upload device (old model phased out, forcing you into new one), and it's a tad expensive in that range of PWS to own Acurite. One-year warranty in most cases of the parts.

Contrast with a recently purchased Tempest, at 2-year warranty (and longer with extensions) and no moving parts, and I'm out of the acurite business.

Year-old thread, but hope the Acurite info helps others ...

Offline ptcummings

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #53 on: January 02, 2022, 12:56:47 AM »
I have a Vantage Pro (one) going on 17+ years.  I'd say it lasted ~10 years without a real failure.  Overall, I have been VERY pleased with the product and the service.  I also have an extra temperature sensor that I move around the house (attic, garage, etc.).

In the past 7 years, the rain gauge reed switch went, which I replaced.  Also the on board super capacitor went, which I also replaced (had to solder in a new one).  Currently the anemometer, is broken (registers 2x the real wind speed).  Also, something is gone in the charging systems as it only works when the sun is shining.  :-) 

So right now, I have a weather system that only works on sunny days, only in the day time and won't give me proper wind speed.  :-)  So I'm considering my next move.

Does anyone know if a fairly simple way to get all the data out of my Vantage Pro (one) console and into another VP console?  I love having 17+ years of data in the console and I love the little graph function on the Vantage Pro.

To replace the whole thing with a VP2 (including Weatherlink) would be pretty expensive and AFAIK, I wouldn't be able to retain my old VP1 console data :-(    So if I can't retain my old data, I think I might as well get an Ambient 2000.  I like having the ability to add extra sensors.

Offline Bashy

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #54 on: January 02, 2022, 08:18:03 AM »
Have you ever watched Only Fools and Horses, its a UK comedy, PWS = Triggers broom......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56yN2zHtofM&t=1s go to 1:32
Kind regards
Bashy

Offline 1davidbrock

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #55 on: March 01, 2022, 12:28:39 PM »
After 1.5 years my WS 2902A stopped working during the cold weather winter of 2020.  When it warmed up, I brought it inside and found the alkaline batteries split and rusted connections.  Took it apart and used WD-40 light oil as a cleaner on the rust.  Alcohol cleaned the case and internals. Reassembled.  Replaced the batteries and all good since
WS-2902A | Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge (D-Link DIR-505)
WU: KTXSUGAR156  |  PWSweather: KTXSUGAR156
CWOP: FW5473  |  Meteomap:  FW473
AWEKAS: 15930

Offline ocala

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #56 on: March 01, 2022, 03:48:01 PM »
I have a Vantage Pro (one) going on 17+ years.  I'd say it lasted ~10 years without a real failure.  Overall, I have been VERY pleased with the product and the service.  I also have an extra temperature sensor that I move around the house (attic, garage, etc.).

In the past 7 years, the rain gauge reed switch went, which I replaced.  Also the on board super capacitor went, which I also replaced (had to solder in a new one).  Currently the anemometer, is broken (registers 2x the real wind speed).  Also, something is gone in the charging systems as it only works when the sun is shining.  :-) 

So right now, I have a weather system that only works on sunny days, only in the day time and won't give me proper wind speed.  :-)  So I'm considering my next move.

Does anyone know if a fairly simple way to get all the data out of my Vantage Pro (one) console and into another VP console?  I love having 17+ years of data in the console and I love the little graph function on the Vantage Pro.

To replace the whole thing with a VP2 (including Weatherlink) would be pretty expensive and AFAIK, I wouldn't be able to retain my old VP1 console data :-(    So if I can't retain my old data, I think I might as well get an Ambient 2000.  I like having the ability to add extra sensors.
The console doesn't store data, only the data  logger does and it's very limited depending on your archive interval. Did you mean Weatherlink software?
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline CW2274

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #57 on: March 01, 2022, 04:11:07 PM »
I have a Vantage Pro (one) going on 17+ years.  I'd say it lasted ~10 years without a real failure.  Overall, I have been VERY pleased with the product and the service.  I also have an extra temperature sensor that I move around the house (attic, garage, etc.).

In the past 7 years, the rain gauge reed switch went, which I replaced.  Also the on board super capacitor went, which I also replaced (had to solder in a new one).  Currently the anemometer, is broken (registers 2x the real wind speed).  Also, something is gone in the charging systems as it only works when the sun is shining.  :-) 

So right now, I have a weather system that only works on sunny days, only in the day time and won't give me proper wind speed.  :-)  So I'm considering my next move.

Does anyone know if a fairly simple way to get all the data out of my Vantage Pro (one) console and into another VP console?  I love having 17+ years of data in the console and I love the little graph function on the Vantage Pro.

To replace the whole thing with a VP2 (including Weatherlink) would be pretty expensive and AFAIK, I wouldn't be able to retain my old VP1 console data :-(    So if I can't retain my old data, I think I might as well get an Ambient 2000.  I like having the ability to add extra sensors.
The console doesn't store data
IIRC, the VP2 console stores a running three weeks worth of data viewable via the graph. That's what I used before I got WL USB.

Offline SnowHiker

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #58 on: March 01, 2022, 07:16:27 PM »
The console holds highs and lows for the last 24 days/months/years.  See starting on page 29 of the user manual. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0515/5992/3873/files/07395-234_im_06312.pdf?v=1623784828

Also see starting on page 33 concerning graph mode which, of course, the console needs to store some data to produce graphs.  Also of course it's very limited, you're not going to get complete climatological reports solely from the console, and I know of no way to download or transfer.

Offline SnowHiker

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #59 on: March 01, 2022, 07:53:26 PM »
Also, something is gone in the charging systems as it only works when the sun is shining.  :-) 

Does it eat batteries, or just not work with a fresh CR123 battery?

Are you sure the supercap didn't go out again?  You could unsolder or unsnip the supercap and clean the board if it leaked, and try with just the battery, might be worth a try if you're just going to junk it anyway.

If you can get it working, you can get a new anemometer for it, the original VP and VP2 anemometers are interchangeable.

My original VP from 2003 is still in operation.  I also replaced supercaps, the anemometer, and bought spare parts fairly cheap when they discontinued it for the VP2.

Offline ocala

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #60 on: March 02, 2022, 03:21:33 PM »
The console holds highs and lows for the last 24 days/months/years.  See starting on page 29 of the user manual. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0515/5992/3873/files/07395-234_im_06312.pdf?v=1623784828

Also see starting on page 33 concerning graph mode which, of course, the console needs to store some data to produce graphs.  Also of course it's very limited, you're not going to get complete climatological reports solely from the console, and I know of no way to download or transfer.
I stand corrected. I didn't know that.
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline ColoradoWx

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Re: Average life of a PWS. What's your experience?
« Reply #61 on: March 23, 2022, 09:44:11 PM »
My experience so far with the Ambient Weather WS2902C is pretty good. I have had it for 2 months and it works like a charm!