Topic: Davis Instruments 6152 Wireless Vantage Pro2 with Standard Radiation Shield

[Processor]

I need to purchase a weather station for work and Ambient suggested the Davis 6152, but I know nothing about it and need intensity as well as rainfall.  Also will this data stand up in court?

[Downlinerz2]

Hi processor,
   I just bought the Davis 6152 wireless station and it is an excellent station.  It does measure the "rate" of rainfall in inches/hr.  As to whether the data will stand up in court would depend on several factors such as the positioning of the sensors.
The sensors must be placed in the best place to get accurrate data.  I would also get the FARS (fan-aspirated radiation shield).  I got the standard radiation shield and I am going to get the kit to add it on.  This gives you the most accurrate temperature and humidity readings.
  Good Luck and Welcome to the Forum!!!
    Mark

[tomcj2]

You may have to calibrate the rain gauge when you get it.  There are many threads in this forum on how to do it.

Once calibrated the Davis together with WeatherLink will give you amount of rain and rain rate accurately, however the time may be off a little bit, for example I have my "Archive Interval" set for 15 minutes.  If a light rain started at 2:10, the first tip of the bucket may not happen until 2:16, and that would not be reported until the 2:30 data entry.  The ending time may be off for the same reasons.

You may want to purchase ( and join) a CoCoRaHS  rain gauge.  Your daily reading will be slightly more accurate than the Davis, but may substantiate  the accuracy of your Davis should you end up in court.

[d_l]

I would also recommend purchasing a CoCoRaHS rain gauge and installing it next to a VP2 installation.  The CoCoRaHS gauges provide an relatively inexpensive and accurate verification of the Davis tipping bucket results  and will insure that a tipping bucket is properly calibrated.  They can't provide rainfall rates though, but if you know that the tube gauge agrees with the tipping bucket, then you should be able conclude that rain rates of the Davis station are accurate as well.

[George Richardson]

Hello Processor,
Welcome to the forum. I am curious as to why you need intensity as well as rainfall. If you were working outside in a heavy mist of 0.02 in./hr, you would get very wet in that hour. You would not, however, hesitate to walk across the parking to your car. Like politics, all weather is local. You could have a well sited Davis 6152 in your back yard showing rain at 0.25 in/hr and the street in front of your house could be dry; rain does start and stop somewhere. Also, why does it need to stand up in court? How good is the opposing attorney?
This stuff is so FUN!
George

[Garth Bock]

Ok...define intensity......is that rain rate or is it the distance between droplets ?

[ocala]

distance between droplets?

[Downlinerz2]

   

Ok...define intensity......is that rain rate or is it the distance between droplets ?

   I don't think I could afford a station that has that capability.

[floodcaster]

Ok...define intensity......is that rain rate or is it the distance between droplets ?

Intensity refers to rate of fall.

[wxtech]

Will it stand up in court? No.
To answer that question, refer to your state climatologist.  They are the ones in most states who routinely testify or report about the weather.  You as a testifier can report in court what you measure and the type of equipment you use, also your expertise in interpreting the wx data.
I own three Davis systems as well as several others.  I put the Davis brand in a "personal" category.  To get in a professional category, the prices will be 10x or more than the Davis.
A manual, or standard rain gauge is the only type that I would believe if I'm a juror.  Weighing rain gauges are more accurate than tipping bucket gauges.
CoCoRaHS observers are trained and therefore have credibility in reporting rain.  NWS Coop observers are trained and use inspected/calibrated NWS equipment to report wx phenomena.  These would be more credible than a personal wx station owner.

[George Richardson]

On the other hand Al,
If a person kept a diary, and noted the weather every day, and was asked, in court, the weather conditions at a specific event in the past, and presented an entry that noted "It rained cats and dogs" at that event, I expect it would stand up. It goes back to the all weather being local situation.
JMO
George

[wxtech]

And George, we PWS owners strive to provide the public with as much weather data as possible to fill in the gaps between the airports, forestry, universities and so on sites.  Our data is appreciated but someone shouldn't expect to become an expert witness based on owning a PWS,   
The validity of the data is the decision of the jury.  The witness will be questioned as to his/her qualifications and the source of their data.
I know the state people and they've seen my site.  Even with that I'm sure they will never use my PWS wx data because I'm not one of their sanctioned sites.  My NWS Coop data however is entered as 'official' climatology data.
Al

[W3DRM]

Processor,

Go to the Davis website and download their specification sheet for the 6152. It gives you all of the information you need for determining whether it is the model for you or not.

• http://www.davisnet.com/product_documents/weather/spec_sheets/6152-62-53-63_VP2Spec_C.pdf

[Bushman]

I'm struggling to think of how rainfall rate could be used in a court case.  Anyone? 

[W3DRM]

I'm struggling to think of how rainfall rate could be used in a court case.  Anyone? 

Well, I guess if someone got pounded to death by heavy rainfall, there just might be a court case -  but, I'm not sure who one would sue in that case... 

[SLOweather]

I'm struggling to think of how rainfall rate could be used in a court case.  Anyone? 

Some things like storm drains, catchment and percolation basins etc, are designed or rated for a given intensity of rain over a given time. If the street floods, or the basin overflows at a lesser intensity/time period, it may be that the design was inadequate, and therefore worthy of damages.

[Garth Bock]

People with flood insurance...where the insurance company (not to name names but they a have a big huge brown glass fortress on the east side of town)...says it didnt rain hard enough to cause the flooding.

[Stormtracker]

Insurance agents go on the 8 inch rule of rain.  If the drops are closer together, on the windshield, than 8 inches-- we call it a day...

distance between droplets?