Topic: Was looking at Davis, but now not too sure.. Ideas welcome!

[Mattk]

Will it match the Envoy's 4 months 

No, the WLL batteries won't last that long
But my Envoy batteries also don't run that long with the IPlogger

Correct, IPlogger/WLIP different animal but there are ways around that one

[mcrossley]

Just remember the Envoy8X supported 8 ID codes and that was back in 2010/11 so 8 ISS Tx in WLL is not exactly something new either.

Indeed it did, but it was discontinued some time ago. Though I think you may be able to still get old new stock at some dealers.

[Mattk]

Just remember the Envoy8X supported 8 ID codes and that was back in 2010/11 so 8 ISS Tx in WLL is not exactly something new either.

Indeed it did, but it was discontinued some time ago. Though I think you may be able to still get old new stock at some dealers.

I think the Envoy8X was probably released way before its time? It was a specialist market/field that many users were really not into at the time and to some extent are still not to the full capability of something like the Envoy8X. The discontinuation of quite a few products was a prelim to the current subscription mindset. 

[Cohote Mike]

So just to keep everyone updated (no, I wasn't scared away) - it looks like I will get the Davis VP Pro for the main station, and then Ecowitt for other data points I want to (try) and capture.

I am NOT YET decided on whether to go with the Envoy, WLL, or SDA antenna. Where I will be, both internet connection and power will be lost often. (History shows that usual losses are short, like under an hour, but relatively frequent (looks like average is once a week or so). The RPi option will give me a small battery to run for a day or more, and it'll store data. Otherwise, I can get a small UPS to keep the Envoy or WLL powered up and recording. Of course, the power-outages are usually during storms, which is the data I want to try to not miss.

[Cohote Mike]

With a budget like that, I’d inquire if you’ve considered building a system yourself with used parts? More flexibility, customizability, and a more robust communication architecture.

I have no issue with used equipment - my biggest worry on this would be calibration - how out-of-calibration would a 5-year old station be? And how would I even KNOW it was out of calibration?