Topic: About to pull trigger on 6163 and 6100

[cpufrost]

Done with inconsistent TEMPEST hardware!
The last draw was the mini derecho type gusty line that moved through.
The wind sensor is simply not capable of reporting accurate wind speeds when it's raining sideways.

I'm looking to buy a 6163 package and pair it with the 6100.

Have some questions.

Will I be able to  monitor on a phone or remote web like TEMPEST?

I plan on mounting the main package on a tower with the anemometer mast much higher.  Is this connected via a standard ethernet cable?  I have CAT6 shielded direct burial cable that we use for IP Camera installations.

I'm reading too, that the package can be connected to the indoor console via a wired connection.  Is there any advantage to this, i.e. faster refresh, etc.
The distance between the two should be well under 100 meters.  If I like it I may mount it further away on a higher tower in a pasture so the wireless distance may be closer to 300 meters.

[vreihen]

The 6100 (Davis WLL) only supports a radio link between itself and the wireless VP2.  If you plan to use the WLL, a wired VP2 is not an option.

The WLL is the equivalent of the WF Hub, with a slight hardware improvement in that it does both wireless and wired ethernet links to the Internet.  It sends received data to the Davis mothership, where you can view it from the Internet and send it along to a few other services.  Unlike WF's free service, Davis has a subscription fee for WLL service if you want to see the data with more frequent update intervals versus the slow free updates.  Check the web site for pricing and the update intervals of the paid and free tiers.

In any case, the wireless Davis station doesn't need an ethernet cable on your tower, as long as the radio signal reaches your indoor console (not really required) or WLL.....

[johnd]

The data update rate between sensor and local receiver (ie WLL or VP2 console) is identical on both wired and wireless VP2 systems (ca every 2.5secs) so there is really no drawback to the wireless version on this front.

Viewing current data on the Davis weatherlink.com platform is free; uploads of current data from WLL to weatherlink.com platform occur every minute and there is no difference in the update frequency between free and paid-for plans. BUT if you want weatherlink to display your historic data then you must have a subscription.

To provide a little more detail on this. Even with a free plan WLL uploads your summary/historic data with 15 min granularity and this will always be stored at weatherlink.com. But in the absence of a paid-for plan you cannot see or otherwise access this historic data. Also, with a paid-for plan you have the option of increasing the granularity to 5 min intervals.

[PaulMy]

Will I be able to  monitor on a phone or remote web like TEMPEST?

I don't know what the Tempest displays but with the WeatherLink App you can view your WL.com station data including some graphs on your phone.  You can also select other WL.com stations as saved stations to view their data.  You can also view on weatherlink.com site in browser Bulletin view for both your and other stations' current data - see attached.


Enjoy,
Paul

[cpufrost]

Thanks for the replies!

My question regarding the ethernet wire was to connect the anemometer mast to the instrument pack.  I've read the included cable is 40 or 50 feet which is probably enough in my case but I may want it higher.

Looks like even with the paid plan it's not going to provide wind on the display every few seconds like WF does.  Kind of a bummer.

However I'd prefer accurate data especially over time.  Even when the (TEMPEST) anemometer is working correctly it absolutely is NOT recording wind speed correctly at the time shown in the charts.  I have cameras recording UHD video and sound and it does not line up.  My prior 2G connected station was right on the money in that regard.

I suppose if I want to see it in real time away from home I could point a camera at the Davis console and use a RSTP  stream to my iPhone.

I would prefer to use a wired connection on the Davis hub.  Does it have POE or does it use an external power source?  We have several large UPS systems and an emergency diesel genny so short of WWIII I think it's good.

Finally, would it make more sense to place the instrument pack on a post in a field and use another transmitter on the anemometer itself?  I see a lot of tower installs with the pack about six feet above ground level with the anemometer at the standard 10 meter height.

EDIT:

I just checked their page and found that it does update on the phone every 2.5 seconds for wind!

https://www.davisinstruments.com/pages/weatherlink-live

[johnd]

@CPUFrost

No there's unfortunately no PoE on the Weatherlink Live unit AFAIK - there's a separate 5v DC jack input.

And yes, as you've discovered, if you have a phone (preferably an iPhone) on your local network (only) then the phone app can show live (2.5sec) updates. Otherwise, on the phone app away from home or on the browser app anywhere, the limit will be 1 min updates

[cpufrost]

Can this be bypassed by using a VPN?

[vreihen]

Probably not.  My understanding is that the WLL (and WF Tempest Hub) use UDP broadcast packets on the local subnet for those rapid_wind (WF) or LOOP packets (Davis), which cannot traverse a subnet router or VPN.....

[johnd]

Can this be bypassed by using a VPN?

Don't know I'm afraid - needs someone with more network knowledge than me to answer! Would the UDP packets that contain the 2.5sec data (ie the wind and rain data - the other less frequent data - temp/hum etc uses TCP packets) propagate across the VPN? My guess is that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, but maybe someone else can chime in?

[Smithee]

Did you get the Davis? I have also recently sadly taken my WF down and replaced it with a Davis, i did love my WF but the rainfall readings were way off.

I also went with WLL but tbh don't really use it, i hooked up the console to a Pi and Weewx with the Belchertown skin and that gives me real-time data  - ie http://finchamweather.co.uk/ - WLL does give the UDP option if you want to using Python to get any data in realtime, or Weex also exports MQTT, so I also use that output for more of a 'dry data dashboard': http://finchamweather.co.uk/mqtt/

Not sure if that helps but interested to know how your getting on with the new setup,

Andy

[cpufrost]

Not yet, cannot decide on where the anemometer mast is going to get mounted.  Either by itself or hitched to the main instrument pack 30' below.