WXforum.net
Weather Station Hardware => What Weather Station Should I Buy? => Topic started by: LATrvlr on June 09, 2019, 10:39:30 AM
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Looking for wind/temp/rainfall/baro/UV to install inland Gulf Coast to support namely hobby agricultural activity. Highest accuracy not required but rugged design and reliability to withstand hot and humid environment plus mud daubers and insects of all descriptions seeking "homes" in any available crevice or shelter are selection top criteria. Wireless/solar power desired with total price tag under ~$800 preferred. Web publishing to be used, local display panel not required. I will have to mount the wind sensor on top a structure to get clear air so regular maintenance will involve dealing with that height.
Any "best" recommendation to fill this build? This will be my first station and I would like to avoid buying the wrong one(s) first :lol:
Thanks!
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Just my opinion. I'm sure others will follow.
I would go with the Davis model 6162. https://www.scaledinstruments.com/product-category/davis-instruments/complete-weather-stations/
I'm sorry, just noticed you wanted UV also. That kind of blows the budget of $800.
You could go with the model 6152 and add the UV sensors later. Sorry about that.
Since you want the anemometer in a different location go with the Davis anemometer transmitter kit model number 6332. https://www.scaledinstruments.com/product-category/davis-instruments/add-on-special-purpose-stations/
Since you want to publish to the web I would go with a new product called the Wifilogger. It's not a Davis product but it's made for their units. It uploads to several different sites and as mentioned it's wifi so no software to run 24/7. https://www.scaledinstruments.com/product-category/davis-instruments/hardware-data-loggers-software/ You can read about the wifilogger at this thread. http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=34312.0
This set up as is comes with no software. If you want to log your data I would suggest Cumulus. It's donationware, and rocksolid. It works seemlessly with both the Davis unit and the wifilogger. There are other weather software packages available too.
Good luck and happy hunting.
For what it's worth this is the exact set up I have.
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This will be my first station and I would like to avoid buying the wrong one(s) first (http://www.wxforum.net/Smileys/default/icon_lol.gif)
You can't go wrong with a Davis VP2 station! Investigate which logger would be most suitable, or the new Weatherlink Live, Enjoy, Paul
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I agree with Paul and Ocala. I have had a Davis VP2 Pro+ for the last 7 years. Rock solid performance. This is a very sturdy unit.
There are a couple of stories on this forum on their toughness. One story is from the Houston, TX area when Hurricane Harvey hit there. The anemometer recorded over 49,000 wind run miles during the hurricane. Another story is about a VP2 that was mounted on a pole in a marsh in New Jersey. This unit was submerged in storm surge water from Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. The owner let it dry out completely, and it started working again, I believe.
Also, there is a story on the Davis (https://www.davisinstruments.com/solution/vantage-pro2/) website on a VP2 Pro+ surviving and operating during Hurricane Maria. The anemometer measured a 199mph windgust in the right front quadrant of the eyewall. To my knowledge, this unit is still operating.
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Typically how often does the rain sensor have to be serviced on a VP2 Pro?
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As far as mounting the anemometer in a separate location, it does come with a 50ft cord already, and judging from this post, seems like if you needed longer you could use a standard phone wire (RJ11) to extend that cable. You'd have to deal with running the wire, but it should cut the cost down a bit.
Yes. Standard phone cable from Wally World or Home Depot will work fine. I just did this and bought a 50' one from Home Depot. After I bought it I was at Radio Shack and they had the next size bigger cable (not sure of the RJ size) in 50' and 100'. The thing to watch out for is that the colors of the wires are the same inside the connectors (left to right) when they are side by side facing the same way.
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Both options below get you the rugged VP2 with a UV sensor and the WeatherLink Live connects directly to your ISS so no local console needed. If desired later on, a Meteobridge can grab the data from the WeatherLink Live and upload it to virtually any online weather service (that accepts PWS data) and to your own weather website.
With a budget of $800:
$638.91 VP2 Plus ISS (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/sensor-suites/vantage-pro2-series-sensor-suites/wireless-vantage-pro2-series-sensor-suites/davis-6327-wireless-vantage-pro2-plus-sensor-suite/), includes UV and solar, no console (see next item)
$178.95 WeatherLink Live (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/hardware-data-loggers-software/hardware-software-bundles/davis-6100-weatherlink-live/), uploads to WeatherLink website and mobile app, and also to WU.
Total: $817.86 before taxes
OOOOR
$310.98 VP2, no console (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/sensor-suites/vantage-pro2-series-sensor-suites/wireless-vantage-pro2-series-sensor-suites/davis-6322-wireless-vantage-pro2-integrated-sensor-suite/)
$266.11 UV sensor (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/pro2-integrated-sensor-suite-upgrades-and-add-ons/davis-6490-uv-radiation-sensor/)
$24.75 UV and Solar Sensor Mount (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/pro2-integrated-sensor-suite-upgrades-and-add-ons/davis-6673-uv-and-solar-radiation-mounting-shelf/), required with UV and/or Solar sensor
$178.95 WeatherLink Live (https://www.scaledinstruments.com/shop/davis-instruments/hardware-data-loggers-software/hardware-software-bundles/davis-6100-weatherlink-live/), uploads to WeatherLink website and mobile app, and also to WU.
Total: $780.79 before taxes
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Thanks, this is very helpful information. Davis's webpage states the list of available third party services is growing for the Weatherlink Live product. Is there any indication or belief within this community that the PWS Weather service will be added?
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Is there any indication or belief within this community that the PWS Weather service will be added?
There could be an announcement about new upload targets for weatherlink.com at any time, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I suspect that there are other priorities for the developers at present.
I've not heard any rumours as to which services might be added. I wouldn't have guessed that PWS was top of the list but who knows.
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Thanks, this is very helpful information. Davis's webpage states the list of available third party services is growing for the Weatherlink Live product. Is there any indication or belief within this community that the PWS Weather service will be added?
I like the PWSWeather.com pages and presentation overall, well worth supporting.
However, also sending a feed to CWOP gets your WX data ingested by MADIS; which is sourced by many users like NOAA/NHC/SPC, MESOWest and others, benefiting a larger scientific community.
Your own data provided there may just help save your bacon the next time something like Hurricane Harvey comes knocking.
[I spent almost three days preparing my boat at a Coastal Bend marina, watching 'cane WX online constantly. Left for home at near the last possible hour, got my butt kicked every mile back by Harvey's rainbands. Been through a lot of 'canes, never saw anything like those, although I was exposed on the highway. Then Harvey follows along behind and tracks to within 45 miles E of my inland house, before it reversed course and went back out into the GOM before heading for Houston, East TX, LA and it's last landfall.]
https://www.weather.gov/wrh/wrh_mesowest_faq
"Meteorological data from over 2800 automated environmental monitoring stations in the western United States are collected, processed, archived, integrated, and disseminated as part of the MesoWest program.
MesoWest depends upon voluntary access to provisional observations from environmental monitoring stations installed and maintained by federal, state, and local agencies and commercial firms. In many cases, collection and transmission of these observations are facilitated by NWS forecast offices, government laboratories, and universities. MesoWest augments the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) network maintained by the NWS, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense.
MesoWest increases the coverage of observations in remote locations and helps capture many of the local and mesoscale weather phenomena that impact the public.
The primary goal of MesoWest is to improve timely access to automated observations for NWS forecasters at offices throughout the western United States. In addition, integration of the observations into analyses of surface conditions at high spatial and temporal resolution provides additional tools for nowcasts and forecast verification.
MesoWest observations are being used for many other applications,
including input to operational and research models and research and
education on weather processes in the western United States."
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My interest with PWS Weather integration is due only to the sizable installation of irrigation controls I have that can be linked to a local or micro climate weather station using, you guessed it - a PWS Weather station feed. I've worked with the irrigation company folks and requested they incorporate other providers for connection. At this time they do not have plans to add more.