Topic: What options do I have to set up a Davis Weather Station long range?

[RedwoodValleyWX]

I am looking at purchasing a Davis Weather station for a long range application. I want to be able to still have the wind speed and humidity in as real time as I can. My station would be about a mile away from my home up to a ridge top. My question is how can I go about getting extra range to my receiver without going cellular, or am I better off going cellular? Right now it looks like my best option is to get a long range extender with the Omni and Yani  antenna. I would also like to upload my data to the internet. If I purchase a Ambient Weather Weatherbridge, do I also need a Davis data logger to make it work or can I do it with just the weather bridge.

[CW2274]

One mile line of sight. Other than RM Young, the only PWS brand I have consider with my VP2.

https://rainwise.com/mk-iii-rtn-lr-weather-station

[azchrisf]

A mile is probably going to be a cellular type deal. The repeaters claim UP TO a mile range, but that's 100% unobstructed line of sight with no interference whatsoever. The Ambient weather weather bridge is nothing more than a rebranded Meteobridge Pro. You are better off buying the MB Pro directly for support options. The Meteobridge Pro can receive all of the Davis signals itself so no logger is required.

With remote siting like this you will not be able to use the display console, it's gonna have to post the data over the cell connection somewhere like Weather underground or a custom page and you use that as your display.

Don't get over excited by the Rainwise option posted - all manufacturers want you to believe it's gonna reach that mile or more but odds are it won't in the real world.

[CW2274]

A mile is probably going to be a cellular type deal.

So I guess RainWise is just pullin' a fast one... right?

[azchrisf]

A mile is probably going to be a cellular type deal.

So I guess RainWise is just pullin' a fast one... right?

Under laboratory conditions maybe not but real world very likely yes. Marketing wank to get you to bite. Your talking needing a few watts of power to transmit that far usually.

[CW2274]

A mile is probably going to be a cellular type deal.

So I guess RainWise is just pullin' a fast one... right?

Under laboratory conditions maybe not but real world very likely yes.

BS

[azchrisf]

Well by all means please prove me wrong with an actual site with actual measured transmission distance and terrain as well as a list of obstructions and transmitters close or overlapping that frequency.

You should know with marketing there's always devil in the details. The distance a radio signal can travel is affected by many things in the real world the manufacturer cannot expect...

[CW2274]

Ya know what, I'm just gonna leave it at this, I trust what RW says about their product more than you do.

[Mattk]

... You are better off buying the MB Pro directly for support options. The Meteobridge Pro can receive all of the Davis signals itself so no logger is required....

That comment is a little misleading re no logger is required as the MBPro does not have the same standard range as a Davis console and in this case even thinking about using the RF side of the MBPro (and even the re-transmit option) would probably not be the best option compared to an MB Ethernet connection?

Now as far as the distance is concerned the Davis repeaters will handle up to 8 being a combination of long range or standard and would cover the mile with a lot less than 8 but again may not be the best solution as additional repeaters add more layers of potential failure etc

Possibly better than a cellular option  relative to the distance and again totally dependent of the configuration would be a WiFi link, something like a Ubiquiti link would work just fine.

Everything you want to do is possible it just depends on how serious you want to do it.   

[johnd]

Now as far as the distance is concerned the Davis repeaters will handle up to 8 being a combination of long range or standard and would cover the mile with a lot less than 8 but again may not be the best solution as additional repeaters add more layers of potential failure etc

Yes, I agree. A single Davis Long-Range repeater equipped with two Yagi's will potentially cover 1.2 miles assuming (i) that it can be positioned roughly midway; and (ii) that the antennas can be mounted at some reasonable height (eg 8-10 feet) to give clear line-of-sight to each of ISS transmitter and console receiver. this configuration should work well but, as Mattk says, it is adding a extra element into the signal path so troubleshooting any fault can take a bit more thought than usual. Actually, it shouldn't be too much of a problem with a single repeater, but I do try to avoid configurations with 2 or more repeaters if at all possible - perfectly feasible technically but troubleshooting is more onerous.

Otherwise a Davis Connect unit will work well as a cellular solution, but you're limited to 5min updates as a minimum interval and so obviously not 'real-time'.

[Mattk]

....Otherwise a Davis Connect unit will work well as a cellular solution, but you're limited to 5min updates as a minimum interval and so obviously not 'real-time'.

.... And tends to knock the Weather Bridge idea

[EA1EF]

If you have line of sigtht can improve ISM 903 Mhz USA or 868 Mhz in Europe antenas but its needed solder habilities.
We use PCB antennas radomized in rain cup old model, in New model cant. Also in console side two 3 element yagi antenas

 

[azchrisf]

Well, I will admit the idea about chaining Davis repeaters did not cross my mind. As johnd said with a CLOS it will probably work with one and some good 8dbi gain yagis. Those Davis repeater units are expensive at $325 a piece though, then you have the cost of the antennas, and it adds another item that will require maintenance at some point.

Now as for range and the MBPro, the MBPro will get any transmissions the console will, I was not considering retransmit of the console itself.

[EA1EF]

We use 3 element yagi from https://www.wa5vjb.com/
https://www.wa5vjb.com/products2.html
https://www.wa5vjb.com/prices.html

On chinese marketing also are models because its a common frequency, two way 3 elements yagi in line of sight are affordable up to 2 Km or any more distancia, if its usually ice or snow May affect to link

There are many pros to improve with antenna.

[Bushman]

https://www.oleumtech.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/references/900mhz-rf-range-guide-oleumtech.pdf gives an interesting comparison of the options.  When I was working at remote gas plant sites, we used Yagis and shot realtime data for miles and miles back to the collector site.  This was in the rolling foothills of Western Canada.

[Mattk]

....Now as for range and the MBPro, the MBPro will get any transmissions the console will...

That is not correct but does depend on the distance between the Console/MBPro and the ISS/Repeater, there will become a distance at which the console reception continues ok but the MBPro will loose signal. Some have increased distance/reception with different antenna on the MBPro but it's not the ideal solution.

.... I was not considering retransmit of the console itself...

You should test re-transmitting from Console to MBPro in your proposed config/setup/locations etc to assure yourself of functionality. If you connect the MBPro directly to the ISS and/or repeater RF is the way to go.   

[dalecoy]

I am looking at purchasing a Davis Weather station for a long range application. I want to be able to still have the wind speed and humidity in as real time as I can. My station would be about a mile away from my home up to a ridge top. My question is how can I go about getting extra range to my receiver without going cellular, or am I better off going cellular? Right now it looks like my best option is to get a long range extender with the Omni and Yani  antenna. I would also like to upload my data to the internet. If I purchase a Ambient Weather Weatherbridge, do I also need a Davis data logger to make it work or can I do it with just the weather bridge.

The obvious question is - is there some friendly location close to that "ridge top" where you would be allowed to set up a console and equipment, and have internet access.  If so, pick one of several ways to put the data "on the web".

[miraculon]

I have a long range repeater and 17dBi Yagi pointed at the local Marina's VP2 ISS. Having a repeater somewhere in the middle was not an option.

The Marina is 1734 feet away (528m) and there are numerous trees and houses between my location and there. The worst problem was when the wooded lot in the path was wet and I would lose the signal until things dried out. There are also some out-of-band interference that can cause problem from time-to-time.

At the bottom of my Marina page is a description of what I installed to get it to work. This was after a lot of experimentation and false starts.

The Weatherlink part of the web page is directly from the Marina's VP2 console and WLIP. The blue area with a simple HTML depiction is coming via the repeater through a VUE console and meteohub at my location.

The antenna I am using is significantly higher gain than the one from Davis. I have a mini-circuits preamp and a ceramic band-pass-filter in line between the antenna and the Davis input side. The output side has a small Yagi, but I have used an omni since it is just out on the garage.

The current setup is very reliable and has been working 24/7 for a couple of years now. I just checked the reception diagnostics and it shows 95% good packets.

If I had a true LOS with no obstructions, I probably would have not needed the high-gain antenna and preamp setup. But, I do believe that the repeater was needed. My console/Envoys/MB Pro are in the basement.

I have posted regarding this in the past. And yes, the Harbormaster knows all about it. I help him with his Davis setup when needed. (mostly the router having amnesia about the WLIP)

Greg H.