Author Topic: New Honeywell TE923W Owner  (Read 9690 times)

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Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« on: May 27, 2007, 06:02:50 PM »
Hello...didn't know where else to put this to see what else is out there.  I just ordered a PWS, moving up from a Royal outside temperature sensor and test tube type rain gauge.  I considered the Davis but couldn't afford it.  Will use the TE923W with Weather Display.

I am putting up a web site for local weather and will be looking or ideas of things to add to that as well as hints for installing my sensors.

Thanks,
++++++++++++++++++++
Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
www.weatherriorancho.com
www.rioranchowx.com
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Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2007, 10:43:09 PM »
Since I wrote that message I upgraded from the Honeywell to a Davis...funny how quickly things can change...
++++++++++++++++++++
Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
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www.rioranchowx.com
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Offline ANPweather

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2007, 01:13:29 AM »
Out of curiosity why such a quick upgrade?

Davis Vantage Vue, Davis Pro 2 Console with Wifi Logger
Weather Display software
WU: KAZNEWRI17
PWS: ANTHEMNP
CWOP: EW7526

Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2007, 11:10:27 AM »
I found that the wireless distance on the Honeywell unit wasn't strong enough to mount the devices where I needed them and still get a signal.

The Davis wireless signal is stronger and I was able to properly site the Davis by dissassembling it to get the rain bucket at 2' and the temp at 5' with the anemometer at the top of the mast.  When I moved the Honeywell temp sensor to where I wanted to mount it, it lost signal.  I also like the fact that the Davis uses solar to keep the batteries fresh so there is less chance of having to go out in the cold to swap batteries.

I ended up installing quite an eleaborate setup to allow the station to be properly sited as well as mow around it and being able to raise everything to keep it above the snow.

Lew
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Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
www.weatherriorancho.com
www.rioranchowx.com
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Offline ncpilot

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2007, 01:31:11 PM »
Quote from: "goldenpond"
I ended up installing quite an eleaborate setup to allow the station to be properly sited as well as mow around it and being able to raise everything to keep it above the snow.
Lew


Pictures!  :)
Marc
Wilmington, NC
"Monkey Junction Weather"
Davis VP2 wireless, WeatherLink

Offline Anole

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2007, 02:04:46 PM »
Quote from: "ncpilot"
Quote from: "goldenpond"
I ended up installing quite an eleaborate setup to allow the station to be properly sited as well as mow around it and being able to raise everything to keep it above the snow.
Lew


Pictures!  :)


Yes please! Siting is an issue 99.99999% of us "hobbyists" have to face and seeing others solutions to the challanges is always helpful.

Offline ANPweather

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2007, 02:47:39 PM »
Quote from: "goldenpond"
I found that the wireless distance on the Honeywell unit wasn't strong enough to mount the devices where I needed them and still get a signal.


What kind of distance were trying for? I've been thinking of a Honeywell but would have to go maybe 40-50' through the house to the where the temp sensor would have to go.

Davis Vantage Vue, Davis Pro 2 Console with Wifi Logger
Weather Display software
WU: KAZNEWRI17
PWS: ANTHEMNP
CWOP: EW7526

Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2007, 05:29:18 PM »
Quote from: "ncpilot"
Quote from: "goldenpond"
I ended up installing quite an eleaborate setup to allow the station to be properly sited as well as mow around it and being able to raise everything to keep it above the snow.
Lew


Pictures!  :)


Since the Honeywell  unit has a wireless transmitter for each sensor, it lends itself to having the various sensors in their most optimum location, typically in different places.  I found that the temp sensor worked fine about 30 feet away but failed when I put it into a Sorenson Screen about 100' away.

I moved my mast location and then built my PVC "monster" to accomplish several things.

1.  allows me to mount the rain bucket at the optimum 2' without a rain shadow.

2.  allows me to mount the temp sensor at the optimum 5' away from anything plus I have the FARS unit for increased accuracy

3.  Allows me to mount the anemometer up as high as I wish.  I need to add an extension to my mast as it is plenty high, but not at 33' yet.

4.  ALL of the items are mounted off of a common mast such that I am able to use the single wireless transmitter for all sensors.

5.  The "monster" pivots around the mast such that I can swivel it 90 degrees for mowing.

6.  The "monster" can be raised on the pole to various heights to keep the rain bucket above the snow.  I can effective raise it as high as is needed as you can keep lossening tiewraps and keep shoving it higher and higher to keep it above the snowfall/drifts.

7.  The solar sensor is mounted up with the anemometer to give me full horizon-to-horizon viewing.

I have asked many others if there are any other single pole designs that are more compliant and haven't heard of any.  Until someone shows me something "better", I consider it the optimum single pole installation.  As an aside, I can mount a "fence" around the rain bucket, and in fact, it can be mounted to the same arm such that the "fence" moves up with the bucket.

Here is a link to my CWOP page showing the pictures put up on FLICKR.

http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/site/C8122

I have already been told by some naysayers that the PVC arrangement was not sturdy enough but they don't know how really strong it is.   They warned I would get false rain readings if the "monster" wasn't sturdy enough.  So far it has experienced gusts up to 46mph and didn't report any false readings.  I don't think there would be any wind strong enough to pivot the rain bucket enough to shake it into a false reading.

Cheers!

Lew
++++++++++++++++++++
Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
www.weatherriorancho.com
www.rioranchowx.com
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Offline tweatherman1

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2007, 05:55:18 PM »
A little different but I think it looks good with a nice concept of getting the tipping bucket away from the mast for the anemometer.

Tim

Offline ocala

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2007, 07:09:31 PM »
Just curious but how is the mast supported? I don't see any guy wires.
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline ocala

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2007, 07:38:00 PM »
Not to get off topic here but here is a link to photos of various CWOP setups.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/cwop/pool/
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2007, 07:44:18 PM »
Just curious but how is the mast supported? I don't see any guy wires.

For many years I have had a Martin house on a pole in my yard.  It was about sixteen feet of pole in several sections.  When I mounted the martin house I wanted the flexibilty to replace or fix the pole so I sunk a 2.25" ID pipe 2' in the ground and then I put a plastic sleeve around the pipe and slid it into the hole.  That setup worked for many years until I had a VERY bad windstorm that knocked down 40 mature trees on my property and literally ripped the martin house off of the top of the pole, but the pole held up.

I initially setup my Honeywell anemometer on top of the pole with the other components in various places in my yard.  When I upgraded to the Davis and all the units had to be in one place, I decided to move the pole to a better place, make it bigger and longer.  I sunk a 4' 2.25" ID pipe in cement which was 2' deeper than my previous location.  So I picked up 16' of SCH40 aluminum pipe and took out the sleeve I had before and put the new pipe in the hole without the plastic sleeve and then I stuck what was my old Martin house mast into the top of that.  Other than being stuck in the ground, there are no guywires.

I put a large screw through the outer pipe into the inner pipe so the pole won't spin.  Not needed with the Martin house.  Part of my design was so the whole weather station could be raised to keep it in siting standards.  I have put holes in the mast at various distances and I have a pin going through the mast which I can pull out, raise my PVC monster and insert it back at the height I need to accomodate varying snow depths.  By removing the pin, I am also able to pivot the PVC monster temporarily to mow around it.  Since the anemometer isn't pivoting with the weather station, it continues to point in the right direction. 

When studying various mast options someone suggested the Hy-Gain portable antenna.  It is meant to extend to 66' but they suggest you only extend it to 33' without guywires.  I looked at the spec on their mast sections and determined they had a fairly thin wall, much thinner than the SCH40 pipe I bought.  By dropping the height of their antennae from 66 to 33' they were doubling the wall thickness, but even double it was thinner than my pipe's wall.  I figured if their thinner antennae was rated to 33' with no guywires, it was safe to extend my pipe to 33' without guywires.  My current setup is not a full 33'  I need another section that goes between my two current sections.  I will use a mid-sized SCH40 pipe for that.

I found a great local source for the pipe.  The local scrap yard has it at the # price.    I am basically buying it for scrap alumimum rate vs. whatever the traditional price would be for the pipe. 
++++++++++++++++++++
Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
www.weatherriorancho.com
www.rioranchowx.com
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Offline ocala

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2007, 03:13:50 PM »
I have a question. When the wind blows real hard, say 25 to 30 mph consistently, does the top of the mast sway back and forth or does it stand still?
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline RioRanchoNMWX

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Re: New Honeywell TE923W Owner
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2007, 06:45:33 PM »
yes, there is some swaying...there would be less if the upper pipe was the thickness of my lower pipe.  I don't think the swaying affects the anemometer however.  With the wind that strong the arrow is going to point in the right direction and I assume the wind speed wouldn't be affected either. 
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Lew of Rio Rancho, NM Weather
www.weatherriorancho.com
www.rioranchowx.com
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