Author Topic: What's wrong with Davis consoles?  (Read 7849 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline JayW

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 21
What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« on: January 16, 2019, 12:18:26 PM »
I've been researching my first personal weather station and have read many hours worth of posts on it/them here. I have gathered that Davis instruments are accurate, robust, and repairable. I have also gathered that the main problem with Davis weather stations is the outdated design of the consoles, but I have not been able to find (or possibly "understand") what the console problems are.

Reading through the 31 pages (so far) of the WiFiLogger thread, I believe the console connectivity issue is at least fixable by third-party solutions.

What are some other issues with the consoles that would trouble a newbie purchaser such as myself?

Offline sward6368

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2019, 12:41:04 PM »
I use Davis' IP LINK logger to provide connectivity of the device to my wired internet.  You could argue in the day and time with most home electronics offering wireless connection out of the box, having to purchase an additional component for connectivity is a dated approach.  That aside the connected logger works for me as I have network port near the console location.  I have noticed the installed IP logger seems to raise my inside temperature readings by a couple degrees..

My only wish as I have read from many others is the readability of the display is not great, especially in low light.  I find my self having to turn the back light on to be able to read it which is annoying when I want to do a quick glance to see the temperature. 

Offline Cutty Sark Sailor

  • WxElement panel
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3393
    • Frankfort Weather - TwinHollies WeatherCenter
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2019, 12:57:43 PM »
To my thinking, it's Quite Simple -- many in today's generation of folks want eye candy,  bells'n'whistles, and "look what I got'..... :twisted:
 Davis presents data.  :-"
 


Offline davefr

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 195
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 01:05:14 PM »
I've been researching my first personal weather station and have read many hours worth of posts on it/them here. I have gathered that Davis instruments are accurate, robust, and repairable. I have also gathered that the main problem with Davis weather stations is the outdated design of the consoles, but I have not been able to find (or possibly "understand") what the console problems are.

Here you go.  Which console do you think is more efficient, (not just pretty), at giving you a quick snapshot of environmental conditions:





Now here's what you need to connect the above Davis console to the internet. It costs an extra $300.  (excluding "roll your own" or third party add ons)


and don't forget this:



To connect the Ambient console to the internet you just need a couple setup entries. (no extra $$$'s spent, third party adapters or cabling to run).  WiFi is absent  in Davis's product lineup.








« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 01:26:36 PM by davefr »

Offline VaJim

  • Virginia Beach Backyard Weather
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 760
    • Virginia Beach Backyard Weather
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 01:36:45 PM »
My long standing concern with the Davis consoles (I have the Vantage Vue) is not being able to see the LCD 'data' at night.  I know about the backlight and the temperature offset.

Unlike my Rainwise (and some others) that when the lights go out and you happen to glance at the display, the LED produces.

Offline DaleReid

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 2002
    • Weather at Eau Claire, WI
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 01:38:33 PM »
Mike, with all due respect:
It isn't data if you can't see it.

I don't care about color and all that, but want to see what I need.

Example.  I have two VP2 Pro consoles.  BOTH have a small flashlight next to them so I can turn it on, read the freaking thing, AFTER I have gotten up from where I'm sitting to get in front of it to see what finally shows up when the light is shown upon it.

I can see at a glance what my Texas Weather Instruments consoles (being twenty some years old are far from eye candy) are presenting in a light or dark room, from 30' away.  Or my RMYoung 28600, or either the Rainwise Oracle or the Peet Brothers LED display (and speaking of Peet, they seem to have a little more easily readable LCD technology, not great by any means but instantly recognizable as superior to the Davis).   Try that with a Davis.

I wouldn't care a whit if they kept the same layout and data pattern on their screens if they'd just updated the display to make them visible and readable.

That's my argument.  Like you, I don't need color or animation or glitz either. and with that I agree wholeheartedly with you.
Dale
ECWx.info
&
ECWx.info/t/index.php

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2019, 02:30:35 PM »
Mike, with all due respect:
It isn't data if you can't see it.

I don't care about color and all that, but want to see what I need.

Example.  I have two VP2 Pro consoles.  BOTH have a small flashlight next to them so I can turn it on, read the freaking thing, AFTER I have gotten up from where I'm sitting to get in front of it to see what finally shows up when the light is shown upon it.


Excellent criticism, of course.  But....

I have two VP2 Pro consoles.  Both have the backlight turned on, and have the appropriate indoor temperature offset made, so that the indoor temperature display is correct.  So, I don't need to get up.

I agree that this shouldn't be necessary - but it's a simple, one-time setting.

Offline DaleReid

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 2002
    • Weather at Eau Claire, WI
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2019, 02:52:01 PM »
In addition to the offset observation, I probably won't do even that since I don't care too much about my indoors temperature.  I understand that the lights only heat up the internal sensor for indoors, and the other settings are unaffected. 

I may try that since as I say all the rest of it is just peachy as far as I can tell.
ECWx.info
&
ECWx.info/t/index.php

Offline weather34

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1068
    • https://weather34.com/homeweatherstation
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2019, 03:07:08 PM »
well having owned two ambient fine offset products and oregon  in the last 4 years i can honestly say from my own experiences  the extra buck for the reliability and availability of options and the reliabilty under rather wild weather conditions the davis product range is a far outright winner .dont be put off by the console you wont regret but it comes at a cost . pretty as the ambient display console might look but two years of istanbul high uv sun and dense fog in the autumn the ambients outdoor sensors all in one never survived or was able report data accurately or within an acceptable margin . i spent two years fixing them to keep,them running and eventually the wind vand vane just crumbled ,the uv solar sensor cover would mist up and take days to clear .the pro and cons but pay a bit extra for durability and reliability you will be glad you did when the weather goes a bit wild .

ive said before wish id bought the davis vp2 years ago when i had the opportunity would have saved quite a bit of money and frustration..

the additional options open up your options of where you would like to share,store your data be it a cloud, services,localized storage these options made available by third party developers are well thought out and will open up your horizons and no it dont cost $300 there are a few ways to do this for less and your not committed to one service or tied to one service..

ps as for your original question whats wrong with davis consoles ,i would never buy a weather station just based on the console id be rather more interested in what the data accuracy performance is like and its expandibility and build quality,all in one stations can leave your wanting more as the interest and enthusiasm grows but ultimately the step up comes at a cost..if i sound pro davis its because i got my fingers burnt with low cost all in one solutions and istanbul is far from a wild weather tornado,hurricane region but we get strong high uv for many months, we get horrendous lightning storms,we get dense fog in our short autumn i live 150 metres from the sea front ,if you live in something like that then save your money and go for durability and availability of parts as above two ambients and oregon did not survive any of that and i would not call those extreme weather condiitons.. when i owned the ambients,oregon i was a happy man thought why spend more until the weather turned a bit wild and I became dissallutioned when it was the actual weather making my weather hardware fail..if you live in an environment where the conditions are relatively mild then you may fair better than i did..
bottom line justify the cost or not ...
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 03:12:39 PM by weather34 »

Offline kb1pvh

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • My weather
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 03:19:41 PM »
I've been researching my first personal weather station and have read many hours worth of posts on it/them here. I have gathered that Davis instruments are accurate, robust, and repairable. I have also gathered that the main problem with Davis weather stations is the outdated design of the consoles, but I have not been able to find (or possibly "understand") what the console problems are.

Here you go.  Which console do you think is more efficient, (not just pretty), at giving you a quick snapshot of environmental conditions:





Now here's what you need to connect the above Davis console to the internet. It costs an extra $300.  (excluding "roll your own" or third party add ons)


and don't forget this:



To connect the Ambient console to the internet you just need a couple setup entries. (no extra $$$'s spent, third party adapters or cabling to run).  WiFi is absent  in Davis's product lineup.


Where did you come up with $300? My Davis datalogger was $125.



Dave

Offline davefr

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 195
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2019, 03:22:40 PM »

Offline ConligWX

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 836
  • #conligwx
    • conligwx.org
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2019, 03:54:21 PM »
Where did you come up with $300? My Davis datalogger was $125.

Dave

indeed, 300 is a bit excessive... Even though I had a Davis USB Datalogger, I bought an Davis IP logger for £5 (genuine)  \:D/

however I now just use my Meteobridge NanoSD to communicate with the console and done away with my CumulusMX Server too.
Regards Simon
Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus (6162UK) • Daytime FARS • WeatherLink Live • AirLink • PurpleAir PA-II-SD • CumulusMX •


Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2019, 04:21:48 PM »
WeatherLinkIP is $210 on Scientific Sales website.

Offline Mattk

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 2136
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2019, 04:37:09 PM »
What's wrong with Davis consoles? Well as a console not all that much really, tried, proven and tested. I think what most users are trying to say is they prefer a flashy, stylish, wiz bang looking console with little regard for what's behind the façade?

Offline Ski Pro 3

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #14 on: January 16, 2019, 04:49:20 PM »
Same could be said for any 20 year old car too.  Just because it's functional still, doesn't make it better.  It just makes it functional.  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense.  If a vendor is not going to update their product, they can and will usually be left in the dust.  SEARS for example....  DAVIS is stuck in the days when they were the only serious game in town.  Technology has advanced enough to meet the DAVIS accuracy standard as well as reliability. I hear a lot of talk about the other brands not looking like they will hold up over time, but no recent evidence that they don't with new products being produced and evolving.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 04:51:37 PM by Ski Pro 3 »

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2019, 05:10:36 PM »
  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense. 

What intuitiveness?

What Davis console data is not easy to interpret?

Offline Ski Pro 3

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2019, 05:20:21 PM »
  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense. 

What intuitiveness?

What Davis console data is not easy to interpret?

Obviously nothing to someone who is familiar with their station or perhaps even with weather reporting equipment in general.  But put it on my desk and folks coming by would ask what that is, then ask how to read it.  The AW's new display is now up and no one asks me what it is and rarely need an explanation of the readings. 

All I'm saying is that a vendor for any product is only going to grow with new customers.  Refusing to take advantage of the growing technology in displays or any other advancement is going to drive customers to these other brands.  I can just about guarantee that anyone selecting another product other than DAVIS made the decision based on the buyer's ability to easily learn how to interact with the other product.  User friendly is not on DAVIS radar for product development and that's a shame really. 

Offline davefr

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 195
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #17 on: January 16, 2019, 05:28:49 PM »
  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense. 

What intuitiveness?

What Davis console data is not easy to interpret?

You can take a glance at the WS-2000 display and within seconds get a nice summary of the weather.  Everything comes together (colors, icons, fonts) to make it more efficient to see what's going on.  This is so much more efficient then reading a display with just a bunch of numbers displayed on it. 

The Davis console is like a journey back to DOS 3.0 after using Windows.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2019, 05:29:00 PM »
  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense. 

What intuitiveness?

What Davis console data is not easy to interpret?

Obviously nothing to someone who is familiar with their station or perhaps even with weather reporting equipment in general.  But put it on my desk and folks coming by would ask what that is, then ask how to read it.  The AW's new display is now up and no one asks me what it is and rarely need an explanation of the readings. 


OK, so please help us out by pointing out what features are better, more intuitive, or easier to interpret.

Offline CW2274

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6731
    • Conditions @ CW2274 West Tucson-Painted Hills Ranch
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2019, 05:54:14 PM »
  Adding a little bit of intuitiveness into the display so that the data is easy to interpret just makes sense. 

What intuitiveness?

What Davis console data is not easy to interpret?
But put it on my desk and folks coming by would ask what that is, then ask how to read it
Really? Have you ever even owned a Davis? If people coming by your desk can't read, let alone comprehend, but read, "temperature, outside, inside, barometric pressure, wind, ect., then I don't want to know what line of work you're in. 

Offline Ski Pro 3

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2019, 05:55:08 PM »
OK, so please help us out by pointing out what features are better, more intuitive, or easier to interpret.

Seriously, If I have to point them out, you are just trying to be obtuse.  The argument isn't new; the DAVIS product is dated on it's user interface.  Like asking why buy a new truck when the old one will do, sort of question.  No reason for the buyer, but for sellers, the market is going to gravitate towards the product that provides advanced ease-of-use.  So sellers add features. Either higher reliability, friendlier user interface, visually more appealing, that sort of thing. The DAVIS display is just one of the features that is antiquated.  Wifi interface is another.  While other products are a true plug-n-play product, the DAVIS is so far from it, the average home owner needs a computer kid to get things working.  Then heaven help 'em if the power goes off. 
Multi screen toggling is another.  Ambient Weather's new WS-2000 display can toggle to full screen graphs for any of it's parameters and those are able to be toggled to hourly, daily, weekly.  Yes, the data is available on line, but as a stand alone product, this is an industry leader.  So new to their product, it's not even advertised yet but I documented it here on another thread if you care to research for it. 
But I digress and won't be drawn into a 'discussion' that flat denies any of these issues by sarcastically asking for help as you've done. 

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2019, 06:04:04 PM »
OK, so please help us out by pointing out what features are better, more intuitive, or easier to interpret.

Seriously, If I have to point them out, you are just trying to be obtuse. 
...................
But I digress and won't be drawn into a 'discussion' that flat denies any of these issues by sarcastically asking for help as you've done.

I'm not being sarcastic or obtuse.  That accusation is offensive to me.

You pointed out "Obviously nothing to someone who is familiar with their station"

I'm quite familiar with the VP2 console, so to me personally it's easy to read.  I was asking politely for help. 

What would you call someone who refuses to help, when asked politely?

Nevermind.

Offline Ski Pro 3

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #22 on: January 16, 2019, 06:12:59 PM »
Really? Have you ever even owned a Davis? If people coming by your desk can't read, let alone comprehend, but read, "temperature, outside, inside, barometric pressure, wind, ect., then I don't want to know what line of work you're in.

Yes, I've owned DAVIS and several other weather measuring products.  I recently retired from the local electric company as a hydrographer.  (Basically the measurement of water AFTER it falls from the skies) We maintained 9 hydroelectric powerhouses on several reservoirs. I've done it all; from snow course measurements to cloud seeding.  I've set up computer models for stream water temp measurements with auto controllers on dams and reservoirs so water temps downstream are cool enough for fish to trigger their migrations.  Many systems located on microwave towers where wind speeds regularly hit over 150 mph.  My last project was to redesign our entire system based on the Campbell Scientific CR1000 product line of modbus data loggers.  Most every sensor station controlled via VHF radio telemetry polled on a schedule as well as on demand.  My office was located in an area with many other engineer/programmer/software developers and I can attest that they found that the DAVIS was too technical to be intuitive at a glance for their customer/users to appreciate it's data, that if they attempted to push a product like that in today's work environment to our internal users, they would have been terminated. 
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 06:49:29 PM by Ski Pro 3 »

Offline CW2274

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6731
    • Conditions @ CW2274 West Tucson-Painted Hills Ranch
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #23 on: January 16, 2019, 06:17:57 PM »
Really? Have you ever even owned a Davis? If people coming by your desk can't read, let alone comprehend, but read, "temperature, outside, inside, barometric pressure, wind, ect., then I don't want to know what line of work you're in.
I can attest that they found that the DAVIS was too technical to be intuitive at a glance to appreciate it's data.



I....ummmm.....I....

Offline Ski Pro 3

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: What's wrong with Davis consoles?
« Reply #24 on: January 16, 2019, 06:26:54 PM »
Obviously I've upset some folks, prejudice being what it is,  who are die hard DAVIS fans.  Nothing I would be able to articulate at this point is going to make any difference, minds are made up it seems with those holding on to their views and challenging anyone who has one that differs. 
Cheers! 

 

anything