OT: Weather Stations

[Roger]

A bit ago I mentioned in passing in another thread that I might be in need of another weather station. Well that time has come but first a bit of history.

I currently have a failing WS300 Wireless Weather Station (Weather Willie) but this is #3. #1 was replaced under guarantee. #2 sat in its box for 6 months or more before I decided it would make a good Xmas present for my brother-in-law. That was a bit marginal from the offset even in a modern house but all functions did work and I didn't want to go through all the hassle of trying to get it replaced. Anyway it continued to function until after I was inveigled by a cheap offer to buy #3. #3 had an even more feeble transmitter than #1 and #2 but I eventually got it working with the receiver sitting on a window sill as before. However the outside functions have been down to wind and rain for a long time and I have been sure that the wind gauge is optimistic at high wind speeds - it recorded 90.5 mph when the local weather forecaster said only 74 mph had been recorded at what might have been a rather more sheltered location just down the valley. Crisis point was reached with the 5" of rain recorded overnight. I would be surprised if we actually has as much as 0.5". Highest gust recorded overnight was over 80 mph so the wind is probably rattling the water tipper.

In the past few weeks I have looked at a number of adverts on the net as well as Dave's Howhill site. Most of it goes way over this computer numpty?s head and Dave's particular set-up is no longer available.

So what do I need to know.

1 Are all wireless set-ups so piss-useless that they can't operate with even one 2 foot thick rubble filled wall in the way. If not what do and what don't cut the mustard.

2 For the stations available in the sub £500 range do I also need a data logger if I want a continuous record of the sort Dave displays on his website.

3 What reliable weather station would anyone prepared to recommend that doesn't cost both an arm and a leg and doesn't need arcane knowledge to install and operate.

4 Are there any particular pitfalls to watch out for if I opt for a wired solution such as the need for cable trenches or extremely short maximum cable runs.

Recommendations of particular set-ups - weather station/datalogger/whatever and sources thereof - would be particularly appreciated.

[Rod]

A couple of years ago I wanted some sort of weather station connected to my PC. I would really have liked an anemometer and a rain gauge. But, having searched everywhere, I couldn't find anything that did all I want at a sensible price. Ended up with an Oregon BAR629 'consumer' level device with three remote sensors (one temp. only plus two temp. + humidity). Good enough for finding what is happening at the moment front, back and upstairs!

I was severely disappointed that the industry had not adopted USB widely

- far too much RS232. And why do they not use a nice fat SD card to store info. when the PC connection is not available? In fact, why not ethernet connectivity? - That seems obvious to me.

Bought mine from - usual disclaimer - no connection other than as a customer - easy, good delivery.

Range is OK for me - but we have ordinary walls and modest distances. I have notieced that one or other remote seems to go off air for a short while from time to time - quite possibly interference of some sort.

Let us know what you do - I would be interested in upgrading if ever I have a few bob spare.

[tony sayer]

In article , Roger scribeth thus

Have a look at Davis weather..

We've had one of their stations up a radio comms site for some years in all weathers;, and its worked fine:)

[Hugh Jampton]

Some are very good - see below.

Above what you want to pay (sorry it does cost an arm and a leg :-( but I've got the Davis VP2 and Weatherlink data logger. It's a wireless weather station and my setup operates perfectly from 70 yards away through a few walls. As well as the console it connects to my computer and can, if needed, send data to a website. I've had it for a year and can't fault it. Highly recommended.

Got it from

(no connection). Very helpful people.

[Roger]

The message from Hugh Jampton contains these words:

I had been hoping to keep my expenditure below the £500 mark.

They have a special offer on atm that is only just over (£589) for the cabled option but sods law will have it that if I eventually opt for that the special offer will have lapsed. I will however be looking at that more closely in the near future.

[Roger]

The message from tony sayer contains these words:

one for Oregon.

[Peter Crosland]

I have run my wired Davis Vantage Pro for five years without a single failure. The downside is that it does cost and the price Davis charge for the datalogger is obscene even though it does include the software. For logging the Weather Display software written by Brian Hamilton is a snip at $75 . Although the wireless version may be Ok you have the added problem of powering the station by batteries or solar power. The wired version incorporates the power feed as well as the data signals. As Rod says the Weather shop is a good place to get advice and buy kit.

Contact me of list for more details if you wish.

Peter Crosland

[e-mail]

[Roger]

The message from "Peter Crosland" contains these words:

Thanks.

I am looking for a package that works out of the box without any of the trials and tribulations that I usually experience trying to set-up anything with software involved.

I haven't as yet investigated how difficult it is to lay the wires from the outdoor site to the house difficulty with which would be the only reason I might yet opt to go wireless.

I find the current trend to battery powered devices such as programmable stats for central heating that could so easily be powered off the mains a right PITA. OK so there has to be a back-up battery included for the best of both worlds but that would typically last much longer and you wouldn't lose your settings for being a bit lax in battery replacement at least unless a power cut intervened.

[Hugh Jampton]

Less than that I think. I've had a look at that site again. Go to the home page and it looks like they're doing that package for £509 (New year special). The wireless package seems to be £599.

Not an easy website to navigate :-(

HTH.

[tony sayer]

In article , Roger scribeth thus

I should just make 'em an offer say thats what your budget is and do they want your order. IIRC theres a good mark-up on this equipment.

A sale at 20 % is better then no sale at 0%...

[Roger]

The message from Hugh Jampton contains these words:

I have already picked up on that and e-mailed the company for clarification.

[Roger]

The message from tony sayer contains these words:

I may try ...

I am still working out if I can get by with a cabled set-up. I don't seem to be able to find any placement that I can cable to that is:

a) Away from the road and the local chavs.

b) Will give a open position for the rain gauge and an exposed position close by for the wind gauge.

If I take the comments about positioning as gospel I haven't much more scope for the wireless either unless I shell out a huge amount on a 2nd transmitter.

The obvious positions for the wind gauge are the gable ends either end of the property but neither are ideal being to some extent overshadowed by taller trees and neither end will provide a suitable habitat for the rain gauge. The rain gauge could go in the middle of the side lawn but the only place for the wind gauge is an extension to one of the clothes line poles but that is even more overshadowed by a tree.

The current placement is a flower bed on the edge of a walled embankment that doesn't fit the website criteria and isn't a suitable placement for a wind gauge on a tall pole. Still it has not proved a total disaster for the current set-up. Linking the wind gauge back to the console rather than to the rain gauge station would be easier but that isn't an option.

[Hugh Jampton]

Oh yes it is :-)

"Wireless transmitter unit for anemometer for VP2"

It would cost you another £165 though :-(

I'm actually thinking of getting this installed on my chimney. I'm probably mad but I do like accurate weather data ....

[Roger]

The message from Hugh Jampton contains these words:

I must have another look but I thought that transmitted back to the out station rather than the base station.

In either set-up I could use the extension cable option to spread the distance between the wind gauge and the out station but even that costs.

I am currently considering whether I can get away with using a gate post (ex railway sleeper) as the support for the out station or whether the associated steel gate and stone wall will bugger the results. That position wasn't even an option for my current Weather Willie being out of range even with no obstructions but if I go for the cables all round I will need extensions. That alone makes the wireless option more attractive even before I consider the problems of lifting floorboards and bludgeoning holes through walls.

I can sympathise. I too have an irrational desire for unnecessarily accurate data. :-)

[Peter Crosland]

If you would be satisfied with a system that gives you all the data on the display then you don't need to worry about the setup. On the other hand you cannot avoid using PC software if you want to automatically record lots of detailed historical data. It is also worth noting that unless you can mount the various sensors rigidly in an appropriate position you are not going get anything like accurate results. Furthermore readings can vary significantly between locations a short distance apart particularly if there are building or trees nearby. So don't expect to get any meaningful corelation with other stations or the met office figures.

Peter Crosland

[e-mail]

[Roger]

Almost all the talk so far has been about the Davis VP system so far.

Is no one prepared to extol the virtues of a comparable Oregon system?

[Dave Liquorice]

Probably, our wireless thermostat stuggles the 30' from the living room = to boiler room with a thick solid stone wall in the way. Cables just work.

You need something to record the data, in my case it's the PC that is on=

24/7 as my server. If you don't want to leave a PC on (a mini ITX machin= e will take very little power) then some dorm of logger will be required.

You get what you pay for... Most stuff is easy enough to set up, siting = of sensors in suitable locations is the normal sticking point.

Cheap stuff how about:

+ P&P But unless there has been 3rd party work on the software that is what yo= u will be stuck with. Support/replacement parts for the hardware might be =

hard to come by as well. Support/parts for Davis and (some?) Oregan kit = is available.

My WM918 is ancient and works but it did take quite a bit of prodding to= get the rain guage not to falsely register interference and I've replace= the reed switch in the anemometer a few times. The later generations use= the same or very similar protocol on the serial port and there is 3rd party software for them.

Only you can decide is cables are going to be too much agro to install. = It might be worth investigating the topography of the cables. Mine has the =

sensors wired back to a connection box then a single cable from there to= the consol. The connection box isn't suitable for outdoor use but I've stuck in a plastic box in the shed with a silica gel bag, it's happy. Th= e connection cable from the box to consol is a bit of CAT5 network cable, =

run through a bit of flexable plastic conduit buried 6" down under a pat= h. It's longer than the one supplied but it works. Finding out what the connectors used are and the cable may mean this technique could be used = on another station.

[Rod]

No - not even me. I bought the cheapie Oregon and it is OK - but if I had decided to by something more sophisticated I would not have got Oregon kit - probably Davis.

[Roger]

The message from Rod contains these words:

Thanks for all the input folks.

If the Davis deal at weatherstation.co.uk is still on and I can rustle up the resolution to spend what is, for me, a large wedge of cash it looks like the VP 2 and the wireless one at that.

[Hugh Jampton]

I think it transmits back to the base station (console/receiver). Found this on the Davis site :-

"For use with Wireless Vantage Pro2. Allows you to locate the anemometer independently from the rain collector, up to 300 m away from the console/receiver."

I must say that I'm more than happy with wireless. I can take the console anywhere in the house - can even take it next door :-). It can be powered by battery or mains.