# Home weather station



## JEV

Well, it's getting to be that awkward time of the year when the family feels obligated to remind me that I'm another year older and that they are getting closer to dividing my estate among themselves. Won't they be surprised to see that there's nothing there to fight over.

Anyway, the wife says I need to come up with a birthday present that everyone can chip into. I have been thinking of buying myself a personal weather station with wireless, and was wondering if anyone here has one, and could tell me what to be looking for, as well as what to stay away from.

I'm all ears, so let me know.


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## DaveNay

Davis Vantage Pro 2 Wireless. There really is no other option. The others are toys.


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## Jim_S RIP

DaveNay said:


> Davis Vantage Pro 2 Wireless. There really is no other option. The others are toys.



I'll second that.

Davis is good stuff.

Jim


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## muleman RIP

Reading the specs, if you want wind speed it only has a 40 Ft. cable.  Wish I could afford one as I know it would give some wild reading up here on the hill.


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## Jim_S RIP

muleman said:


> Reading the specs, if you want wind speed it only has a 40 Ft. cable.  Wish I could afford one as I know it would give some wild reading up here on the hill.



I have an older wired model.  Theres a junction box at the rain and temp sensors.  the 40 foot cable allows the windspeed sensor to be mounted higher for more accurate readings.  Signals from the junction point are then transmitted to the console by either wire or wireless depending on  the model.  I have @ 100' of cable to connect to the console.

Jim


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## muleman RIP

That is cool. I would mount the whole thing on the roof peak or the gable end.


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## DaveNay

muleman said:


> That is cool. I would mount the whole thing on the roof peak or the gable end.



If roof mounting, it needs to be on an 8' pole otherwise the wind currents flowing up the roof give wrong readings.


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## tiredretired

Add my voice to the chorus that is in love with Davis.  I have had one since May of last year.

However, I will add:

On November of last year after being installed for 7 months and working flawlessly, it quit transmitting.  (The outdoor sensor suite is wireless to the indoor unit)  The first thing I did was change the battery in the transmitter to no avail.  Davis sent me a rebuilt unit and requested I send back the defective unit.  I assumed return postage would be pre paid by Davis.  It was not.  Hmmmm.

On July on this year the replacement unit quit working.  Oh oh.  Again, play the game and change the battery even though there was no low battery alert.  Nothing.  Here we go again.  Happened on a Sunday so I took the unit down and brought to my workbench.  Monday morning, I tried the battery again and wa-la, it magically works.  Again, hmmmm.  

I call Davis to see what's up and they tell be to change the channel between the xmiter and receiver. Interference they say.  How come no one said this before when the first one shit the bed?  I dunno either.  Oh well it is working again for two months but I will be back up on the roof before winter ends, I just know it.  

Most out there are garbage so do not waste your money on cheap shit.  Davis is good stuff, they have good customer service.  My luck sucks on anything electronic so do not base your opinions on my luck.    Just wanted you to know.


Interesting Davis weather station story!


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## bczoom

Bump.

Anyone have any more thoughts on the Davis?  I'm reading the reviews on Amazon and many are saying it only has a life expectancy of a couple years.  At $300, I'd be pissed if it only lasted that long.


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## JimVT

The amateur radio  guys use davis. This link has weather stations but not what your asking about. Put your location in it.
https://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=11&call=&others=1&timerange=900&tail=900


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## tiredretired

bczoom said:


> Bump.
> 
> Anyone have any more thoughts on the Davis?  I'm reading the reviews on Amazon and many are saying it only has a life expectancy of a couple years.  At $300, I'd be pissed if it only lasted that long.



Still running my Davis and it is still running strong.  5+ years now. Recently recorded a 67 MPH gust and a 28.91 barometric pressure (adjusted to sea level) during a bad Nor'easter in which we lost power for 3 days.  The local weather man used my unofficial data because it was taken on a Davis.  What does that say?

My issues I posted about back in 13 have all been resolved with the last 4 years of trouble free service.  Only the outdoor unit battery needs replacing every 2 years or so, so make sure it is mounted for ease of maintenance.  

What happened to me was I was getting interference on transmitting channel #1 which is the default transmission channel from the outdoor unit to the indoor.  After talking with the factory and doing some experimenting I settled on channel 7 and all has been well since. 

For me, the question should be not if one should buy a Davis, but whether one should get the Vantage Vue or the Pro2. The Pro2 is more money but not as compact and amateur friendly IMHO.  I settled on the Vantage Vue which uses much of the same components. 

I am sure the amateur radio guys use Davis because they want the best and Davis is the best.


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## NorthernRedneck

jim slagle said:


> I'll second that.
> 
> Davis is good stuff.
> 
> Jim


Of course Davis is good stuff. (That's my last name lol)

I sadly don't need a weather station. [emoji853]  I can predict the freaking weather three days in advance using my built in barometer that is about 95% accurate. 3 days before a storm or weather change comes I feel it in my back and leg.


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## tiredretired

NorthernRedneck said:


> Of course Davis is good stuff. (That's my last name lol)
> 
> I sadly don't need a weather station. [emoji853]  I can predict the freaking weather three days in advance using my built in barometer that is about 95% accurate. 3 days before a storm or weather change comes I feel it in my back and leg.



Hey, look on the bright side Mr. Davis, with a built in weather station, one never needs to climb up and change the batteries every few years.


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## bczoom

Are La Crosse any good?
I don't need a full blown unit.  Wind direction, wind speed... aren't needed.


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## tiredretired

bczoom said:


> Are La Crosse any good?
> I don't need a full blown unit.  Wind direction, wind speed... aren't needed.



They are not bad.  Kind of a middle of the road unit from what I understand.   
The two things you do not care about were at the top of my list of must haves, so Davis it was.  If you do not care about it, then I would say buy a lower cost unit and save some money.  No sense getting features and spending money on things you do not care about.


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## bczoom

Thanks TR.  I live deep in a valley.  Winds are almost always nominal and swirling here so it's not something I need to measure.  

Might scrap the rain gauge as well.  A coffee can tells me how much we got and frankly, I don't care much unless the creek in the back yard starts coming over the banks.


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