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Cloudburst

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    Davis VP2 strange anemometer problems

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    Hi all :) I just noticed about two hours ago now that the anemometer from my Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station is being a bit odd. :D (and also at the worst of times!) indeed it was a bit surprising hearing a rather strong breeze on the northwest side of the house but my weather station reporting 0mph! and heres the strange bit, it is still measuring wind direction perfictly! so it cant be a connestion/reception problem. I have been outside and checked with a torch and the anemometer cups are spinning as normal, yet no readings, exept every now and again when i get 1mph! and other times it suddenly starts working as normal for a short while. I first thought the problem had started today but looking at the data it looks like the problem started yesterday. I was wondering if anyone has had the same problems, or knew how to sort it out?

    And i certainly hope it has not gone wrong already as i only bought it in october! :D

    Thanks.

    I had this exact problem too. Mine was down to water ingress into the connectors (i spliced it to make it longer), so they are now embedded in silicone. Another thing it could be is the actual cups have come away from the housing a little, so this means they are not triggering the reed. May be worth taking it down (after checking connectors) fixing the grub screw a little further in (this is located on the bottom of the cup assembly i think), then this should hold it in place.

    If neither of those work then it would be best to get in contact with the retailer you bought it from.

    Davis Rain Gauge Additions

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    Guys,

    Finally got the VP2 ISS mounted on its post 5' off the vegetable patch, and the wind sensors 1m above the roofline (seems way higher up when you're straddling the apex than when you're looking up from the ground :) ) No lightning protection fitted!. All seems well - registered my first 2.5mm of rain this evening, YES!

    Regarding the ISS rain gauge: would it be wise to put some stainless wires around the periphery to stop birds crapping in it, and can someone give me a description of the leaf filter which I do not appear to have, or can anyone suggest a suitable ready made but easily obtainable alternative? Would a normal drainpipe filter do, or would it need some specific mods such as thinning the bits that touch the sides?

    Thanks a lot,

    Garth.

    Indeed. I remember putting my anemometer pole up (top of a rather high old victorian house) going out on the roof and fixing to the house, as you say seems alot higher when your up there. :)

    As regards the rain gauge, i find the filter that comes with the unit does just fine (its a small piece that sits in the bucket), although the position of my ISS means that i dont get birds sitting on it and leaves falling into it, so theres not really a problem anyway. However i do find that spiders like to build a large nest inside it, as long as they dont interfere with the buckets i leave them be.

    Im sure you could add wire or something around the rim to stop birds sitting on it, as long as the bucket itself is not covered then it should be fine. I havent heard of such a device being on the market but i think it would be fairy easy to do a DIY job.

    WS2300 - Problems

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    Thanks for the reply, do you have any idea what a weather station is likely to interfere with , ie would it be likely to be taxi's or emergency vehicles etc?

    Thanks

    BU

    Where did you purchase the station?

    If the station runs around the 433mhz range (perfectly legal, the only station i know of that could possibly run at illegal ranges are the US versions of the VP2 wireless, 800-900mhz) then it could be a whole host of things interfering, from wireless house phones to electrical devices. These all create a spike at some point thus blocking your weather station signal out for the duration. If you can, then i would suggest either taking the console out near the transmitter or bringing your station in to see if its interference. If it still gives no readings at this point then it could be a transmitter problem, maybe corrosion on the transmitter pic.

    La Crosse ES-WS2300

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted · Edited by Cloudburst

    Not got it yet, but isn't it RJ11 one end and there's a USB converter supplied or similar with it?

    If it uses usb then you can get a device which acts as a server. You basically plug your console into it, and it can use wireless to braodcast the signal to your main pc - Although these are around £70-150.

    La Crosse ES-WS2300

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    Is the only way to get data into the computer via USB/Serial from the control panel? Is there no additional receiver that can be purchased?

    The only way to get data from the console to the PC is via either a usb cable or standard rj-11 cable with a serial connector. I think you can get a datalogger for the console it holds more data from the console so you only need turn your pc on every couple of days to download data.

    Rain Center

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    On the cheaper models they seem to use very cheap reed switches, that dont last very long at all.

    A way to test it is to remove the housing to gain access to the tipper, and tip it manually. You should here a click noise as it goes from side to side, if not then you need to get a new reed switch from say maplins.

    La Crosse ES-WS2300

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted

    Ok cheers, next question, is there any nice software that will create and informative webpage from the data the weather station supplies?

    Hi there. Firstly yes as above, there should be a few holes around the outer casing (you will have to take the bucket off by twisting it) simply put a few screws in to hold it down. Make sure it is level through both Axis's though.

    In terms of software, i would say 'weather display' is your only real option for the web aspect. It can be a right pain to set up at first but there is a whole forum (weather-watch.com) and if you have probs etc peeps will help you out, a wealth of knowledge on there.

    I use this for my site and after 3 years of using it im still finding new features and learning new things, but with a little website coding you can generate ajax sites (i.e realtime), graphs etc. You can get it at first to upload a basic built in template to get you started.

    Athough it has a great realtime and site upload function it does anything else to, giving you monthly breakdowns, graphs, pretty much anything you can think. Although as i said, it isnt that user friendly at first but just a little perseverance and you'll soon have a site online.

    Davis VP2 ISS Siting Advice Please

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted · Edited by Cloudburst

    Hello,

    Happy Christmas etc.

    O.K. I admit I have had my VP2 for several weeks now, and in that ime I have obtained very detailled weather data for for inside my office. Zero wind, and about a constant 20 degrees inside and outside. I think the ISS and anemometer would be better outside (even though I am loathed to get them dirty or wet).

    I installed a post in the vegetabe patch this afternoon, but it looks daft. The Iss seems vulnerable too (squirrels, pigeons, escaped criminals etc.), so I am wondering if I can realisticallt mount it at eaves level on the house, facing approx. SW? It will be in a corner which I suppose will be a bit of a sun trap and will give rubbish temo readings in spite of the ventilated shield? Also, the rain gauge will be exposed well enough, but it will be in the 'valley' of three pitched roofs (in plan the roofs form a 'U' shape.

    Is the above possibly the worst location ever for an ISS, or can I get away with it? Is there any good place to put the ISS on a house?

    By the way the anenometer is going on a ridge tile, an a 1m pole.

    Cheers,

    Garth.

    Hi there. You will have to point the ISS south or at least in a southerly direction to charge the solar cell. Remeber that having the ISS near a house will raise night temps during winter as brick materials, slates etc release infrared heat so this will push up your night minima, maybe talking only about a degree or so though. Ideally you should place the ISS 1.2 meters over grass in a well exposed area as in terms of airflow you dont want to put it in a suntrap type setup as there isnt sufficent airflow. If you really have to mount to the house then it would probably be best to fix a mount to the side of the house, such as a 2 meter pole or so to move the ISS away from the house, but to also maximise exposure to the rain gauge (this needs to be at least 10 m in all directions). Its best to mount the rain gauge at or above the level of surroundings as if in the case of a gusty wind and rain, it will simply flow over the top of the bucket due to objects around it being higher.

    So the key point really is to place the ISS in the most ventilated and exposed spot you have, and if you have the wireless version you must point it south in order for the internal battery to charge. If this means placing it on the side or very near you house then try to get it raised up aboive the roofline if its a slanted roof.

    Relative Pressure Setting?

    in Weather stations and equipment

    Posted · Edited by Cloudburst

    Hi there. Pressure here at the moment is 1022.0 hPa, and has been so all day since around 1030am. It hasnt moved much more than +/- 2 hPa, so the fact that your station isnt changing at the moment at least seems normal.

    Pressure should start to drop after tomorrow afternoon in your location, so then would be a good time to check. I should imagine the pressure will be at around 1015 hPa by 6pm.

    Is That It?

    in Weather reports

    Posted

    after watching (on the radar) a huge band of rain with bright echos advancing towards me.... it disintergrates into nothing much but drizzly moisture!

    i need rain, lots of it... derby is a desert!, i need rain to water the gardens, i lose income big style if its too dry...

    yes i know, it looked like we was in for quite awet night with moderate totals but it broke up as it made landfall. Seems to be a repeating pattern now with these weather systems.

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