Dr_G

Yup, apart from needing a replacement reed switch for the rain gauge (50p) it has been faultless. I think it's one of the best things I've ever bought - and it was second hand as you know! I've got a wireless router which is totally hit-and-miss, and a wireless electric gate at the bottom of the drive - likewise. I tried wireless cctv and it didn't work at all. Wireless is a nice idea and a good marketing device, but far from perfected, at least for civilian use, IMHO. Soil temperature is a minor detail really - I've just started a vegetable patch and thought it would be useful. Might get a stand-alone one and put the display in the greenhouse (when I get one). Cheers, Garth.

No! I don't rate anything wireless - too many potential problems. I'll stick with what I've got. Cheers, Garth, Sheffield.

Guys, Is it possible to fit a soil temperature probe to the outside sensor suite of a Vantage Pro 2 (wired) ? Cheers, Garth.

Interesting, but I can't justify spending any more cash for a 2" diameter increase (despite what I keep getting told in various unsolicited emails).

Don't start me on my dental problems... No worries, it was working absolutely fine when I got it too, it was registering on the dispalay when I moved the buckets...I must have damaged it while messing around with it or when fitting it. It's fine again now though. By the way I found that just because the switch is clicking does not mean it is actually switching! I bought a Meade 10" Starfinder about 10 years ago, again I bought it used because of the price issue. Unfortunately everything I want seems to be very expensive and I am not in a position to by new stuff all the time. I've found that good used stuff is o.k. for my purposes most of the time. Cheers, Garth.

Dentaltourist, In the end I was lucky enough to buy a used, cabled VP2 from this forum. I was about to order another make, but there you go. Even now I have a system, Davis and their representitives seem just as unhelpful as ever. Davis USA never replied to my email questions regarding temperature sensors. My attempts to BUY a replacement reed switch from the UK importers was met with a list of UK suppliers, all of whom would not sell me a replacement switch, many of whom wanted to 'repair' the entire ISS at God only knows how much cost (see my other thread on this forum). The reed switch was obtained locally for just 20p, and fitted in under 5 minutes by the way. In future if I need any repairs I will just dive in and start doing stuff myself without bothering with Davis. It would be great if we could start a 'Davis DIY' section where we could pool some knowledge of how best to maintain/repair these things. Especially useful would be some drawings of how the wind sensors are put together, some electronic schematics and component specs., just in case. I'm thinking temp/humididy sensors, reed switches for anemometer and rain gauge, whatever it is inside the weather vane, and some bearing specs. for the anemometer and wind vane. If I ever need to do anything major to mine I will post whatever I find. I can't quite remember *exactly* what happened when I tried to get a cheap new UK system, but I think it was an IM-OG scenario (Inverse Monkey - Organ Grinder) : I seem to remember contacting a UK representitive who unbeknown to me at the time worked for the "Big Boss" of the European importer, located for some unfathomable reason on the tax haven of Guernsey. I think I'd already spoken to the "Big Boss" without realising it when pursueing another line of enquiry. If memory serves me I think I was nicely moistening the UK rep to get me a cheap one somehow (can't remember how he was going to do it now). I was about to move in for the money shot as it were, but then the "Big Boss" had a little chat with my rep, who very quickly went all cold and dry on me. Might not have happened exactly like that, but along those lines. Anyway bol****s to them - between them they managed to do themselves out of another customer. Cheers, Garth. ps, I live just down the motorway from you, so if you like we could take your anemometer apart and try to fix it. Its probably a misaligned bearing or something daft. It can't be that difficult to strip down, they are mass produced in the US after all.

Not if what you had in mind looks anything like this (at least not on weekdays). I made it out of a B&Q drainpipe leaf filter, cut down with some brass wire glued on to keep in upright:

Remind me never to have a cuppa at your place...

Cheers for that. Could you (or anyone else) possibly post a picture of the Davis filter, with a couple of dimensions?? Thanks a lot for the info, Garth.

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.

Guys, I think my house is the tallest building in the immediate area, apart from the church which is about 200 metres down the road, and a few poplar trees accross the road. My neighbours house was struck by lightning about 7 years ago. Strange because it struck the apex of his roof, nothing metallic. It cracked several stones though. but I've never heard of any other lightning strikes in the area before or since that. Maybe I should tell my neighbour to get a lightning conductor then - just being neighbourly! Or maybe I should get the system itemised on my house insurance. I think if the anemometer pole got struck, it would fry everything connected to or near to the cables irrespective if there was an optical isolator or not. I reckon that the lightning would just arc straight through whatever is in its path (anemometer, ISS, Console). Cheers, Garth.

Guys, Just been fitting my Davis anemometer / weather vane to a ridge tile. I was wondering if this is really a good idea? What happens if it gets struck by lightning? By necessity it needs to be high up, but it isn't earthed, so what do you do for safety? Has anyone any experience of this? Thanks, Garth.

Guys, Thanks for the comments. My system is cabled by the way, so I am trying to minimise cable runs, hence fitting to the house is by far the easiest option. If you have say a 45 degree roof slope either side, and to the back of the rain gauge (gauge fitted as I said at eaves level, top of collector protruding above gutter line), doesnt this effectively mean that rain would have to be blown at more than a 45 degree angle before it had any real effect on the amount of rain collected? Anything less than 45 degrees would not be affected by the three apexes of the roof (neglegting any updraughts). Having my ISS 10m from any obstructions isn't going to happen, whether it is in the garden or not! We have a lot of trees. Cheers, Garth.

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.

So you're telling me even the wind is censored nowadays? Huh, Browns Britain...