Home Station Advice

[chris.shaffer]

Greetings all!

I am new to this hobby so please bare with me as I may say the wrong term. I am looking for a wireless station for my home. My goal is to upload the data to sites (such as weatherunderground) as well as some record keeping at home. I have a few questions though.

I ran myself ragged looking at reviews and the various options. I am interested in a wireless system between the unit and the PC. Sure it would be nice if it was a direct IP uploading so I don’t have to leave the PC on all day, but I know the better units do not have that function yet (or do they?)

Do you have any suggestions on a good wireless unit? Also, I have seen numerous software packages mentioned for handling and uploading data so I am still a little confused on what software is used for what. I was looking at the Oregon Scientific WMR100 with the VWS internet software, the Pro Measure PWS-1080TB-IP IP, or the Davis Vantage Pro2. Even some of the Lacrosse ones seem appealing. I think the major difference other than construction is the polling time between the units and the base.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated. I thank you in advance for your time.

Chris

 

[Dan Cook]

I've heard good things about the Vantage pro. Look around Amazon and Google for reviews.

 

[Matt Sellers]

I use the Davis VantagePro2... when I first fired it up and it showed a station pressure of 799mb (at 6390' ASL... a normal station pressure at my altitude) out of the box, without need for user calibration... I was impressed. The Weatherlink software, which costs about $170, allows you to log data directly into a connected computer. The documentation included a small card that shows how to become part of the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) - setup to CWOP takes 15 minutes or less and your data becomes available online via APRS/MADIS (lots of acronyms...) - the Weatherlink automatically connects to an APRS server at a user-set interval and uploads the data. Weather Underground will show stations in the APRS/MADIS network... for example, if you search for Beulah, CO on Weather Underground and scroll to the bottom of the page, you'll find a link to current conditions in Beulah (along with links to stations 20+ miles away; my station is the only reporting station in Beulah itself) - recorded by my VP2.

Power outages will wipe out its memory (all but its basic settings; altitude, lat/long, etc.) If you don't use the Weatherlink software to log data on a computer, you may want to be nearby during thunderstorms in case the power momentarily goes out due to lightning, as a power outage wipes out the amount of rain that had fallen prior to the outage. If you have a UPS, plug the VP2 into the UPS.

Overall, the VP2 works very well and I highly recommend it, for home or chaser use.

 

[Richard Dickson]

Chris,
I wanted to throw in my .02 and totally agree with what Matt Sellers had written. I have had my Vantage Pro 2 for a little over two years and I'm still thrilled with it. Easy to set up the wireless portion from the roof to the base unit inside the house. I haven't gone the WeatherLink Software route as there are already several units online where I live. If this is what you decide to buy, PM me and I will let you know where I ordered my unit. At the time, they were the best price and did a good job getting it here.

 

[Roger Brown]

I will 3rd the Davis Vantage Pro. I have the "old" wireless Vantage Pro, not the newer Vantage Pro 2. My system has been running since Feb. of 2004 with only one problem. My station started using the back-up battery (CR123) about every 24 hours. Took it apart to check things out and noticed the "Super-Cap" was leaking. Ordered a new capacitor from mouser.com, soldered it in, and its been running fine since. Another cool thing about the Vantage Pro units is that you can add multiple consoles. I have one in my bedroom and another in the living room. Love mine, but I could use a newer unit since they have better radios which gives more wireless range.

Roger

 

[B Ozanne]

I have a couple Vantage Pros, wireless models, and they are both uploading data to Weather Underground. For the price its a very high quality piece of equipment.

I just run the basic Davis software, the 3rd party software is just data overload for me.

I have bought all my units on eBay from a company called "provantage". Its actually a large electronics supplier based in Ohio I think. With careful bidding you can get a great deal on a new unit on eBay. If you don't have the patience just go directly to provantage.com

 

[Tyler Allison]

I have the Oregon Scientific wireless one. It works just fine but it's not as accurate as the Davis gear. If I had to do over again I would have saved a little longer and paid the extra couple hundred bucks and gone with a Davis. As it is...as soon as my OS one dies I'm getting a Davis.