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Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

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Flosex
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Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by Flosex »

Some advice from Davis PRO2 owners, please.

After two and a half years of using a Fine Offset WH3080, I have decided to upgrade my station in West Sussex to a Davis station (hopefully before the price increases due to the falling pound!). I have read about the options and reviews, etc and am thinking of a PRO2 Plus (with the solar and UV sensors). I have noted that I should buy a UK model as opposed to a cheaper one direct from the USA. I have also read that the 24 hour FARS option isn't really necessary in the UK and the Daytime FARS is more suitable. I would appreciate comments on this, please.

Whereas it is recommended to buy a UK model station for use in the UK, does this also apply to Davis related products? If I buy the basic PRO2 in the UK, would there be any problems in buying the UV and solar sensors, and the daytime FARS, in the USA (I travel to the USA regularly and could bring them home with me to save shipping costs)

Any other advice on what Davis option to buy, and where, would be appreciated.

Chris Page
RayProudfoot
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by RayProudfoot »

Chris,

The US model broadcasts on a different (illegal) frequency in the UK so you must buy the VP2 from a UK supplier. I would recommend John Dann at ProData who gave me a lot of advice when I took the plunge 7 years ago. I bought the wireless VP2 with separate anemometer and transmitter. Apart from broken cups in a bad storm 3 years ago (replacement anemometer bought) everything has been very reliable. http://www.weatherstations.co.uk/vp2_intro.htm

Whether you need daytime FARS depends on how exposed the VP2 will be. Mine is in a fairly enclosed back garden and a daytime FARS does help a bit. No need for 24hr FARS in the UK.

Various accessories that don't 'broadcast' can be bought from any source. Things like the sensors you mention plus anemometer etc.

I decided I wanted the anemometer on a chimney well away from the ISS and bought a separate transmitter. Added expense but it gives me good wind readings which wouldn't be possible if it was attached to the ISS down at ground level.

Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

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Flosex
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by Flosex »

Thanks Ray for your very helpful reply. I have just ordered the VP2 Plus (6162) with the Daytime FARS (7747) and the separate anemometer (6332) like you have. I bought the latter as I am particularly interested in wind speeds, etc.

Thanks again for your advice.

Chris
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mcrossley
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by mcrossley »

I have a similar setup, with a separate transmitter for the anemometer. What I really, really wish though was that Davis would support the Solar & UV being attached to the wind transmitter so I could get them up on the chimney mounted pole with a clear view of the sky.
Mapantz
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by Mapantz »

mcrossley wrote:What I really, really wish though was that Davis would support the Solar & UV being attached to the wind transmitter so I could get them up on the chimney mounted pole with a clear view of the sky.
This!

It's a pig isn't it? I get a drop off as the sun dips behind the house, it affects the sunshine hours being recorded. :(
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prodata
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by prodata »

mcrossley wrote:What I really, really wish though was that Davis would support the Solar & UV being attached to the wind transmitter...
MB Pro Red and look at the individual Tx messages? ;)
John Dann
Prodata Weather Systems
Littleport, East Cambs, UK
http://www.weatherstations.co.uk
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mcrossley
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by mcrossley »

Yes I know, but more expense I'd rather spend elsewhere at the moment. Or a second console set to use the wind transmitter as the ISS and combine the data somehow. The problem with that is I couldn't use Cumulus, or I'd have to write something to sit between Cumulus and the consoles and probably lose the logger functionality (unless you write a lot more code).

Or use a receiver and a raspberry pi and and decode the radio, most of the work has been done on that.
prodata
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by prodata »

mcrossley wrote:Or use a receiver and a raspberry pi and and decode the radio, most of the work has been done on that.
Or as a cheaper option if you have a spare Pi then MeteoStick. (Actually I did mean to reduce the MS price now that MBPR is shipping, but it got overlooked - let me know Mark if you're interested). With a small chunk of Pi code maybe you could synthesise LOOP packets and populate them from the MS messages. Not quite sure how you'd feed them to CMX but perhaps via some sort of internal TCP/IP mechanism emulating a 6555 IP logger???
John Dann
Prodata Weather Systems
Littleport, East Cambs, UK
http://www.weatherstations.co.uk
RayProudfoot
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by RayProudfoot »

Flosex wrote:Thanks Ray for your very helpful reply. I have just ordered the VP2 Plus (6162) with the Daytime FARS (7747) and the separate anemometer (6332) like you have. I bought the latter as I am particularly interested in wind speeds, etc.

Thanks again for your advice.

Chris
You're welcome Chris. :) You chose well. Let us know when you get a website up and running.

Your forum name is intriguing. :lol:
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

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RayProudfoot
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by RayProudfoot »

mcrossley wrote:What I really, really wish though was that Davis would support the Solar & UV being attached to the wind transmitter so I could get them up on the chimney mounted pole with a clear view of the sky.
I raised that with Davis several years ago and was told "we'll look into it". Needless to say, nothing happened. Whilst they make excellent kit the decision not to be able to connect UV and Solar sensors to the wind transmitter is baffling.
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

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prodata
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by prodata »

RayProudfoot wrote:I raised that with Davis several years ago and was told "we'll look into it". Needless to say, nothing happened. Whilst they make excellent kit the decision not to be able to connect UV and Solar sensors to the wind transmitter is baffling.
I think that if it was easy to do then it would have been done a long time ago - it's certainly a feature that's been requested many times over and it would certainly help dealers sell more solar/UV sensors.

I really don't know for sure but I suspect that it's something to do with constraints in the memory map of the VP2 console and/or microcontroller cycle capacity. Sorry that latter one is a rather vague term - what I mean is that the console circuitry has to have the capacity to listen to and decode messages on up to 8 wireless channels and potentially multiple repeaters on each channel, while at the same time consuming a minimum amount of power (1mA total) and operating with total reliability. As a result there is relatively little processing power available and the timings of the processing loops may be relatively tight with little spare capacity. This is total speculation on my part - I'm not a wireless or electronics engineer - but I suspect that the explanation is something along these lines. It might potentially require a total redesign and upgrade of the console circuitry and there's no sign of that being imminent at present.
John Dann
Prodata Weather Systems
Littleport, East Cambs, UK
http://www.weatherstations.co.uk
RayProudfoot
Posts: 3372
Joined: Wed 06 May 2009 6:29 pm
Weather Station: Davis VP2 with Daytime FARS
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Contact:

Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by RayProudfoot »

Thanks John. I'm no expert on these things so happy to accept your explanation.

I did wonder back in 2009 that as soon as I bought the VP2 a VP3 would soon become available. It didn't of course and 7 years later there is still no new version. Might be down to expense in research plus the fact that the VP2 does a pretty good job albeit with a few irritations. Solar measurement is not high on my list of priorities so I can live without it.
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

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Flosex
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by Flosex »

Ray Proudfoot wrote:

Your forum name is intriguing.

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Ray (and any others who are wondering about my forum name of Flosex) - we also own a home in Florida where we try to spend as much of the winters as we can and my name comes from the first three letters of Florida and the last three letters of Sussex, where we live in the UK. As the meerkats say - Simples!

Chris
RayProudfoot
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by RayProudfoot »

Cheers Chris. I don't suppose you considered Susida? ;)

Florida must be lovely in an English winter! Lucky man.
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

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Flosex
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Re: Davis PRO2 and Daytime FARS

Post by Flosex »

No I didn't Ray because my wife uses Susrida as her forum name!

Chris
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