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VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 9:15 am
by billy
I am perilously close to purchasing a VP2 - which seems to be the best personal weather station that is widely used - but I notice it has been around for quite a while and I am reluctant to invest the considerable money involved knowing nothing about what its future might be. eg does anyone know if Davis is about to bring out a new/replacement series? And when they have changed models in the past have they continued to support obsolete models for a while? Is anyone prepared to comment on its prospects - both short and long term? I know predicting the future is tricky at best but I just want to go into this with as much information as possible. Any/all views would be appreciated.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 1:58 pm
by PaulMy
You Can't Go Wrong With a Davis!
The original Vantage Pro model was replaced with the Vantage Pro2 that physically looks pretty much the same but some significant communication improvements. I had my VP2 since 2008 and was still working well when I replaced it with a VP2 Plus (with solar, UV, 24-FARS) (ISS only) a few months ago because I wanted to. Over the past 10 years the model is still the same but some changes have been made, such as wind and temp/humidity sensor, and rain gauge and now a new VP2 tipping spoon. Davis has also added other options over the years such as the WeatherlinkIP in addition to their original USB or serial dataloggers, EnviroMonitor, Vantage Connect, etc. but these are for more specific industry purposes. And they added the Vue many years ago. But in a general statement there hasn't been much change to the Vantage Pro and nothing to the consoles, so no fancy coloured and touch screen for the Davis, they just work! The software for VP2 and Vue has also pretty well stayed the same over all the years but third party efforts has provided a good up-to-date alternate service. The recent update to weatherlink.com from version 1 to 2 has been seen as a step forward.

Lots of people have been speculating (or better said, hoping/wishing) for a VP3 but it is generally agreed nothing drastic new is currently on the horizon.

The VP2 and Vue are fully supported by Davis and they offer a repair or rebuild option as well. Though the original VP model, replaced over 15 years ago, continued to be supported for a while it is no longer as some components are no longer available.

I can say I have been very happy with my VP2 selection 10 years ago, and had no hesitation to again buy a Davis earlier this year, but now a VP2 Plus.

Enjoy,
Paul

https://www.manula.com/manuals/pws/davi ... 2-stations

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 3:49 pm
by RayProudfoot
Billy,

I was considering holding off of my VP2 purchase in April 2009 as I thought a VP3 might just be around the corner! :lol:

I can only agree with everything Paul has said about the Davis kit. It's extremely well built and will last you many years. The only thing that has given me trouble was the older style anemometer with the reed switch. I've gone through two in 9 years but the first were broken cups in howling gale and those were replaced free of charge.

The second was a dirty reed switch as water had ingressed in the base of the anemometer and gunged things up. That was replaced free of charge but I had already bought a replacement as I didn't want a break in my records. So I have a spare in the loft.

The newer anemometers now have a hall-effect sensor and should last a very long time. No switch to wear out. Just make sure your purchase has the new anemometer with a brass tip on the wind vane. I'm sure it will as they have been around for a few years now.

I'm still on my original temperature sensor so that will probably be the next thing to fail. I need to order a replacement from my UK supplier. They don't cost much.

I doubt there will be a VP3 for a long time. It costs a lot to design and build them and what would be better than what we have now? The VP2 has been tweaked to get rid of weaknesses and the rain gauge now includes steel rods to prevent birds using it as a toilet! Simple but ingenious. I'm sure you are making the right decision. The Davis beats anything I've had before.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 6:53 pm
by Mapantz
I like my VP2 but i've had a lot of replacement parts in the 2 and half years i've had mine.

I'm on my third solar sensor, third anemometer and second rain collecting base in that time.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 6:59 pm
by freddie
Mapantz wrote:I like my VP2 but i've had a lot of replacement parts in the 2 and half years i've had mine.

I'm on my third solar sensor, third anemometer and second rain collecting base in that time.
Sounds like you got a lemon :-( I've had mine 11 years and all I've had to replace is the temperature/humidity sensor - and I'm glad I did as the new one is more precise and responsive with humidity.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 7:08 pm
by steve
Had to replace my anemometer but I calculated it had done over a billion rotations. Lost count of the number of temperature sensors I went through, and Dave Wheeler on Fair Isle had a similar story, but that seems to be down to a harsh coastal location (Davis more or less agreed that their system wasn’t really up to it). Still wouldn’t recommend anything other than a Davis VP2.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2018 7:19 pm
by Mapantz
freddie wrote:Sounds like you got a lemon :-(
"A lemon" ? It's a modular station, so it can't be a lemon by itself. Two faulty anemometers, two faulty solar sensors and a faulty rain base, that's five lemons. lol

Just to add to that, one anemometer was from a Davis supplier in Germany, one from the UK. One solar sensor from the USA and one from the UK.

BTW, has anybody ever had 100% humidity on the newer temp/humidity sensor? Mine is a newer model (2016) and i've never managed 100%.

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Sat 20 Oct 2018 1:55 am
by billy
Well many thanks to all of you for your experience and wisdom. That settles it for me - I'm ordering one!

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Sat 20 Oct 2018 3:33 am
by BCJKiwi
There is a change to the Rain tipping bucket on the way. The current system uses a two sided tilting bucket system - very traditional and widely used.
However Davis is relesing a single spoon system (similar to the system they have used in the VUE since it's inception).

One of these new systems was sold to a customer although it was prior to 'official' release - No actual date givien by Davis for release.

There is some discussion of the "VP2 tipping spoon raingauge" here https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35153.25

A response from Davis re a query about purchasing the new spoon system to retrofit an existing VP2."
Yes, we did recently change out the tipping bucket mechanism on all new VP2 stations. We will be offering a retrofit kit to update older stations. Though, it would most likely not be available until January as we are currently using all new mechanisms on new stations builds only.
So It should be avaialble real soon - check with the supplier before ordering!

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Sat 20 Oct 2018 2:45 pm
by freddie
Mapantz wrote:"A lemon" ? It's a modular station, so it can't be a lemon by itself. Two faulty anemometers, two faulty solar sensors and a faulty rain base, that's five lemons. lol
I concur. How about a lemon tree? :lol:
Mapantz wrote:BTW, has anybody ever had 100% humidity on the newer temp/humidity sensor? Mine is a newer model (2016) and i've never managed 100%.
I've had both older and newer versions and have never in 11 years recorded more than 98%. I have noticed in long spells of high humidity that "spikes" of +4% (usually lasting 1 minute, but sometimes 2) have been recorded. I tend to edit these out of the month data files but don't very often edit them out of dayfile.txt or the records files. Hence a quick look at the highest humidity record for my site will show 100% :!:

Re: VP2 status

Posted: Mon 22 Oct 2018 12:40 am
by billy
BCJKiwi wrote:There is a change to the Rain tipping bucket on the way.
thanks for the tip!