Cumulus Support

My Vue is at a height of of six meters and to access I climb a ladder to a carport type flat roof at 2.4 meters loosen off some brackets on a post and drop the pole down to to head high. This has worked well for me since 2014 but family are taking a dim view of me working at heights and at 77 in few weeks it is probably time to think about something to work smarter.

Apart from an occasional battery change the most common reason to be there is spider webs stopping rain gauge bucket tips.

So I came up with two options either bring the Vue down to maintain from the ground and use an Ecowitt anemometer on the pole or leave the Vue where it is and have an Ecowitt rain gauge where I can reach from the ground. I am confident I can remote the battery given background.

Now, in either case can MX ignore the Vue console reading not used and replace it with Ecowitt reading? What would be the best option, I was thinking rain gauge relocation as it probably doesn’t affect the Davis forecast

Well, no doubt this will generate opinions, so why not post mine.

I think that even with ecowitt anemometer on the pole you will have to climb there to clean it. Even worse: any device needs cleaning (every 6 to 12 months), at least that's my experience.

Splitting the sensors between Davis and Ecowitt cannot be handled by CMX afaik (unless Mark did change something, it has been expressed as a wish before).

My advise would be to dump the Vue and go for Ecowitt completely and put them on the ground, somewhere - especially the wind - where the trade off for the height is acceptable. Otherwise you will be climbing the ladder until the end.

[EDIT:]
You posted this twice, could you remove the one without response?

Hi,

Now, in either case can MX ignore the Vue console reading not used and replace it with Ecowitt reading?

I think rain is one of the prime sensors but you can use the Sensor check setting to override the lack of that sensor so CMX can still run. I don't have the Vue station so not sure how you can disconnect the rain sensor (but quite easy to do in the VP2).
On adding the Ecowitt sensor I presume you'd have the station settings as Davis VP2/Vue, but in the Extra sensors settings I don't see anything for Rain.

Enjoy,
Paul

Thanks Hans and Paul, I suspected that there could have been issues with substituting primary sensors from different stations and would have stick with one system.

The suggestion to have the complete suite where I can easily access it is looking like the answer, and I could run the Vue there till it dies and then swap over to the Ecowitt.

Ok it took awhile but the spiders beat me again. This time I was prepared having bought the Ecowitt rain gauge WH40, anemometer WS68 and temperature/humidity sensor and running it for 12 months. I designed and 3D printed a solar shield to hold the WN32 and was able to compare the sensors against the Vue to get a feel for the system and calibration over time.

As for access I got up for the last? time removed the stay from the post and removed the extension pole of the Vue then relocate the WS68 to the other side of the post. I had realised by removing two of the coach screws I could pivot and lower the post like a boom to access the WS68 from the ground.

Spiders always get in rhe way even with ultrasone windmeters. Cleaning every three months