Davis VP2 Anenometer cable - lengthening?
Posted: Fri 02 Aug 2024 8:30 am
Hullo all,
The question first, context below; has anyone experience of significantly extending the Davis VP2 anenometer cable beyond the standard 40' - I'm looking at almost doubling the length, to circa 70'? Did it work?
Background:
Been a Davis Vantage Pro2 user since circa 2008. After much life-extending surgery over the years, I finally conceded defeat and retired my existing VP2 ISS last year. To be fair, it owed me nothing having survived everything the North Atlantic could throw at it including Ophelia in October 2017 ("Roches Point, Co Cork recorded a (SSE) gust of 155.6km/h on October 16th as well as the highest 10-minute mean speed on record of 114.8 km/h". I live 6.5km NNW across open water of said location and am completely open in that direction. Said gust tore holes in the roof of my house and circa a hundred others across the front of Cobh town where I live. As my daughter's boyfriend would say "not fun". I successfully logged it though
so it was worth it).
The old configuration had the ISS and anenemoter separated with the anenometer having it's own separate transmitter. Unfortunately, that transmitter has now also given up the ghost. I've replaced supercaps several times and again just in recent weeks but whatever's gone wrong with it now, the charge is draining away very quickly once the sun goes. There's a deeper new fault somewhere else on the board that I can't find. It's pretty old and has had a rough life so I can't complain really.
Given the proven performance and longevity of the VP2 here, and as I still have consoles, data logger and functioning anenometer/wind vane (replaced a few years ago), it only made sense to stick with the VP2. So, I've just purchased a new ISS, due to arrive shortly. For various reasons, the ISS will be sited in a new location much closer to my house than previously. That opens up the possibility to directly connect my annenometer by cable (mounted on a mast off my chimney, 11m agl) to the new ISS. However, the standard 40' anenemoter cable ain't going to be long enough, I'll need to extend it by about +30' i.e. to give an overall length of 70'. Has anyone done this i.e. extended the anenemoter cable? Why am I considering this and not just buying a new transmitter for the anenometer? Cost; a new transmitter will cost close to 300 euro delivered (close to half the price of the new ISS!).
The question first, context below; has anyone experience of significantly extending the Davis VP2 anenometer cable beyond the standard 40' - I'm looking at almost doubling the length, to circa 70'? Did it work?
Background:
Been a Davis Vantage Pro2 user since circa 2008. After much life-extending surgery over the years, I finally conceded defeat and retired my existing VP2 ISS last year. To be fair, it owed me nothing having survived everything the North Atlantic could throw at it including Ophelia in October 2017 ("Roches Point, Co Cork recorded a (SSE) gust of 155.6km/h on October 16th as well as the highest 10-minute mean speed on record of 114.8 km/h". I live 6.5km NNW across open water of said location and am completely open in that direction. Said gust tore holes in the roof of my house and circa a hundred others across the front of Cobh town where I live. As my daughter's boyfriend would say "not fun". I successfully logged it though
so it was worth it).The old configuration had the ISS and anenemoter separated with the anenometer having it's own separate transmitter. Unfortunately, that transmitter has now also given up the ghost. I've replaced supercaps several times and again just in recent weeks but whatever's gone wrong with it now, the charge is draining away very quickly once the sun goes. There's a deeper new fault somewhere else on the board that I can't find. It's pretty old and has had a rough life so I can't complain really.
Given the proven performance and longevity of the VP2 here, and as I still have consoles, data logger and functioning anenometer/wind vane (replaced a few years ago), it only made sense to stick with the VP2. So, I've just purchased a new ISS, due to arrive shortly. For various reasons, the ISS will be sited in a new location much closer to my house than previously. That opens up the possibility to directly connect my annenometer by cable (mounted on a mast off my chimney, 11m agl) to the new ISS. However, the standard 40' anenemoter cable ain't going to be long enough, I'll need to extend it by about +30' i.e. to give an overall length of 70'. Has anyone done this i.e. extended the anenemoter cable? Why am I considering this and not just buying a new transmitter for the anenometer? Cost; a new transmitter will cost close to 300 euro delivered (close to half the price of the new ISS!).