I have a
Wireless Vantage Pro2 Plus ISS with FARS (integrated sensor suite plus UV and solar sensors, with 24-hour fan aspirated radiation shield weather station), a
Vantage Pro2 console (receiver and display), a
Wireless Vantage Pro2 Weather Envoy (receiver only -
now discontinued) and a
Vantage VUE console (receiver and display).
The three receiver units (ie: the Vantage Pro2 console, the Weather Envoy and the Vantage VUE console) ALL REQUIRE (one of) the WeatherLink adapter (data logger) to interface with a computer and be able to download (pass on) the data they capture.
The Wireless Weather Envoy was purchased to be connected/used with a dedicated computer as a complete automated weather station - that older Intel Pentium 4 CPU/Windows XP Pro computer is running Virtual VP (a serial and IP port emulator that allows me to connect up to 8 weather software), Weather Display (my main weather software), WXSIM (an interactive local atmospheric modeling software or my main local forecaster) and the recently added FWI Calculator. The data from the Weather Envoy is passed on to the 'weather' computer via a WeatherLink serial adapter/interface (data logger).
The Wireless Vantage Pro2 console is connected/used on my main/development computer - that Intel Core2 QUAD CPU/Windows 7 Pro computer is also running Virtual VP, Cumulus and the FWI Calculator. When needed, I also run software such as Cumulus Toolbox, ImageSalsa, Virtual Weather Station, VPLive, Weather View 32, WeatherLink, Webcam Publisher, WebcamXP, WXSIM, Yacam, etc. The data from the Vantage Pro2 console is passed on to the 'development' computer via a WeatherLink IP adapter/interface (data logger).
The Wireless Vantage VUE console is also connected/used on my main/development computer. The data from the Vantage VUE console is passed on to the 'development' computer via a WeatherLink USB adapter/interface (data logger).
I noticed that you can get a Davis Envoy, that just links the station to the PC without a console. So would I be able to use that without buying the Weatherlink data logger (USB)? I just want to use it with Cumulus.
As Steve indicated in a previous reply,
all Vantage products NEED a WeatherLink adapter (data logger) to interface with a computer.
The Wireless Vantage Pro2 Weather Envoy is exactly the same unit as the Wireless Vantage Pro2 console but without the display (screen). That you want to use the Wireless Weather Envoy only with Cumulus (or any other weather software) does not matter as none of the Vantage products have an external communication interface by default.
This is my current shopping list:
Wireless Davis VP2 ISS (without console)
Wireless Davis Envoy (For use with VP2/VP2 ISS)
Buying a Davis Wired/Wireless Vantage Pro2 ISS without a console is not the right move - Davis sells the Vantage Pro2 weather station as a complete unit (ie: the ISS and the console) at a lower price than it sells individual units - there is also the fact that the Wireless Vantage Pro2 Weather Envoy is now a
discontinued product...
The Weather Envoy is mostly/usually used by itself as a data gatherer which then retransmits its information to a Vantage Pro2 (or Vantage VUE) console - I have seen the Weather Envoy being used in quite a few California vineyards.
Your best deal, when you have accumulated/earned/gained/saved enough money, will be to buy the Wireless Vantage Pro2 Plus ISS with FARS weather station ... or if you are still on a limited budget ... will be to buy the Vantage VUE weather station...
Should you need additional information, you just need to ask...
