Cumulus Support

The Envoy8x, of relevance to Vue/VP2 users.

It can receive up to 8 different ISS outputs so allows the use of multiple stations but what is of much more use to those like myself and many others using an Envoy/datalogger setup rather than a console for download of PC data is the ability to use multiple inputs to secondary transmitters such as that used for the anemometer. This will then allow Solar/UV and other probes to be mounted high up and away from the main ISS so much more accurate data can be received through the complete solar day.

Quote from the latest Davis Catalogue:

"Anemometer/Sensor Transmitter Kit With Vantage Pro2, this solar-powered kit allows you to mount the anemometer in a different
location than the integrated sensor suite—up to 1,000 ft. (300m) from your wireless console/receiver. With Envoy8X, you can use this kit
with any of our sensors including solar radiation, UV, temperature, anemometer, rain and third-party sensors that report in a range of
0–3 volts. For longer distances, add one or more wireless repeaters. Includes weather-resistant shelter for transmitter, solar panel, battery, and mounting hardware."

There is no other documentation yet on the hardware or, more importantly, how it will work with the various weather software packages, nor any indication of a similar multi channel display console.

At present, priced for the US home market but no information yet from any of the official UK suppliers.

I searched the forums to see if this information had already been posted but couldn't see it anywhere.

I'd certainly be more interested in getting an anemometer transmitter if it meant I could also plug my solar sensor into it; that would solve my 'siting' problems. But it starts to get a bit expensive if I have to buy an Envoy8x as well. Then there's the question of software compatibility, presumably they will be updating the VantagePro.dll.

steve wrote:I'd certainly be more interested in getting an anemometer transmitter if it meant I could also plug my solar sensor into it; that would solve my 'siting' problems. But it starts to get a bit expensive if I have to buy an Envoy8x as well. Then there's the question of software compatibility, presumably they will be updating the VantagePro.dll.

The Envoy8x is listed in the US at $295 compared to the Envoy at $195. The UK Envoy price is £263, so a guess would have the UK Envoy8x priced maybe only slightly under £400 if the UK markup is the same ratio.

It'll be interesting to see what the as described Envoy8x software is. It appears it will still work with WL but presumably, an updated version will be required (and as you say, probably .dll too) for it to work properly. Obviously, the normal VP2 Console will no longer be able to show solar data from a main ISS remote solar sensor, unless a firmware upgrade can be released to make this possible.

Mechanical hardware will also be required to mount the solar/UV sensors on a pole rather than the ISS base. Maybe Davis will supply a suitable one, it's easy enough to design one oneself but I don't have access to an engineering shop to get it made.

steve wrote:I'd certainly be more interested in getting an anemometer transmitter if it meant I could also plug my solar sensor into it; that would solve my 'siting' problems. But it starts to get a bit expensive if I have to buy an Envoy8x as well. Then there's the question of software compatibility, presumably they will be updating the VantagePro.dll.

Since your software is so successful around the world, you might get in touch with Davis for an equipment loan or out right freebie for Cumulus support. I f I were Davis, I would do that.

wd40 wrote:Since your software is so successful around the world, you might get in touch with Davis for an equipment loan or out right freebie for Cumulus support. I f I were Davis, I would do that.

That would be nice, but as Davis don't even answer my questions about their DLL, I think it's unlikely

Just noticed that my humidity sensor is showing stupidly low values

Steve, as there appears to be no data visualisation software with the new Envoy8x, will you be developing Cumulus to interface with this new bit of kit?

From what I understand the data will be stored in as SQL database and displayed as an Excel spreadsheet (if Excel is found on the pc)

There seems to be some doubt that the new envoy will interface successfully with WL and clearly the console will not be able to display all the sensor data (depending on configuration).

http://www.weatherstations.co.uk/envoy8x.htm

Looks like an exciting opportunity to establish Cumulus as the software of choice for the new envoy8x?

whitenemesis wrote:Steve, as there appears to be no data visualisation software with the new Envoy8x, will you be developing Cumulus to interface with this new bit of kit?

It would be up to Davis to update their DLL before Cumulus could work with it.

From the link

"There are no data presentation features in the WDTU program - these functions are clearly expected to be handled by other downstream programs, a process that will clearly be facilitated by the SQL data access now possible."

I was thinking of a fresh approach using SQL queries and presenting the results graphically? I'm no programmer so please excuse me if I'm talking rubbish!

And another important point for non-programmers "...the Envoy8X firmware/software does not provide a real-time data stream, with data access being limited to archive downloads..."

According to the article, the Envoy8X seems to be compatible only with 6510 USB and 6510 serial adaptors (dataloggers) - the 6555 WeatherlinkIP unit does not appear to be compatible. Davis might be working (I hope) on a new Internet compatible adaptor...

Had been meaning for a while to stop by here.

I've currently got an Envoy8X running here on test with the new Envoy8X software. Let me know if there are any further questions that aren't answered by the existing product info webpage.

Please remember that what's currently available is just the beta software - there are still some bugs to be ironed out, plus if Davis run true to form it will probably not be long before revised versions with added features appear.

But whether or not there will ever be an interface with a Loop packet I can't tell. Right now my money would be on Davis thinking that the 10-sec granularity that's now possible in the archive records might be close enough to real-time that the Loop packet maybe isn't necessary for the sort of application that the Envoy8X is aimed at (which isn't eg the Cumulus RealTime or WDL market).

The other obvious feature that's missing at present is a scheduler for automated archive downloads - at present it's just manually triggered. But presumably wouldn't be difficult to control with a small MyComputer.WhateverNameSpace.SendKeys routine.

johnd

Hi John, thanks for dropping in. At the moment I can't see that I'd be likely to add support for the Envoy8X to Cumulus. It doesn't really fit in with the way Cumulus works, and there's not really anything that Cumulus would add. And I can't see many 'home' users buying one...

I would be interested in purchasing an Envoy8x, it seems the only way to integrate the sensors in a way that makes sense for my requirements.

I think Cumulus could add a graphical interface to the data output. If it is a 10sec refresh currently, that is close enough to realtime to be meaningful..

I think you might be missing a big opportunity here in not looking at supporting the new offering ...

steve wrote:At the moment I can't see that I'd be likely to add support for the Envoy8X to Cumulus. It doesn't really fit in with the way Cumulus works, and there's not really anything that Cumulus would add. And I can't see many 'home' users buying one...

That's probably not an unreasonable summing up. But I would just underline that it's a new product (so new in fact that we haven't actually received any sales stock yet, though it should be imminent) and so it's perhaps important to reserve a final judgement until we see how things pan out in practice. For example:

I could be wrong and maybe there is a Loop-type packet available within the Envoy8X architecture, which Davis will disclose when they're ready. It could also be that the Envoy8X represents a first public viewing of the way that all Davis stations will operate in the future - maybe Jan 2012 will bring a VP8X console type** (or whatever it might be called) - there have been straws in the wind about the limitations of the existing WL data architecture for quite a while now.

**NB This is just wild speculation on my part - I've absolutely no inside knowledge on this particular point.

And even amongst 'home users' there's quite a spread of interest and budget. So yes I can't see much reason why a Vue customer is likely to show much interest in an Envoy8X (though one of the things you learn in this business is that even unlikely circumstances do crop up on occasion), but I can imagine more Envoy8X interest from 'higher-end' home users. The Envoy8X will list at around the £400 mark - ie about the same price as a second console or a UV sensor or a WLIP logger and quite a few users specify those - though admittedly it will also need its own standard WL logger of course.

I do think that one of selling points for the Envoy8X will be the option to attach a solar sensor to a 6332 (Anemometer Transmitter) box and so allow the solar sensor to be mounted up high with the anemometer so allowing much better exposure. In this circumstance I could well imagine wanting to use a hybrid data architecture, ie:

1. A standard console receiving the wind data from the 6332 and generating 2-second loop packets in the usual way, so providing a feed of live wind data;

2. Everything else potentially coming from the Envoy8X, perhaps set to 1-minute granularity in the data record (nothing other than wind really benefitting from <60sec refreshes)

prodata wrote:I do think that one of selling points for the Envoy8X will be the option to attach a solar sensor to a 6332 (Anemometer Transmitter) box and so allow the solar sensor to be mounted up high with the anemometer so allowing much better exposure.

Yes; this is the aspect which interests me. But the total cost of the Envoy8X and the 6332 makes it unlikely that I'll ever do it.

prodata wrote:
I do think that one of selling points for the Envoy8X will be the option to attach a solar sensor to a 6332 (Anemometer Transmitter) box and so allow the solar sensor to be mounted up high with the anemometer so allowing much better exposure. In this circumstance I could well imagine wanting to use a hybrid data architecture, ie:

1. A standard console receiving the wind data from the 6332 and generating 2-second loop packets in the usual way, so providing a feed of live wind data;

2. Everything else potentially coming from the Envoy8X, perhaps set to 1-minute granularity in the data record (nothing other than wind really benefitting from <60sec refreshes)

And this is exactly what I'm wanting to do! You have summarised it perfectly... Scenario 1 would display the more generally interesting (to my wife / family!) data in realtime and #2 gathering all the data later to be extracted and compared with my energy monitoring system

So a "Cumulus" type front end for displaying the data from the SQL database would be very welcome. I suppose I could create an Excel VB routine to do it (eventually!) ....