Urgent advice needed - Vantage Vue or WMR200?

[SpireWeather]

My WMR928N has served me well for 7 years but is now on its last legs & it seems impossible to buy replacement sensors. Therefore I have to buy a new station, and soon if I am to avoid errors and gaps in my data.

I do not have the budget for a Davis VP2, and given local limitations in sensor set-up I don't think I'd get the best out of it anyway. So my choices are these: -

1. Davis Vantage Vue for £431.00 - which will give me the quality of a Davis but only allow me to record basic weather data (which for me at present is enough). One question though, do I opt for a serial or USB datalogger? I currently use serial to USB adapter but have heard that the Davis systems are more accurate with serial dataloggers? I do not have a serial port on my PC though, so would have to use a converter anyway.

2. Oregon Scientific WMR200 £330.00 - which would allow me to record more data in different locations, including UV. However I am aware that the quality of these systems and sensors is questionable and that it's rather pot luck whether you have well-made sensors in the box!

I am hoping to purchase a replacement station in the next few days, so any advice would be much appreciated. I am tending towards the Vue, but like the idea of recording solar data. £687.00 for a VP2 is NOT an option for me.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Simon
SpireWeather

[Tonky]

Hi Simon,

Could this be an option for you?
Part Vue, part Pro.

http://translate.google.nl/translate?hl ... open.nl%2F

Home » Weather Stations » Davis » Davis Vantage Pro2 special

[SpireWeather]

What's the price for a UV sensor & extra temperature sensor if I want to expand in the future?

[Tonky]

Go to:
» Home » Accessories Weather Stations » Davis

Or if you would like more information:
info@weerspecialist.nl

[steve]

Davis UV sensors are very expensive. UK price is around £430! Solar sensor is around £250; I imported mine from the US and paid about half that in total. I just can't justify the cost of a UV sensor, even importing it, but I guess it would also be about half the price compared to buying in the UK - they're about £170 including delivery, but then there's import costs which would take it over £200.

[steve]

Tonky, is that your shop? I don't mind at all you linking to it, I'm just interested.

[Tonky]

No, but its where I buy my stuf.
Fast and verry good service.

Edit:
Have a look at the "Gastenboek".

Edit2:

I am very pleased to have found Hamonline, who offer great service and helpful advice--as a novice weather watcher, I appreciate that.
The equipment that I ordered from Hamonline was delivered to me, in London, just 36 hours later; that's impressive.

Best wishes

Peter Lewin

http://www.moorparkweather.net/

Bought a Davis Vantage Vue with DataLogger: just fine station.
Great price, excellent support and willingness by the customer service.

[SpireWeather]

Thanks, so Vantage Vue or OS WMR200?

[Tonky]

I have only experience with the WMR200 not with Davis.
If you don’t have that much money to spend than go for the WMR200, every part is cheaper than Davis.

But it’s really up to you.
And now you can use Cumulus for the WMR200....

[SpireWeather]

You're the first person that's been for the OS rather than the Vue (I have posted a similar question in the WD forum). How long have you been using it? Have you had any problems?

[Tonky]

I ‘am not pro WMR200, if I would have the money I would go for the Davis pro 2 (6153EU Wireless VP2 with Fan)
But the question is how much you like to spend on it.

And no, I did not have any problems so far (almost 2 years)

I think the Vue is ugly, but that’s personal.

[steve]

My first station was a WMR928 and I was quite pleased with it. Bits of it started to fail, but that's partly due to the conditions in the places I've lived. This WMR200 I've got seems pretty good; clearly better quality than the cheapest stations. I haven't really got any experience of using it, though; I haven't put the sensors outside, and I probably won't. Once I'm reasonably happy that the Cumulus code is OK I'll probably look to sell it. But my point is that if you've been happy with the WMR928, I think you'd probably be happy with a WMR200.

[SpireWeather]

Thanks Steve, sounds like good advice.

[Tonky]

If you go for the WMR200 is also a good idea to buy the Davis Radiation shield.
The standard WMR200 shield isn’t any good.

[steve]

Something else that occurred to me; you probably don't need me to tell you, but make sure you check the specs of the WMR200 before deciding - wind direction, for example, is reported only to the nearest of sixteen compass positions; I think the 928 does all 360 degrees?