Will Peetbrothers ever be supported

[Jorginho]

I readont his forum about this subject and it was noted that may be it would be supported in Cumulus 2 if I remember crrectly. There wll be no cmulus 2 I also noted.

It is a bit sad. I have apeet Ultimeter 2100 (just a day or so). I also have a Davis Vantage Pro2 which works with Cumulus of course, but where it is important to me (temperature accuracy) the Davis simply is not good enough and I hope the Peet will be. The davis responds very slowly. I have calibrated it with a calibrated datalogger (with certificate) next to it and it simply misses out by 0,5 C on occasion. Not good enough for me. My very short experience with the Peet indicates it responds as fast as the datalogger. But itwill take some time to draw any conclusion. Also 0.1 mm on the display is nice to me and the wind is measured every 0,5 s or even 0,25 s when it picks up and starts to become interesting. it also seems to be more sensitive to small wind gusts or low windspeeds...Also an advantage. I will get some Zigbee units to make it wireless and hope it will work...
BTW: there are a lot of things Davis does very well! But...the range is another bummer. With rain a 150 m in line of sight means lots of dataloss and even dense fog hampers it. At least on my unit. A last thing is that yes i can add tempeature sensors but they'll only register in 0,5 C resolution. Asked Davis as to why this is, but never got an answer.

I appreciate the effort Brian puts into WD but to me he badly needs someone who helps him with designng things because frankly the data is all over the place, the looks are horrid and it seems to be a typical case where someone who is really good on th technical side of things make something where other thigns are important aswell...I like cumulus a lot better.

So is there any chance the Peet will be supported? I think they are very open in how their serial port and code works, so I can't see a problem there. All in all it seems like a pretty nice station, but it'll take a couple of months before I know for sure. Will test it side by side with the Davis.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Jorge

[Jorginho]

Well...as I need to type more characters I just typed them..

[steve]

Or, you could try reading some: http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/FAQ#Will_y ... on_type.3F

[RayProudfoot]

I was curious about this station as I haven't heard of Peet Brothers before. There is a UK stockist which is essential if Steve could even consider it. Here's the website. http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/ULTIMETER ... ation.html

The console display is quite spartan. The buttons probably change what data is displayed but in comparison to the Davis VP2 it seems to me to be a poor cousin.

It's a cabled system. That will not be very convenient for many enthusiasts. The Davis signal is very robust speaking personally.

[BCJKiwi]

The main claims for this station are the "all digital" approach to the sensors see here the details of the anemometer set up from Peet Bros own site.
http://www.peetbros.com/shop/custom.aspx?recid=14
Also of interest is that even the 'top' model is not complete requiring optional sensors to be added for rain and humidity/temp!

[RayProudfoot]

Wind speeds as low as 1.5mph! The Davis can do 1mph. But I agree that a anemometer that doesn't wear out is attractive. So too is the seperate rain gauge which can be placed close to the ground.

But the big no-no for me is it's cabled. Just too inconvenient especially when you have to separate the anemometer from the temperature and rain sensors.

[AllyCat]

Hi,

An "interesting" wind sensor technology, but what logging and/or computer interface is included, or even available?

The only reference I can see is the very vague: "With appropriate software, the weather data output can be used on your PC....".

Cheers, Alan.

[Jorginho]

Or, you could try reading some: http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/FAQ#Will_y ... on_type.3F

Well, with that logic instead of assuming you could ask me if I read. I do. In fact, I have been reading so many manuals (from Cumulus, from WD, from WUHU) and spend hours and hours on end to figure things out via those manuals and then trying to setup the hardware to make it work. I have also asked a few Peet users and some are really helpfull, but could not answer this question.
Only after that (and not getting anything clear on some questions I have about them) I read this over here, I think you wrote it: "I had a quick look at their web site from your link, and it seems they are one of the nice companies like Davis who make their protocol freely available, so there's a good chance I'll be able to add support at some point."? Is it so strange to ask you about what the status is on this? I don't think so, but others may have a different opinion of course.

My main gripe with most software is that they let you log 1 minute intervals which is not helpfull when you have a station that sends out data every 0,25 seconds with high windspeeds and every 0,5 seconds below a certain threshold. I also don't quite understand why most do not even note the extreme in between those 1 minute interval, which would help. They could empty all those registrations within the minute so the extremes of that minute are logged and one line is all that is logged. I am no programmer so I could be wrong of course but that is what I want, why would I buy such a station if I end up with 1 minute data?

I assume you need a weatherstation from peet so you can support it? Am I correct? How long would it take for you to do such a thing because I might be willing to lend you mine. I am not sure about this, but could consider it as I really like the simplicity of the cumulus software.

Thanks

[PaulMy]

As it said in the Wiki (referring to Steve),

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further

Paul

[steve]

I assume you need a weatherstation from peet so you can support it? Am I correct?

The FAQ tells you what I would need, you don't need to assume anything. Basically, adding support for another weather station is frustrating, hard work, and I need an incentive to do it. It doesn't help to quote what I've said in the past back at me; my personal circumstances change, and my enthusiasm for working on Cumulus waxes and wanes, particularly when people seem to want to be difficult with me.

How long would it take for you to do such a thing

I have no idea. This is a hobby, I do it in my spare time, and that includes all the time I spend on the forum doing support.

By the way, Cumulus only logs at a minimum of one minute intervals, so it's probably not what you're looking for anyway.

[Jorginho]

If you want a convenient station that does let you expand on the sensors and has reasonably good software to go with it, get a a Davis Vantage Vue/Pro2 with datalogger. The Peet is not nearly as convenient.

If you want accurate data on wind, rain and temperature and a cabled version is not a problem, you may want to go for the Peet. But there are some drawbacks everstill it seems.

1) Tempsensor. The Peet is very accurate out of the box. Compared to a calibrated datalogger with a fast responseprobe it consistently 0,1 C too cold at 0,0, 15,0 and 30,0 C. The Davis is off by 0,5 to 0,6 C. Also, the Peet responds much faster than the Davis. I have had 4 Davis stations with temphygr sensor and steelprobes. In my experience it was always the same when compared to a calibrated thermometer.


2) Raingauge. I have the pro version, it is 0.25 mm resolution. I set the peet to 0,1 mm resolution (nice option btw Davis is lacking). So the outcome needs to be divided by 2,5. 100,0 gram of water was used, which is 100,0 ml. Gauge surface is 50,26 cm2. Outcome should be 19,9 mm/2,5= 7,95mm.
Poured it in all at once: 0,5 mm was measured
Fit a small spounge between the end of the gauge and the part below(it is locktight when you do this). Measured it 3 times pouring in all water at once: 8,0 mm was measured consistenly.


3) Barometer: no clue. Last 3 days it has been between 1025 and 1028 hPa. Seems to be off by at least 0,5 hPA compared to KNMI stations (I have two at 8 and 15 km distance and the coubtryside is flat here), also after calibration. Initial tought is that te3h Davis might be slightly more accurate.

4) wind: not measured. Others have done it and the Peet is more sensitive and more accurate according to them (side by side with the vantage pro2). One part is easy to explain: if you measure every 0,25 seconds yes you will read the gusts (Davis every 2,5 s) better all other things being equal. But the windcups are much larger too and this could be another reason Will compare in the field though.

5)hygrometer: don't have one. Not interested in this because I fear that this one will also be slow, looking at Peets construction. When it comes to accuracy (response) I think the current thermomhygro sensors are the cause of slow responses, I would love to have two seperate sensors.

6) display: I have an envoy and never used the Vantage Pro2 display. Can't comment on it. The peet has a setting where it displays all data after another. Seems nice.

7) datalogger: big downside. need an addon serial cable, software and a PC. Peet notes a datalogger is on the way and it has been on the way for years now....
When asked, it was on the way everstill...

8) dataouput: 120-240 times per minute, 30 times per minute, 12 times per minute, every minute and every 5 minutes. You can chose and you can even set it in a mode where all those modes are used simulataneoulsy/ 30 times per minute also sends out all extrema and current values. In itself very good.
Big downside: which software lets you log every 2 seconds (this is a complete dataset, with all current values and all extrema)? Not the peet software you can get, because it only lets you log every minute....WDisplay? Only every minute. Yes, I did read the WD manual..1 minute it says. In the software you can set it to one second but it simply does not happen. Some other software does not let you use this station at all. WUHU: unclear about it.

9) Cables....A hassle. I have had a lot of contact with Digi (maker of Xbee transceivers) and they say it should be really possible to use them and send receive the serial data from the Peet. Another 130 euro's though...But the range with these is 750 meter...A big plus for Peet for being so open oin their protocols etc. If you use 2 second intervals the Xbees can be run on batteries for quite some time. use a solar panel and an even larger battery and it will run indefinately. Also the Peet only uses 35 mA, so this is all possible too. Attach it to a battery and solar panel, with all this together one panel and one battery will suffice I think. I have done this with Davis WWIII and WM2 too and it worked fine with a GSM modem.

10) Support. Davis was better in my view. Only some reluctance as to why second temp sensors can only measure with 0,5 K accuracy. "Why" questions in general are a bit useless though, so I understand. It is the way it is.
Now Peet. They in my view overstate the fact that the pro gauge measures drop with 0,025 mm resolution. This begs the question in my view wheter it is true that it is measuring with 0.25mm resolution or that a setting on the display (can be set to 0.25mm or 0,1 mm) dictates that. I have asked this time and time again. After 4 times the answer came: the gauge measures 0.25 mm and you cannot get around that. Why they do not measure every fourht drop (0,1 mm) is unknown to me. May be it is simply too fast with large downpours but then again it would be incorrect after all..

A second one was the software: they are extensive in telling what the serial data port puts out. However, how you can obtain that data is not told. Which is my current problem. Their weathertext software only let's you read out data every 5 minutes...I have asked them a coiuple of times why (oke, useless) nut also "how". And did not get an answer...They told me that these modes were made for others to make use of them...

Okey: if you want a station that works, is pretty accurate and lets you add all sorts of other, pretty accuratr sensors do yourself a favour and buy a Davis.

If you are willing to put more effort in it and somehow can get software to work and show log darta 240 times per minute, do not mind cables and you are interested in very accurate values my first thoughts are that the Peet is a viable option. Apart from the barometer my initial impression is that it indeed is more accurate than a Davis unit. It responds faster too.

[Jorginho]

As it said in the Wiki (referring to Steve),

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further

Paul

Correct, but I did not read that. I read the forum message form 2008. Srteve said I should read some. I read a lot but I did not read each and every bit of info on the net. If I owuld have read it, I would have contacted this.

[PaulMy]

As it said in the Wiki (referring to Steve),

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further

Paul

Correct, but I did not read that. I read the forum message form 2008. Srteve said I should read some. I read a lot but I did not read each and every bit of info on the net. If I owuld have read it, I would have contacted this.

If you had followed Steve's link to the Wiki and then read some related to the linked "Will you support a new weather station type?" your follow up reply

Well, with that logic instead of assuming you could ask me if I read. I do. In fact, I have been reading so many manuals (from Cumulus, from WD, from WUHU) and spend hours and hours on end to figure things out via those manuals and then trying to setup the hardware to make it work. I have also asked a few Peet users and some are really helpfull, but could not answer this question.
Only after that (and not getting anything clear on some questions I have about them) I read this over here, I think you wrote it: "I had a quick look at their web site from your link, and it seems they are one of the nice companies like Davis who make their protocol freely available, so there's a good chance I'll be able to add support at some point."? Is it so strange to ask you about what the status is on this? I don't think so, but others may have a different opinion of course.

might have been different!

While not familiar with them I had heard of some of the Peet Bros features, and thank you for proving your findings and comment.

Paul

[Jorginho]

I assume you need a weatherstation from peet so you can support it? Am I correct?

The FAQ tells you what I would need, you don't need to assume anything. Basically, adding support for another weather station is frustrating, hard work, and I need an incentive to do it. It doesn't help to quote what I've said in the past back at me; my personal circumstances change, and my enthusiasm for working on Cumulus waxes and wanes, particularly when people seem to want to be difficult with me.

How long would it take for you to do such a thing

I have no idea. This is a hobby, I do it in my spare time, and that includes all the time I spend on the forum doing support.

By the way, Cumulus only logs at a minimum of one minute intervals, so it's probably not what you're looking for anyway.

From what I get here from you it is probably better not to argue and wish you strength. I appreciate your wrok effort etc a lot, let that be clear!

[mcrossley]

From what I get here from you it is probably better not to argue and wish you strength. I appreciate your wrok effort etc a lot, let that be clear!

It's probably a language thing, but it is best to try and persuade rather than argue