Author Topic: Weather station installation examples  (Read 57064 times)

elagache

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Weather station installation examples
« on: October 18, 2013, 07:56:13 PM »
Dear WeatherCat fans,

In the past we have had a thread in which WeatherCat users illustrated how they set up their weather station instruments to help others who are contemplating putting up a weather station.  We need to get this info back on the WeatherCat forum.  So get the process going I'll start a thread and hope others will follow suit.  Here is how my station is set-up most of this info coming from my weather website:

Canebas Weather Station uses a Davis Vantage Pro-2 weather station for the core of the weather instruments.  The particular model model (6152) has the standard radiation shield.  However, the actual temperature and humidity data is supplied by a second Davis temperature/humidity probe (model 6382) that is located underneath a deck and therefore completely escapes all solar radiation.   Below is a photo showing the weather instruments including an inset image of the temperature/humidy probe:



As can be seen in the photo above, the anemometer is mounted on a 10 feet high mast above the roof.  However, the house is in the wind shadow of a hill and tall trees.  Therefore the wind data does not represent the uninterrupted air flow.  All other data is believed to represent the ambient conditions at the station. 

The Davis Vantage Pro does not permit you to select which temperature/humidity probe is your primary data source.  So the only way to have the correct temperature data displayed was to plug the cable from the probe under the deck into the ISS jack for the temperature probe.  In order to get the data from the Davis temperature/humidity probe to be plugged into the ISS unit, a splice was needed that can be seen here:



Davis sells this cable splicing kit (07957)  The wire was standard 6-conductor phone wire.  I was able to buy cables with the standard phone jacks that Davis uses so that I didn't have to crimp on plugs.

The data from the temperature/humidity probe on the ISS unit is instead connected to a second transmitter that can be seen here:



In order to get the cable from the ISS temperature/humidity probe to the second transmitter a second splice is needed as illustrated in the above photo.

The Davis VP-2 console is located in a central part of the house for the convenience of the household.  The wireless data is also received by a Davis Weather Envoy (model 6316) which is connected to a MacBook Pro (mid-2009).  The Mac is running OS-10.6.x (Snow Leopard) and the weather software is WeatherCat.

Here is my workstation showing the setup:



There was one more modification that I had to make.  The Davis Weather Envoy internal thermometer wasn't giving me accurate measurements at first.  I realized the problem was insufficient air-flow around the unit.  So I built this wooden stand to provide sufficient air space:



The internal temperature readings now are consistent with other thermometers.

 ;) . . . Okay gang, your turn to show off  . . . . . . err, Describe in detail how you installed your weather station for the benefit of others.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Commodore

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2013, 05:00:08 AM »
Thank you, Edouard! This is a great idea and the timing is perfect for me!
Alas, I don't have a weather station...but I'm going to have one real soon now.  :-(

Steve

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2013, 04:28:13 PM »
Here's our weather station. It started out as a Davis Vantage Pro2 w/24 hour FARS, but we added the solar and UV sensors over the next year, so i've ended up with the Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus w/24 hour FARS model #6163. I also started out with an Envoy connected to my computer, but ended up with a second Vantage Pro console (one in the kitchen and one on my desk.) I added the Davis Wireless Anemometer Transmitter when I moved the anemometer to the mast on my roof.












Davis sent a Soil Moisture and Wetness Station to review, and I ended up buying it after the review period. This is where the second console came from. Since the photo, I've added two more soil temperature and two more soil moisture sensors.




As seen in the photos above, I have a CoCoRaHS rain gauge near the Davis ISS. I also have the CoCoRaHS ETGage (evapotranspiration simulator) mounted near the back of my property adjacent to an open field. This ensures almost full sunshine sunrise to sunset. Depending on the time of year, I get slightly different readings between the ETGage and the VP2 evapotranspiration calculation.




I've also got a Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder made by Casella (used more as a weather related decoration more than for actual readings. The paper is quite expensive!) And a Kestrel 4500 handheld weather station with the optional mount and vane. This is me on the observation deck at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.





There is a lot more detail on the equipment used on my web page's "About" page at www.avon-weather.com/about.html
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


CWOP: DW8454 - WU: KOHAVON11 - AWEKAS - CoCoRaHS
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wurzelmac

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2013, 04:43:47 PM »
Hi Edouard, Steve and you all out in the storms!

Will report my setup within a few days/weeks. I just ordered a mountain tripod from a Davis reseller here in Austria, and will mount my anemometer on our roof as it is done by Steve. Till now I have mounted it like you can see HERE, but I think you can imagine that the whole construction may became unstable at higher wind speeds. ???  ;)

Cheers,
Reinhard
Reinhard


elagache

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Keep'em coming! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2013, 11:09:30 PM »
Dear Steve, Reinhard, and WeatherCat fans,

Thanks Steve for digging up the photos of your station install!   You've done a great job with your setup!!  [tup]


I'm looking forward to your report Reinhard!  :)  Looking at your website, indeed your anemometer is a bit vulnerable.

Indeed, everybody has to set up their station a little differently.  So having a bunch of examples here is helpful for WeatherCat newcomers.

So please gang, keep those pictures and descriptions coming!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

wurzelmac

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2013, 01:36:52 PM »
Ok, here is my setup:







Cheers,
Reinhard
Reinhard


elagache

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Nice job Reinhard! (Re: Weather station examples)
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2013, 10:08:00 PM »
Thanks Reinhard for documenting your weather station instruments so nicely!  [tup]

Quick question though, how did you secure your anemometer tripod into your roof?  That looks like a lovely old-fashioned roof.  Did you have to do anything special to get the tripod legs tied down and avoid any leaks?

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

wurzelmac

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2013, 10:25:54 PM »
Hi Edouard,

for that I have tiles on my roof, I needed three plumb-tiles like this to mount the tripod:



Here you are a closer view to the bottom of the mounted tripod:



Cheers,
Reinhard
Reinhard


elagache

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So that's the trick! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2013, 08:23:52 PM »
Hi Reinhard and WeatherCat hardware tinkerers,

for that I have tiles on my roof, I needed three plumb-tiles like this to mount the tripod:

Thanks for filling in that detail!  I assumed your roof required something special to allow you to attach the tripod and the plumb-tiles was exactly the missing ingredient.  I don't know if any other WeatherCat user will ever have as unique an anemometer installation, but it should give our users some new ideas about what is possible.

Thanks again!  [tup]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Randall75

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2013, 08:46:05 PM »
Hi WeatherCat Users


On my installation I used an installation from the VP ISS manual
I bought a nice straight 4x4 10' long and buried it 3 feet in the ground making sure it was level on all sides
Then I mounted the ISS on the south side of the pole so it would be in contact with the sun for the solar power then I bought a 1 1/4 galvanized pipe and put on the north side and made it so you can unbolt 2 bolts and lay it over and it is still connected to the 4x4
With the pipe mounted back straight up with the anemometer attached and with plastic ties every 2 feet on the pipe to keep the wire from the anemometer from flapping in the wind this puts the anemometer 20 feet in the air it is in sight of my web cam so I can also view it from the computer it is about 60 feet outside the window of my office where my VP2 Console is mounter on the wall
A very easy installation but should work well and with a small step ladder can clean the rain collect very easy


cheers
 [cheers1]

elagache

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Very nice indeed! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2013, 11:11:04 PM »
Howdy Randall and WeatherCat Davis elite club members,

Hmm, a very nice and clean installation indeed!  I really like that way to set up your station Randall!!  [tup]  Anyone who can put up their anemometer above the trees by going 20 feet should definitely consider your setup.  I sure wish I could have done it as you have!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

ddrankin

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2013, 08:06:50 PM »
Some wonderful weather setups in some very attractive settings here. 

Mine is much more modest.  We live in an urban area in a subdivision.  The home had a basketball pole next to the driveway when we bought it.  But no one in the family really cared much about basketball.  So I took down the hoop and backboard and used hose clamps to attach the Davis Vue mast to the top of the basketball pole.  Not ideal, but very functional.

The Console is about 100 feet from Vue, but I seem to get very good reception.  In the photo, you can see my re-born Apple G4.  I didn't take very good photos of the process, but I followed the post here to build it.  http://www.tonymacx86.com/powermac-g4/91958-another-g4-power-mac-mod-sandy-bridge.html

elagache

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Thanks for sharing! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2013, 11:08:01 PM »
Thank ddrankin for sharing!  [tup]

Looks like a perfectly nice setup.  Glad you were able to get your Vantage Vue into a position were it should get good wind data.  Up there you shouldn't have too much trouble with debris in the rain gauge either.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Charlie Schorner

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2013, 09:02:37 PM »
Hi there!

I've had a standard wireless Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus running for a couple of years now, and I have just about the easiest installation imaginable. I'm sure that some folks may have issues with my setup, but it works fine for me and provides good data in an area with very few weather monitoring stations. Here's a photo:

The sensor package is located in a large, flat field with no nearby obstructions. I've simply anchored the tripod that came with the weather station using three concrete blocks. The top of the sensor package is about 7 feet above ground level.

The receiver is about 100 yards away and is connected to a Mac Mini running WeatherCat software. I upload data to CWOP and Weather Underground, generate a simple web page from WeatherCat (just for the fun of it... Working on a custom page for the same reason), and post conditions hourly to Twitter.

Randall75

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2013, 10:34:59 PM »
Hi Charlie
 Looks good to me I kept mine simple too and works  for me


glad all is working for you


cheers


 [cheers1]