Author Topic: Weather station installation examples  (Read 57060 times)

elagache

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Second the motion. (Re: Weather station installation)
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2013, 09:32:56 PM »
Hi Charlie, Randall, and WeatherCat fans,

I second Randall's motion.  If your anemometer is high enough to get accurate wind data (and it looks like it does,) what else could you want?  I suppose you could secure your tripod a bit more "assertively" in case you get hit by some really high-winds.  However, what's the likelihood winds strong enough to tip over your tripod wouldn't damage some of the weather instruments?  Unless you've observed weather conditions that could threaten your setup, I agree:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #16 on: September 18, 2014, 09:07:54 PM »
I live at 8,300 feet (2,530 meters) in the Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah. My Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus is mounted atop the swing set I built for the grandchildren. The anenometer is mounted on the top of my cabin on the end of a 3-meter pole which is bolted into the end of a glu-lam beam. This gets the wind cups about 2 meters above the highest point on my roof, which is about 12 meters above the ground. I ran 30 meters of exterior-grade, waterproof Cat5 cable up to my rooftop and spliced it into the anemometer. The other end is spliced into connector cable inside the ISS unit. I use the WeatherLinkIP? data logger so I can place my Davis Console downstairs where I spend most  of my time. I display WeatherCat on the secondary display of my iMac. My most frequently used means of accessing my weather data is the WeatherCat app on my iPhone, followed by the WeatherCatPad app on my iPad. My next project is a weather webcam, pending approval of my CFO, to whom I have been happily married for almost 8 lustrums (4 decades).
Blick


elagache

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Thanks for sharing! (Re: Weather station installation)
« Reply #17 on: September 18, 2014, 10:18:04 PM »
Thanks Blick for sharing photos of your installation!

It is a very good idea to dedicate a second monitor just to WeatherCat.  That becomes the best console anyone could ever have!  [bounce]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Bull Winkus

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #18 on: September 18, 2014, 10:50:16 PM »
Good job, Blick! Very nice set up.
Herb

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Station Setup
« Reply #19 on: January 28, 2016, 11:41:52 AM »
I don't have a lot of photos of my setup, and being on a trip right now, I can't take any currently. However, here is my station and the post I put it on. The console connects to a Meteobridge which runs my meteobridge saratoga site here. WeatherCat finds the IP of the meteobridge and treats it like it is a Weatherlink IP connection. The computer that runs WeatherCat and my main weather site is a 2011 iMac.

A clear conscience is a great pillow.


elagache

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Thanks for sharing. (Re: Station Setup)
« Reply #20 on: January 28, 2016, 10:37:03 PM »
Dear Toby and WeatherCat instrument placement consultants, . . .

I don't have a lot of photos of my setup, and being on a trip right now, I can't take any currently. . . . .

 [wink] . . . . Golly!  When I made the suggestion that you post some pictures of your station it wasn't like it was a an order and ASAP!! . . . . [biggrin]

Seriously thanks for sharing.  If when you get back home you decide to edit this post to add a few more details that would be just fine.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #21 on: March 04, 2018, 05:47:37 PM »
My station is a Davis VantageVue, in continuous operation since January 2010. ISS is mounted atop a 20-foot telescoping aluminum flagpole. The pole is $179 from SunSetter with free S&H. Works great (have another with a ham antenna mounted). http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/

Console is on the desk next to the iMac running the software. For the first 6 years it ran on a Mac Pro, until that machine was retired. Then on a Mac mini until yesterday when it failed. Ported it over the iMac last night and upgraded from LWC to WeatherCat. I have been asked for my weather data from our town offices from time-to-time for analytical purposes. My feed goes to NOAA as DW4348 and into Wunderground as KAZCLARK7.

Just thought I would contribute since I have been looking at everything again after the system change last night. Only lost about 6 hours of reported data, though it was saved in the logger for my records.

Cheers!
Nick

elagache

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Thanks for sharing! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #22 on: March 04, 2018, 10:39:36 PM »
Dear Nick and WeatherCat station caregivers,

Since this is your first posting on the WeatherCat forum.  Let me be the first person to welcome you aboard! . . .

My station is a Davis VantageVue, in continuous operation since January 2010. ISS is mounted atop a 20-foot telescoping aluminum flagpole. The pole is $179 from SunSetter with free S&H. Works great (have another with a ham antenna mounted). http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/

Thanks for sharing!  The SunSetter flagpole is a great solution to an issue that has always worried me with the Vantage Vue.  To avoid getting debris in the collector cone, you really need to have the station up high.    That also provides for the best wind data.  I assume that if you need to bring the station down, the SunSetter pole will simply retract into its telescoping sections.

Just one question though.  How does flagpole cope with the weight of the Vantage Vue?  I would expect that this at least could be a greater burden than a flag.

Console is on the desk next to the iMac running the software. For the first 6 years it ran on a Mac Pro, until that machine was retired. Then on a Mac mini until yesterday when it failed. Ported it over the iMac last night and upgraded from LWC to WeatherCat. I have been asked for my weather data from our town offices from time-to-time for analytical purposes. My feed goes to NOAA as DW4348 and into Wunderground as KAZCLARK7.

Wow!  So you have been running LWC since 2010 until now?  I also started out with LWC (about 3 months before you did,) but I've really appreciated the enhancements in WeatherCat.  I think you will also!

Just thought I would contribute since I have been looking at everything again after the system change last night. Only lost about 6 hours of reported data, though it was saved in the logger for my records.

So did you lose any data or not?  WeatherCat should download any data that is missing from the data logger.

Once more welcome!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2018, 06:08:29 PM »
My station is a Davis VantageVue, in continuous operation since January 2010. ISS is mounted atop a 20-foot telescoping aluminum flagpole. The pole is $179 from SunSetter with free S&H. Works great (have another with a ham antenna mounted). http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/

Console is on the desk next to the iMac running the software. For the first 6 years it ran on a Mac Pro, until that machine was retired. Then on a Mac mini until yesterday when it failed. Ported it over the iMac last night and upgraded from LWC to WeatherCat. I have been asked for my weather data from our town offices from time-to-time for analytical purposes. My feed goes to NOAA as DW4348 and into Wunderground as KAZCLARK7.

Just thought I would contribute since I have been looking at everything again after the system change last night. Only lost about 6 hours of reported data, though it was saved in the logger for my records.

Cheers!
Nick

It looks like you have an Apple Watch on your desk. Download WeatherCat 3 Beta and join the WeatherCatRCP Beta test group (http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?topic=2696.0). WeatherCatRCP supports the Apple Watch.  ;D

Blicj11

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #24 on: March 05, 2018, 06:12:27 PM »
Thanks for sharing Nick and welcome to WeatherCat. You will love its improvements over LWC.
Blick


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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #25 on: March 06, 2018, 11:12:46 PM »
I have had the this setup since 1993. Before that I and a Davis WMII.   I have a VP2 Plus, two anemometers  with one to a wire anemometer transmitter.   That is in case  one of the units isn't working, such as due to critter or freezing rain.   When I set up the mast  I was younger. Now that mast isn't coming down in case the top unit craps out.

I have a FARS kit as well.   Then there is the soil moisture unit..    I have with that a completely populated soil/moisture station at 4, 12, 24 and 36 inch depth.   Also a leaf wetness sensor.  When my ISS needed a new super cap, my arm was in a cast, so I  purchased a new board and with the old waited until I healed and replaced the super caps and decided that I could use a soil temp. sensor for surface temperatures, and I had a spare solar panel unit.   So that is there.     

I also have a Bloomsky2 camera out there,  in the family room window, I have a Foscam R2 camera for the South sky, and another peeking out the front window at the North sky.
Oh I have a temp humidity sensor in the attic and one in the basement and yet another in the crawl space. I am almost fully populated.  I have one transciever spot open.   

I have one console in the kitchen, another by my iMac that has an ip logger,  Two Envoys  one with a IP logger for the Weatherlink 2.0 site  and the other for my website . The other is a USB that I use with Weathercat and Weatherdisplay .   It is my website backup, so if the IP loggers crap out,  I can go natural.

One rule I have always reminded people of, where ever you happen to put your weather station, remember you have to do maintenance on it.  If you put things on the roof be sure you can get up there in various weather conditions without bouncing  off the roof and amazing your neighbors. 
 
Davis VP2 Plus; 24h  FARS; Extra Temp Humid sensor (2); Extra Temp Station (2);;Weatherlink IP;USB; MAC Ventura 13.3

; https://www.weatherlink.com/embeddablePage/show/8a7585dd06404bde81d5229b09f84ebb/summary

Blicj11

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #26 on: March 07, 2018, 12:18:25 AM »
Love the finger hook!
Blick


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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #27 on: March 07, 2018, 02:36:35 AM »
Love the finger hook!

I have a few around the house, the wife doesn't like them, but I am leaving them there forever.   :)
Davis VP2 Plus; 24h  FARS; Extra Temp Humid sensor (2); Extra Temp Station (2);;Weatherlink IP;USB; MAC Ventura 13.3

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elagache

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Quite a collection of hardware! (Re: Weather station installation examples)
« Reply #28 on: March 07, 2018, 10:22:32 PM »
Dear Weatheraardvark, Blick, and WeatherCat station caregivers,

I have had the this setup since 1993. Before that I and a Davis WMII.   
. . . . . . .

Thanks for sharing your station setup!   [tup]  Indeed you have created quite a collection of data collectors!

One rule I have always reminded people of, where ever you happen to put your weather station, remember you have to do maintenance on it.  If you put things on the roof be sure you can get up there in various weather conditions without bouncing  off the roof and amazing your neighbors.

Indeed so true!   I didn't know what I was doing when I setup my station, but lucky for me, most of the components that need frequent servicing are easy to reach.  When I switched from solar power to AC power for the station transmitter, I moved the transmitter under a deck, so that too is easy to service and out of the elements.

Now that this thread is getting some attention, anyone else willing to share how they set up their weather station?

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

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Re: Weather station installation examples
« Reply #29 on: October 04, 2018, 03:14:39 PM »
Updating my post above - I switched to a 14' stainless steel pole:



It's leveled with these set screws:

A clear conscience is a great pillow.