Thanks for the kind words, everyone! After trying to mow the yard this late afternoon, my lawn maintenance task was interrupted by a fine mist that slowly grew into a sprinkle. The looks of things skyward, and the consistent pattern of ever increasing drizzle drove me to conclude that if I didn't get the spare weather station up now, I was going to miss a rain event. So, putting away the electric grass decapitator, I lunged forward in a race against the diminishing twilight to hoist my symbolic flag of freedom from the tyranny of thieves.
I swapped the units out and am back up and running tonight, except for my precious solar radiation sensor with the cut cable.
Reinhard, I looked around and surmised that any other location would compromise the quality of measurement. Too many too tall trees. Even the 15 ft mast on my roof that holds my anemometer is not tall enough to get an accurate reading on wind speed and direction. It's just the best I can get. Plus, the solar heat gain on the roof would thwart any attempt to measure ambient temperature and humidity. I did place the spare VP 2 near the top of the pole, which makes the bottom of the heat shield just above 6 ft off the ground. I hope that makes it less of a temptation.
Thanks, Blick! You have to keep things in perspective. At least I didn't get hit by a F5 tornado! It was just an F1, dumb as a pit bull, troglodyte.
Jos, I researched getting a webcam back when I first set up the weather station. Couldn't find one that I liked, but then I really didn't know what I was looking for. My location is too far from any power outlet. The system would have to be battery powered and wifi enabled. I'd want high definition, too. I keep thinking that my iPhone 4s with the right software and hooked up to a solar array for recharging would be perfect, provided that it could be concealed. But, there's no place to conceal anything. I keep going back to the cowbell idea.
Thanks Stu! Back in service now. Just have to pay Davis to "refurbish" my kit.
Thanks Doc! I love a good just deserts story! If this cat had nine lives and was up for some capital punishment, I'd volunteer to pull the switch all nine times.
Thanks Edouard! I've got a small balcony on the second floor, but it's shielded from the sun much of the time and it just wouldn't work. After looking around today I decided not to relocate away from the street. I'm thinking I might suspend a series of weights inside the galvanized pole from the inside center of the end cap. If the pole gets a jostle, it will clatter for a bit. I don't know how loud it would be, but it might be enough to put him back in his truck and on the way to his doss.
Herb