Davis AeroCone

[xairbusdriver]

OK, 'ridges for gripping'! What a concept!!! Didn't see the tabs in the first image of the strainer, I thought it was just the same as the last model.

[Weatheraardvark]

inside the cone, there are tabs, the strainer fits on those and you twist it on.

[xairbusdriver]

Yes, interlocking tabs on the cone fitting through the slots/tabs combo on the strainer which one turns maybe 5? to lock it in place. A considerable improvement over the old 'gravity-secured' previous model. Should help stop squirrels from absconding with the strainer! They make such cute party hats for those critters!

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCatters who never have enough new gadgets,

You guys sure have a lot of info on this new product already.  Still, just in case you are curious, you can even find it on the Davis website (if you search carefully:)

http://www.davisnet.com/product/aerocone-rain-collector-with-flat-base-for-vantage-pro2/

This is a bit puzzling.  Instead of a new product line, Davis is clearly making tweaks to their existing VP-2 lineup.  I wonder if some of this stuff would have ended up in a "VP-3" prototype that was shelved because of the crummy economy.

Cheers, Edouard

[dfw_pilot]

Interesting, as of last night, the Davis site had zero search results for "aero".

Today? Lots of hits under their search field for aero. Like the Aardvark, I'll post a picture when mine is installed.

dfw

[nowait]

I'm not finding the heater that works with the new cone...

no wait

[Blicj11]

I'm not finding the heater that works with the new cone...

It's not the new cone, but it's the only cone that works with the heater.

https://www.davisnet.com/rain-collector-cone-heater/

[Weatheraardvark]

they are discontinuing the heater and the old cone.  shop around for it.  Ambient wants 40 for it, Amazon and Scaled Instruments want 27.30.

[Steve]

they are discontinuing the heater and the old cone.  shop around for it.  Ambient wants 40 for it, Amazon and Scaled Instruments want 27.30.

I wonder how efficiently the official Davis heater kit works compared to my Davis foil insulation with reptile heater tape? I have one cone set up for winter with the heater, and another without for the rest of the year. At $27, I might just get one in case my snake tape croaks...

[EDIT] OK, I found the heater on Scaled Instruments, but it is just the heating element. I have the insulating cone, or can get a second for $5. The third part is the power supply. I see a brick on one end, but what's on the other? I don't see where the power hooks up to the heating element. I know some of you have the Davis cone heater. What's *really* needed?

[EDIT 2] I found the manual. In addition to the heating element and cone, there's a 50' heater cable included, and the power supply. One end is the 11V plug and a brick transformer. The other end is the "power unit" which connects the 50' wire from the heating element mounted in the ISS to the 24V 24W power from the transformer. There's also a switch, power indicator light, and what looks like an inline fuse.

So all you *really* need, is the heating element, the insulating cone, and a 24V 24W power supply to connect directly to theater element.

Is the 24V output from the power supply AC or DC?

[Blicj11]

I talked to Davis tech support this afternoon. They told me that they are designing a new heater that will fit in the new Aero cone and it should be on their website in about a month.

Steve, the output from the power supply on the old Davis heater is AC.

[Steve]

Steve, the output from the power supply on the old Davis heater is AC.

Thank you, sir!

[JosBaz]

Steve, the output from the power supply on the old Davis heater is AC.

Thank you, sir!

Thanks. Good to know there will be a heater for it in case desired.
Ordered it, primary reason being the new 'lockable debris screen'.

[xairbusdriver]

Just an aside... I was checking my rain collector today and (finally) noticed that the interior shape is already shaped like the 'new' one. I've not paid enough attention when I've cleaned it. So the main difference is aging ~26% of the plastic needed for the old design. Perhaps the new model has less drag in severe winds, OTOH the new design looks less sturdy with more stress on the narrow "waste" than with the larger tube. Who nose?