Davis USB data logger - Mac or PC version?

[gvmelbrty]

I'm going to connect my Davis VP2 to my Mac Mini soon and need to purchase a Davis USB data logger. But, I also want to be able to use the data logger to update the console firmware in the future - and you can't do that using a Mac (though I do believe it's been done successfully using Windows in BootCamp).

I have a Windows 7 netbook laying around that will work for updating the firmware - but will the Mac USB data logger work on a PC?

Or, would it be better to just get the USB Windows version of WeatherLink/data logger? And if I do that, will it (the PC data logger) work with the mac?

[staze]

I had this same question, and ended up with the serial version. Apparently the Mac driver won't see the Windows version without changing the USB ID (or maybe hacking the driver). And I couldn't find whether windows will see the Mac version or not... I would guess it would.

So... the Mac version?

[gvmelbrty]

I had this same question, and ended up with the serial version. Apparently the Mac driver won't see the Windows version without changing the USB ID (or maybe hacking the driver). And I couldn't find whether windows will see the Mac version or not... I would guess it would.

So... the Mac version?

So, you use a serial -> USB converter to connect the serial data logger to your Mac? And, since you have the serial version of the data logger, you are able to use it to connect to a PC in order to upgrade the console firmware? - correct?

[gvmelbrty]

FYI.. I just got off the phone with Davis tech support. He said, and he put me on hold to talk to someone else to confirm, that either data logger will work with either platform, provided the correct drivers are present. I mentioned the USB ID issue when using the PC data logger to connect to a Mac (which I remember reading about a couple of years ago from someone else who tried this) and he said he had not heard of that issue. .. So, for what it's worth.

I'm leaning toward getting the Mac USB version cuz I know people have successfully connected it to Windows (albeit under BootCamp).

[Commodore]

It seems that not having the capability to upgrade the weather station firmware is one of the cons against the IP logger. Is that correct?

[elagache]

Dear gvmelbrty and WeatherCat fans,

I'm going to connect my Davis VP2 to my Mac Mini soon and need to purchase a Davis USB data logger. But, I also want to be able to use the data logger to update the console firmware in the future - and you can't do that using a Mac (though I do believe it's been done successfully using Windows in BootCamp).

Unless you really have some reason to want to go through the hoops of getting the Windows version of the logger to work on a Mac, I think you are better off to go with the Mac version of the data-logger.  As you say, there is a firmware upgrade path if you go with the Mac version of the data logger.

We used to have the instructions for reprogramming the PC version of the data logger.  However, we seem to have lost them.  Does anybody know were these instructions might still be found?

Sorry, wish I had more helpful information.

Cheers, Edouard

[ddrankin]

I think you already have your answer here.  But just to add something to it, I would bet that the Windows one will work fine.  Mine does.  When I first bought my Vue, I didn't have a Mac and I bought the Windows version of the datalogger and software.  About a year later I moved to Linux and didn't have an issue with the computer reading the logger.  Then last month I moved to a Mac.  My same datalogger worked fine once I loaded the USB drivers.  So unless they have changed something in the 3 years or so since I bought my equipment, it should be fine.

[elagache]

Dear ddrankin and WeatherCat fans,

I think you already have your answer here.  But just to add something to it, I would bet that the Windows one will work fine.  Mine does. 

Glad your data-logger is working just fine.  The reason I gave the warning is that at least in the past Davis used a different ID on the data-loggers for Windows machines.  It was possible to reprogram this, but you needed a windows machine the process was convoluted.  Instructions on how to do this were once posted on the forum for WeatherCat's predecessor LWC.  However, they have since been lost.  Perhaps Davis has changed the way they ship their data-loggers so this is no longer an issue.  Still, I urge folks to be cautious.  No reason to give yourself another headache, most of us are already over our headache quota as it is!! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[ddrankin]

Good to know.  I really didn't give that issue a thought when I moved everything over to the Mac.  Maybe they changed something or maybe I was just lucky because I'm not using a real Mac.  My motherboard is a standard off the shelf one that you would buy if you were going to build a Windows computer, only I loaded OS X.  It didn't occur to me that there could be that big a difference between a device that is read by Windows and one that is read by OS X.  After all USB is suppose to be a Universal Serial Bus.  I don?t know what Davis could have been thinking to make their device so limited.  Maybe it was an issue with older OS X software, or maybe it was done back in the day of the Power PC chip for some reason and was just carried over without anyone realizing that it was no longer needed.

Anyway, thanks for the info.

[gvmelbrty]

I also emailed my question to Davis. Finally received a reply today:

  Question: Will the Windows USB data logger work on a Mac computer (provided the correct USB drivers are installed)? And vise versa, will a Mac USB data logger work on a Windows PC?

  Answer: Yes. These data loggers are physically identical.

          Sincerely, Brian Carpenter
          Technical Support Representative
          Davis Instruments

[ColdnFrosty]

I'm using the hardware that came with the Weatherlink for Windows on my Vantage Pro 2 and Mac Mini. I did have to download the USB drivers from the Silicon Labs website.  But it works just fine with a WeatherCat.