HassonGrove's WunderBlog

I’ve had 3 weather stations that actually interface with my PC over the years. Prior to that I’ve had the ones that were self contained and only maintained the highs and lows, rain amount, etc., all the way back to thermometers and manual gauges. I currently have an Oregon Scientific WMR-100 wireless unit which I think is pretty decent but am thinking of upgrading to another wireless system.

I need to get the model numbers of the first two units (I still have them but they are packed up) but will initially give the critique of them along with my current unit. Each of them have been ok at the time they were purchased and I’m not grinding any axes but I want to open up a forum where those of us who have had one of the following or a different models, can chime in with feedback and for myself, to read these histories as well as what you moved onto and how you like your current systems.

It seems the Davis Wireless Vantage Pro 2 Weather Station (Model #6152) is a very good unit although a bit pricey. It runs at about $525.00. One of the things I like about my current unit is, it calls itself “wireless” and it truly is wireless with the exception of the USB cable from the base station to the PC. I have had some anomalies with it however, it has a battery backup although with this unit, when I unplug it or it loses power, the clock and altitude need to be re-entered. There was also a hiccup I can’t explain once where I had to adjust the barometer up than back down, but that was a onetime deal (outside of power issues). None the less it was concerning. I live in Southern California and we’ve had less than 3 inches of rain in the last year and a half so I can’t speak to the rain gauge accuracy yet but I hope that someday it will rain again and I can add to this post. Again, this is referring to the Ore. Sci. WMR-100.

Prior to this, I had a “wireless system” a La Crosse Model WS-2310-11. It too was accurate, at least as accurate as the WMR-100 but while it was called “Wireless”, all of the outside components (rain gauge, barometer, anemometer etc., where all “Wired” to the battery operated transmitter which broadcasted to the base station which was connected to my PC. This was great because I didn’t want to drill a hole into my house to run the interface cable to connect my PC and I would probably still have that unit today if I hadn’t upgraded to a notebook that doesn’t have a 9 pin RS232 connector. I tried to get a RS232 to USB converter but it didn’t work. That’s why I moved up to the WMR-100.

Prior to that I had a Wired unit that was, it seemed (we’ll call this No.1) exactly the same cabling as the above with the exception of the fact that the unit needed a phone type cable strung directly to the receiving unit which plugged into my PC. Not wanting to drill holes in my house (because my wife rearranges furniture) I set up that unit out in the pool house that was never used and inconvenient for data gathering which is why I moved to the No. 2 unit. Like I said, it was as accurate as the following 2 units but unless you can really dedicate a long term location to hard wire it…it has that flaw.

Now the Davis “wireless” unit…has some pros and cons I can see right off hand…I don’t own one but have been reading up. For one, it has some solar power but it also has a wired anemometer and requires 3 C batteries (as opposed to AA’s for the WMR-100) to transmit to the base station connected to the PC. One of the advantages that needs to be stressed however is, it is highly rated (highest I’ve seen) in the reviews and it is advertized as “Professional” quality.

If you have feedback about the WMR-100 or the Davis Vantage Pro 2 I would like to hear it, but whatever you have to say about ANY unit you have used, are using or questions/comments to add iare appreciated for discussion.

Take care!

Hasbro_T.