How to Upload Davis Vantage Vue to Weather Underground
Davis Instruments was putting accurate, well-nigh pro-grade conditions stations in the easily of consumers for years before the personal weather condition station became a household gadget. Well, things have inverse, and Davis is no longer the only worthy option. If you read my recent My AcuRite review, you know that Davis has strong competition.
The Vantage Vue is the consumer-axial station from Davis, and it measures all the common atmospheric condition variables, including inside and outside temperature and humidity, barometric pressure level, rainfall, wind speed, and air current direction. Different nigh of the other stations I've tested, it also comes with a desktop console as an culling to an app or web-based connection to check weather conditions chop-chop. The panel even has glow-in-the-dark keys, so you can find it when the lights are out.
While Davis stands out for its accurateness—it'southward more precise than the Netatmo Weather Station in some scenarios—information technology'south far behind the competition in terms of connectivity. In fact, it has no connectivity right out of the box. If you want to track Davis' weather condition station on the internet or on your computer, you'll need to spend an additional $165 or $295 for one of Davis' WeatherLink products.
Ed Oswald Vantage Vue's fully featured, only slightly dated-looking, desktop console.
That finer doubles the cost of the Vantage Vue compared to other enthusiast-grade stations. Is it worth it? That answer depends on what y'all need a weather station for, and how you intend to utilise it.
Setting up the Davis Vantage Vue
Y'all'll demand well-nigh xxx minutes to prepare upwards the Vantage Vue. Yous'll demand to do some minor assembly—attaching this, screwing in that—but don't worry, Davis' instructions are clear and piece of cake to follow.
You'll besides demand to setup the desktop panel, merely at that place'south no website or mobile app to make information technology easy. It's cumbersome, but not difficult; in fact, it's nearly the same process I followed with my last Davis weather station—and that was a decade ago with a like panel design. I guess Davis figures if own't broke, don't fix it.
If you also purchased a WeatherLink kit, you'll need to complete a few more than steps, depending on which one you've bought. I'll embrace that later on. Permit me to also remind you of TechHive'southward sensor placement suggestions, which can exist establish in the buyers' guide, but continue in mind these sensors are an all-in-one package.
My Davis Vantage Vue feel
Davis Instruments The Vantage Vue's outdoor sensors are all located in the same housing.
Virtually every aspect of my experience with the Vantage Vue was positive. The instruments are all housed in the same unit—something normally I'g not a big fan of—but information technology does make for easy setup and maintenance. Davis' sensor associates doesn't feel inexpensive, and while you'll need to install a backup bombardment, most locales volition provide enough sunlight to power the station without worry (dual solar panels is one of the features I really liked about AcuRite'southward sensor assembly).
All sensors performed without event, and they reported highly accurate readings. Readings from the outdoor temperature/humidity sensor, for example, were extremely close to our "control" National Conditions Service station about five miles away, and they were generally more accurate than those of the Netatmo weather station. Davis' station likewise reports conditions in as little as 2.5-second intervals depending on what'southward being measured, which is best in class among the stations I've looked at so far.
Davis' sensor shielding is what makes the difference. The temperature/humidity sensor is enclosed in louvered radiation shielding. This keeps direct sunlight from causing temperature readings from reading too high, and information technology prevents humid conditions from causing the humidity sensor to err high after heavy rains. There were yet occasions, nonetheless, where Davis' humidity sensor ran too high.
The rain gauge too performed well, which—as in personal weather stations—works through a tipping mechanism that attempts to measure rain by the tips of a small cup inside the gauge. In the months since I wrote the Netatmo weather station review, I've noticed that its smaller than typical cups (which measure down to every iv-thousandths of an inch) are more authentic than Davis' in light rain, but they under-measure heavy rainfall.
Davis uses a standard size cup that measures to the hundredth of an inch. If you live in an area that experiences regular downpours, Davis will give you a more than accurate count over time even if it under-measures calorie-free showers. I experienced this: On the final day of my review flow, my location experienced ane of the heaviest rainstorms in months. When the storm ended two hours later, Netatmo measured 2.20 inches of pelting, while Davis reported two.55 inches—a dramatic difference. Based on other methods of rainfall verification, including radar and nearby observations, Davis was closer and Netatmo indeed as well depression.
Ed Oswald The radiations shielding volition keep your outdoor temperature and humidity readings very accurate.
Davis' sensor measures current of air speed and management using the traditional cup and vane. Netatmo's sonic current of air gauge is slick, but information technology seems to regularly under-measure wind speed. In one case once again, Davis' kit was typically more than accurate. Merely the biggest drawback of Vantage Vue is its all-in-one sensor parcel. Wind speed and direction and temperature measurements should not be taken the same height: Temperature should be measured at center level, while air current speed and direction should be measured at a peak free of any obstruction. You might not know that your local National Weather Service station's wind observation is measured at 33 feet.
It's unlikely, of class, that you'll exist able to mount your dwelling house weather station 33 feet above the basis, and then you'll need to compromise ane measurement or the other when you lot install it. If authentic temperature measurements are virtually of import to yous, mount the all-in-1 sensor at center level and accept the fact that your wind measurements volition be less than accurate. If you need highly authentic wind readings, on the other hand, mount it high in a higher place any obstructions and accept the fact that your temperature readings will exist slightly off.
Davis Instruments WeatherLink.com gives you an almost broadcast similar graphical snapshot of your electric current weather.
WeatherLink connectivity kits: Flash dorsum to 1985
If you find the toll tag for Davis' Vantage Vue acceptable, but y'all also want that information on your smartphone or computer, you'll need to purchase 1 of Davis' WeatherLink connectivity kits. You won't be able to tie the system into your smart dwelling house, as you can with Netatmo'south product, only you volition be able to import the data to your figurer, and from there, to services such every bit Atmospheric condition Underground. From at that place,you lot can access information technology with an Android and iOS app on your smartphone or tablet.
Davis Instruments Don't worry, y'all're not having a 1985 flashback. This is what Davis' software looks like today.
Each WeatherLink kit comes with a dongle the you plug into the back of Davis' console. The less-expensive versions ($165 each) establish connections between the console and your computer via USB or RS-232 serial port (there are Windows and MacOS versions of the software), but these require you to leave your computer running 24/7 if you want to create a running history of measurements. Both software versions accept a no-frills user interface that looks like information technology was made for the very first version of Windows. Actually, I seem to remember an MS-DOS version that looked virtually the same. Early Macintosh users might be thinking "Pfff! Who needs color?!" but hey, this isn't 1985.
Davis, I'm sure, would point out that you tin buy more user-friendly software from a third political party if yous notice its UI that objectionable. Merely they're going to collect at least $165 from you either way, considering y'all tin can't run any software without that dongle. Lesser line: WeatherLink shouldn't exist such an expensive improver when every other high-end home weather station includes internet connectivity with the price of access.
Final thoughts
Davis Instruments has had the domicile weather station market pretty much to themselves for many years. And its product hasn't changed much over the years considering information technology hasn't needed to. Until at present. Once yous add in the cost of internet connectivity, the Vantage Vue makes no sense for the average consumer who's interested in tracking the conditions. We've already covered several alternatives that are almost as authentic equally Davis' kit, but that cost a whole lot less—and in some cases—offer a whole lot more than.
If yous're a hardcore conditions enthusiast who doesn't care about internet connectivity or the smart home, the Vantage Vue remains the best abode atmospheric condition station yous tin can buy—and I've rated it accordingly. But I would guess that demographic is shrinking fast.
Source: https://www.techhive.com/article/3121332/davis-vantage-vue-wireless-weather-station-review.html
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