![]() I ordered the Envoy and waited for it to come in. Instead, I purchased the adapter as cheaply as I could find it, installed it in the console, and then decided I’d rather use it in the Weather Envoy. I’d like to say I used an SDR and Raspberry Pi to build my own radio receiver, but I don’t have those radio skills yet. For a function normally provided by a $10 component and that should be included (serial to USB adapter), the MSRP is $165. ![]() Unfortunately, that’s when I discovered the flaw in the plan: their console requires an additional purchase to do data logging, and it is not cheap. To that end, I ordered a package including the sensor unit and the desktop console.īoth the roof unit and console installed easily and synced up with no issues. My initial plan was to duplicate the setup I had with the old WS-2080 weather station: sensor unit on the roof and console on my desk plugged into my computer. The LCD console is the desk or wall-mount option, the WeatherLink Live is for the IoT enthusiast, and the Weather Envoy is for the data logger (the LCD console also supports data logging). Some part of that is almost certainly to maximize revenue, but it’s also for flexibility. While there are package deals available, the Vantage Vue provides a la carte components unlike weather stations at lower price points. It’s precalibrated for northern hemisphere installation, which means positioning only requires pointing the solar panel south. I may eventually boost it up higher to meet the NOAA roof offset guidelines for more accurate wind readings. The weather sensor unit mounts to the top of the mast using its included bracket. As a sealing backing for the base plate, I added a layer of butyl tape before mounting with roofing screws. I screwed the antenna mast base plate to the roof downslope from the ridge cap. This time around, I decided to use an actual antenna mast for better placement. ![]() My previous weather station was attached to a sewer vent pipe with hose clamps. I chose this model as a replacement due to its better build quality, built-in solar panel and super capacitor (no annual change of battery), and better computer interface. It started working spontaneously two weeks after purchasing the Vue. My newest purchase is a Davis Instruments Vantage Vue, which was purchased after believing the WS-2080 had finally died. For the average owner, it’s good enough (though I’ve discovered first-hand that the plastic doesn’t hold up to 75 mph wind). It has indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity readings, a barometer, anemometer, wind vane, rain gauge, and a solar shield to improve accuracy of the outdoor thermometer. While now discontinued, this style of weather station at around $100 is the least I’d even consider. My first weather station was an Ambient Weather WS-2080 many years ago. Do you care about measuring the UV index or other less common stats?.Is it getting installed in a location that needs a bigger solar shield?.Is a computer interface important to you for importing weather data?.Do you want to measure wind speed and direction?.Choosing the right one for you means choosing which functionality you want: Some are temperature and humidity only where others have anemometers, rain gauges, UV meters, and so on. The market for personal weather stations is incredibly saturated, varying in price point from double-digit dollars up to hundreds or thousands. This is how I augmented an off-the-shelf consumer weather station to make it more useful to me. A home weather station doesn’t replace that but builds on it by providing a monitoring point more relevant to you - it’s your wind speed, your temperature, your humidity, and not those of some location miles away. Within the US, the widespread NOAA weather stations are good enough for most needs.
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