Davis Instruments has been a pioneer in weather systems for some time now. That is why I was honored to have been given the opportunity to review the Vantage Vue system, including the console and the ISS (integrated sensor suite). Also, with the optional weather link, you can broadcast your weather station as part of CWOP (citizens weather observer program). Mine is here.
Whether you are a weather hobbyist, a novice or even a professional Meteorologist, you will appreciate how the Vantage Vue Wireless Weather Station provides accurate, reliable weather monitoring data.
The station itself (less the console) is in a self-contained, easy-to-install system. It is designed to provide the weather data you need for home use, educational purposes, boating and more.
the Vantage Vue outdoor Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS) is tough, durable and fully enclosed. The console, is easy to read and understand and is quite comprehensive.
The ISS took me less than 10 minutes to setup and start sending date to the console. There is a 1,000-foot range, so once it makes the initial connection, it can be placed anywhere in your home, business or boat.
The ISS sends updates to the console every few seconds. This will provide you with current weather conditions, including indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, dew point, and rainfall.
The console is a backlit, 3 by 4.375-inch LCD screen and a keypad that allows you multiple views and functions including weather forecasting, moon phase and sunrise/sunset times, graphing of weather trends, alarms and more. Vantage Vue's iWeather Center button will display additional data on weather variables for today and over the last 25 days. Also, with the optional WeatherLink data logger and software you can gain access to additional weather analysis and you can also join CWOP as I did and broadcast for the world to see.
Some of the console features include, but aren’t limited too;
- Forecast Icons: Icons let you know to expect sun, part sun, clouds, rain, or snow.
- Weather Center: provides additional information for each weather variable, such as daily highs and lows, temperature changes by the hour and barometric value changes. Also displays astronomical data such as meteor showers.
- Graphs: Graph the last 25 hours, days or months. View up to 50 graphs including temperature, rain, rain rate, wind and barometric pressure--all on the console.
- Alarms: Set 22 simultaneous, different alarms to warn of dangers such as high winds, freezing temperatures, rain rate, flood warning, and more.
- Time and Date: View the current time and date or the time of sunrise/sunset.
- Moon Phase: See the eight phases of the moon from new to full.
- Barometer: Five-position trend arrow shows whether barometric pressure is rising, falling, or stable.
- Temperature and Humidity: Console updates outside temperature every 10 seconds and inside temperature every minute. In addition, outside humidity updates every 50 seconds and inside humidity every minute.
- Rain: Console updates rain totals and rain rate every 20 seconds for the last 25 hours, days, months.
- Wind Speed: See wind speed updates every 2.5 seconds, in miles per hour, meters per second, kilometers per hour, and knots. Provides the average and high wind speed for two-minute and ten-minute intervals.
The ISS is also full featured and includes such features such as;
- Wireless: Frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio frequency from 902 to 928 MHz ensures consistent transmission up to 1,000 feet from integrated sensor suite to console. Survived cyclic corrosion tests simulating wear in extreme weather environments
- Solar-powered with stored energy backup: Solar Panel energizes the station during the day. On-board super capacitor provides power at night. Lithium battery provides backup when needed.
- Rain Collector: Self-emptying tipping spoon measures rain with 0.01-inch resolution.
- Anemometer: Records wind speeds from two to 150 miles per hour.
- Wind Direction: Measures wind direction in compass points or degrees.
- Temperature/Relative Humidity: Outside temperature readings from -40 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 65 degrees Celsius). Measures relative humidity from 0 to 100 percent.
Davis is considered the top-of-the-line for home consumer weather stations, and the Vue is no exception. I bought the Vue to replace a cheaper Chinese BIOS weather station which was very inaccurate and the wind vane broke within 6 months of use.
Setting up the Vantage Vue is very simple, well-explained in the user manual, and only involved about 10-15 minutes of time. The station is solar powered and includes a Lithium battery which is charged during the day by the Vue's solar cells. The station accurately monitors temperature (inside and out), wind speed (refreshes data every 2.5 seconds), wind direction, barometric pressure, and relative humidity (inside and out). Add the Weatherlink software for a more comprehensive monitoring solution, storing your own graphs and linking directly into the NOAA for sending your daily weather data. The Vantage Vue packs a LOT of features.
With Davis Instruments, you get what you pay for, they're worth every penny for the true weather enthusiast. Get a great deal at Amazon.com.
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