AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 702
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For those who have them, how does incorporating a weather station with your observatory work out for you?
What brands and models are preferred?
What type of sensors do you use?
Thanks for any info.
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Coromandel
super member
Reged: 02/27/09
Posts: 139
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Post deleted by Coromandel
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totolesbaloches
member
Reged: 08/22/08
Posts: 62
Loc: France
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I use WS2300 with CloudWatcher (AAG)
all are manage by the soft Weather display (put all in direct on my wen site)
http://www.weather-display.com/index.php
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Laurent B
http://www.felopaul.com/
3,5m Sirus Observatory
Meade 14" on Paramount
TEC140 & WO66
Ethos 8/13,Nagler 20/31
Panoptic 41,TS 50
Canon 350D+Orion+DSI
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 6523
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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I use the Oregon Scientific solar/wireless model with two extra temperature sensors, one for inside the observatory and the other for inside the storage shed.
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M110 Doublet ED, AT 102Achro, ZS80FD 10th Anniv, ZS66SD, PST
CG5-AGT, EZ-Touch, Voyager
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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JAT Observatory
Got Cookies?
Reged: 02/20/05
Posts: 6762
Loc: Eastern PA
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I use a Davis Vantage Pro system as my main weather instrument. The external cluster has temp, humidity, rain fall, wind speed, wind direction and barometric pressure sensors.
That data is transfered via a wireless link to both a display console* in the master bedroom and a data logger in the obs. The data logger also has temp and humidity sensors. The data logger then feeds all the data to a PC in the family room. The weather software on that PC displays all the external and obs conditions including dew point in both locations.
*(The console in the master bedroom only displays external and internal (house) conditions. )
I also care about real-time rain, clouds and lightning and even though those inputs come from different devices (darkness meter, skycam, cloud sensor and lightning detector) I still consider them as part of the weather station.
All of these devices data are managed and displayed by the same dedicated PC that reads the main weather station data. That PC also has links to the obs PC and will influence the obs functions if needed when bad weather rolls in.
So far I have been very happy with the setup.
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-Marcus
The problem with free speech is even the stupid have a voice.
http://www.jatobservatory.org
Currently a SV102A, WO 66mm & 10" LX200GPS OTA on a Paramount ME
(these OTAs subject to change without notice)
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3798
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I have gone through 2 Lacross units, and the replacement Oregon Scientific unit I bought in Feburary just went belly up. I'm going to quit wasting money and get the Davis unit.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Coromandel
super member
Reged: 02/27/09
Posts: 139
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Post deleted by Coromandel
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3798
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Thanks for the tips. I had not thought about lightning, although, in my case I'm -relatively- sure that was not problem. All of the failures I've had have been the wireless transmitter. Unfortunately, wired is not an otion for me.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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rsbfoto
sage
Reged: 06/10/06
Posts: 341
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Quote:
I have gone through 2 Lacross units, and the replacement Oregon Scientific unit I bought in Feburary just went belly up. I'm going to quit wasting money and get the Davis unit.
Hi,
Have you taken a look on the Rainwise here units ? I have one WS-2000 since about 7-8 years and the only thing I had to change was the battery of the sensor unit. The receiver unit still has the original battery
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regards Rainer
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1388
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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Quote:
I have one WS-2000 since about 7-8 years and the only thing I had to change was the battery of the sensor unit. The receiver unit still has the original battery
I have and like the Rainwise unit as well. The only thing about it that slightly disappoints me is that it doesn't have extra inputs for sensors. However, it seems very reliable and well made. So what it does, it does quite well.
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 39594
Loc: montana
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I just went to their website, & you have to contact them for pricing. This bothers me, as I like to look at the products with the prices, without having to give out my information, in order to get a price. 
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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rsbfoto
sage
Reged: 06/10/06
Posts: 341
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Quote:
I just went to their website, & you have to contact them for pricing. This bothers me, as I like to look at the products with the prices, without having to give out my information, in order to get a price.
Hi Carol,
Which one do you like and I would gladly send them an e-mail and when I get an answer then I would resend it to you.
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regards Rainer
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3798
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Carol, I just visited their website and found prices (?????). Just as example, their MK III RTR sensor unit was listed at $925. The computer interface was listed at $295. Their webpage is not the most user friendly one I have seen out there either.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1388
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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You can find prices on rainwise (and everybody else) at:
http://www.ambientweather.com/
http://www.weathershack.com/
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 39594
Loc: montana
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Thanks everyone! Scott, thanks for the links!
Much appreciated 
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1388
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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My pleasure Carol, least I can do after all your help!
Hey, I'm researching 1-wire based weather instruments. I am considering using some of the 1-wire based sensors to monitor temp / humidity in my dome. (1-wire is a serial based protocol where data / power all travel over the same wire.) One advantage of this design is that it's *exceedingly* modular.
Want to add extra sensors? Just plug 'em in and configure your software to read them. Want a lightning sensor? Yep, install it, plug in, and go. You could conceivably build an observatory automation out of this stuff - there are quite a lot of sensors that use this bus.
Some links:
Texas Weather Instruments - look at the 1-wire station
Build your own weather station with stuff from hobby boards
Sensors from iButtonLink
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 39594
Loc: montana
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You guys have got me thinking how nice it would be to have a good weatherstation, that I could have a sensor in the Observatory, & then have everything display on my computer. I would have to have wireless, though.
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 702
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How reliable are some of the units?
And please indicate the models of the brands you are discussing...there are more than one.
Thanks
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JAT Observatory
Got Cookies?
Reged: 02/20/05
Posts: 6762
Loc: Eastern PA
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I guess reliability relative. I have a Davis Vantage Pro which isn't available anymore ,nor are parts for it. I have had 2 issues since I've had my station.
About 2 years after I purchased the system I had an issue with the remote sensors transmitting intermittently during rain and heavy fog. I figured it was the battery not holding a charge from the solar panel. Replacing the battery didn't fix the problem so I called Davis. They sent me a SIM Replacement Kit. The kit replaced the circuit board under the rain bucket and relocated the temp and humidity sensor.
The system worked fine until the data logger which is located in the observatory suffered damaged due to a lightning strike. The data logger has 2 sides; a wireless side and a wired RS232 side that talks to the remote PC. The lightning took out the underground wired RS232 section. That happened about 2 years or so ago and the logger was repaired. Last year another strike took out the RS232 port on the PC but the data logger survived.
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-Marcus
The problem with free speech is even the stupid have a voice.
http://www.jatobservatory.org
Currently a SV102A, WO 66mm & 10" LX200GPS OTA on a Paramount ME
(these OTAs subject to change without notice)
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 702
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Quote:
I guess reliability relative. I have a Davis Vantage Pro which isn't available anymore ,nor are parts for it. I have had 2 issues since I've had my station.
About 2 years after I purchased the system I had an issue with the remote sensors transmitting intermittently during rain and heavy fog. I figured it was the battery not holding a charge from the solar panel. Replacing the battery didn't fix the problem so I called Davis. They sent me a SIM Replacement Kit. The kit replaced the circuit board under the rain bucket and relocated the temp and humidity sensor.
The system worked fine until the data logger which is located in the observatory suffered damaged due to a lightning strike. The data logger has 2 sides; a wireless side and a wired RS232 side that talks to the remote PC. The lightning took out the underground wired RS232 section. That happened about 2 years or so ago and the logger was repaired. Last year another strike took out the RS232 port on the PC but the data logger survived.
You have a great setup...let me see if I can help.
It sounds like you need either spark gap protection on both ends of the RS232 wired side or put in a fiber optic link.
Is the RS232 run of wires shielded and the shield grounded?
This will give you some info on the subject.
http://www.arcelect.com/lightnin.htm
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