HELP!! newbie starting up

[chuntsuchen]

hi i am just starting up on this weather thingee..!! i am helping out a friend. We  wish to isntall  a weather for his hobby apple orchard in the wairarapa.  Just the standard stuff except we also  want sunshine hour data.  We also want to put the weather info onto the internet so that we can access the info from wellington etc. I know this is very rudimentary but rather than blunder about blind and be subject to the advice of salespeople,  I thought I would come to the experts!  So questions are:

1. What hardware should i be getting? We would be prepared to pay more for reiliability as we are based in Wellngton
2. Where do i get the stuff from?
3. Do they come with the "right" software (web based )? If not where do I get those.(weather display?)

thanking everybody in advance

chen

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[deepsouthweather]

Hi, Most hardware comes with the software to run it with the exception of Davis where you have to by the software seperately. I personally swear by my Davis Vantage Pro for accuracy & reliability as I have found others I have tried less reliable but the Davis Vantage Pro's do cost a bit more. A cheaper version is the Davis Vantage Vue. You can see all these and prices @  http://www.davisnet.co.nz/.

[TokWW]

Hi and welcome to the forum.  I am passing through Masterton and Greytown this weekend. Are the folks liable to be in the Wairarapa this weekend? 

Yes, I think the Vantage Vue does solar, Gabba on here, uses a Vantage Vue, and he is from Wellington too.  He runs Weather Display I believe on his station and for his website.

Most station hardware systems do not have solar, although it is becoming more popular.  The davis systems have had solar and UV as options for quite some time, and yes they are very good stations, capable of being left alone.

The one thing you will need though, is a PC or laptop running 24/7 with a modem as well.  Laptops can be quite economical to run for extended periods, especially with the display in power save mode. You should also be able to use software to link to the laptop/PC and administer it remotely.

[gabba]

Hi and welcome to the forum from me too!

Yes I have the Vue, and Weather Display combination. For the price they are great. They will never be a Vantage Pro, but for my situation I couldn't have put a Pro on my section, and got better results than I do with my Vue. By all accounts the Vue is still pretty accurate.

I purchased mine from Blenheim based scientific sales. I've bought a bit of stuff from them and they have always been helpful:

http://www.scientificsales.co.nz/weather-stations/davis-6250-vantage-vue-professional-station.html

You will also need the data logger if you are going to connect it to a PC. It's a pain to buy but is a blessing when the power goes out, or your computer reboots due to a windows upgrade, or when you decide to go away on holiday.

There are plenty of other brands around too. I used to have an Oregon Scientific, and there are La Crosse and other makes. Generally they are of less quality, but may be a good starting point if you are in a position where you would like to try out the hobby, but not want to commit to many $  at this stage.

The Vue won't do sunshine hours. However what you can do is set up a 1-wire network (sounds complicated but it's actually not too bad) and do it that way. Here's a thread that will get you started:

http://www.localweather.net.nz/smf/station-accessories/evapotranspiration-sunshine-hours-new-setup/msg12009/#msg12009

I'd recommend Weather Display. There is a small cost for it, but it's feature packed and the author of the software who is on this site is very accommodating to adding new features.  WD also handles the 1-wire network stuff as well.

Many on here also use Cumulus. I've played with it. It's easy to use and free, and does the basics. I don't think Cumulus will do 1-wire sensors. Both software packages will help you get your data up on the internet.

Hope that's a help. Yell out if you have any questions

[TonyC]

I've bought several older model compaq desktops very cheaply on Trademe through CRTNZ (computer recycle'rs), just to run my weather stuff. They've been running without any problems on the copy of windows XP that comes with them. With patience you can pick one up for about $50. They'll run without keyboard,mouse or monitor if you install some remote control software and connect to a small home network.
I've got a Davis VP which I added a solar sensor a year later after starting off on the hobby with a cheaper (LaCrosse) option. If you can afford it, go with the Davis VP if you want solar with plug and play.