1. How easy is it to set up the station?
With most of the competing stations, you need to install each sensor
separately, which adds complication and takes time and effort. Our
Vantage Pro® weather stations are designed to make setup as easy as
possible. The Integrated Sensor Suite is factory-assembled. Just
complete a few minor assembly steps, insert the battery, and you're
ready to mount the sensors. Mount them all together using our optional
tripod, or detach the anemometer to mount it separately. Flexible
mounting options make it easy, either way.
2. What is the maximum transmission distance?
The wireless transmission range for most of the competing stations is
generally quite limited. Although transmission range is highly variable
(depending not only on the surrounding physical features of the land and
structures but also on the RF interference in the area), our Vantage Pro
weather stations will almost always out perform the competition,
transmitting up to 400 feet under most conditions. And-unlike the
competition-we offer wireless repeaters should you wish to extend the
range even further.
3. What weather variables are measured and recorded?
Most other stations offer barometric pressure, outside humidity and dew
point, daily and yearly rainfall, wind speed and direction, wind chill,
and outside temperature. Some also offer inside temperature and
humidity, and a few even give you extra outside temperature readings and
current rain rate. Only Vantage Pro gives you all these, plus:
- Additional Rainfall Information: 15-minute rainfall, hourly
and monthly rainfall, and rainfall amounts for each of the last 24
storms.
- Additional Wind Speed Information: 10-minute average wind
speed, direction of high speed, and 10-minute dominant wind direction.
- Apparent Temperature: Heat index (the combined effects of
temperature and humidity) and, with the addition of a solar radiation
sensor, temperature-humidity-sun-wind index.
- Optional Sensors for Solar and UV Radiation, something
that's becoming more important as we become increasingly aware of the
dangers to health caused by excessive exposure to the sun.
- Additional Information (with optional sensors) for
agricultural users: Evapotranspiration, leaf wetness, soil moisture,
and soil temperature
4. How many highs and lows are measured and recorded?
Most other stations simply give you the current readings. If highs and
lows are available at all, they are usually quite limited. Only Vantage
Pro gives you the highs and lows (and/or totals or average readings) for
just about all avail-able weather conditions for the last 24 days (with
time of day), months (with date), or years. No other weather station on
the market even comes close. And not only can you view the data
numerically, you'll also see it on Vantage Pro's on-screen graphs,
giving you instantaneous visual representations of long-term trends.
5. How often is the information updated?
The Vantage Pro transmitter sends a data packet to the console every 2½
seconds. The weather conditions that are the most variable (such as wind
speed and direction) are updated with each packet, while most other
conditions are updated every 10 seconds. With the competition's
stations, the update interval is much longer: 30 seconds, or even 3
minutes or longer. This may not seem like an important distinction. But
try watching the wind gust, or the rain suddenly come pouring down. It's
very disconcerting to be looking out the window, seeing something
happening weather-wise, and not see it reflected on the console for what
seems to be an eternity
6. Can you use the station at higher elevations?
Our stations can be used up to 12,000 feet in elevation. Many of the
competing stations are limited to 6,000 feet or below. If you're lucky
enough to live and work-or perhaps enjoy a vacation home-in the
mountains, you'll find that our Vantage Pro weather stations work just
fine, no matter what elevation you're at.
7. How is the forecast generated?
The competition generally bases their forecasts strictly on whether
barometric pressure is rising or falling. This results in none too
accurate a prediction. Vantage Pro uses a sophisticated forecasting
algorithm which takes into ac-count not only barometric pressure, but
also wind, rainfall, temperature, humidity, and longitude and latitude.
The result? A much more accurate forecast. Not perfect, but even the
guys with the satellite pictures don't always get it right!
8. How is the forecast displayed?
The competition gives their forecast by means of an icon. We have
similar icons, plus over 100 different forecast messages that scroll
across the bottom of the display when you press the FORECAST key. None
of the other stations have this scrolling message-it is unique to
Vantage Pro. The ticker tape also gives additional information,
depending on which key you press. For example, press the WIND key to
display wind speed, and you'll see a mes-sage showing you the 10-minute
average wind speed. If it's raining, you can press the RAIN YR key to
see the last 15 minutes of rain, or RAIN DAY to see the last 24 hours of
rain. And these are just a few examples! None of the competition has
anything like this.
9. How much data can you graph on the screen?
With Vantage Pro, you can graph just about every weather variable, with
averages and highs and lows for most, and go back in time for minutes,
days, months, and years. The competition typically graphs just one
variable-barometric pressure-and typically just for the last 24 hours.
With all the graphs on Vantage Pro, you can do tons of analysis, even
without purchasing an additional software package (although we offer one
of those, too). And you'll find that the more dramatic the weather is,
the more fun it is to look at the graphs. Just how windy is it, and how
does it compare to the last windstorm? And how much rain did we get this
month, as compared to last month?
10. What is the computer interface like?
If you'd like to do even more analysis, you can add our WeatherLink data
logger and software package. The data logger stores data at the interval
you choose (from one minute to two hours) for up to six months. You can
transfer the data whenever you like, or leave your computer on to have
it automatically transfer every day. The data logger uses non-volatile
memory, so you won't lose the data even if you lose power. For some of
the competing stations, no software package is available. And while
other stations do offer a software package, they don't include a data
logger -so your computer must be on and the software running at all
times.
11. How many alarms are there?
On Vantage Pro, alarms can be set be just about every weather variable,
for just about any reason imaginable-up to 65 alarms, in all. Like the
graphs, the alarms found on the competition's stations are generally
quite limited.
12. What is the accuracy, resolution, and range?
Our Vantage Pro weather stations generally beat the competition in
accuracy, resolution, and range. It can be difficult to find the specs
for competing stations. When we do find them, our testing shows that
they are a bit, shall we say, optimistic. We are very proud of our
specs, stand behind them 100%, and are proud to publish them in our catalog
and on our website.
13. How many other people are using the stations?
Although our Vantage Pro stations are new, we have an installed base of
thousands and thousands of happy Davis weather station users around the
country and around the world. If you check out the "Weather World
'Round" section on our website (http://www.davisnet.com/weather/cool/world.asp),
you'll see a listing for Norman, Oklahoma. Click on that link, and
you'll go to the website for the National Weather Service's Storm
Prediction Center. They're using our Weather Monitor II (a predecessor
to the Vantage Pro station) to update the local "unofficial" weather
conditions to their website. In addition, many Davis weather station
owners participate as volunteer observers for the National Weather
Service, the National Hurricane Center, and numerous local TV and radio
stations.
14. What is the company behind the product?
In business since 1963, we opened up the home weather station market
back in 1989. The competition has appeared only within the last few
years. Unlike the competition, we manufacture our weather stations right
here in Hayward, California, and have a full customer service and
support staff. Most of the competing weather stations are made overseas.
And it can be difficult (if not next to impossible) to get any kind of
customer service or aftermarket sup-port from these companies.