Rookie setting up a VP 2 in SE PA. USA

Hardware Weather Station Siting and Setup Tips
1

I have what I think to be a pretty good spot for the anemometer (SE corner of flat roofed house using the Ambient Weather WeatherMount) .

My quesion is about the placement of the ISS. The easy spot would be on the south side of the house below the anemometer but it would be pretty much full sun most of the day. Would this be OK if i used a fan-aspirated unit? Or I should extend the cable from the anemometer approx 80’ to the north side of the house where it would get less direct sun. Any thoughts ? TIA

Mark Sperber
Parkesburg PA

2

Ideally, the roof of a house is not a good spot. Houses generate heat from the sun and then radiate it well past sun down (in the summer months).

The ISS should be mounted about 6 feet off the ground in a grassy area.

The anemometer should be mounted 33 feet in the air, in an open area, a couple of hundred yards from all structures.

Obviously, you can’t do that with the ISS. But you can remove the anemometer and mount it up higher than the ISS.

Not knowing your house setup, I would suggest mounting the anemometer on the pole you got and mount the ISS down on the ground somewhere.

I have a list of setup guides… http://www.carterlake.org/stationsetup.php

3

Not to be picky… but I think he means about 5 feet off the ground, not on the ground…( dogs will want to piddle on it).

Unless your unit is cabled, you want a direct sunlight on the solar panels sometime during the day… I have mine and it gets the sun pretty much about from 11 am to about 4 pm now as the winter approaches. I am hoping if we get snow we get some reflection on to the panel… but you do want to make sure that the wind you measure is the wind, not the heat off the roof or from the chili feed next door.

There are a lot of good threads on this board that will guide you and you can view a lot of folks how they solved their problems.

4

Tom thanks for the response I will take a look at your link info. Just to clarify, I have kind of an odd situation in that my house is built into a bank on the west and most of the north side. The south east corner is 20’ above grade and I figure to pick up another 6’ with the bracket for the anemometer. The easiest place to but the ISS would 5-6’ above grade below the anemometer but it is southern exposure and I was wondering if that would have a negative effect on the readings.

If I run from the anemometer to the back of the house (north) to the ISS maybe I don’t need a fan-aspirated unit? I’m not sure.

In any event when I’m near a broadband connection I will do some more poking around past discussions on this. At home I’m on dial up (no hi speed available).

Thanks again,
Mark S.

5

the fan unit doesn’t affect the wind readings… it probably gives about +/- 4 or so degrees in the temperature humidity range. At least that is what I figured out with mine.

I think you want the anenometer to be higher than the house so not to get the effect of the wind blowing off the roof then up on your unit. But the fan unit doesn’t affect that. If you go with the fan aspirated, go with the 24 hour unit at time of purchase. The daytime needs light on it and unless you get a full day’s light on the panel, it doesn’t really make that difference.

I went with the daytime Fars and now the sun’s angle has changed, so I get about 4 hours direct radiation on the panels as the sun filters through the leaves on the leaves that haven’t fallen. I am interested on how it works on reflected light off snow.

6

Aardvark, I’m not sure I understand what you are saying regarding [quote] “…it probably gives about +/- 4 or so degrees in the temperature humidity range”

The unit I’m looking at is 24hr. FARS.

Another question; with the Davis VP 2. It looks like the rain gage must stay with the ISS?

Thanks for your responce.

Mark S.
Parkesburg PA