Hi all,
This is my first post in this forum so here goes: I have used a wireless Davis VP2 as a remote weather station by installing the console in a weatherproof box at the bottom and and the ISS on top of a 10m (30’) pole. I log on to the console remotely by GSM modem and everything is powered by a battery that is in turn powered by a 10W solar panel. The whole set up works well even though I don’t think that the console was ever designed to go out in the field on a 1000m mountain where temperatures routinely drop to -5C !
What was really not intended was to use the wireless version of the VP2, and especially ,(this was a gift), to use the American version in Europe. The reason as far as I can tell is that the US version of VP2 uses frequencies close to the 900Mhz GSM band which is asking for trouble especially as the two antennas (the VP2 console and that of the GSM modem) are in close proximity. Unfortunately the local 1800Mhz operator here in Greece does not have a signal strong enough for where I want the weather station to be.
In any case the set up works well and robustly most of the time. Except for maybe once or twice a day where I get total signal loss for no explanation. I mean why would the whole thing work fine (signal 95-100%) and then totally drop out ?. Most of the time the link is re-stored but recently I had to go out in the snow up in the mountains, bring the pole down change the CR123 battery, reset the console, etc not the most pleasant of experiences…
This is very strange and given that the two antennas are less than 8m(24’) apart very baffling.
Any ideas are especially appreciated as I do not particularly relish going up the mountain again… Has anyone heard of convertin a wireless VP2 to the cabled version ? (The ISS connector is there but msiing from the cosnole for example)
BTW if anyone is interested I can share the set-up design and cabling of the VP2 console to the GSM modem, photos, etc