Davis Instruments Now Sets The Standards With Two Great Davis Weather Stations

For quite some time Davis Instruments has been setting the standard with its home weather stations. The first of the Davis Weather Stations was the Vantage Pro, followed a few years ago by the completely remodeled Vantage Pro2.

The Vantage Pro2 outperformed all other personal weather stations in reliability, service, accuracy and speed of data update, combining these features with the longest signal transmission range of its competitors, and a software package which allowed easy linkup to a PC. And all this came at a price not that much higher than less robust and slower instruments from other manufacturers - the basic Davis Vantage Pro2 could usually be found for less than US$450.00.

But the Vantage Pro was designed to be something more than a home weather station - optional extras transformed it into a versatile instrument suitable for many commercial purposes, including horticultural businesses, and it has also found its home in many schools and scientific establishments.

Being able to add more sensors and shielding to the Vantage Pro2 came at a cost, and many potential owners lowered their sites and settled for something less expensive. And it is true that the average home weather enthusiast doesn't need to know about leaf wetness, or need over 70 alarm functions. So a gap existed in the market for a cheaper wireless weather station with a more standard range of sensors and reporting options, but still retaining the robust and reliable character of the Vantage Pro2.

Other manufacturers have tried to fill this gap, but despite producing some fine budget priced home weather stations, have never been able to produce a real competitor to the Davis Weather Stations Vantage Pro2.

It is perhaps fitting that the Vantage Pro2 now has real competition in the home weather station market, and that the genuinely competitive instrument has come from none other than Davis Instruments.

This impressive newcomer is the Vantage Vue. At a manufacturer's price of US$395.00, $200.00 cheaper than the Vantage Pro2, the Davis Weather Stations Vantage Vue provides exactly the same basic weather information as it big brother, with identical specifications, accuracy and update intervals. All the essential features are there, including full computer compatibility and the 1000 feet transmission range in unimpeded line of sight.

You can find out more about these great Davis Weather Stations, the Vantage Vue and the Vantage Pro2 elsewhere in this site, but in a nutshell there are only three significant differences between the two.

Firstly the Vantage Vue cannot be connected to the more specialized sensors available with the Vantage Pro2, including Ultra Violet radiation, leaf wetness, soil moisture etc. Everything - outside temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind direction and wind strength - is incorporated in a single sensor package, powered by a solar cell, and up to 8 of these can be linked to the receiver. Air pressure and inside temperature and humidity are measured form the inside console.

Secondly there are only 22 alarm functions, all of which can be set to your own requirements from the console. Only 22? That's still enough to cover all likely weather events that you might need to know about in a hurry, including wind chill, heat index and dew point. Temperature extremes, approaching storms, high winds and high rainfall are all covered, together with many more.

The forecasting function is also a little reduced - 24 hours ahead in the Vantage Vue as opposed to 48 in the Vantage Pro2. That's still up there with its competitors, and you'll probably find you can out perform a programmed forecaster once you have become accustomed to the way your local weather changes. But the main difference is price. With the normal discounts offered by most good retailers, particularly those selling over the internet, the Vantage Vue is now competitive in price with all alternative fully functional weather stations. So if the only reason you weren't considering a Davis home weather station was the cost of the Vantage Pro2, you now have a genuine alternative in the Vantage Vue.

It has everything you need in a home weather station, all the essential features and benefits of the Vantage Pro2, at a truly competitive price. It appears that the standard setter for home weather stations is now the Davis Vantage Vue.

More information on both the Vantage Pro2 and the Vantage Vue can be found elsewhere on this site, while full reviews can be found at the sister site Home Weather Station Reviews Although the Vantage Vue is still finding its way into retail outlets, Davis Weather Stations are readily available, usually at significant discounts to their recommended prices. As you may expect, one of the easiest ways to fine the best prices for Davis Weather Stations is at Amazon.

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You should be aware that, should you buy a Davis Home Weather Station or any other item as a result of following a link on this and other pages in this site, I may make a small commission on the sale.

Last updated 12/05/2011