Davis Vantage Pro 2 Frequently Asked Question Guide

The Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station is a must-have for professionals and home users wanting a precision weather monitoring capability. This featureful Station measures all critical weather parameters, has a solar-assisted outdoor sensor, a transmission range up to 300m, and is (almost) endlessly expandable!.

Your Instrument Choice Scientists have put together an in-depth FAQ guide that answers customer inquiries on topics like battery replacement, navigating the console, and troubleshooting reception issues.

Q. How long can I expect my Vantage Pro2 Console’s batteries to last?

A. The Davis Vantage Pro 2 console has two power sources, AC power and batteries.

While the unit can run solely on battery power, our scientists say that AC power with battery backup is the most reliable option and protects against power outages. Table 1 (below) sets out the expected battery life of your Vantage Pro 2 console for different setups.

Table 1 Current draw and battery life of the Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station console

The time scales generated in Table 1 assume premium alkaline batteries. Actual battery life will vary depending on Station setup and use.

Q. I’m getting a “Low Battery” Notification Error on my console (even after replacing the batteries). What should I do?

A. Your Vantage Pro2 Weather Station ISS uses a CR-123A 3-volt lithium battery to back up the capacitor. The console will display a “low battery on Station 1” message when the battery is low. 

When this message appears, replace the battery. The battery will need replacement every few years – depending on solar charging. Expect around eight months without sunlight but over two years with adequate solar charging.

Q. I’m stuck on the “Receiving From” screen on my console. How do I get past it?

A. When your Console is switched on and starting up, it will automatically go into the "Receiving from" mode. This mode helps determine if there are other Stations in your vicinity and what channels they occupy.

To bypass the "Receiving from" mode, press and hold the "Done" button for two seconds.

Q. Where can I find a detailed technical comparison of the Vantage Pro2 and Vantage Vue?

A. Your Instrument Choice Scientists can help! They have created an article that compares the inclusions, accuracy, resolution, and transmission range of the Davis Vantage Vue and the Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Stations.

Read the article here.

Q. My Console is beeping. Why does this happen, and how do I stop it?

A. If your Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station console is beeping three times in a burst at repeated intervals, there’s a chance you might have inadvertently set the alarm. Follow the steps outlined below, and you will clear alarms and stop the beeping.

How to clear all alarms

1. Enter ALARM mode by pressing and releasing the ALARM key.
2. Press and hold the ALARM key. All the fields will become dashed.
3. Release the ALARM key. All alarms have been cleared.

How to clear individual high alarms

1. Press ALARM to enter alarm mode. The ALARM and HIGH icons will appear.
2. Select the alarm setting you wish to clear.
3. Press 2ND, then press and hold CLEAR until the setting changes to all dashes. You have cleared the alarm setting.
4. Press DONE to exit Alarm Mode.

How to clear individual low alarms

1. Press ALARM to enter alarm mode.
2. Press the High/Low button to display low alarms.
3. Select the alarm setting you wish to clear.
4. Press 2ND, then press and hold CLEAR until the setting change to all dashes. You have cleared the alarm setting.
5. Press DONE to exit Alarm Mode.

Q. I’m getting bad reception and not receiving data; how can I troubleshoot the problem?

A. Each Davis Vantage Pro2 site installation is unique and presents its own set of challenges. Obstacles will limit your reception distance. For this reason, we recommend testing the reception between the Console and ISS in the locations you wish to mount them before permanently fixing them. To do this – place the Console and Station in the approximate locations and have them on your desired Station channels.

Screen Notification Translation

• “X”: An “X” flashes for every data packet received by the console.
• “R”: An “R” displays when the console tries to re-establish a lost connection. The console will attempt to re-establish a connection for 10 minutes before going into L Mode. After 10-minutes, if no data packets have been received, the console dashes out any missing sensor readings.
• “L”: An “L” displays when the signal is lost. They will remain in “L” mode for 15 minutes before returning to “R” mode. To force the console into “R” mode before 15 minutes has elapsed, re-enter and exit the Setup Mode.

If you are still getting bad reception and not receiving data, enter Console Diagnostic Mode (see below)

Q. How do I enter and exit the Console Diagnostic Mode?

A. The console diagnostic mode is helpful when choosing the best locations for your Console and ISS to optimise data transfer. The Diagnostic Mode consists of two screens:

Screen 1: Statistical Diagnostic Screen: This screen provides detailed, continuously updated information about how well data is transmitted from the weather station to the console over 24 hours. (This diagnostic option is available for cabled and wireless Davis Vantage Pro 2 consoles).

Screen 2: Reception Diagnostic Screen: The Reception Diagnostic screen displays diagnostic information to determine how well the console’s wireless reception performs. Understandably, this tool is available for wireless consoles only.

Note: The radio transmission data used by both diagnostic screens will clear and recommence each day at midnight.

Screen 1: Statistical Diagnostic Screen

Press and hold TEMP, then press HUM to display the Statistical Diagnostic Screen.

Once you land on the Statistical Diagnostic Screen, it will look like the screenshot below:

Figure 1 The Statistical Diagnostic Screen of the Davis Vantage Pro2 console.   

Use the notes below to decipher the information displayed (above) and how you use it to best position your Console and ISS:

1. This is where you find view either the time or the number of times the anemometer switch was closed*. Press WIND to toggle between the two values.
2. Date or the number of times the anemometer switch was open*. Press WIND to toggle between these two values.
3. This spot is the location to view the number of packets containing CRC errors (i.e., Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Errors - when any corrupted data was received). This number is important because a CRC error commonly indicates a packet error due to poor or intermittently poor network communications, known as “bad packets”.
4. This number describes the overall number of bad data packets, including missed packets and CRC errors.
5. The percentage of good packets received.
6. The total number of good packets received.
7. The number of times the console synchronised with the transmitter. The console will attempt to synchronise with the Station after 20 consecutive bad packets.
8. This value is the maximum number of bad packets in a row (without resynchronisation).
9. This value is the current ongoing streak of consecutive bad packets. The counter increases when the console is synchronised, but the packet is bad. This value resets to zero when a good packet is received.
10. The longest ever streak of consecutive good packets received.
11. The current streak of consecutive good packets received.
12. Graph of the daily percentage of good data packets received over the last 24 days.
13. Background noise level. Background noise level refers to any undesirable signal levels the console detects while acquiring a signal from your Station. The range displayed is from 5 to 60. When the noise level is high, move the console closer to the Station to get a stronger signal.
    Note: A low background noise level does not always guarantee good reception because the signal strength between the Station and the console needs to be stronger than the background noise level for the console to receive data at all. Therefore, if you experience no reception when the background noise level is low, check that the proximity of the console is within a reasonable range of the Station.
    
14. Current console battery voltage. You can ignore this value if using the AC Adapter only to power the console.
15. This value indicates the repeater ID currently in communication with the console. It’s only relevant if a repeater or group of repeaters is relaying Station information to the console. If the console is not listening to repeaters, this section will be blank.
16. This value refers to the console’s reception status. See “I’m getting bad reception and not receiving data; how can I troubleshoot the problem?” above for information on the status types.

Screen 2: Reception Diagnostic Screen (wireless Consoles only)

After viewing the Statistical Diagnostic Screen, press 2ND and then press CHILL to switch to the Reception Diagnostic screen. The degree sign in the upper left corner of item 1 will display.

The information displayed on this screen includes:

Figure 2 The Reception Diagnostic Screen of the Davis Vantage Pro2 console.   

1. The 8-bit timer value of next reception.* The degree sign also displays here confirming you are on the Reception Diagnostic Screen.
2. The radiofrequency error of the last successfully received data packet from the console. In normal operation, this value is +1, -1, or 0. This value influences #5 (below) “Current frequency correction factor”.
3. The percentage of good data packets. **
4. The signal strength of the last packet received. The values displayed in this field should generally be between 20 and 60. If a packet is not received, the signal strength field is dashed out (--).
5. Current frequency correction factor.
6. Frequency index of the next packet to be received.*
7. The current number of consecutive bad packets. **
8. The number of times that the Phase Lock Loop did not lock.*
9. The current streak of consecutive good packets received. **

Conclusion

Have further questions you need to be answered? Need assistance with your Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station? We know Davis Weather Stations inside out, so we are ready to deal with all your inquires, plus help you become familiar with all the features and functions - so you can get the most from your weather station!

Feel free to contact an Instrument Choice scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].