I’m somewhat biased: I’ve had my Davis Vantage Vue wireless weather station installed in my backyard since September 2016. But as a result, I can provide you with a long-term review with many more positives than negatives.
Ambient Weather WS-5000 Quick Review
My Vantage Vue has been through all kinds of weather conditions since then, including several blizzards, torrential rainstorms, freezing temperatures, and triple-digit heat. And with just a minimal amount of maintenance, my experience has been mostly trouble-free. However, you pay for this kind of reliability and quality. The Vantage Vue is one of the more expensive home weather stations on the market, only eclipsed by the higher-end Davis Vantage Pro2.
Best Mid-Grade Weather Station
While the Vantage Vue is showing its age, and its connectivity options limited, it remains the best mid-grade weather station on the market.
Pros:
- Accuracy is nearly on par with the Vantage Pro 2
- Extremely reliable
- Well-constructed and durable
Cons:
- Internet connectivity is optional, and expensive
- 5-in-1 sensor isn’t the best for accurate readings
- No expandability
SKU:6250
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Davis replaced the aging console of the Vue wireless weather station with the WeatherLink Live base unit as a package option, which is the package we recommend. The console is extremely dated and requires an expensive dongle to connect it to the internet – and you’ll need an open ethernet port on the back of your router.
Of course, we’d still recommend the Vantage Pro2 for serious weather watchers, as the accuracy of the instrumentation is best-in-class, and it has a broader range of optional sensors. However, the Vantage Pro2 is almost twice the price. With the Vue, you get all the basics, such as inside and outside temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, rainfall, wind speed, and direction.
We recommend the Vantage Vue wireless weather station to save money if you don’t have any specialized needs (think gardening, water temperature readings, etc.). And as I can attest personally, it’s worth the money.
Features at a Glance
- Indoor and Outdoor Temperature
- Indoor and Outdoor Humidity
- Barometric Pressure
- Rainfall
- Wind Speed and Wind Direction
- Heat Index and Wind Chill
- Moon Phase and Weather Forecast Icons on Console
Optional
- WeatherLink Live (for internet connectivity)
- AirLink Air Quality Monitor
Photo: Davis InstrumentsWhat is the difference between the Vantage Vue and Vantage Pro2?
The primary difference between the Vantage Vue and Vantage Pro2 is the sensor suite and accuracy. The integrated sensor suite on the Vantage Vue requires you to compromise sensor accuracy. If you place it at the correct height for wind, your temperature readings will be off. But if you put it at the right height for temperature, your wind speed readings will be inaccurate. However, for most, this will not be an issue.
I am a casual weather observer. Is the Vantage Vue for me?
If you’re just casually observing the weather, we’d recommend the Ambient Weather WS-2902C instead. It is far cheaper than the Vantage Vue and easier to set up. However, if you consider yourself a weather junkie, then a Davis Vantage Vue wireless weather station is a solid buy, even though the internet connectivity is somewhat lacking.
Does the Vantage Vue include a lightning detector?
No. Consider the WeatherFlow Tempest, which has the best lightning detection, or purchase the lightning detector model for the Ambient Weather WS-2902C or WS-5000 to add functionality to your weather station.
Setting up the Vantage Vue
Photo: The Weather Station ExpertsThe Vantage Vue isn’t plug-and-play, although we don’t want to scare you off. It’s a minor assembly, just a bit more than most weather stations we’ve seen and tested. Davis makes it easy with clear and simple directions, so 30-45 minutes is a reasonable estimate of setup time.
You’ll want to set up the sensor suite, including inserting the batteries. This will make setting up the WeatherLink Live base unit relatively easy, connecting your Vantage Vue to the Internet. Again, Davis provides outstanding directions; at least for us, it was easy to install.
While Davis does offer a free version of WeatherLink, I’d recommend you opt for the Pro version, which is an additional monthly fee. You’ll gain access to all of your historical data that way. Our only gripe is that you must pay for the feature: everyone else includes it.
If you need help site your station correctly, see our guide on mounting and siting here. Remember that you’re dealing with an all-in-one sensor suite, so you may need to compromise.
Up-to-the-minute backyard weather
Photo: The Weather Station ExpertsIt’s a Davis, so accuracy is expected. And over the past five years, as long as we’ve kept the station well-maintained, that’s what we’ve gotten. We have a few personal weather stations and an official NOAA observing station nearby to compare our weather data.
More often than not, our readings match up well with these stations. I’ve never had to recalibrate any of the sensors, so there’s no “drift.” It also has one of the fastest update intervals of any station on the market, with some readings updating every two seconds.
With WeatherLink Live, you’ll need to connect to your station while on the same Wi-Fi network to see live weather data within the app. If you opt for the console, the sensor suite’s measurements report the same lightning-fast speed to the console.
So what makes the Vantage Vue so accurate? Davis protects the thermometer/humidity sensor in the outdoor sensor suite with louvered radiation shielding, which is the recommended way to shelter your sensor in direct sunlight. In our experience, this seemed to work quite well, with only minor issues during the mid-summer with heat building.
The rain gauge has performed exceptionally well. However, there is no option for a heated gauge like with the Vantage Pro2. You’ll need a traditional rain gauge during winter to have accurate precipitation records. To keep your rainfall data accurate, you’ll also want to clear the rain collector area frequently, especially in the fall.
The traditional cup and vane anemometer are also generally accurate, but you must compromise because it’s an all-in-one sensor suite. The temperature and humidity sensors should be placed at “eye level (5-6 feet), while the wind vane and gauge should be at 33 feet! We’ve split the difference in our installation, with the sensor suite about 12 feet above the ground.
The outdoor sensor suite is solar-powered but has a lithium battery that will need to be replaced. This powers the console overnight. We’ve changed ours twice in six-plus years, so battery life is pretty good if you use the right ones.
The Vantage Pro2 doesn’t have this issue, as the cup-and-vane anemometer is a separate unit. We recommend the Vantage Pro2 instead for the most serious weather watchers.
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The Vantage Vue Isn’t Upgradable
As we said previously, most optional sensors aren’t compatible with the Vantage Vue as these sensors require the Vantage Pro2 sensor suite to work. However, we have Davis’ new AirLink air quality sensor installed with our Vantage Vue, but that’s only because the AirLink has built-in radio chips to directly communicate with WeatherLink Live.
A Dated Display, But
We won’t sugarcoat it — the Vantage Vue console is pretty dated. But it sure is chock full of information, with indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, moon phase, barometric pressure and barometric pressure trend, and a graph to view that and other trends on the front screen. A text area on the bottom right changes automatically to highlight information, such as a text version of its weather forecast (also displayed!) or important weather measurements.
We hear rumors that the company is working on a new console, but with WeatherLink Live out, we believe Davis is moving towards console-less stations, much like the WeatherFlow Tempest. But for now, you’ll have to deal with your real-time data on a console that looks out of the 1990s.
WeatherLink Live
Photo: Davis InstrumentsThe addition of WeatherLink Live seriously upgrades the communication capabilities of the Vantage Vue. Previously, you had to purchase an expensive (and outdated) ethernet dongle to connect your station to WeatherLink for data storage and send weather data to Weather Underground.
While real smart home connectivity other than an Alexa app is still missing, WeatherLink Live makes more sense. It appears that the newer sensors that Davis is releasing are built to be compatible with the WeatherLink Live directly, so options may grow with time on what you can do.
What we like about the connectivity is the live updating within the app. It’s a nifty feature, and I’ll admit to watching it intently during some of our stormiest weather.
What’s nice is, from what we’ve seen, it isn’t any more expensive than the old dongle, which didn’t have the functionality the WeatherLink Live has. Unfortunately, it’s also not any cheaper.
The Vantage Vue is worth the price
Photo: The Weather Station ExpertsWhile it might be more expensive than other mid-range weather stations, the Davis Vantage Vue is still hard to beat. It is still the undisputed champion on the accuracy side, although the Ambient Weather WS-5000 is not far behind.
Where the Vantage Vue suffers is in its connectivity options. The WeatherLink Live base unit addresses many of them, but not all. We’d like to see Davis support smart home connectivity, which shouldn’t be hard with the new platform.
If you need the smart home capabilities, opt for the WS-5000 instead. However, even with my home full of smart gadgets, I’ve opted for the Vantage Vue. The accuracy is just the best you can get in its price range, bar none, and you will get years of reliable weather monitoring.
Davis Instruments Vantage Vue
The Davis Vantage Vue has been around forever, and was showing its age. Does the new WeatherLink Live bring it into the 21st Century?
Product SKU:6110
Product Brand:Davis Instruments
Editor's Rating:
4.5
Pros
- Accuracy is nearly on par with the Vantage Pro 2
- Extremely reliable
- Well-constructed and durable
Cons
- Internet connectivity is optional, and expensive
- 5-in-1 sensor isn’t the best for accurate readings
- No expandability
Davis Instruments Vantage Vue
The Davis Vantage Vue has been around forever, and was showing its age. Does the new WeatherLink Live bring it into the 21st Century?
Product SKU:6110
Product Brand:Davis Instruments
Editor's Rating:
4.5
Pros
- Accuracy is nearly on par with the Vantage Pro 2
- Extremely reliable
- Well-constructed and durable
Cons
- Internet connectivity is optional, and expensive
- 5-in-1 sensor isn’t the best for accurate readings
- No expandability
Davis Instruments Vantage Vue
The Davis Vantage Vue has been around forever, and was showing its age. Does the new WeatherLink Live bring it into the 21st Century?
Product SKU:6110
Product Brand:Davis Instruments
Editor's Rating:
4.5
Pros
- Accuracy is nearly on par with the Vantage Pro 2
- Extremely reliable
- Well-constructed and durable
Cons
- Internet connectivity is optional, and expensive
- 5-in-1 sensor isn’t the best for accurate readings
- No expandability
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FAQs
How accurate is Davis Vantage Vue temperature? ›
The Indoor temperature range Of Davis Vantage is +32°F to +140°F, and Indoor humidity range is 1% to 99% RH, the Outdoor temperature range is -40°F to 150°F, the Outdoor humidity range is 0% to 100% RH, Temperature accuracy is 1°F, Humidity accuracy is 3-4% RH.
How accurate are Davis weather stations? ›An expression of how close a sensor's measurement reading is to the true value. For example, the accuracy of a Davis humidity sensor is +/-2%.
How long does a Vantage Vue last? ›Ordinarily this should last 2-3 years. With optional WeatherLink software and data logger, you can access, store and graph your weather data on your PC with WeatherLink® 2.0 software, or online at WeatherLink.com and WeatherLink Mobile Apps (iOS and Android).
Which weather station is most accurate? ›- Best Overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C Osprey WiFi 10-in-1.
- Best Premium Model: Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with WiFi.
- Most Accurate: Davis Instruments 6152 Vantage Pro2.
- Best Ultrasonic Model: Ambient Weather WS-5000 Ultrasonic Weather Station.
While temperature is generally accurate to within a degree or so, humidity is poorly measured, and readings can be 10 to 15 percent off actual values. Mid-range and high-end weather stations are typically much better, and in my experience never more than about five-percent off most of the time.
Where are Davis weather stations made? ›50 Years of Innovation
Our products are designed, assembled, and rigorously tested by the Davis team at our headquarters in Hayward, California.
The weather prediction is all in the way weather stick moves. The stick curls upwards sharply when good weather is headed your way and downwards when the weather is about to take a turn for the worse. They're very accurate, and they last a long time.
Can you calibrate a weather station? ›The indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity readings, as well as the Barometric Pressure, can be calibrated on the display to improve accuracy. Calibration improves accuracy when sensor/display placement or environmental factors impact your data accuracy.
What is the wind speed of a Davis Vantage Vue? ›Vantage Vue records wind speeds as low as 2 mph (3 km/h) and as high as 180 mph (290 km/h).
Why is my Davis Vantage Vue not transmitting? ›If you are having trouble getting data from your Vantage Vue sensor suite or your data seems incorrect, you may be getting interference from another weather station that is within the transmission range. The most straightforward remedy is to change the transmitter ID on your station and console.
How long do weather stations last? ›
In a hot and dry environment weather stations are known to last 7-10 years. Hurricanes and tropical storms can also reduce the life of a weather station.
What weather stations are made in USA? ›ULTIMETER Weather Stations are made in the USA, of the finest components from around the globe.
Which is better Acurite or La Crosse? ›Acurite weather stations last longer and give reliable weather data. If you want an affordable weather station, the La Crosse weather station is the best option, but if you want a high-quality weather station, the Acurite weather station is the worth buying.
Is NOAA or weather Channel more accurate? ›With the advantage of having The Weather Service's forecasts and data as a starting point, it's perhaps unsurprising that The Weather Channel manages to be slightly more accurate in their forecasts.
Which long range weather model is most accurate? ›Global models with worldwide weather forecasts
The ECMWF is generally considered to be the most accurate global model, with the US's GFS slightly behind.
AcuRite Atlas® Sensor:
Rain: +/- 5%. Wind Speed: +/- 1 mph < 10 mph, +/- 10% > 10 mph. Wind Direction: +/- 3 degrees. UV Accuracy: +/- 1.
- Ease of installation and set-up.
- Number and quality of sensors.
- Ease of connecting data to Weather Underground.
- Connectivity of device to internet (wifi or computer)
Replace the batteries in your Davis Vantage Vue indoor console and outdoor sensor suite every 6-24 months, depending on how much you use your device. This will ensure your weather station operates efficiently with the minimum disruption to data collection.
How do I reset my Davis Vantage Vue? ›The Vue and VP2 consoles do not have a formal reset switch. Instead, rebooting is achieved simply by powering down the console completely and then repowering it. Powering down means removing all sources of power, ie both mains and battery power (removing one battery is sufficient to remove battery power).
Can anyone change a Mercedes battery? ›For the DIY car enthusiast, battery replacement on a Mercedes-Benz is a fairly easy task to master. All you need is a replacement battery and a few basic tools. Beyond that, you need to locate where the battery is in the vehicle and know how to disconnect it to make way for the new one.
Are Davis weather stations the best? ›
While Davis stands out for its accuracy—it's more precise than the Netatmo Weather Station in some scenarios—it's far behind the competition in terms of connectivity. In fact, it has no connectivity right out of the box.
What is the difference between Davis Vantage Pro 2 and Vantage Vue? ›The main distinctions between the Vue and Pro2 are that the Pro2 sensors can be mounted separately from each other and the Pro2 also accepts additional sensors such as light, UV, soil temperature, soil moisture, leaf wetness etc. The Vue is an all in one sensor suite and cannot accept additional sensors.
What is the best weather company? ›AccuWeather's global leadership in providing life-saving weather information with Superior Accuracy demonstrated through #1 worldwide ranking in new temperature accuracy report, severe weather verifications, and use cases.
Why is the weather not 100% accurate? ›Changes in the surface features of an area affect can many factors. For example, they can affect precipitation, temperature, and even winds. Large grids can also make it difficult for meteorologists to accurately predict small-scale weather events.
How accurate is 60 chance of rain? ›However, if the forecaster has only a 60 percent confidence that it will rain, but is sure that if it does rain the whole region will receive that rain, then what you read in the forecast is the identical “60 percent chance of rain.”
How do I know if my outdoor thermometer is accurate? ›Q: How do I know if my outdoor thermometer is accurate? A: To check the accuracy of your thermometer, you need to dip the sensor or bulb of your thermometer into icy-cold water and it should display a temperature reading of 0°C or 32°F.
How do you calibrate a Davis weather station? ›- Select a variable to be calibrated.
- Press and release 2ND, then press and hold SET. After a moment, the variable you've selected begins to blink. ...
- Press the+ and - keys to add or subtract from the temperature offset value. ...
- Press DONE to exit calibration.
For the most accurate reading, use a liquid-in-glass or a digital thermometer. Place it so that it is not in direct sunlight at any time. The shade of a tree and a north-facing porch are two good places. Place the thermometer four to six feet above the ground in an area where there is sufficient airflow.
Can a camper withstand 60 mph winds? ›Winds as low as 10 miles per hour can affect a moving RV, making it hazardous to drive. When parked, most RVs can withstand winds up to 75 mph (120 km/h) without tipping over.
What frequency is Davis Vantage Vue Wireless? ›The VP2 wireless transmitter operates in the UK (and in all territories covered by the Davis OV versions, including Europe) in the 868.0-868.6MHz frequency band, which requires no licence to use provided transmitter power is limited to low levels.
What is a good boat wind speed? ›
Wind speeds above 15 miles per hour can make boating uncomfortable, especially if the wind speed is accompanied by choppy water. In addition, the combination of wave and wind motion could necessitate breaking out the seasick medication for those not accustomed to spending time on boats.
Why is windfinder not working? ›This error occurs if your device is not able to connect to our servers, usually due to weak mobile or WiFi internet connection. Please try again with a stronger signal. It may also occur if your device is behind a misconfigured firewall or when using MDM software on your phone.
What is Vantage connection? ›Vantage Connect is a standalone telematics device that listens to a variety of weather station sensors. Vantage Connect listens to a Davis weather station integrated sensor suite, storing and transmi… Updated 4 years ago by Davis Instruments.
What are the disadvantages of weather station? ›The main disadvantage of an automatic weather station is that it removes the observer from the real elements being measured, and so the experience of what -5ºC temperatures or 30 knot winds feel like, is lost.
What is the best free weather station? ›1. National Weather Service. The Most Accurate site there is. The US government product from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) churns out numerous forecasts and nowcasts daily.
Should I buy a weather station? ›An indoor/outdoor weather station is an important tool in maintaining a healthy home for yourself and your family. Air quality, humidity, and temperature make a big difference in comfort and safety.
What weather service does NASA use? ›The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center transitions the data from NASA research satellites to the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs).
Where are Acurite products made? ›Legendary quality, proven reliability, made in the USA.
Where are La Crosse weather stations made? ›Our Location. Nestled in the bluffs of the beautiful Mississippi River Valley in Western Wisconsin, our sales, distribution and customer service staff are all located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Who makes the most reliable weather station? ›- Best Overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C Osprey WiFi 10-in-1.
- Best Premium Model: Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with WiFi.
- Most Accurate: Davis Instruments 6152 Vantage Pro2.
- Best Ultrasonic Model: Ambient Weather WS-5000 Ultrasonic Weather Station.
Which type of outdoor thermometer is most accurate? ›
The digital or electronic outdoor thermometer is the most modern and is also considered to be the most accurate. Inside the thermometer is a thermoreceptor that alters its resistance according to the temperature.
What is the most reliable weather station? ›| Best Overall | Ambient Weather WS-2902C WiFi Smart Weather Station | SEE IT |
|---|---|---|
| Best For The Money | Tempest Weather System | SEE IT |
| Best Basic | EZRead Headwind Consumer Products 840-0052 5-in-1 Weather Station | SEE IT |
- AccuWeather. Best weather app overall. View now.
- Carrot Weather. Best weather app for entertainment. View now.
- Dark Sky. Best app for global weather. View now.
- RadarScope. Best weather app for advanced tracking. View now.
- The Weather Channel. Best free weather app. View now.
AccuWeather's predictions were best for temperature averages and highs, probability of precipitation and wind speed. The Weather Channel and Weather Underground came top for low temperature predictions.
What is better than the Weather Channel? ›The best alternative is Geometric Weather, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like The Weather Channel are Windy, Forecastie, AccuWeather and Clima.
How accurate is the Arduino temperature sensor? ›High accuracy of ±0.5°C (-10°C to +85°C)
As this DS18B20 temperature sensor is waterproof with a wide temperature range and high accuracy, they are very suitable for outdoor projects or for measuring liquid temperature. Some projects include Sous Vide cooking, solar boiler, and many more.
How does Davis WeatherLink Live work? The system works by collecting readings from sensors located on your Vantage Vue or Vantage Pro2 weather stations, or any other Davis transmitting station. (For example, you can set up a temperature/humidity sensor, installed in a Davis Sensor Transmitter, in your basement.
How do I reset my Davis Vantage Pro2? ›The Vue and VP2 consoles do not have a formal reset switch. Instead, rebooting is achieved simply by powering down the console completely and then repowering it.
Which temperature sensor is best accuracy? ›An RTD is the most accurate and stable temperature sensor and is more linear than a thermocouple or thermistor.
Which temperature sensor is best? ›The fastest-possible temperature sensor is an exposed tip thermocouple. However, manufacturing improvements have also greatly improved the response times of thin-film PT100 probes. Accuracy: RTDs are generally more accurate than thermocouples. RTDs have typically an accuracy of 0.1°C, compared to 1°C for most.
What is the most accurate sensor Arduino? ›
The MCP9808 is a very accurate temperature sensor for your Arduino. It offers user-selected resolutions, programmable alerts, I2C connectivity, and works with 5V and 3.3V Arduinos.
Is Davis WeatherLink free? ›One Account: Access To Everything Davis
Create a FREE WeatherLink account to log in to all WeatherLink data viewing products: WeatherLink.com and WeatherLink, Mobilize and EnviroMonitor apps.
All Davis smartphone apps are available in either iOS or Android versions (though the version numbering may not necessarily be the same) and are free downloads from the Apple or Google Play stores.
How do I calibrate my Vue Davis Vantage? ›- Select the temperature or humidity variable to be calibrated.
- Press and release 2ND, then press and hold SET. After a moment, the variable you've selected will begin to blink. ...
- Press the + or - keys to add or subtract from the temperature offset value. ...
- Press DONE to exit calibration.
How do I reset my Vantage Vue? The Vantage Vue weather station console does not have a reset button. To reset it, remove all power sources, both the AC-power cord and batteries. You should leave it disconnected for 10 to 20 seconds and then repower the unit to restart it.