The various topics in this loggers & software section provide in-depth information about various known issues, symptoms and fixes, but there are a few basic points that apply to many logger faults:
- Always try rebooting the console as a first troubleshooting step and listen carefully to the number of beeps as the console powers up again. If the expected number of beeps are not heard then there is a definite issue with the logger’s seating, compatibility or well-being;
- You may need to establish the Manufacturing Code of the logger. This requires removing the logger from the console, but only do so with the console power fully off;
- If you’re having problems fitting an existing logger to a newer console then you may have encountered the Green Dot Issue;
- A USB logger that occasionally or frequently loses contact with the PC may well be suffering from the USB port dropout issue;
Note: The Weatherlink software is now a free download. There is therefore no option to buy the logger on its own, ie without software, should you ever need to replace the logger.
Local loggers
Davis have manufactured five types of Weatherlink logger, as listed below. Vue and VP2 consoles, including the Envoy units, must be fitted with one of these loggers before they can be connected to a PC or other computer system.
- 6510USB logger (Windows): The USB logger supplied with Windows software is the most popular logger choice. The maximum cable length of an unboosted USB link is 5m, but we recommend that you do not use longer than the 2.4m cable supplied with the logger. If you do need a substantially longer cable then you may need to buy a USB Extender (ie an accessory using that specific Extender term);
- 6520 USB logger (Mac): The logger itself is identical to its Windows partner but is packaged with Mac software.
- 6510SER Serial (RS232) logger: The original version of the logger with an RS232 interface connecting to a DB9 serial connector. This is still preferred or required in certain specialist applications but is less generally useful since many modern PCs no longer have a serial port (although a serial-to-USB adapter fitted with a FTDI chipset can be used to connect a serial logger to a USB port). The serial logger can be used with a standard 12m Davis extension cable.
- 6555 WeatherlinkIP: (now discontinued) This logger version has an Ethernet (network) interface and can cable directly to an Internet router. This 6555 logger updates data to the Davis weatherlink.com cloud platform and removes the need to run a PC & software 24/7 to manage Internet uploads. Note that this logger does require cabling to a router or network access port; it does not connect to a PC (although software running on a PC cannot talk to the IP logger across the network) and is not a WiFi part;
- Other streaming loggers: Davis used to offer four other logger types for special applications known as streaming loggers (Alarm, Emergency, Ham radio and Irrigation options). These are now officially discontinued since several of their functions (though not all) are now better served by other approaches;
- Third-party loggers In addition to the loggers listed above there are also other non-Davis loggers that can emulate the WeatherlinkIP as a network logger but that also offer additional features. These include the WiFi Logger and units such as Meteobridge Nano;
The Weatherlink Live unit was released in April 2019 and is now the recommended Davis solution as a data handling gateway. This differs from the loggers listed above in the sense that it is a standalone device and des not fit inside a Vue/VP2 console. However, Weatherlink Live fulfils many of the same roles as the traditional Davis loggers in being able to upload data to weatherlink.com and to pass data to other local software.
Weatherlink local software
Weatherlink for Windows and Weatherlink for Mac are introduced in their own topics
Weatherlink.com cloud services
Weatherlink.com is a cloud platform run by Davis that provides comprehensive features for viewing and analysing your weather data on any Internet device via a web browser. This platform currently has over 26,000 users worldwide. Uploads to weatherlink.com can be made with any one of five configurations:
- PC or Mac running the Weatherlink software;
- A 6555 WeatherlinkIP logger;
- A Vantage Connect remote data gateway;
- A Davis Enviromonitor system;
- A Davis Weatherlink Live device;
Note: weatherlink.com is a Davis-only platform: only Davis weather stations and Davis software can upload to it.
In general, the weatherlink.com service is very reliable; if there is an occasional glitch the cause might well be your own local Internet connection or on very rare occasions if the service itself has a fault then Davis engineers should be sorting out the issue as quickly as they can. The service is designed to be easy to use and should be fairly intuitive, like most modern browser applications. That said, if there’s a feature that you can’t immediately find, it’s always worth exploring every menu and icon – chances are that it’s there somewhere! Should you encounter log-in issues then you’ll need to contact Davis weatherlink.com support – your dealer or local support is unlikely to have access to the user database.
Important: When you sign up to weatherlink.com you must provide a contact email address. It is very important to keep this updated (from within your account details screen) if your address changes at all – this is the only ready way that Davis have of contacting you to warn of subscription expiry etc.
Weatherlink.com 2.0
On 28th November 2017 launched version 2.0 of the platform. New users of the service will see version 2.0 immediately, but existing users must await migration of their account which is scheduled for Spring 2018.
Note that version 2.0 introduces two levels of service – Basic and Pro. Basic is a free service with restricted features, while Pro requires an annual subscription but delivers all features. When you first sign up to 2.0 you get a 30-day free trial of the Pro level but access then drops back to Basic unless the Pro subscription has been taken out. If you feel that you cannot access certain features then it may obviously be because you have only Basic access or your Pro subscription has expired.
Downloading archive data from weatherlink.com 2.0
Archive data can be downloaded into a local copy of the Weatherlink for Windows program from weatherlink.com 2.0 in a similar way to the original 1.0 platform, but with one crucial difference. In 1.0 individual stations were identified with a user name for that station and a password. In 2.0 individual stations are identified by their DID identifier. (EVERY 2.0 station has a unique DID.) To download from a 2.0 station the DID is used in the the ‘User ID’ field of the Communication Port dialogue of Weatherlink, along with the account password.
This download option clearly allows users of the Basic (free) level of the 2.0 platform to maintain a long-term database of their weather data in the same way as was possible with the 1.0 platform.
Even Enviromonitor (EM) users can download into a local copy of Weatherlink but obviously only the standard VP2-type weather sensors can be accommodated and not the many other sensors that EM allows. A different API will be available in future for the 2.0 platform to allow downloading of data from all EM sensors.
Post your comment on this topic.