The Davis Vantage Pro2 collects weather data and sends it back to the console for web upload.

CITIZEN WEATHER STATION
Collect meteorological data on your roof and
donate it to science. By Terrie Miller

Photography courtesy of Davis Instruments

I love the idea of citizen science, where amateur don’t need to worry about getting AC power cords enthusiasts collect and combine data in the spirit or data cables up to your roof. Davis’ WeatherLink of shared scientific discovery. After learning about software, sold separately, downloads data from citizen weather observer projects, I got the itch to the console, and lets you upload it to your own plant my own weather station and start contrib- website and contribute it to the Citizen Weather uting data. I decided to go with a commercially Observer Project (CWOP), a grassroots, private-manufactured station, and a local group of weather public partnership that collects and centralizes geeks recommended the Vantage Pro2 from Davis. meteorological data from stations like mine.

The Vantage Pro2 measures precipitation, tem- It was easy to assemble; it took about an hour perature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction to put together and set up the communication to (and you can add additional sensors to measure the console. Depending on your circumstances, solar radiation and leaf and soil moisture). There the optional mounting tripod might make instal-are two pieces: the station itself, which sits out- lation easier. We installed the weather station at side and collects the data, and the console/receiv- the O’Reilly offices, but we had to attach it to an er, which hooks up to your computer via USB. The outside wall instead of putting it directly on the station is solar powered and transmits weather roof. We needed some extra height in order to get data to the console/receiver wirelessly, so you the station up into unobstructed wind, so we got