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Getting help

Software and Firmware Versions

For details of the latest available software and firmware versions please see the sidebar box on our news page.

We've recently moved the detailed technical support information that was previously available on this site to its own VP Knowledgebase wiki subsite, which you can now access at vp-kb.wikispaces.com. We hope that you'll be able to find the answers to most of the common questions and issues on the Davis stations in this VP wiki - so it's very much the first place to look for help if you think that you may have a problem.

(Please note: Although most pages in the VP-KB are publicly viewable, a few require (usually free) registration - see the wiki topic 'Full wiki access'  for how to register, which essentially just requires dropping us an email confirming that you're a private user. Any of our own existing customers is entitled to permanent free access to this support resource, but you will still need to register please.)

But if you still need further help or have identified a fault that needs to be fixed by a service centre then you'll need to know who to talk to next.

For our own customers here in the UK and Europe, Prodata Weather Systems aims to offer a helpful, responsive and expert support service. But regrettably we can only help our own customers (unless you're seeking paid support or wish to buy Davis spares - we do carry have a wide range of VP spares and accessories for sale, which are available to all EU-based users.);

If you purchased a system from a different UK dealer then please contact them for support.

For international users the support & service arrangements will vary according to the country in which you purchased your Davis system. In general, these arrangements will be as follows:

  • In the US, users can contact Davis directly. See the Davis support web page for contact details;
  • Outside the US, users should contact their supplying dealer for local service and support details. International users are of course also free to contact Davis directly by email or by phone, but in general Davis can only respond to questions that can be easily answered by email or phone; for any issues that require physical return of a VP part for investigation or repair you will, in any event, typically be referred to your local distributor. Bear in mind also that the only support location for Davis is California and so some delay in response due to time-zone differences, different national holidays etc is to be expected. And while Davis have a good reputation for responding to support emails, the volume of mail obviously varies and it may sometimes take at least a couple of days for them to reply. In general, your local Davis support will be well-informed and the best port of call for any support issues;
  • Please remember that dealers can typically only support the version of the VP station designed for sale in their country. So, for example, only OV-specification wireless parts are readily available in the UK and not the equivalent US wireless specification parts;

In general, email is the best mechanism for requesting support because this provides an automatic and trackable record of the details of your support request and therefore is more easily managed and tracked by the support provider, in contrast to phone calls. Telephone contact is best reserved for questions to which there's likely to be a simple, succinct answer.

Requesting support - general

When contacting your support provider with a support request, we would strongly encourage you (please!) to provide as much relevant detail as possible. Many dealers will be supporting over a thousand - maybe many thousands of - VP stations and, even for recent purchases from a given dealer, it becomes impossible easily to recall the details of individual customers and system specifications. So the more background information you can provide about the fault and the VP station, the more likely you are to receive a prompt answer. (This also applies to follow-up calls about support incidents already raised - with the best will in the world, it's very difficult to remember the details of a phone call from 'Charlie' some 6 or 8 weeks or more ago!)

While you typically don't need to write a multi-page document to ask about a minor issue, the sort of information that's needed includes:

  1. A clear description of what appears to be wrong, which should be brief but specifying all relevant details. For example, if there's a reading that seems inaccurate then is that reading on the console or in the PC software? Detail briefly what troubleshooting measures have been tried to date and with what result;
  2. Spell out the system specification details, the VP model number, wireless or cabled, any accessories fitted (eg Anemometer Transmitter), which wireless channels are being used, any wireless repeaters in use and, ideally, the Mfg Code for the console (to give the support provider a good idea of the system's age);
  3. When was it purchased? (To give an indication of age/version and whether or not the unit is still under warranty.) Do you have an invoice number and/or date that you can quote?
  4. If it's a problem with the Weatherlink software or the data stored on the PC then which versions of data logger and Weatherlink program? Which version of Windows is on the PC? It may very often be extremely helpful to attach a copy of the current monthly Weatherlink database file (eg the file called 2009-05.wlk for May 2009 - do a search for *.wlk files in Windows if you don't know where to find these wlk files) to an email.

NB Software support is typically only available from dealers for the Davis Weatherlink program itself. Third-party programs, such as Weather Display, Virtual Weather Station, Cumulus etc will all have their own dedicated user forums from which help should be sought.

Support returns

Returns to Prodata Weather Systems

If - and please only if - you've already contacted us about a problem and we've agreed that you should return a part to us at Prodata for investigation/repair then please use the following procedure:

  • Please pack it carefully to survive rough handling and include no more parts than are requested. For example, for anemometer repairs it is not usually necessary to include the wind cups which are more easily damaged in transit;
  • Be sure to include your name and address (most important - you'd be surprised by how often people forget this!) AND a brief description of the problem AND a note of the purchase date (if still thought to be under warranty);
  • Address it to our workshop in Ely - see our contact page for postal address details;
  • Send it by a signed-for service to ensure that the package can be tracked, eg in the UK by Royal Mail Recorded Delivery or - preferably - Special Delivery (provided the weight doesn't exceed 2kg). The latter costs a bit more but is a faster, more reliable and better-tracked service.

UK Service Centre

We are happy to provide an experienced and knowledgeable front-line support service for our Davis products and for our own customers, so please continue to contact ourselves at Prodata Weather Systems in the first instance, by email or phone, with any question or problem that you may have. We will very often be able to provide an answer or solution at this stage.

However, while we keep a selection of board-level spares for our products, we do not carry many individual component spares for the systems nor do we run workshop facilities for any detailed service or repairs that may occasionally be needed. These functions are carried out by the Davis UK Service Centre, which is run under contract from Davis by a company called McMurdo Ltd based in Portsmouth. Any component that needs detailed investigation or repair needs to be returned to the Service Centre. Also, any adjudication on possible warranty claims will be carried out solely by McMurdo.

While we can, on request, act as intermediaries in getting a problem investigated, it's usually quicker and simpler for a customer to deal directly with the Service Centre. The procedure is essentially as described in the preceding section above for returns to Prodata, but with two important differences:

  • Contact the Service Centre customer service desk by phone on 023 9262 3808 or by email at customerservice@mcmurdo.co.uk and explain the problem. Sometimes it may be necessary for an engineer to arrange to call you back to talk through the problem in more detail. If it is agreed that you should send back a part to the service centre then please be sure to receive and note a returns number, which will be in the format CSddddddd (where 'd' is a digit). This is very important for returns to McMurdo. Also, if the issue has previously discussed with the service centre via ourselves at Prodata, please mention this fact and the advice given.
  • Address it to:

    Davis Customer Services
    McMurdo Ltd
    Silver Point
    Airport Service Road
    PORTSMOUTH PO3 5PB