What is the range of transmission between the Integrated Sensor Suite and the display console / receiver?

[This is the official Davis statement on wireless range:]

With wireless transmissions it is hard to state a specific distance. The range varies depending on the environmental conditions. The range could be up to 400 feet line of sight with no radio frequency interference (RFI). Typical range under most conditions is 50 to 200 feet but walls, windows, ceilings, metal siding, trees or foliage may reduce this. RFI will also reduce transmission distance. Cordless phones and HAM radios are examples of RFI. Occasionally transmission between wireless units is obscured by something you cannot identify or by some object you cannot work around. You can add wireless repeaters if you are having transmissions problems or if you want to send the transmission further.

Further reading

A section of this website is devoted to a more detailed description of range and related issues for wireless VP stations and is relevant to all wireless questions in this section of the FAQ. Please see our Wireless Considerations area for more details.

How do I know if I'm getting good reception?

From the current reading screen, look at the lower right hand corner. A "X" blinking on and off every 2.5 seconds indicates you are receiving all the data packets. A"R" in the lower right hand corner indicates the station is trying to re-establish connection with the transmitter. A "L" there indicates the station has lost the transmitter signal. Eventually if the signal is lost all the readings will turn into dashed lines.

What do I do if I lose reception?

Perform the diagnostic test in the room that you have the Vantage Pro Console Receiver mounted. Go into the set up mode by pushing and holding the done button, then at the same time, push the - "negative" button. Release both buttons. This will put you in the set-up screens. You should see receiving from on the button of the screen and station no. Above the line with the number of the stations the Vantage Pro is receiving a signal from. Now push the Done button but DO NOT hold it, you will just want to quickly tap the Done button once. You are now in the channel assignment mode. You should see ON {ISS} and a 1 above the line unless you are receiving on a channel other than 1. Make sure there is nothing on that screen that says .25X. If there is push the HI/LOW button and let go, the .25X should disappear. Push and release the Right Arrow button repeatedly to make sure that all of your other channels are off, unless you are receiving on another wireless sensor station. After you are finished with the above procedure push and hold the Done button. You should now be in the current weather observation screen.

Go into the diagnostic screen by doing the following:

Push and hold the Temp button, at the same time hold the Time button, release both buttons. You are now in the Diagnostic screen.

Look in the bottom of your display screen. The gain will read off. To turn the gain on, push and release the HI/LOW button.

NOTE: Gain is another way of saying receiver sensitivity. If you are having trouble with reception then try turning the Gain on.

CLEAR PROCEDURE: Push and release the 2nd button, then quickly push and hold the Clear button until all of the values on the screen STOP blinking and the values read 0.

After about 1 minute, look at the numbers. The number above the rectangle in the middle is the percentage of scheduled packets received. This should read at least 70% after about a minute. The number above the graph is CRC errors. If this number is incrementing upward then that means you have some kind of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). You will need to move the display console and/or the ISS to see if you can make the RFI go away. Sometimes the RFI is too strong or too frequent to get good reception. Sometimes the RFI is intermittent and will cause the station to lose reception from time to time. The other numbers on the diagnostic screen are described on page 50 of the Console Manual.

To get a good signal try moving the display console to different places as you watch the diagnostic screen. Clear the screen each time you move the display. Watch for a high % number, a low CRC error number and the "X" blinking on and off every 2.5 seconds. If these cannot be obtained you will either need to move the ISS closer, purchase a repeater that will help boost the signal or convert to a cabled system.

What frequency does the wireless Vantage Pro operate on?

The US version of the Vantage Pro transmits at 916.5 MHz and its signal power is less then 1 mW.

All Overseas versions transmit at 868.35MHz and are also limited to 1mW maximum power. (NB Disregard the nominal specification for overseas versions which variously quotes a 10mW or 15mW maximum. This is a legal statement noting formally that the output power does not exceed the legal maximum of 10 or 15mW. It does not specify the actual level of the output, which is around 1mW as per the US version).

How far can I extend the cable from the Integrated Sensor Suite and display console on my cabled Vantage Pro system?

The maximum distance is 1000 feet. The system comes with 100 feet. We use four-conductor 26-gauge cable with RJ-11 plugs.