FAQs
Repeaters & Antennas
- By wireless system, we mean one where the receiver is: a WeatherLink Live, WeatherLink console, a wireless Weather Envoy or the legacy Vantage Pro 2 console
- Davis offer two repeaters for the wireless receivers, the Standard repeater and the Long Distance Repeater (which requires two antenna)
- Each site is unique and it is worth spending some time assessing your site, doing a needs assessment and future proofing your system
- These days, it might be cheaper and more useful/versatile to extend your internet/Wi-Fi system with a booster device instead of adding a repeater that is only for use with your weather station
- Get in touch with us to discuss before ordering
- By mounting the Gateway and Nodes higher above the ground or the highest crop height
- By adding an EM Antenna to your Gateway or Node. The antennas can be used Node-to-Node or Node-to-Gateway
- Both the cellular Gateway and the IP Gateway can have an external antenna installed
- There is no need to have pairs of antenna – so simply add an antenna where added transmission range is required
- You have two options for your EM antenna: the 5dBi and the 8dBi versions
- Check batteries in your repeater and your transmitter, especially if you get your data on sunny days but not overnight or on overcast days. Repeaters work hard in difficult conditions so battery lifetime can be reduced in some circumstances
- Go to your site and take a look. If your system has been in place for a few years, consider what has changed since you installed it. Have trees grown up or shelter belts grown denser? Some pruning might assist
- You also need to consider what is under your repeater. Has your crop grown? Try mounting your devices higher or trimming plants below your repeater.
- Wireless transmission means line of sight, so it is best to mount your transmitter, repeater and receivers where there are no obstructions between them
- Generally, mounting your devices as high above the ground or the highest crop level as possible provides the best transmission
- Wet foliage will reduce transmission more than dry foliage so if you find you are missing data on rainy days, this may be the cause
- Your transmission range can be affected by a range of site factors, such as antenna height, the terrain and foliage, buildings and other structures, and radio frequency interference, so it can take some experimentation to get it right
- Common building materials such as wood or glass only minimally affect transmission while steel will affect the range significantly. Locating your devices in windows can help
- When speaking about transmission range, the maximum distances refer to optimal conditions. Due to minor obstructions and interference, typical distance will likely be about 50-80% of the maximum. If walls, thick shelter belts or high radio frequency interference are factors, range may drop to as low as 20-40% of the maximum
- We generally recommend using two standard repeaters rather than using a long range repeater
- This is because you can locate the repeaters to “go around corners” or “over hills”
- Another advantage is that the standard repeater does not require two additional antennas
- These options are for a wireless Davis system (excluding the EnviroMonitor systems)
Davis Instruments Cellular Telemetry
- By mounting the Gateway and Nodes higher above the ground or the highest crop height
- By adding an EM Antenna to your Gateway or Node. The antennas can be used Node-to-Node or Node-to-Gateway
- Both the cellular Gateway and the IP Gateway can have an external antenna installed
- There is no need to have pairs of antenna – so simply add an antenna where added transmission range is required
- You have two options for your EM antenna: the 5dBi and the 8dBi versions