Davis data logger ethernet

post by JoeSchmo on Dec 29, 2021

I have a David Vantage Pro2 with a ethernet connection to my network. I would like my Rachio2 controller to connect directly with this PWS without using the cloud. Both devices are on the same personal network. Is there anyway to do this or is the cloud my only option? I like to keep things connected locally and not depend on the WWW. This seems like a no brainer unless they absolutely want you to use a web service of some kind.

post by tmcgahey on Dec 30, 2021

No, it has to go via the web. In fact, you’d have to have the unit connected to WeatherUnderground in order to access via Rachio, and I don’t know enough about weather stations to know if that one is compatible with WI.

post by JoeSchmo on Dec 30, 2021

I was afraid that would be the answer. I like wired ethernet and not WiFi. Especially don’t like the fact you have to use the web just to use a product. I would love it if Rachio added a rj45 ethernet jack and not require WiFi for personal network connection. Everybody seems to love WiFi until it doesn’t connect. I never have any problems with my wired devices. I may have to see if any other smart controllers use wired ethernet. I do like how it’s working but resent them making me use the web which I can only see as an absolute control issue.

post by JoeSchmo on Dec 30, 2021

My other problem with this setup is why do I need to sign up for some other service so I can send them my data and then turn around and ask for my information back again so Rachio can use it? Why can’t I just connect and use my data locally? To me this is overly complicated and subject to the whims of the web. I should just be able to use my data locally and not share it with the world. Ranting? I guess.

post by tmcgahey on Dec 30, 2021

I think you are talking about the weather station and WI here… Rachio uses the PWS network from WI to manage the weather information that the controller uses. It’s just an easy way for them to aggregate a ton of weather station data for their use in the controller. To my knowledge all “smart” controllers are going to use WI or similar systems.

post by JoeSchmo on Dec 30, 2021

Yes you can select the Weather network with WI OR you can select a INDIVIDUAL PWS in the app. So I ask again, why can’t I just use my PWS without signing up for Weather Underground? They are on the same network, no need to go to the cloud and back. I compare this to the soil moisture meter that Rachio just asked about. You won’t have to send that information to the cloud (I don’t think) to use the data at your location it will just plug into the Rachio controller. Would Rachio use a aggregate of nearby data to compute soil moisture or just use yours? I believe they will directly use yours. So why not my PWS? I really don’t think the cloud is all that reliable being a former IT tech. Does anybody else feel this way or am I all alone in the wilderness.

post by Eric33432 on Jan 2, 2022

Not only do you have to connect your Davis Vantage Vue to WU, you need another piece of equipment to do that called a Meteobridge. The Meteobridge polls the weather information on your Davis and formats it to what is required for services like PWS Weather, Weather Underground, Ambient Weather, and others, and then uploads the data to those sites. The Meteobridge can use WiFi or wired Ethernet so you should at least be happy with that. Don’t ask me why Davis cannot directly talk to WU. I suspect Rachio could talk directly to Davis, after all the Meteobridge does, but I suspect because there are so many different weather stations that Rachio would rather leave the job of interfacing to others and just have one interface to WU. You can build your own if you are Linux savvy or purchase one. I installed one some years ago and it has worked flawlessly.

post by JoeSchmo on Jan 2, 2022

Holy BLEEP. Another wifi device costing more money just so I can get data from the PWS 35 feet to the Rachio after the data goes all around the world.

post by tlight on Jan 5, 2022

It sounds like the Rachio is not for you. When you buy one of these devices, a major part of that purchase is their weather intelligence network. The hardware and cloud service work hand in hand and are integral to each other. There are great benefits to this, as long as you have good weather stations in your area. For instance, not only has my Rachio, using the Flex Daily schedule and WI, delayed watering due to rain, but I have also seen it delay when there is a good chance of rain in the FORECAST. You can’t get that with your own weather station, unless it is tied to a forecasting network as well.

post by JoeSchmo on Jan 5, 2022

Hello Tlight. Too late, I already have one and it is using the weather intelligence. But I was hoping to get hyper local data (my data) and not an average of whatever is out there close to me. I quote you “There are great benefits to this, as long as you have good weather stations in your area”. So who is deciding which PWS around me are “good”? I know mine is “good” but not so sure of others. Now if the Rachio was truly smart it would use my local data and do forecasting from wherever they get that data from. I know everyone wants to be connected to the world every second of the day, but me not so much.

post by tlight on Jan 5, 2022

What I’m saying is, not all the data that Rachio needs will be gathered by your weather station. Forecasting is one example but there could be others. I don’t know the details of their algorithms. So for them to make an allowance to take your weather station into account is some programming. It is up to them if the number of people with a station such as yours is worth the programming and ongoing support required to make those changes. If you made the suggestion it is in the hopper and will make it to the top should it warrant it.

post by synfinatic on Jan 5, 2022

I don’t work for Rachio, but I do enough of this sorta thing as a hobby and professional, that I can make a good educated guess why Rachio doesn’t support this:

1. When it doesn’t work (which will be often), there will be lots of finger pointing between vendors. Users will have a very poor experience and be angry at you because they don’t care why it doesn’t work, just that they spent all this $$$ and it doesn’t work for them.
2. Getting this to work with various home networking gear is a total pain. Nothing says “great user experience” like every time I have a power outage it stops working because the IP address of my weather station changed.
3. There aren’t actually that many people who own both, so adding the feature isn’t a high priority compared to other features that more people will use.
4. There are multiple weather station vendors- each with their own APIs, some of which may not even support local queries. So supporting one, means you’ll leave a bunch of others out.
5. Using a cloud service solves all of the above issues. Their APIs are well documented and their services are generally quite reliable. Yes, it means your internet access needs to be reliable to take advantage of it, but for most people when their Internet goes out the first thing is not “oh no, now I’ll water my grass even though it’s gonna rain later today!”
6. Yes, you have to “share your info with the rest of the world” but that really is a “feature” from Rachio’s perspective since that makes it useful to your neighbors and when you tell them how awesome your Rachio is, now they don’t also have to install their own PWS to take full advantage of what the Rachio can do.

post by JoeSchmo on Jan 5, 2022

Hmmmmm Well now we have a great business opportunity for Rachio, making a PWS that will fully integrate with the Rachio and use ALL of the local data. That seems like the perfect solution for everyone. They could still use the Weather intelligence but get super local data too. Win win win I say.

post by tmcgahey on Jan 7, 2022

For all the reasons that synfinatic mentioned, I wouldn’t hold your breath. As for what is currently available with Rachio, when selecting a local PWS from the network, you can review the historical data that the weather station has been reporting and confirm if they are reporting accurately. I don’t understand your aversion to “the web”. Your Rachio is already a cloud based device. The physical box is merely pulling scheduling down from the cloud periodically. None of the weather data or scheduling is done locally.

post by JoeSchmo on Jan 7, 2022

Quote "How “former” are you in IT?” I see what you did there and I’m not a dinosaur (well maybe a little) even if I used to think 9.6 baud was fast. I retired 4 years ago from the largest utility in California. Right after that they got rid of all the servers, shipped it all off to Phoenix. My problem with this is now they depend on somebody else for getting all the data back and forth. In the case of a disaster, say earthquake, they have no local backup equipment.

post by Linn on Jan 8, 2022

This is a problem with probably all the technology in my house. If Rachio goes belly up, I will go out and get a controller from another company.

post by tmcgahey on Jan 8, 2022

Trust me, that point is not lost on me, but it is the way the world is going, especially if you want “smart” devices. I don’t know any that don’t rely in some part on the cloud.