Cumulus Support

I have a Maplin branded Fine Offset WH1081.
It's now over 3 years old and from what I've read it's probably reaching the end of its life.
Batteries in the sender unit have always been a pain, regularly losing connection with the console, I've partially solved the problem by using tin foil packing to give a snugger fit.
I still lose connection at least once a week, but now have sorting it out down to a fine art!
The console is connected to an old pc which acts as a server using Cumulus to publish to the web via my own site.

I have a budget of around £200, but have no idea of what to look at.

To get the ball rolling perhaps?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-profes ... tion-n23dq
But, I can not see any mention of connecting to a pc.

Ideally I want something exactly the same as I have now, same features etc, but more reliable.
The more I read reviews, the less enthusiastic I get, no models seem to get more than 3 stars.

p.s. Cumulus has been brilliant, it's not let me down in 3+ years.

Definitely NOT that one as it connects via WiFi to one of the weather sites (forget which one) and there is no way to get the data to your PC.

I suggest you look at the list of the supported devices here http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/Supported_Devices and see which one meets your budget.

Hi,

DevonMan wrote:Batteries in the sender unit have always been a pain, regularly losing connection with the console, I've partially solved the problem by using tin foil packing to give a snugger fit.
I still lose connection at least once a week, but now have sorting it out down to a fine art!

Welcome to the forum. IMHO it shouldn't be that bad, so maybe you should be looking at the path of the wireless link between the Transmitter and Console, or possible radio interference. Maybe the transmitter is "faulty" (so £15 invested in a replacement from Maplin could be worthwhile), or you have severe 434 MHz radio interference problems. The latter might be cured by getting the equivalent 868 MHz station, but that's a larger investment (than £15) and generally 868 MHz will have more issues with a "difficult" transmission path.

If you are "good with your hands" then you might consider the Weatherduino Project which can use some of the same sensors, but don't underestimate the amount of work that might be required (and the power that its transmitter requires).

Cheers, Alan.

Thanks for the welcome.
The console is just inside a set of patio doors, about 6 or 7 metres from the station with nothing in between.
Regarding 434 MHz interference, I've got no idea, what else is likely to be using that frequency?
I've probably exaggerated how often the station loses connection, it can be good for a couple of weeks, with an occasional error. I don't worry about that.
Then suddenly I get 2 or 3 days when I get home to find complete loss of connection needing a reset.
I always do a complete reset, resetting console and station.
I'm on the edge of town in a small cul de sac with fields to the back so can't imagine any strange source of interference.
I've been reading reviews of any station I've seen mentioned, all seem to have their problems.
I had seen about Weatherduino, I could probably do it, but it would be a struggle, anyway, I have too many other 'projects' on the go.

I'll keep an eye on this thread, and continue researching and reading reviews