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Watson W-8691

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Techie_v2
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2020 12:34 pm
Weather Station: Watson W-8681
Operating System: Windows 10

Watson W-8691

Post by Techie_v2 »

Hi,

Don't know if anyone here can help me or if this is even the right place to post (apologies if not).

My daughter has just been given a weather task for over the holidays where she has to record the weather each day. I thought, I know what, I'll fire up the old weather station.

Having had a load of building work done last year, the receiver was packed away while the transmitter was let outside in its usual place. I got the receiver out, replaced the batteries and it fired up, replaced the batteries in the transmitter and that looked ok but I am getting mixed readings from the transmitter. I'm receiving wind data and presumably rain but not temperature, the display just stays at -- for outdoor temp and humidity. I restarted the transmitter, got the red led for a few seconds then it goes to blinking every 45 seconds as I think it should but no temp data is coming through. Even though I put new batteries in it the display is showing the battery icon with "tx" in it.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can fix it or is it just wear and tear due to its age?

Thanks in advance.
water01
Posts: 3215
Joined: Sat 13 Aug 2011 9:33 am
Weather Station: Ecowitt HP2551
Operating System: Windows 10 64bit
Location: Burnham-on-Sea
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Re: Watson W-8691

Post by water01 »

Check the connectors between the rain gauge and the transmitter and also the between the weather vane and the anemometer and then to the transmitter, they can get mucky (personally a quick spurt of WD40 rubbed off with cloth works) . I also presume they are plugged into the transmitter the right way round?
David
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Techie_v2
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2020 12:34 pm
Weather Station: Watson W-8681
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: Watson W-8691

Post by Techie_v2 »

Hi,

Thanks for replying. The rain and wind is transmitting fine. It's the temp and pressure that are not.

Thanks
Techie_v2
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2020 12:34 pm
Weather Station: Watson W-8681
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: Watson W-8691

Post by Techie_v2 »

Here are some photos of inside the unit if that helps anyone?

Thanks
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sfws
Posts: 1183
Joined: Fri 27 Jul 2012 11:29 am
Weather Station: Chas O, Maplin N96FY, N25FR
Operating System: rPi 3B+ with Buster (full)

Re: Watson W-8691

Post by sfws »

Techie_v2 wrote: Tue 31 Mar 2020 12:43 pm for outdoor temp and humidity.
Techie_v2 wrote: Tue 31 Mar 2020 3:52 pm It's the temp and pressure that are not.
I think you got it right first time, but wrong when you attempted to repeat yourself, after David read your original post wrongly.
Your daughter needs a maximum/minimum thermometer and a hygrometer and being able to record these manually twice a day as an alternative!

Others know more than me, but I believe that the same component often measures both temperature and humidity, so I am guessing that component has failed. I don't know which it is in your photos,none look obviously damaged. There are a number of people who have posted pictures previously in very old posts, don't know if any of those might help.
Last edited by sfws on Wed 01 Apr 2020 7:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Super-T
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Weather Station: wh-1081
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Re: Watson W-8691

Post by Super-T »

Normally the white plastic housing bit, I seem to remember.

I swapped mine for one out of a broken spare display unit.
Techie_v2
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2020 12:34 pm
Weather Station: Watson W-8681
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: Watson W-8691

Post by Techie_v2 »

Well as the low battery warning is flashing even with brand new batteries I think I might just be disposing of it unless anyone knows anything else

Thanks for the help
AllyCat
Posts: 1124
Joined: Sat 26 Feb 2011 1:58 pm
Weather Station: Fine Offset 1080/1 & 3080
Operating System: Windows XP SP3
Location: SE London

Re: Watson W-8691

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,
Techie_v2 wrote: Tue 31 Mar 2020 3:52 pm The rain and wind is transmitting fine. It's the temp and pressure that are not.
Presumably you mean Humidity, the pressure sensor is in the Console.

The causes of your problems may depend on the age of the station - not all Fine Offset stations are the same! You might find more information in the two "sticky" threads at the top of the "Fine Offset" section of the forum. But a couple of "issues" I recall for some of the earlier stations:

Try unplugging the Wind cable (and waiting for a new transmission) to see if the external temperature is still "out of range" (---). That test may seem daft, but the same ADC was used for wind direction and temperature, and the design was such that any leakage (dampness) in the cable could upset the temperature measurement. But on later transmitters it probably is the "little white box" that is faulty. AFAIK a part number has never been identified, it has to be "cannibalised" from another transmitter or (the) Console.

IIRC, earlier Consoles only reset the (Transmitter's) received "Low Battery" flag at midnight (or some similar occasion) so it may be worth just waiting for a day or two (or resetting the Console by removing a battery and disconnecting the USB cable).

Cheers, Alan.
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