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A few different issues - hardware & software!

Discussion specific to Fine Offset and similar rebadged weather stations
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pritch
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2017 8:34 pm
Weather Station: WH1081
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit

A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by pritch »

Hi all

I've had a WH1081 sourced from Maplin for quite a few years now. I've always used the Easyweather software but I've had various issues and now the apparent failure of my Tx unit has led me to all sorts of googling, and here I am.

Firstly with the hardware - the transmitter has always been fairly reliable and so when I started getting intermittent dashes across the display recently I suspected a battery change was due. This I did, and was met the with the "solid LED" I have seen discussed in another thread. I took the batteries out and put them back in and there was no LED at all. I didn't take it apart at this stage, I eventually tried the time-honoured tradition of shaking it around a bit, and it came back to life! I took the data off the base unit, and reset it, and it all seemed to be OK. I did everything back up and re-mounted the sensors outside, only to find after a couple of hours it had dropped out again. I brought everything inside today and looked for the LED, nothing. But after a few hours it was flashing again, but the base unit wouldn't receive, even on resetting the base unit. And when I took the batteries out of the transmitter and re-inserted, guess what, no LED again.

I've now taken the transmitter apart, which wasn't easy as it was well glued in places and I've got a hairline crack on the back cover now as a result. But I've got the PCB out. Based on the symptoms, is there anything specific I should look for? I'll say now that one of the battery terminals was quite mucky. I've liberally sprayed it all with electrical contact cleaner and tried to scrub it up as best I can, but still nothing.

If my Tx unit is dead, can I replace it with the spares currently available on Maplin and ebay for "N25FR" or the like? This looks identical, but is it incompatible with the WH1081? Again, I read in another thread that the frequencies may be different? If it helps, a little sticker that fell off when I was taking apart my Tx says "FU 04/10" - leading me to think it was produced in April 2010?

My other query relates to Cumulus - I've just loaded it up for the first time. I haven't connected the station yet because of the above issues, but have provided the path to my EasyWeather.dat but am not getting any history data displayed in Cumulus. I did have one issue getting Cumulus to run, solved by setting it to run as administrator (I'm using Win 10 Pro 64-bit). Is there something else I need to do or tweak?

Thank you
Alex
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steve
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Re: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by steve »

There are others here who can help perhaps help with the hardware issues, but regarding Cumulus, I'm not clear exactly what you're asking. Cumulus won't read any historical data from an easyweather.dat file, it just uses the last line in the file to get the current data, when you use the 'easyweather.dat' station type. Using a Fine Offset station type is much better (and then the easyweather.dat file setting is ignored).
Steve
pritch
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2017 8:34 pm
Weather Station: WH1081
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit

Re: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by pritch »

Forgive me, I had assumed Cumulus read data from the .dat file - I have selected "fine offset".

Unfortunately my sensor woes continue - when I bring it inside it seems to start to work again, and today I taped around the sides with insulating tape before putting it back outside. It seems to have had enough of the British winter though (I can't say I blame it :) ) and after a few hours it stops transmitting again.

I'd be grateful if anyone could advise if those replacement sensors would work with my WH1081.
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: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by AllyCat »

Hi Alex,
pritch wrote:If my Tx unit is dead, can I replace it with the spares currently available on Maplin and ebay for "N25FR" or the like? This looks identical, but is it incompatible with the WH1081? Again, I read in another thread that the frequencies may be different? If it helps, a little sticker that fell off when I was taking apart my Tx says "FU 04/10" - leading me to think it was produced in April 2010?
Sorry, I missed your earlier post and also sorry to be the bringer of bad news. Definitely the replacement transmitter for the N25FR will NOT work because that station doesn't have a wind vane (so the complete transmitted data packet will be unrecognised or rejected).

AFAIK Maplin have only ever sold 433/434 MHz transmitters (despite questions/comments on their own website to the contrary). However, from around 2012 onwards, the manufacturers changed the "Wireless Protocol" of all their stations (but Maplin did not change their stock code). So I am fairly sure that a "new" replacement from Maplin for any of their current stations (even with a wind vane) will NOT work with your Console. The cases of more recent transmitters now use internal clips and are not glued, but a glued case is no guarantee that it will be compatible with an older station.

A company called Waters and Stanton have sold several different types of replacement transmitters for the Fine Offset stations and have a better understanding than Maplin of what they're actually selling. So they might be worth a try, but are more expensive and I rather doubt if they can still source a replacement transmitter for your "old" station. Your only hope may be to find someone with an old transmitter that they don't need, but still works. Normally I/We recommend buying another complete station (the wind/rain sensors are all compatible and can be kept or sold as spares) when they are being sold "on offer" (around £50+) by Maplin or ebay.

Otherwise, I can only suggest that you "clean up" your PCB and contacts as best you can and ensure it is completely dry. But be careful using any solvents as they will probably wreck the humidity sensor. BTW have you seen the two sticky threads at the top of this Fine Offset section which shows photos with some explanation of the internals of mainly the older FO stations?

Cheers, Alan.
pritch
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2017 8:34 pm
Weather Station: WH1081
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit

Re: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by pritch »

Thanks Alan for the information which has probably saved me from buying a sensor that won't work with my old 1081.

I suppose I could still buy the N96GY transmitter (with wind direction) and if it didn't work, keep it as a spare, in the event that I purchase a newer complete section? That would make up an entire "spare" sensor array (albeit my sensors are getting a bit long in the tooth also - I've noticed pronounced bearing noise since I got them inside, not to mention the amusing contrast between the plastic that yellows and that which resists it ;) )

From what I can see from looking at comments online, it seems I've had an above-average run with my station (I cannot recall exactly when I purchased it) with many of the ones I would consider replacing it with, including the one with solar-powered sensors, garnering poor reviews from owners with many quibbles about reliability.

I'm not sure I want to spend another x amount on a unit that may fail within a few years. I have a station around the front of the house, bought in Lidl I think, that admittedly just has a temp/humidity sensor, but it has, for example, a rubber seal all around the battery compartment and just feels much higher in quality, despite being much cheaper to buy.

I wouldn't mind spending a bit more on something fully featured that's genuinely built to last - do such options exist?
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: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,
pritch wrote: I could still buy the N96GY transmitter (with wind direction) and if it didn't work, keep it as a spare, in the event that I purchase a newer complete section?
If a replacement didn't work (and I don't think it will) then I'd return it to Maplin. I believe they accept returns, but check before you buy. If you do later decide to buy a full station, the best offer might be 868 MHz (from Clas Ohlson and some other suppliers) or the Solar data version, which was recently being sold new on ebay at a very good price by a Chinese seller with a UK warehouse.

There are currently a few threads from people complaining about the reliability of their Davis stations that cost more than ten times the price ! As you have some electronics knowledge and abilty, you might take a look at the WeatherDuino project. I've not built one myself (yet) and have some concerns that the transmitter needs a local power supply, or a very significant Solar Panel and battery (particularly in UK), but it potentially offers a good degree of performance and flexibility at a moderate cost.

Cheers, Alan.
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philpugh
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Re: A few different issues - hardware & software!

Post by philpugh »

I wouldn't mind spending a bit more on something fully featured that's genuinely built to last - do such options exist?
Have a look at some of the Oregon stations - they are generally a step up from the Fine Offset systems.

There's the DAVIS options - but these can get quite pricey.
Phil Pugh
GW1000 + WH65/WH57/WH31; HP2551 + WS68/WH40A; GW2001 WittBoy
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