La Crosse 2306 - Signal dropping out most mornings pre-dawn

[dids04]

Hoping somebody with the above unit can provide some advice.

Since the cold has set in since mid/late May (Melbourne Australia), my la crosse unit every 2nd morning or so loses its signal connection with the display showing "---" for all external readings.

This can last for several hours. manual re-connections sometimes/somtimes now work.

Every time it has gone out, humidity in the air at the time was high (85% or more) and believe this can affect readings. However, I have had high humidity through the day without signal loss.


A copy of my heavy weather data screen is attached.

Any help to fix this annoying problem is greatly appreciated.

[Matt.j5b]

Hi dids04

I also have got the 2306. Last week I got lost connection from 5am to 11 am except it worked a little while around 9am. Since then while the storms have been away I have cabled it and readings are normal. I also got spikes once or twice a day in the week leading up to it. I replaced the batteries in the outdoor unit but that did not help with the wireless connection. I even moved the indoor unit within metres of the outdoor, before that it was thorough several walls. I think cold mornings can reduce the distance of the wireless, so maybe place it closer.

I have just tried unplugging the cable and it searched for the sensor and kept failing with the '---'. Unless my station is failing, the only thing I can think of is replacing the battery in the indoor receiver, maybe that might solve it. I have found the wireless is a bit hard sometimes but I have not checked how well mine would work without the cable, to test whether the wireless works well. But the difference between my issue and yours is you get the connection back during the day. Well I hope that helps you anyway.

[AllyCat]

However, I have had high humidity through the day without signal loss.

Hi,

Have you tried replacing the battery(s) in the transmitter (and receiver if appropriate)?

It's probably not a coincidence that the drop-out occurs at a "low" temperature (at least for Australia) and reception recovers at a somewhat higher temperature. The performance of both the transmitter electronics and the batteries will generally reduce with falling temperature, and of course the voltage from the batteries (and thus the transmitter power) gradually decays over their life.

Cheers, Alan.

[dids04]

thanks for the replys.

Had never thought about the battery issue in the cold so perhaps thats whats going on. (Athought I did have new batteries in there)

When I have lost signal, I have been able to regain signal by removing the batteries from teh outside unti and re-insterting them, (This is obviously a little inconvenient though)


Would have though the design should be able to handle the lower conditions given its supposedly capable of reading temps down to -49.9c

[Matt.j5b]

Would have though the design should be able to handle the lower conditions given its supposedly capable of reading temps down to -49.9c

Along with what Allycat said, I think its because the cold reduces the transmission distance it can reach to the base unit, like how walls can reduce the distance.

[ntinos]

Hi dids04 and Matt
It is very possible to happen ,for three reasons :

1) High humidity lever make the wireless communication poor
2) You are at limit wireless range console - out thermo/hygro sensor
3) Low temperatures low battery level

You can put AA lithium batteries at outside thermo/hygro sensor and console (if you use with batteries the console) ,and try to change position more closer console - out thermo/hygro sensor

[Matt.j5b]

I found that when the batteries are too low in the console it does have trouble getting the data from the outside unit even if it kept within a couples of metres of the unit for hours on end. Therefore I had to replace the batteries in the console to get a good signal every few months. I could use ac power but I rather not do that, and I thought that alkaline is better batteries, so I not sure about any other type of battery.

But I will be upgrading my station to Davis after the dispappointing reliability of this station but the older non pc La Crosse still works fine. Also when the temperature drops to 7 degree C or less the outdoor unit fails to communicate as I had quite a hard time last winter. However I have not got it sited properly in the open; in winter there would be many more days with below 7 degrees than under cover at the house eaves where the sensor is located and would not cope well with the cold.

[ntinos]

Matt the AA lithium batteries is better from alcaline ,it have about 7 times more longer,and it do not have problems with low temperatures.

I agree Davis is better weather station.

La crosse weather station must you make some mods for work correct,example you make build Stevenson screen or fan aspirated radiation shield for you have correct temps measurements,under cover at the house it is not correct place from out thermo/hygro,the summer time you will have lowest temps and the winter higher temps from Davis weather stations where it is closer your area.
La-crosse 2306 lost a little bit rainfall from Davis ,if you have closer a Davis weather station you can observe if Davis have 10 mm rainfall,you will have 8 or 9 mm.
You will have spike 100 km/h wind with calm outside,this problem have La-crosse WS23XX from interference.

But all this can solved with mods

Friendly

[Matt.j5b]

Well the manual recommends alkaline batteries and I don't want to try to use another battery type. The manual says this:

3 x AA, IEC LR6, 1.5V (Alkaline recommended)

I understand that modifications to the station does increase the quality of the data it produces but for me what has let me down is the limited data logger of 175 entries so I only get 14.5 hrs maximum time between downloads from the station at 5 minute intervals ( as I don't run the pc 24/7) and the crazy spikes which can't be solved which happens when Cumulus is not running. I found the spikes happen more often in cold weather with it happening about 40 times in last 3 months.

I fully understand that temperature and humdity sensors should be mounted away from any buliding, most ideally 1.25 metres above grass and away from heat sources and hard surfaces. And that what I intend to do with the Davis. But even if I did build a radiation shield I would get even more trouble with the comunications as the temperature in the open is often 3 to 4 degrees and I would get lost connection almost every day. And also I rather buy a station that includes a proper shelter rather than bulid one for a station without a decent shelter as I am not an expert at diy and is something that is beyond me.

So even though my records according to Cumlus and 2306 are partly wrong my manual records are correct as that uses a extra sensor to get the overnight temps and rain from a manual gauge. But once I get the Davis Cumulus data will be more accurate and the manual records will be reduced.

[ntinos]

Hi Matt
Yes i know the manual recommends alcaline batteries,but do not there is problem if you use lithium Batteries,lithium batteries is more better from alcaline.

[jlfutari]

I have a La-Crosse 2300 and the Base station frequently loose connection with the external senors, in the early hours of the morning.....and the reason it occurs is due to the inside temperature. When the inside temp reaches 12C, my station loose contact with my external sensor.

In August 2011 I went away fro 5 weeks, and on the day I left...the internal station lost contact with the external sensor, (I could tell this from my records). I thought at the time it was battery related(i.e. flat). I tried lithium batteries...but for some reason the external sensor would not work with them in. So i reverted to alkaline batteries. This year I was away for 1 week in August...and to my great surprise....my internal station lost contact with my external sensor.... I was very perplexed....until it dawned on me...... it was the internal temp that caused the loss of signal.

To further demonstrate the above..... I've had many times when it was 2-3 degree's outside all day..... and everything worked correctly.....

Hope that helps

James

[ntinos]

If the humidity level is high,and the temp is low then ,radiofrequency signal is more low limit
I see strange lithium batteries not work at out remote temp/hum sensor ,probably the problem it was other.

Solutions:

1) Bring more closer console - out thermo/hygro sensor
2) If you know little about electronics ,if you have soldering iron,you can add inside console antenna more lenght now is 17 cm L/4 wave for 433 Mhz ,it is better is 34 cm L/2 wave,you can use oneply cable like inside ethernet cable.
3)Υοu can use wired connection
4) Try again other lithium batteries
5) If you are electronic and you have a RF field strength meter,you can experiment to turn the trimer capacitor out thermo/hygro for better LC tuning.Personal i had a small Lacrosse station and after 5 years contact loss continuity,i have DIY a RF field strength meter,and turn the trimmer capacitor until to have the higher level at meter,and the conection with small Lacrosse come back.But if you have not RF field strength meter never touch the trimmer capacitor.

[Del]

Hi Guy's,

I have a Lacrosse WS2355 that used to experience the same early morning "Dropouts" from external sensors and wouldn't recover for hours!

Tried the flash Energizer ultimate lithium batteries (rated - 40c - +40c).. no luck, tried putting a low powered bulb into the inside display unit (To add slight warmth) no luck...

Got sick of the wireless problems after a week so threw the USB conversion cable away (Which i suspect was the biggest part of the problem) and changed to a Serial (Com Port) cable & hardwired my sensors using cat5 network cable.

This setup has been running 100% perfect and never missed a beat since. Another bonus to the cable setup is you get your readings a lot quicker..
Don't quote me but i think my WS2355 is updating every 7 or 8 seconds..

Check it out..
Feilding Weather

[slashmusic]

Hi

starting with the "cold time" in Germany this year, I had also this kind of Problems I am seeing every year.
The sendsrs are having batteries and the station is plugged in a AC Power. Every year I am changing the batteries but when the outdoor temperature is getting lower than 0 C I will have these connections loss you are also talking about, here.
My indoor Temp is never having less than 15 degree C. also the humidity is not extremely high or low.
This year, I am start additionally seeing extreme spikes in Temperature (-20 C) and wind (+128 km/h) which make my AlltimeRecord pages absolutely not usable anymore so I searched for more info about a valid solution.

The distance between the Sensor and station is about 10m and there is only a window between sensor and station.
I also played around with the angle of radiation of sensor and station without seeing any success.
I am only able to move the station 1-2 m near to the Sensor but this did not solve the Problem.
The Batteries in the outdoor sensors are new (and expensive - if expensive = good)
So I searched the internet and found this hint: http://elchs-kramkiste.de/lapurd/node/86
Sorry, it is a German website but when you look at the pictures, you will see what he is talking about. I followed exactly this recommendation and:
a) I did not have any further connection loss between sensor and station (Outdoor Temperatuire at night - 15 degree C)
b) I further see spikes 1 or 2 times per day but by using the Spike Removal function within Cumulus it is okay for me.

The most important thing: connection loss between station and sensor - which only can be fixed by turn station off and on - is gone.
-jk