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WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Discussion specific to Fine Offset and similar rebadged weather stations
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

Hi,
Sorry for my english .
I have a problmen with my WH3080 weather station.
When it's beginning raining , The base lost the data rain gauge and wind?
I need to reset all my station (accu , disconnect USB ...)
dpmiller
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon 30 May 2011 1:34 pm
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win XP sp3
Location: newtownards, N.I.

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by dpmiller »

just do a "down arrow" to have the console re-scan. Likely a change in temp or rh has caused the transmitter's timer ( there are separate timing windows for temp/rh/rain versus solar) to drift slightly.
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

Thanks dpmiller for your reply but I don't understand what do you mind.

The WH3080 works good when the weather is not bad (not rain).

The weather station is connected non stop to my PC.

But When It's start to rain, The sensors exteriors are lost (wind , uv, rain ...)

So , it's the same in cumulus (nothing).

I need to restart the console to have the sensors.
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: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,

Are ALL the external sensors being lost lost (i.e. temperature, humidiity, rain, wind direction, wind speed, Lux and UV) and BOTH on the Console LCD and in Cumulus/Easyweather?

How does the "loss" appear on the LCD, i.e. dashes (--), blank or just no data updates? There are different faults (and potential cures) depending on exactly what is being lost.

But the most likely cause is that water is entering the transmitter and/or a cable/connector. Or just possibly that the transmitter range is so "close to the limit" that the rain is obstructing the radio signals.

Cheers, Alan.
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beteljuice
Posts: 3292
Joined: Tue 09 Dec 2008 1:37 pm
Weather Station: None !
Operating System: W10 - Threadripper 16core, etc
Location: Dudley, West Midlands, UK

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by beteljuice »

But the most likely cause is that water is entering the transmitter and/or a cable/connector. Or just possibly that the transmitter range is so "close to the limit" that the rain is obstructing the radio signals.
The beteljuice would think that to be the prime suspect - strange how wireless weather stations don't like ..... weather :D
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......................Imagine, what you will KNOW tomorrow !
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

When the sensors are lost, the consol is blank, except Inside sensors.
In cumulus too, nothing.
The transmistter is about at 10 meter of consol.
ejay
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun 01 Apr 2012 8:31 am
Weather Station: WH3081
Operating System: Windows XP
Location: Malvern VIC Australia
Contact:

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by ejay »

Keep in mind that the rain sensor is normally connected through the solar pod, which has connections to the battery supply. If there is a writing fault in the solar pod, the reed switch in the rain sensor could end up shorting out the power supply rails, thereby causing the transmitter to reset and the base station to lose sync when the buckets tip.

You should try disconnecting the solar pod and plug the rain sensor directly into the transmitter. Also check for bent or shorted out pins in the connectors.
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lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

Ok I'll try it.
Another think. I noticed that when the consol is a little far from transmitter (for example anaother room) , when the station is connect to PC, the sensors are lost too (especially at night) !!!

Too, when the sensors are lost and it's rainning. If I restart the consol after these lost, the consol works correct after start.
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: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by AllyCat »

ejay wrote:You should try disconnecting the solar pod and plug the rain sensor directly into the transmitter.
Hi,

Yes indeed, there have been a number of reports of strange interactions between the rain and solar sensors on these models (which suggests manufacturing / assembly problems). Does it seem to be the first "rain tip" of the seesaw in the rain sensor which causes the lost contact (you might try a simple test by adding a little water)? Do communications only start again (however long you wait) when you reset (or better use the down-arrow button on) the Console? But note that the Console/Cumulus doesn't report a "lost contact" (or blank display) for more than 5 minutes after a "fault" occurs, but the display will immediately stop updating each 48 seconds (or 60 for the solar data).

The communications on many of these units doesn't seem to achieve the claimed transmitter range, particularly if the USB cable is connected to a computer. Try disconnecting the USB cable or replace it with a better quality (screened) cable if you can (note the rather unusual "type A male to male" type).

Cheers, Alan.
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

I try a simple test by adding a little water (several time, until 2.1 mm) with big sun, no problem. No lost.
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: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,

You may now need to repeat that test in darkness, or by covering the sloping PV panel (in the solar head) to exclude light. But we seem to be coming back to probably water/cable issues (which I have suffered myself).

I'm afraid that some of the "fun" in using these Fine Offset stations is discovering why they're not working properly. ;)

Cheers, Alan.
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

I'll try tonight.
Is it possible to connect a power supply ?
For the cable/water, this is exactly what I thought when I received the station.
How did you do to solve the problem?
I had protection but without good result.

Why when the usb cable is connected, sometimes it loses the sensors?
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

I try a simple test by adding a little water, (several time, until 5.4 mm) tonight and on the cables, no problem. No lost.
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: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,
lamda wrote:Is it possible to connect a power supply ?
It's probably not necessary, the transmitter should work for about 2 years from a pair of normal alkaline cells. However, there have been some "faulty" Solar Pods which drain too much current from the battery. I had one which (twice) killed the batteries in about 3 months, so it was replaced by my supplier.
lamda wrote:For the cable/water, this is exactly what I thought when I received the station. How did you do to solve the problem?
The only problems I've had with the rain sensor were due to bent contacts in the RJ-11 socket. I have had problems with water in an (extended) wind cable/connector. I think the only answer is to waterproof the connections well, perhaps using a "battery terminal (conductive) grease" and maybe an improved "Stevenson Screen" around the transmitter.
lamda wrote:Why when the usb cable is connected, sometimes it loses the sensors
There can be radio interference from the USB signals. I purchased a longer, perhaps better quality cable from ebay which seems to have helped. However, I don't run the computer 24/7 but just connect it occasionally to download data. A screened cable might be better, but note that the cable is not a "standard" type because it has two "type A" USB plugs and not one "type A + type B".

Cheers, Alan.
lamda
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu 09 Aug 2012 5:31 am
Weather Station: WH3080
Operating System: Win 7 starter
Location: RODEZ

Re: WH3080 lost when it's beginning rain

Post by lamda »

Hi alan,
Thanks for your reply.
If I understand , there isn't solution about theses problems?
Is this the same case for all these stations?
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