WH1081pc has stopped transmitting wind data

[mbnz75]

My WH1081 weather station has stopped sending wind information to the console. All other data, temp, pressure etc is received. Sometimes a wind direction is displayed?
I have taken the batteries out of the console & restarted it.
Maybe I need to get the ladder & have a proper check of the wiring, a visual check looks fine.

Any help would be appreciated. Just new to this

[nitrx]

Are the cups of the anemometer rotating ? Winddirection is measured by other sensors as windspeed. Spiders can stop the anemometer or frozen rain.

[AllyCat]

Hi,

a visual check looks fine.

Welcome to the forum. So the anemometer rotor is rotating and the Vane points in the direction indicated on the Console LCD ?

If the rotor is not turning then probably it's either a spider's web or the bearing has failed (very common, but fairly easy to replace). We can probably discount frozen rain in Dunedin (NZ?) in the summer.

If the rotor and Vane are turning then a cable connection issue is most likely (either corroded contacts or water in the plugs), but the magnetic reed switch has been known to fail. Also fairly easy to replace if you have a soldering iron (or a local seller of replacement anemometer heads).

Cheers, Alan.

[mbnz75]

The anemometer is spinning and the vane is turning.

Might be water after the storm? I will get the ladder out and check it tomorrow. Anything I should look for??
It wasn't much of a storm so Im surprised that a weather station doesn't do well in the rain??

[DaveNZ]

We can probably discount frozen rain in Dunedin (NZ?) in the summer.

I wouldn't discount that possibility... I hear they are having a rather lousy summer down in southern NZ!

[AllyCat]

Hi,

The connectors used by FO were really not intended for "external" use, I'm surprised they work as well as they (normally) do!

The magnetic switch may have stopped being detected, either because it is disconnected (or has failed) OR because there is leakage (a "short circuit") across the cables/connectors due to water ingress. The transmitter sources only a very small current (~30 uA) so quite a small leakage current can stop it working.

A "multimeter" would help to determine the type of fault, or even a "continuity tester" (a buzzer or lamp + battery) would test the cable and reed switch. Otherwise I'm afraid it's a matter of looking for corrosion, bent contacts or dampness.

Have you seen this sticky thread which includes some photos of the inside of the anemometer (e.g. on page 2) ?

EDIT: If you don't mind upsetting the rain counter, you can plug the wind cable into the rain socket (and vice versa) on the transmitter. A functioning anemometer will produce lots of "rain", or rocking the see-saw will produce a small, temporary "wind gust" (or about 30 tips for a 0.7 mph average over 1 minute).

Cheers, Alan.

[mbnz75]

I think that it must have been moisture causing the problem..
After a couple of fine days the station started transmitting wind speed data again.

Anyone know what I can do to prevent this from happening again?

Cheers

[AllyCat]

Hi,

Sorry, I don't have a definitive solution, it's actually a problem I've experienced myself occasionally (but I do use a long extension cable).

The "optimum" recommendation may also vary somewhat with location (e.g. Australia, UK or US, etc.). Perhaps seal all the connectors with the type of grease intended for (car) battery terminals, and ideally seal any couplers with "self-amalgamating tape". Alternatively, an occasional squirt with WD40 may be adequate, but some others have warned that this might possibly damage the plastics.

Or on one occasion I did lash up a (temporary) battery and "pull-up" resistor, rather than bother to lower my mast.

Cheers, Alan.

[MickinMoulden]

If you have any extensions as I do, you will be plagued by bad connectors all the time. Best thing to do is cut the plugs off and solder them together and use shrink tubing on the solder joins as well as a bigger one to cover the whole cable to keep the moisture out. Perhaps even make end caps for the bottoms of the wind vane and anemometer. Now my mast is 8 metres high, on a 4m roof, I have very little opportunity to make end caps now. Had to get it up with a cherry picker.