WH 1080 DCF : help needed !

[aeropic]

Hi,

A few weeks ago I bought (from the USA) a weatherwise WH1080 weather station. The station is advertised to be WWVB/DCF Radio controlled time and date compliant.
I live in France, the DCF signal is present and strong enough to trigger on other DCF clocks I have.

My WH1080 does not synchronize with the DCF signal
In the user manual, I've found this sentence :
Touch the TIME section the third time, + button and – button will be flashing. Touch the +
button or – button to set the DST ON or OFF(this function is only available for WWVB version,
while for DCF version, this feature is not activated).
On my device, I get this DST ON/OFF menu, therefore I wonder if there are several versions of WH1080: one with DCF one with WWVB.
Please could you help me, users from the States or Canada, users from Europe and check your station :
- check if you receive the DCF or WWVB signals
- please tell me if the DST menu is present or not in your case
- please collect the reference information of your station (is there a serial number or so ?)

Once having collected some answers, I will make my mind to guess if there are two versions of the device and try to guess if by chance there is a configuration somewhere accessible inside the station (not a great hope ...)

thank you in advance
Alain

[Repairman77]

Alain, you may be getting a little confused here.

The DST on-off option is to disable the Summer time options and has nothing to do with the fact that your station won't receive and lock on to the German time signal.

It has been reported on other threads that the receiver may need to be rotated (it's in the transmitter box along with the other sensors on the roof) If you rotate it so that the ferrite rod lays parallel to the direction of the German signal you should be able to receive it OK. If the rod is end on to Germany it will not be receiving a strong enough signal. As far as I can see the German signal emanates from a place called Mainflingen, about 25 km south-east of Frankfurt, Germany. If you find it on the map you should be able to get the right direction.

If you turn the whole remote assembly round you will have to make adjustments on the Configuration/Calibration page under Wind Direction to realign the wind direction display.

Mike.

[steve]

The DST on-off option is to disable the Summer time options and has nothing to do with the fact that your station won't receive and lock on to the German time signal.

I think that what Alain is saying is that as his station does have the DST option, and as this is apparently only available on the WWVB versions, then he may have a WWVB version rather than a DCF version, hence his inability to lock on to the DCF signal?

[dane]

Alain,
my WH1080 is a DCF version: no DST option when pressing the time field on the console.
And it receives the DCF signal OK.
No serial no. displayed on the outside.
Its frequency is 868.3 MHz. What is yours? if it says 915MHZ that may be an indication that your model is meant for the North American market (the way I read the manual) and may not be able to pick up the German DCF signal.
Ib

[Repairman77]

The DST on-off option is to disable the Summer time options and has nothing to do with the fact that your station won't receive and lock on to the German time signal.

I think that what Alain is saying is that as his station does have the DST option, and as this is apparently only available on the WWVB versions, then he may have a WWVB version rather than a DCF version, hence his inability to lock on to the DCF signal?

Sorry if I misunderstood; I can't see any reason why they would produce a version with DCF and WWVB as I don't think DCF would be usable from the USA.

I think, as Dane says, if that version is on 915MHz it's very unlikely it would be able to work on DCF.

It's a good job there is a manual time set mode; it should be fairly accurate with that mode.

Mike.

[aeropic]

Steve Dane and Mike,

Thank you for your answer. I'm afraid I've received an American version (which is quite normal since bought in the states ..)
I will check the frequency, I'm not at home right now but I remember a frequency in the range of 900 MHz, which would definitly turn my DCF hopes off

What is misleading is the description of the product with the DCF/WWVB function ...

I think I will live with a manual setting of time !

If a north American guy could confirm its frequency and the summer time option, it would be nice

Thanks for your help

Alain

[aeropic]

After checking, the frequency is indeed 915MHz
the sscid is WA5915MTX

Alain

[steve]

That's definitely a US model, then. As I understand it, it is illegal to use 915 Mhz equipment in Europe.

[Repairman77]

That's definitely a US model, then. As I understand it, it is illegal to use 915 Mhz equipment in Europe.

Strictly speaking that's true Steve; however it's such low power that it's not going to cause any interference to anyone, so I wouldn't loose any sleep over it Alain.
Mike.

[aeropic]

Let's say I have not measured the frequency

[Repairman77]

Let's say I have not measured the frequency

It may actually be an advantage if anyone should buy a legal 868MHz one and put it up close to your house.
Mike.