Extreme cold VP2 console don't work?

[David9723]

My VP2 console stops showing data from the ISS in extreme cold weather below 10F the data comes and goes and once it warms up it works fine again.

The strange thing is weather link live still receives data from the ISS and Cumulus MX reports the data as it normal does. The console and WLL are in the same room together. The console shows my signal strength of RSSI 40.

Any ideas?

[archae86]

I think the communication protocol between the ISS in the console has a degree of dependence on how closely matched the clock rates are that govern the transmission from the ISS and the reception in the console. If they are too badly mismatched console does not succeed in getting synced up. Though I haven't been inside either circuit, it is a good bet that they are governed by Quartz crystals, and the frequency generated by the oscillator that is controlled by the crystal is definitely going to have some temperature dependence. No doubt your ISS is still transmitting, but electronics in the console just can't quite manage the degree of mismatch when it is too cold.

One side effect of this is that specific pairs of ISS and console can have rather more successful communication than other pairs. I had an Envoy which had quite a bit of difficulty hearing my ISS from time to time, and when I finally started using a console for that function the specific console I used was a better match and I have had very little trouble since.