Temperature problems

[Jorge]

Hi! I´m a spanish boy, so, excuse my bad english .

I have a 2357 Lacrosse station, and i have installed cumulus v1.8. (Eavy weather is the most horrible program i ever seen). My problem is that yesterday at 23:52 local time, and today at 00:20, cumulus recorded 2 erroneus data, one showing a temperature of 19,9ºc, when at this moment i really have 4,7ºc, and the second showing 16,6ºc, when i have 4,6ºc. So i tried to change the data, but i can´t find where can i change. I changed the data in all time records, but cumulus still shows the incorrect data at internet ( yesterday page, records page and todays page), yesterday's panel data, and i don´t know what can i do to fix problem.

So, any response will be very grateful!

[daj]

Hi jorge and welcome to the fourm

Once you have made changes to your day, for example the records, you need to force a web update by doing File, Web update to see the changes (or wait until the new sheduled update of the web).

As well as editing records in Cumulus you need to manually edit a few files. Close down cumulus and edit today.ini and yesterday.ini and also the dayfile.txt (which may have data if it was the highest temp for the day), and the monthly log files (look for the entry around the time and date of your problem).

Details on all the files here http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/Category:Log_Files

[Master668]

I too am getting weird numbers appearing in my Hi/Lo data on a (un)reasonably regular basis. I've only had the software up since early January and have seen maybe 3-4 occurences already, as well as other weird numbers appearing.

The install is on Windows Home Server/Server 2003, using a serial to USB converter. I suspected failing batteries in the remote wireless sensor, but changing them has made no difference.

I never had this sort of behaviour with an earlier install with Weather Display. The only changes made are external to the La Crosse - new PC hosting, new OS and a serial to USB adapter between the La Crosse and the Acer AH-340 server.

[steve]

using a serial to USB converter

This is the culprit, at least as far as Cumulus is concerned.

[Master668]

Have there been other reports of issues with serial to USB converters? If so, it could be that mine is simply too cheap a one - I was given it by a friend. Perhaps there is a better/preferred model which doesn't suffer form this sort of issue? If so, any recommendations are welcome!

[steve]

Have there been other reports of issues with serial to USB converters?

Many! have you not seen all my disclaimers in the documentation and on the web site? The Prolific chipset is supposed to be best, but people still have problems with that.

[Master668]

What? Read the documentation? Real men don't need documentation ...

Thanks for that!

[Master668]

Oh, and just checked on the server - the converter in use has the Prolific chipset driver, so I guess I'm screwed!

Oh well, I'll just have to live with the occasional glitch and learn how to fix the log files, then.

[Super-T]

If you are running a desktop then you may well have a serial port header on the motherboard? Or you could add a PCI serial card.

[Master668]

The machine is an Acer AH340 - a custom Windows Home Server box. It doesn't have a video card, let alone any serial ports, and there aren't any expansion slots either. It runs a super low power Atom CPU, and has four hot swap SATA cradles. Very nice box, and cheap for what you get, pity about the Serial/USB issues!

Is there not some way to put a 'sanity check' on the weather station data as it is aquired? Something that throws away sudden erratic changes in readings? I doubt there is any place on earth that would change from 15C to -40C in a matter of seconds, short of a blast freezer.....

[steve]

Cumulus already does a lot of filtering of stupid values from La Crosse and Fine Offset stations. For temperature you can additionally use the EwTempDiff setting in the cumulus.ini file: http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/Cumulus.ini