Cumulus Support

I've had a few days of really odd rainfall settings and thought I'd do a full reset but I'm still getting odd data. I've removed the batteries from the controller for a few minutes and then reinserted, but as soon as it starts the rain max value says 800.7. When I start Cumulus I keep getting this value and others confusing the rainfall totals..

I've tried easyweather "scope" and it shows values for last hour, last 24 hours, last week, last month and last year. Clear Memory make no diff.

All other value, wind, temp, pressure all seem fine in the controller and cumulus

Help.

The rain counter is held in the sensor, so you probably need to remove the batteries from that to reset it.

steve wrote:The rain counter is held in the sensor, so you probably need to remove the batteries from that to reset it.

Yes, I had to do that after picking up a ton of "rain" from electric fence interference. Then you have to edit a couple of data files.

I had exactly the same problem and couldn't stop that initial reading from reoccuring. To fix it, I cleared all rainfall from the receiver, then I restored from last backup prior to the corruption, started cumulus which re-downloaded the incorrect reading. However as it was summarised I only had to fix one reading rather than many readings. I searched this forum but couldn't find any steps I had missed in my earlier attempts to fix the data.

Touch wood it hasn't happened again. I suspect it may have related to lightning we had overnight.

hills wrote:However as it was summarised I only had to fix one reading rather than many readings. I searched this forum but couldn't find any steps I had missed in my earlier attempts to fix the data.

If you want to fix rainfall in Cumulus, rather than in the station, the instructions are now in the FAQ: http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/FAQ#My_sta ... it_to_zero. As I never have to correct my rainfall, it's conceivable that I've missed something out; please let me know if that is the case.

Clearing the rainfall in the (Fine Offset) receiver doesn't help.

Gina wrote:

steve wrote:The rain counter is held in the sensor, so you probably need to remove the batteries from that to reset it.

Yes, I had to do that after picking up a ton of "rain" from electric fence interference. Then you have to edit a couple of data files.

This suggests that my plan to start re-using the pole my unit is mounted on as a support for an hf transmitting antenna might be a bit problematic then - do you think?

I was intending to put a few watts of morse code into a long wire antenna supported on that pole, or maybe a delta loop.

Perhaps a few ferrite cores and wrapping the wires around the cores a few times before plugging them into the wind unit atop the pole and also down below where the cables enter the thermal sensor unit, might block rf from running into the thermal unit. I mention this to you because i think you worked in electronic engineering.

I could also just try it out. It's not as if my data matters overly much.

Yes, I think you might have a problem with interference. Ferrite rings may well help but I think I would suggest screening the cables. If you're in amateur radio I guess you are probably quite capable with a soldering iron. Ideally, I would use screened twisted pair cables but going that far might not be necessary. Indeed, you may not need to do anything. The rain gauge and anemometer use read switches in an on/off mode, the wind vane uses read switches and resistors so might be more susceptible. At least with HF you're well away from the UHF band the AWS transmitter uses. I would imagine your tx equipment will be free of RF harmonics.

I would suggest trying it but move your tx/temp/humidity unit away from the mast and HF aerial - if too near the aerial it could get fried

One other thought, could you try things with reduced tx power and gradually crank it up to full power? That would give you an idea of how much effort you would need to put into screening etc.

Thanks Gina. I don't use anything like the full 400 watts power allowed anyway and I never did. Even with 100 - 150 watts, it was VERY easy to make my neighbour's TV picture dance and flash, and morse code would come over on their portable radios at some frequencies. The longer wavelengths I used, the worse that problem got. On 1.8MHZ I could set off the burglar alarms next door and across the road with about ten watts. This was because it used to induce RF currents in the mains wiring, being rather long wavelengths. I didn't do much operating down there. If I set up again (haven't been doing much for years now) I would be using between 1 and 10 watts on 14.065 MHZ of on off keying, or maybe a spot of phase shift keying for computer to computer comms. The other day, I put about one watt into a random bit of wire hung out of an upstairs window and managed a morse contact with some joker in Venice on the Grand Canal. Quite amazing how far you can get with weak signal modes like the old code.

I reckon I'll dig out some ferrite rings for starters, and wind up a nice HF choke on the wires before they get into the transmitter unit. Currents induced in the down lead from the wind and rain sensor may be the most sensitive bit. A choke ought to snuff them out. If not, I can do the screening.