Cumulus Support

It seems Fine Offset have a new station. From the spec it looks like it will be compatible with Cumulus, but it adds a solar/UV sensor, so there's a bit of reverse engineering to be done to find out how to read that! The only place I can find so far actually selling them is on ebay.com.au.

http://www.foshk.com/Weather_Professional/WH3080.htm

Hurry up Napkins and get it in stock!

I'm with Paul on this -- I want one

('Napkins' makes me chuckle every time -- iPhone predictive words are great! It's Maplin without an 's' anyway, so if you leave off the S you get the right name, but lets stick to Napkins)

I noticed this one has a frequency of 433mhz. The UK range is 600 something mhz isn't it?

Randy

wd40 wrote:I noticed this one has a frequency of 433mhz. The UK range is 600 something mhz isn't it?

Randy

In the UK it's 433mhz

Presumably the UV and illumination sensors are built into the solar panel thingy on top of the base unit - can't see any extra components in the photo. As Super-T has already mentioned, this requires mounting the unit in full sun, and given the very inadequate performance of the solar shield, results in seriously inflated temperature readings on sunny days. I ended up mounting my unit in a shaded location to get respectable temperature readings.
Should the solar panel not be relocatable (and I suspect not) then this not good design.

Maybe some Kiwi Ingenuity required to relocate the Solar then.
Going by experience with Solar garden lights I think it best to stick to replaceable batteries.

Agreed. The cost of a couple of alkalines maybe once a year is piffling compared to the grief a cheap solar charging system could cause after a couple of years.

I agree as well. I think it's just a sales ploy. Anyway, rechargeables don't last forever either. NiCds in particular don't like slow charge and (partial) discharge.

daj wrote:I'm with Paul on this -- I want one

('Napkins' makes me chuckle every time -- iPhone predictive words are great! It's Maplin without an 's' anyway, so if you leave off the S you get the right name, but lets stick to Napkins)

As the great Forrest Gump once said "That's all i have to say about that"

Hi All

Hope I haven't confused, but am presuming this is a solar charger with built in (small) battery rather than a solar/uv detector?

My Fine Offset system has this 'unit' on top of the transmitter unit - so far reliable but to be honest only 3 months in! Was purchased from a firm calling themselves the 'uk importer' for a very similar price to Maplins when they have their half price offers.

Was badged as the 'W8681 Mark III' but essential the standard Fine Offset Unit with the radio time signal clock and a separate box with the solar panel component.

Seller was Waters & Stanton - link attached http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/Watson_Wi ... tions.html but currently showing as 'W8681 + Solar Powered Transmitter" - out of stock and some £20 more than I paid!

For those interested, delivery was next day.

Station House wrote:Hope I haven't confused, but am presuming this is a solar charger with built in (small) battery rather than a soalr/uv detector?

These new models apparently have both. Whether it is one physical unit, and they are using the charging current for the solar data or something, I know not.

As Steve says, seems to do both

http://www.foshk.com/Weather_Professional/WH3080.htm

Very interesting - I should have read the unit specs more carefully In that case I'll join others in wanting one. If anyone finds it is available as a separate unit....or perhaps mine has the capability but not the decoder in the receiver?

From how my solar panel unit fits to the transmitter (plastic tube with retaining horizontal bolt), should not be too difficult Ned to extend the cable (it uses the standard telephone style connector as the other sensor cables to connect into the transmitter) and site separately in full sun to avoid the issues of an artifically high outside temperature being reported by the transmitter unit

Station House wrote: From how my solar panel unit fits to the transmitter (plastic tube with retaining horizontal bolt), should not be too difficult Ned to extend the cable (it uses the standard telephone style connector as the other sensor cables to connect into the transmitter) and site separately in full sun to avoid the issues of an artifically high outside temperature being reported by the transmitter unit

Thanks! Can you describe the nature of the battery/batteries used? NiCad/NiMH/Lithium ion? Solder connected? Still mounted in the base of the unit?
Cheers