Maplin N96GY time problem and freeze with Cumulus

[RickSowerby]

I have had a Maplin N96GY weather station with easyweather software since June 2009.
This has worked well until Oct 2010.
In Oct 2010 during a monthly data download to my pc I noticed that the date/time was several days behind real time.
I checked and reset the base station to presumably synchronise with my pc - would not happen.
Next download in December the base station and pc were still out of synch. Don't see why as data base time display is the same as the pc time.

In early Jan 2011 I stumbled upon Cumulus - read the forums and reviews and consequently downloaded - I was immediately impressed and liked the format and info available. I left the base station permanently connected to the pc (via USB cable). This was great until last week when I noticed that the rain gauge had stopped indicating (base station and Cumulus).
Eventually got to the house roof and removed the weather station to check it out. I could find nothing mechanically wrong with the rain gauge, but still could not get any rainfall readings on the base station (or Cumulus). I changed the transmitter batteries (down to 1.37v after 18 months) - transmitter indications were as specified in the manual, but no display on the base station of any outside weather station parameters. I fiddled around for a while (I'm not electronically gifted) and could not work out if the signal to the transmitter was faulty, or if despite the flashing red light, the transmitter was faulty.
A couple hours later noticed that the outdoor temp had returned, then the wind speed/direction (sluggishly) - but still no rainfall (tested the unit).
I left the weather station overnight - next day all indications overnight, other than rainfall, had been monitored by the base station and Cumulus.

I decided to start again with easyweather to see if rainfall would return and dates would line up again. No problem with Cumulus over date/time during this.
Closed Cumulus, downloaded data to easyweather (still out of synch). un-installed easyweather - re-installed. Now find that --

Base station indicating all but rainfall.
Cumulus readings locked at the time I reconnected after re-loading easyweather.
Recent extremes indicates Min temp 999F - Max temp -500F - Min pressure 9999hPa - Max pressure data at lock up.

I've obviously mucked something up. Is there any way out of resetting Cumulus to work again, without deleting and re-installing?

1.Regarding the rain gauge - I am at a loss as to why the signal is not being registered by the base station.
2.The mis-match in data date/times on easyweather is annoying, and I can't see how or why this is happening.

Cumulus configuration is as I first set it up. The base station (via easy weather) is also as it was previously.

I would be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction. I was considering trying to buy a new transmitter, but I am also wondering that if with the date/time mismatch if the base station is the faulty equipment.

Thanks Richard Sowerby

PS this is the third time I've attempted this post as I keep deleting my work, unintentionally!

[Gina]

Most likely cause of loss of rainfall reading is bad connection where rain gauge cable plugs into the transmitter unit. Check that, clean it, maybe a drop of WD40. Wipe off excess and plug back in. Wiggle the plug a bit to clear contacts. If that doesn't fix it you may have a broken wire. Check it by taking the top off the rain gauge and tipping the buckets by hand. Each tip should produce 0.3mm of rainfall. The rain gauge works by letting rain water drip into a bucket, then when that bucket is full enough the bucket unit will overbalance, tipping the water out and presenting the other bucket for filling. As the buckets tip over, a tiny magnet in the bucket part closes a reed switch in the stationary part momentarily to signal that 0.3mm worth of rain water has been collected and tipped out of a bucket.

I don't know why Cumulus locked up - I'll leave that for Steve or someone else to advise on that.

Regarding deleting your work, try to stay calm, take things slowly and think carefully about what you're doing. And don't worry, we all have these moments at times. Well, I certainly do anyway.

Good luck And welcome

[steve]

Cumulus may be unable to read the data (sometimes the station can get in a strange state where it doesn't behave in the way that Cumulus thinks it should behave) or it may be discarding it due to one of the readings being out of range. If you zip up the diags folder and attach it, I'll take a look.

[RickSowerby]

Thanks for the help on the rain gauge.

I have cleaned the contacts. Checked the continuity from the reed switch circuit board connections (haven't tried checking the circuit board as it seems to be glued in place and don't want to break it trying to pull it out) to the telephone socket. Both wires are good.https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/posting.php ... 44e5577346#

Strangely, when I plug the socket back in, the next transmission sends a rain signal to the base station; but when I then tip the bucket in between transmissions, the transmitter still doesn't send a rain signal to the base station.https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/posting.php ... 44e5577346#

Haven't looked into Steve's reply yet.

Richard

[RickSowerby]

Ok

Attached is my Diags folder.

I closed Cumulus this morning, while I took the base station to the weather station to check the rain gauge. Just reconnected and now all the indications are at zero, other than recent extremes.

Richard

[Gina]

Strangely, when I plug the socket back in, the next transmission sends a rain signal to the base station; but when I then tip the bucket in between transmissions, the transmitter still doesn't send a rain signal to the base station.

Ah, that sounds like a short between the rain gauge wires. Or a stuck-on reed switch.

[steve]

You have some sort of USB problem, or possibly a problem with the console. Sometimes when Cumulus starts up, Windows detects the station OK:

14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 EWUSB: Initialising EW USB
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 USB device, VID = 1941 PID = 8021
14/01/2011 20:52:30.879 : 20:52:30 EWUSB: Found Fine Offset station

but then later, it disconnects:

15/01/2011 16:21:56.897 : EWUSB: HidControl Device Removal
15/01/2011 16:21:56.897 : 16:21:56 EWUSB: HidControl DeviceChange
15/01/2011 16:21:57.039 : EWUSB: HidControl Device Removal
15/01/2011 16:21:57.039 : 16:21:57 EWUSB: HidControl DeviceChange
15/01/2011 16:21:57.730 : EWUSB: HidControl Device Removal
15/01/2011 16:21:57.730 : 16:21:57 EWUSB: HidControl DeviceChange
15/01/2011 16:21:57.853 : EWUSB: HidControl Device Removal
15/01/2011 16:21:57.853 : 16:21:57 EWUSB: HidControl DeviceChange

And sometimes when Cumulus starts up, Windows doesn't detect the station at all:

16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 EWUSB: Initialising EW USB
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 0BC7 PID = 00F0
16/01/2011 12:58:33.628 : 12:58:33 USB device, VID = 413C PID = 3016
16/01/2011 12:58:37.994 : 12:58:37 EWUSB: HidControl Arrival
16/01/2011 12:58:37.994 : 12:58:37 EWUSB: HidControl DeviceChange

i.e. no device with VID = 1941, PID = 8021, which is the ID of a FO station. It's interesting (or perhaps not) that in this case you have a device VID = 413C PID = 3016 which earlier you did not.

[RickSowerby]

Gina

Thanks again. If the reed switch is stuck closed, then there should be continuity across both wires at the plug end. I'll check tomorrow. I never even thought of checking that yesterday - I tried measuring the current when tipping the bucket and as I detected nothing I assumed that my multi-meter wasn't sensitive enough.

Steve

Didn't understand a lot of the technical stuff you used, with ID's etc. But I do follow that it could be a problem with the base station console. The date mismatch with easyweather software made me wonder if this was the case. I think that the USB is ok.

Just re-opened Cumulus and I am now getting updated data again with the console attached to the pc.


Thanks, Richard

[Gina]

The rain gauge contains just a reed switch connected directly to the cable through the PCB. It is simply on or off. To test you can use a multimeter set to ohms or a continuity tester. Polarity is irrelevant - it's just a switch. Couldn't be simpler!

[bruce45]

just a question for Steve about this one. what program do you need to read the info in the diags folder? if its something simple then maybe we could sort this problem out without having to keep sending them to you to look at.

keep up the great work and really like the way things are going

bruce

[steve]

just a question for Steve about this one. what program do you need to read the info in the diags folder?

They're plain text files.

[bruce45]

thanks for the info Steve its just they dont have a file type in my folder. checked out one with note pad after having errors

17/01/2011 21:15:21.159 : Error!!! Failed to write to USB!

any ideas as to what is going on

[steve]

It's the same kind of problem as earlier in this thread; some sort of connection problem between the PC and the station.

[bruce45]

its only been doing this over the last few weeks cant remember which build.

the error log shows

17/01/2011 21:15:21 : Error!!! Failed to write to USB! Stop Cumulus and check connections

but there never seems to be a lose of data for that time. i am happy to live with it just thought i would bring it up.

thanks again

bruce

[steve]

17/01/2011 21:15:21 : Error!!! Failed to write to USB! Stop Cumulus and check connections

but there never seems to be a lose of data for that time. i am happy to live with it just thought i would bring it up.

I'd assumed that error would be 'terminal' and would indicate that Cumulus wouldn't then be able to read any further data. But if that's not the case I'll stop flashing the error light when it happens.