Spikes and repeated readings

[Spider-Vice]

I've been having some problems with my PCE FWS 20, (WH1081). Since yesterday it's been giving me huge humidy spikes, and today I've been greeted with 9 mm of rain, I've tried editing as many files in Cumulus data as I could but it was still there from the logger. Also I can't really find a location for the station as it either takes twice or three times the time to update (2-3 transmissions), sometimes every 48 second transmission or even losing signal but that's more rare. A while ago I had a problem, the wind speed (gust) started repeating itself with values of 18.4 and 17.3 km/h, always with these values for 15 minutes now. I tried the station in another place and even resetted it fully (took one battery out to turn it off and put it in), but it still seems to do the same thing (and all settings were still on such as my logging interval and Gust showing on wind?), even though sometimes it does go so other values such as 15 km/h. Any ideas? I'd like to avoid replacing the station... I haven't tried replacing batteries on the transmitter yet or seeing the sensor direction...

Right now the station has 19.4 km/h, which is another value it occasionally repeats. The wind might be constant but I just don't believe these values as they were fine, or the wind is actually THAT constant but I never know after all of this.

Thanks.

[Spider-Vice]

It just turned worse. I just got a 53.2ºC reading --% RH and 180 km/h wind. The battery indicator was flashing during the "stroke". Could it really be batteries?

[iceberg]

Just replace the batteries. They will cost you much less then buying a brand new weather station.

Cheers!!!

[AllyCat]

Hi,

Yes, changing the batteries is definitely the first thing to try.

If you have any AA NiMH batteries you could try these just to test the station (don't use long-term because they self-discharge very quickly). They will deliver about 1.25 volts (each) which is about the voltage when the low battery icon appears and is a reasonable time to discard Alkaline cells.

If the station doesn't work properly (short-term) with NiMH cells, then try improving the wireless link (make the path "easier" or try re-orientating the transmitter/receiver) or use Non-rechargeable Lithium AA cells which should maintain at least 1.5 volts until end-of-lfe.

Cheers, Alan.

[Spider-Vice]

Okay, thanks for all your answers As soon as I have access to the roof I will try doing so and maybe taking off the solar charging cell, is it any good?

Also right now I resetted the WHOLE of Cumulus' data, as it was full of spikes and I felt like starting from zero as I don't have the station for much time. The station is in a different position and seems fime now, apart from some flat lines in some graph places due to brief signal failures.

[Spider-Vice]

Well, guess I will have to resort to unchargeable batteries. Today with high humidities it did do well but with clouds in the morning it started saying Lost Sensor Contact and when it updated, it was very slowly, like every 3 48-second updates, I guess the batteries are dead because the solar cell can't charge them enough. I resetted the console and now it won't capture signal, so either batteries or transmitter.

[Eskimocat]

Well, guess I will have to resort to unchargeable batteries. Today with high humidities it did do well but with clouds in the morning it started saying Lost Sensor Contact and when it updated, it was very slowly, like every 3 48-second updates, I guess the batteries are dead because the solar cell can't charge them enough. I resetted the console and now it won't capture signal, so either batteries or transmitter.

Interested in your posts as i was having similar problems with spikes and errors. I changed the batteries in both the console and the transmitter outside. I use Litium non rechargeable in both. That seems to have reduced the number of spikes in the readings.

I am monitoring the situtation to see is all sorted now.

Good luck