After 4 months had to replace transmitter batteries. Normal?

[DaveI]

So I've had my WH1080PC up and running since September...For the past several days I was getting
a lot of "lost sensor contact" and it kept getting worse and worse until this morning where it basically
wouldn't receive anymore...Just got done replacing transmitter batteries with two Duracell batteries
and eventually got it up and working again...I checked the voltage on the two alkaline batteries
I took out after only a little over 4 months use and they both still measured 1.47V. Not very happy
that it looks like I'll be replacing batteries every 4 months (more a pain than cost)..My unit is the
older style without the solar charging. The distance from my transmitter to my receiver is about
150 to 200 feet with the transmitter mounted on one of my shortwave antenna poles (Only really good
place t mount it). My question is what are the best batteries that I can purchase in the future for
the trasmitter? I've read that some of the lithium type batteries have caused some problems with this
unit but am interested to know if anybody who has the non-solar type transmitter has been using
those lithium type with success?

[ironeagleuk]

I've got Duracell Ultra's in mine, and they have been there since December 2009

[DaveI]

Thanks...What's the distance from your transmitter to receiver? I'm thinking that my distance is a lot of the
reason that even though the batteries were at 1.47V that was not enough to maintain the signal for that distance...

I've got Duracell Ultra's in mine, and they have been there since December 2009

[ironeagleuk]

Thanks...What's the distance from your transmitter to receiver? I'm thinking that my distance is a lot of the
reason that even though the batteries were at 1.47V that was not enough to maintain the signal for that distance...

Only about 30ft...sounds like you're within the specified limits of transmission distance

[DaveI]

Yeah...Distance should be within specs...Only going through one wall...
I'll give those Duracell Ultras a try...THANKS.

[AllyCat]

Distance should be within specs...

Hi Dave,

IMHO many of the FO stations don't really meet their specification (which the manufacturers might claim are only "typical", or apply only with fresh batteries, etc.). So you probably are running close to the limit of range.

Fresh, non-rechargeable Lithium AA batteries deliver about 100mV higher voltage than alkalines and this voltage stays much more constant over life. Many users of the FO stations fit lithiums because of their excellent low temperature performance (particularly below -20 degrees C, -4 F) but they should also give far better life than alkalines in your station.

Cheers, Alan.

[DaveI]

Allycat,

Thanks for the input...Yeah you are confirming what I'm thinking that I'm on the fringe of the reception and it works OK
with fresh batteries above say 1.5v each but when they drop below that it gets sketchy...I really don't want to move
the transmitter as that would involve more work and expense (another pole) so I'm going to try the Lithium Batteries
(Duracell Ultras as recommended)...I was asking about how the Lithium Batteries worked for people as I had reead in
other posts here that some people had gotten weird readings with the Lithium Batteries as some of them had voltages
greater than 1.6V so was looking for input on which brand Lithium Batteries had worked OK for people...

Distance should be within specs...

Hi Dave,

IMHO many of the FO stations don't really meet their specification (which the manufacturers might claim are only "typical", or apply only with fresh batteries, etc.). So you probably are running close to the limit of range.

Fresh, non-rechargeable Lithium AA batteries deliver about 100mV higher voltage than alkalines and this voltage stays much more constant over life. Many users of the FO stations fit lithiums because of their excellent low temperature performance (particularly below -20 degrees C, -4 F) but they should also give far better life than alkalines in your station.

Cheers, Alan.

[ian e]

Have you thought about fitting a remote battery pack, with a larger cell, i.e. instead of AA Batteries fit D size batteries, in doing this the voltage won't drop down so quickly. MAPLIN in the uk do battery holders, and by using one of these with a wire attached to the sensor you can mount the batteries at the bottom of the pole.

[DaveI]

Good idea...But what kind of larger battery put's out 3V?

I suppose I could use 2 D Cells remotely..

[ian e]

2D Battery Box (JG72P) £1.39 www.maplin.co.uk

[Charlie]

I have not seen any strange reading with my lithium batteries. (at least not any stranger than I get with alkalines) Energizer lithiums are intended to replace AA alkalines in applications like cameras and remote sensors where temperature, stability, and long shelf life are important.

It's a relatively cheap and certainly easy fix for your issue, and will be far less "kludgey" than gluing a battery pack on the pole. Just be sure whatever you use, not to exceed 3.3V. It likely won't break anything to exceed this a bit, but some of the sensors inside the unit will go out of calibration above 3.3 V (humidity for certain).

You also might try different physical orientations of the transmitter and receiver. You may extend the range by doing so - there are threads on this if you search.

[DaveI]

Thanks...Looks like Maplin is currently out of those 2 D Cell Holders but I should be able to get them
from Radio Shack here in the U.S. Last night the wx station started losing it's signal again even with
the new batteries in the tx'er...I've temporarily moved the base unit to a window sill and restored the signal...
(Cumulus runs on a Ebay used laptop dedicated just for that purpose with a wireless link so moving was no problem).

Looks like I'll need to get another pole just for the transmitter and relocate it closer to the house...Funny thing is it worked fine for
4 months where it was and where I had the base...I would normally think it might have to do with the cold
but it's been cold for quite some time and there wasn't a problem...I suppose it could be an interference issue
but it seems unlikely at that frequency (Since I'm way out in the country)....

[DaveI]

Yep...Signal crapped out again last night...It's going to have to be relocated even though it worked for 4 months where it was...
Problem will be finding a new spot which is completly in the open without the house affecting the wind readings. But I'm pretty
sure of an area which should more than half the distance it is now. It's got the signal fine now with the base sitting on the window sill
but that of course is not an ideal location if you want to read the base...

The advantage of the battery pack is that you wouldn't need to stand on a ladder to change batteries and you could drill the case and hold
the case to the pole with zip ties...But we'll see how things go once I get another pole (Radio Shack's price on antenna poles has really shot up)...
I think a 12ft section is about $25 now...I need the 12 foot section because I need to drive at least 3 ft. in to the ground as the soil here is
loose dirt/sand desert type. With the poles I used for my Alfa Delta DX Ultra shortwave antenna I had to use guy wires and stakes as well
to hold the one pole that was free standing (the other side attached to a detached garage eve)...

I did see one or two posts of people who had used lithium batteries getting weird readings but they reported their voltages for each
cell to be somewhere around 1.7v so it was a guess that that might have been a problem ...

I have not seen any strange reading with my lithium batteries. (at least not any stranger than I get with alkalines) Energizer lithiums are intended to replace AA alkalines in applications like cameras and remote sensors where temperature, stability, and long shelf life are important.

It's a relatively cheap and certainly easy fix for your issue, and will be far less "kludgey" than gluing a battery pack on the pole. Just be sure whatever you use, not to exceed 3.3V. It likely won't break anything to exceed this a bit, but some of the sensors inside the unit will go out of calibration above 3.3 V (humidity for certain).

You also might try different physical orientations of the transmitter and receiver. You may extend the range by doing so - there are threads on this if you search.

[Charlie]

The range of this unit is directly proportional to battery voltage. Alkalines have a pretty linear voltage drop as they discharge, so it is certainly possible to have it work 4 months then stop. Lithiums hold their voltage much flatter over their life, then drop rapidly in the last 10% or so of their capacity, so if you start in range, you stay there for most of the battery life. NiCD and NiMH have a similar voltage function - unfortunately their lower start voltage, and poor temperature performance, make them a bad choice for this application.

Make sure the wide side of the transmitter is facing the wide side of the receiver. Aligning edges will reduce the range by perhaps 25%.

[TMJ]

I have to replace my batteries almost every month... something is wrong with the transmitter but it works ok except for the batteri problem..

I also try with lithium model but dont last any longer for me..

Need to buy a new one i think