Cumulus Support

I'm prepared to accept that Cumulus might have something to do with the stations needing to be reset. After all, I'm working from very limited information about these stations and I don't really know what I'm doing. Until I wrote the code for the Fine Offset stations I had never written code to talk to a USB device before. However:

1. This problem apparently occurs when using other software too.
2. The code in Cumulus which interfaces with the USB/station hasn't changed in a very long time.
3. Cumulus never writes to the station, it only ever reads, so it's hard to see how it could cause an effect which isn't cleared by a reboot of Windows and instead needs the station to be reset.

Understood and thank you Steve.

I wasn't aware that it happened with other weather software. First time it happened here was just a bit ago.

I currently have the Fine Offset connected to a W2003 machine. Its the only one though on the server rack that I use to access the Internet. Its MS updated and runs AVG Server edition and Malawarebytes Anti-malware.

Personally the fix has been just to take the batteries out/in and unplug/plug in the USB cable on the Fine Offset.

I'll move it over to another W2003 box that isn't used for anything but storage and see if that makes any difference. I also move the Fine Offset to a powered USB hub.

Have you been getting any 'sensor contact lost' messages? In a few cases where I've looked at diags files from people with this problem, in the period leading up to the lock up they were getting sensor contact lost. The diags files from the original poster in this thread were showing that, for example. Perhaps the station is trying to handle the loss of sensor contact and locks up, in some situations?

Thank-you Steve,

I do get the "sensor lost" messages. I have always recieved those messages. Sometimes maybe once a week or so. I've never looked to coordinate those same said messages with the "downloading data" message/lockup.

The Fine Offset instruments are about 75 feet or so away from the console. The console is buried between servers in the basement; so most likely its not an ideal situation. I've never tried; but can connect the console to a USB to network device (IE: I utilize a Digi USB Anywhere and a similiar Lantronix box); and move it to the main floor/second floor of the house. Funny cuz the Davis weather instrument is literally hundreds of feet from the Davis console and it never loses connectivity. Will try moving the Fine Offset to an optimal location for reception of the signals.

Hi Steve,

I have had 2 lockups in the last 3 days "downloading data" I have been looking through the
log files and it seems that I get a few "ftpQuitAnync Errcode = 500" then at the point when I
get "ftpPutAnync Errcode = 425" it all locks up ?

I have been running my W-8681 for around 2 months now with no problems and now this
twice in 3 days..

Only fix has been a full reset of station then when i re start Cumulus it downloads loads
of data and starts working again.

Paul

Paul-G0HWC wrote:I have had 2 lockups in the last 3 days "downloading data" I have been looking through the
log files and it seems that I get a few "ftpQuitAnync Errcode = 500" then at the point when I
get "ftpPutAnync Errcode = 425" it all locks up ?

It's unlikely that ftp errors could be connected with the station locking up (or vice versa), but anything's possible.

Only fix has been a full reset of station

It's the fact that a reset of the station is always required that makes me reasonably confident that this isn't a Cumulus issue.

Here is my Diags zipped up

http://www.g0hwc.com/cumulus-diags.zip

Paul

Yes, it's the same issue reported earlier in this thread. The station stops responding to requests for data.

Update - from the original post I have to report that after Steves kind help I eventualy swapped out my base station at the begining of March. Things have been remarkably stable until a couple of days ago. Unrelated, the transmitter died, those nice Maplin chaps exchanged it without question. However, today, interesting weather approaching, big spots of rain, lightening and a crack of thunder - game over.
Resart; adopting proceedure already posted less steps 4 & 6.

My W-8681 locked up again "downloading data" while I was off trucking round the
UK. If there is not a fix for this I would like advice on another weather station that
is not going to cost me a fortune that is more stable that this fine offset ?

Paul

Paul-G0HWC wrote:My W-8681 locked up again "downloading data" while I was off trucking round the
UK.

Do you mean the Cumulus "downloading data" window was on screen? That screen only appears at start up. What caused it to start up while you were away? Are you using one of the Cumulus auto restart options?

If there is not a fix for this I would like advice on another weather station that is not going to cost me a fortune that is more stable that this fine offset ?

The only station that I could personally recommend would be a Davis, but that's several times more expensive than a Fine Offset. An entry-level Vantage Vue + logger is around £395.

Hi Steve,

Yes I find the downloading data box up on the screen and I am unable
to close the program. After i do a reset on the station "remove batt and USB"
and re start the program it then downloads all the data.

Paul

Paul-G0HWC wrote:Yes I find the downloading data box up on the screen and I am unable

You're presumably using 'restart if data stops', then? It doesn't really matter, because the fact is that the station does just lock up during normal running.

After i do a reset on the station "remove batt and USB" and re start the program it then downloads all the data.

As I've said before, it's the fact that the station needs a hardware reset to get it going again that makes me reasonably confident that it's nothing to do with Cumulus. And hundreds if not thousands of people are using Cumulus with Fine Offset stations without this problem.

If there was a way to perform the reset from Cumulus, then I could offer that as an alternative to the 'restart Cumulus' option, but I'm not aware of any way to do from software. Powering off the USB port would do it (if the station had no batteries) but I don't think it's possible to do that.

Yes "restart if data stps" is checked
Well if it keeps up I will have to get myself a Vantage Vue.
Need to pay to get my Chevy van re sprayed first.

Paul

Steve,

I've done a test here in the Midwest and found that I can power off the USB connection plugged in to a powered hub.

I cannot though power off the connection with a direct connect to a USB port or a USB unpowered hub.

That said the Fine Offset is in Florida and I will not be able to test until I connect a powered hub there to the Fine Offset.

No problems here with the Vantage Vue as it been up now for a few months with Cumulus connected to the serial port.