[Uskys]

Please see Here.

Chris's VP has failed & bluebreezers did.... and mine has ....(though not only when extreme wx occurs).

Mine has failed during thunderstorms... often... they don't like extreme rain or hail.

Why don't manufacturers advertise their weather stations as , 'wonderful for recording normal clement weather'... with a caviat that 'extreme weather conditions may render the instruments useless' .

[HSEA2]

Could be the batteries? Arent Lithium ones supposed to prevent this or something?

[Uskys]

Its the irony of it all... definatley not batteries.. I (anorakishly) consider myself very battery savvie I think its mostly down to the wireless functionality and the electronics/chips used in manufacture, which work well in 'normal' weather .

[HSEA2]

Uskys, on 03 February 2012 - 20:17, said:

Its the irony of it all... definatley not batteries.. I (anorakishly) consider myself very battery savvie I think its mostly down to the wireless functionality and the electronics/chips used in manufacture, which work well in 'normal' weather .

Ah well, jump in the car and down to Maplins to get a cheap WS is what id do in such an emergency situation

[Andy Mayhew]

The Law of Sod?

Of course, stations fail other times when there is no interesting weather about, as well.

[Chris Alder]

I'm gutted, I got the 'warning low battery' sign on my Vantage Pro this morning, so knowing I'd be busy this weekend I brought my new battery at lunch. I changed the battery just like last time and now I cant pick up the signal (or even get the test flashing) to make things worse I've lost the feeling in my feet after standing outside and not moving for almost two hours on the coldest night of the year!!1 Arrrrggghhhhh!!!!

[Uskys]

HSEA2, on 03 February 2012 - 20:20, said:

Ah well, jump in the car and down to Maplins to get a cheap WS is what id do in such an emergency situation

Better that than spend a £1k in the first place on something that fails when its needed most don't you think

[Uskys]

Chris Alder, on 03 February 2012 - 20:38, said:

I'm gutted, I got the 'warning low battery' sign on my Vantage Pro this morning, so knowing I'd be busy this weekend I brought my new battery at lunch. I changed the battery just like last time and now I cant pick up the signal (or even get the test flashing) to make things worse I've lost the feeling in my feet after standing outside and not moving for almost two hours on the coldest night of the year!!1 Arrrrggghhhhh!!!!

Chris, i'm sure you have but just to check... you've got the new battery in the right way around? .... you've cleaned the battery contacts with emery paper or screwdriver... and you've gone through the find station stuff with the console?

[Pete Roberts]

Problem is that batteries are little buckets of chemicals, and as the temperature falls the chemical reactions driving batteries will become slower and slower.............!

No what their chemistry you'll find consumer grade batteries will pack up once temps. dip below freezing. Perhaps best are lithium iron disulphide batteries as this is the only lithium chemistry that is compatible with equipment designed to use convetional 1.5v cells. All other lithium cells deliver 3v and if fitted wrongly would result in damage together with a risk of explosion and/or fire.

Don't confuse Li-Ion and Lithium Iron Disulphide: LiFeS2

Edit: For some time I've been fixing '80s vintage Sony radios and these incorporate what is now known as an "ultracapacitor" - a capacitor with a capacity of a Farad or more. A 10F capacitor would enough to supply a remote sensor should kill the batteries - capacitors are much less affected by the cold. All is needed to add a Schottky isolating diode to prevent the capacitor discharging into the batteries.

Pete

This post has been edited by Pete Roberts: 03 February 2012 - 21:08

[Chris Alder]

Uskys, on 03 February 2012 - 20:50, said:

Chris, i'm sure you have but just to check... you've got the new battery in the right way around? .... you've cleaned the battery contacts with emery paper or screwdriver... and you've gone through the find station stuff with the console?

Yes the positive end is pointing left as you look at it, unfortunately gone through the console stuff too :-(

[Bluebreezer54]

In all fairness I confess to having a very cheap Maplins branded WH 1081. Its what I could afford, and besides, my siting options are so limited it wouldn't warrant spending more even if I could. I just have it for basic observations, and for the last 2 years it has served me well in most respects.

It did appear to give up the ghost a couple of days ago, hence my recent post, but 3 hours after bringing the unit indoors and changing the batteries several times, it sprang back to life. Throughout that time the indoor display was working fine, so it was apparently a sensor problem ??

What I find most frustrating though is that because of my very limited siting options, the max temps are always a degree or two higher than local ( official ) stations, and the rain guage tends to get tipped by feral cats that climb all over the frame its attached to.

Hence my temperature and rainfall records are meaningless, but I have to say in every other respect it performs very well for a piece of kit costing less than £70. I can't say I have noticed it performing less well in extreme conditions to be honest.

[Uskys]

Chris Alder, on 03 February 2012 - 21:06, said:

Yes the positive end is pointing left as you look at it, unfortunately gone through the console stuff too :-(

Have you takne the console out to the iss? (this can help with detection)

[Uskys]

Bluebreezer54, on 03 February 2012 - 21:08, said:

In all fairness I confess to having a very cheap Maplins branded WH 1081. Its what I could afford, and besides, my siting options are so limited it wouldn't warrant spending more even if I could. I just have it for basic observations, and for the last 2 years it has served me well in most respects.

It did appear to give up the ghost a couple of days ago, hence my recent post, but 3 hours after bringing the unit indoors and changing the batteries several times, it sprang back to life. Throughout that time the indoor display was working fine, so it was apparently a sensor problem ??

What I find most frustrating though is that because of my very limited siting options, the max temps are always a degree or two higher than local ( official ) stations, and the rain guage tends to get tipped by feral cats that climb all over the frame its attached to.

Hence my temperature and rainfall records are meaningless, but I have to say in every other respect it performs very well for a piece of kit costing less than £70. I can't say I have noticed it performing less well in extreme conditions to be honest.

Sorry for mentioning you in the op then! ... With the radiation sheild, its worth bolting on to the pole a simple flat shiny white plastic sheet that keeps it in the shade.

[JonathanW]

My soon to be 10 year old original Vantage Pro is out there, keeping me updated with the latest conditions.
Just like it did in the record breaking cold/snow December 2010!

Have you set the ISS jumper switches to diagnostic mode so you can see the LED flash every time it sends data?
Remember the 'Supercap' debacle? Is yours ok? It's cold times like these when it is really called into action.

Jonathan

[Bluebreezer54]

Uskys, on 03 February 2012 - 21:12, said:

Sorry for mentioning you in the op then! ... With the radiation sheild, its worth bolting on to the pole a simple flat shiny white plastic sheet that keeps it in the shade.

No need at all to apologise for mentioning me Usky's, and thanks for that advice re a plastic shield.

[P.K.]

JonathanW, on 03 February 2012 - 21:14, said:

Remember the 'Supercap' debacle? Is yours ok? It's cold times like these when it is really called into action.

Jonathan

You don't absolutely need it. It'll last 6 months on the battery alone even if the supercap is gone. I think Chris just needs to set his console to search for the signal again. I have to each time I change the battery.

[JonathanW]

The LED isn't flashing in diagnostic mode - there's no transmission. Faulty ISS circuit board or duff battery!

Jonathan

[Chris Alder]

P.K., on 03 February 2012 - 21:19, said:

You don't absolutely need it. It'll last 6 months on the battery alone even if the supercap is gone. I think Chris just needs to set his console to search for the signal again. I have to each time I change the battery.

I though it automatically picked up the signal?

[Chris Alder]

JonathanW, on 03 February 2012 - 21:36, said:

The LED isn't flashing in diagnostic mode - there's no transmission. Faulty ISS circuit board or duff battery!

Jonathan

Defo not duff battery, bought two and tried them both. Also what is the superchip thing? Olny had my vp2 just over three years. For £800 I'd be
Pretty disappointed if that's all you get from it's life expectancy.

[Jute]

My wireless anemometer unit suffered from a failure during some intense cold in January 2010, it turned out to be the supercap, however I think it was just coincidence. My main unit is older and has not suffered from this problem. I purchased two replacement caps and a friend kindly removed the faulty one and soldered the new one, been fine since - at least if the other fails I have a spare. I thought Davis had sorted this, as yours is newer I'm surprised, although it may not be this which is the problem.

If you open the unit up, the supercap is seated under a white plastic box which I think you unscrew, mine had leaked which I guess lead to it failing. Replacing the main battery didn't work, although during daylight hours it did come back to life temporarily - I have no idea why!

I may have some pics somewhere...I'll have a dig.

This post has been edited by Jute: 03 February 2012 - 22:35