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Weather Station Hardware => AcuRite Weather Stations => Topic started by: SkellyCA on September 28, 2018, 10:11:55 PM
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Right now I have a 5-in-1, so I bought a stand alone lightning sensor. I ordered an Atlas just now, should be here in a couple days.
I see that people are having issues with the lightning sensor on the Atlas.
Is the sensor on the Atlas the same as on the stand alone?
I've had a few issues with the stand alone but it seems mostly ok. First day I had it, it showed 256 strikes. I live in the SF Bay Area, we don't get that all year. Mostly though no strikes
Also, if it is a battery issue, I ordered the external battery pack. So that seems like that would solve the battery issue?
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Right now I have a 5-in-1, so I bought a stand alone lightning sensor. I ordered an Atlas just now, should be here in a couple days.
I see that people are having issues with the lightning sensor on the Atlas.
Is the sensor on the Atlas the same as on the stand alone?
I've had a few issues with the stand alone but it seems mostly ok. First day I had it, it showed 256 strikes. I live in the SF Bay Area, we don't get that all year. Mostly though no strikes
Also, if it is a battery issue, I ordered the external battery pack. So that seems like that would solve the battery issue?
I'm not 100% positive, but I think they are all based on the AS3935 chip.
Acurite actually has 3 lightning detection devices now. One is a little belt-clip thing for golfing and other outdoor sports. Another is the lightning temp/humidity detector that came with some 5n1 kits. Now we have the Atlas module.
In my experience somethings these things are just fussy depending upon what man-made electrical noise is going on around you.
The Atlas devices have been performing well for me on the Farm and in the TX suburb of Round Rock. Except for the wonky electric fence systems, all alerts have been useful and tie directly into a passing storm.
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I'm going to try walking around my area with the belt clip model 02020 to see if I can identify the source of the false readings on the atlas detector
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I've gotten 139 lightning strikes today in the sunny Phoenix desert! ](*,)
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I've gotten 139 lightning strikes today in the sunny Phoenix desert! ](*,)
1,926 lighting strikes in 9 hours #-o
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I currently have alkaline batteries in my Atlas and recorded 45 lightning strikes today. It was sunny today with a few passing clouds later in the day. Here is a comparison of the lightning strikes and the light intensity throughout the day. [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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I wonder what would happen if you opened the rain bucket and unplugged the solar cable from the unit.
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My false lightning strikes also seem to be related to the sun (on sunny days) but there is also a noticeable increase in reports the warmer it is.
Today was very cool so a much lower number of false reports.
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Nothing detected by the 02020 in the past couple of hours since I powered it up, but Atlas strike alerts still coming fast and furious in on the display and in the myacurite feed. It is overcast with some rain today but certainly not this much lightning possible, and it definitely isn't sunny
Data looks like:
strikecount=4992
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:07:41
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5010
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:12:50
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5030
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:17:58
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5045
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:22:35
last_strike_distance=4
strikecount=5063
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:27:43
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5081
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:32:20
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5095
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:35:56
last_strike_distance=1
strikecount=5141
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:48:14
last_strike_distance=4
strikecount=5159
last_strike_ts=2018-09-30T15:52:51
last_strike_distance=4
No distance more than 5 yet.
Atlas is currently running on Energizer Ultimate Lithium, though a steady stream of strikes were showing when replaced with alkaline.
:?: :?:
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Can you disconnect the aspiration fan in the Atlas and see if the lightning strikes stop? I have never had an issue with mine like what you guys are seeing. Maybe a batch of noizy motors got installed?
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Maybe just block the solar cells. That would stop the motor without yanking any connections.
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Can you disconnect the aspiration fan in the Atlas and see if the lightning strikes stop? I have never had an issue with mine like what you guys are seeing. Maybe a batch of noizy motors got installed?
I got on a ladder yesterday and listened to my fan/sensor array, at it wasnt loud at all; using alkaline batteries as well, no lithium either..this is a flaw in the lightning sensor, and Acurite's lame attempt of blaming the type of batteries is just an admission that they have no clue what is causing this..hopefully it gets fixed going forward..
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electrically noisy motor is possible, however strikes kept being recorded at night (lux=0) so the solar panels would not be generating any voltage to drive the fan. overall I am liking the Atlas, glad some lightning modules are working properly, there is hope to resolve this issue.
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sure, there is always hope, but, until Acurite admits this is a device problem, and not a "battery" issue, not much will get solved..
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sure, there is always hope, but, until Acurite admits this is a device problem, and not a "battery" issue, not much will get solved..
The first-line support folks are just following a required script.
They start with suspecting the batteries, and suggest dropping back down to alkalines if lithiums are being used.
That's just the way they've been doing it for years, and I doubt they will change anytime soon.
If you don't tell them you've swapped the batteries with fresh alkalines, your case will likely stagnate.
Outside of that, do you have another lightning detecting device to confirm you're not just picking up man-made noise?
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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no, unfortunately I dont have another device to compare it to..and, since many others notice the same issue, I have to believe its a product/firmware flaw, and not user oriented..
Also, I noticed my barometer reading on the out side sensor is 28.37, and inside on the display, and everywhere else around phoenix now its around 29.93, so thats a bit concerning..
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no, unfortunately I dont have another device to compare it to..and, since many others notice the same issue, I have to believe its a product/firmware flaw, and not user oriented..
Also, I noticed my barometer reading on the out side sensor is 28.37, and inside on the display, and everywhere else around phoenix now its around 29.93, so thats a bit concerning..
???
There is no barometer on the outside sensor. The baro sensors are in the displays and in the Access or SmartHUB. Putting the baro sensor in the outdoor suite isn't very common.
The display isn't going to show a reasonable baro reading for about 2 weeks due to the "learning period".
I suppose there could have been a bad batch of lightning sensors, but I'm not hearing much about it on Facebook.
Friday I put up a brand-new Atlas and caught a nice lightning curve as a storm passed through on Saturday:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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there are big storms forecast for phoenix area the next 2-3 days, so I will be curious to see what the lightning strike count will be where there are actual lightning strikes, not imaginary ones like I now show 379 of in the last 24 hours, during bright, sunny days
too bad Acurite doesnt have an actual forum or live support anymore so someone could actually talk to their customers about this..
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too bad Acurite doesnt have an actual forum or live support anymore so someone could actually talk to their customers about this..
Live chat is available during normal business hours. Many are getting in touch with their official FaceBook page.
Then there's always email.
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as a consumer products company, not having a live person via phone that you can contact is very suspect
tons of people, myself included wouldn't touch Face Junk with a 10 foot pole, and, still more dont have a clue about having a live chat..
Those are all things you use, IN ADDITION to having some live human beings to talk to, not to supplant that..
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I am hoping the lightning issue does not turn out like the Access dropping connection issue (I had that). As result, I kept my box and will see if it is fixed before my Amazon Prime return window closes. The number strikes do go down to zero when cooler but that does not help in AZ!
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I am hoping the lightning issue does not turn out like the Access dropping connection issue (I had that). As result, I kept my box and will see if it is fixed before my Amazon Prime return window closes. The number strikes do go down to zero when cooler but that does not help in AZ!
my thoughts exactly...26 more days to see what transpires..
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With all the beta testing they did(what was it about 2 years?), one would think this issue would have come up and they would have fixed it?
I live in the SF Bay Area. I'll be mounting my Atlas Wednesday or Thursday. I'm waiting on the wind extension and battery pack.
Since I will have the external battery pack, my batteries will be about 20' away from the sensor, so that should eliminate the batteries from the equation?
I'll also leave my stand alone lightning sensor up for a while so I can compare the two.
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I feel for you guys with the problem! Trying to figure if it’s a hardware or environmental problem can’t be easy. I’m guessing its hardware problem which the user should never have to debug.
Someone on this board suggested that the solar panel and inverter may be the cause of the false readings. Has anyone tried opening the rain bucket and unplugging the wiring harness attach to the solar stuff from the unit? It may be a way of identifying if that is the cause of a hardware problem.
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I feel for you guys with the problem! Trying to figure if it’s a hardware or environmental problem can’t be easy. I’m guessing its hardware problem which the user should never have to debug.
Someone on this board suggested that the solar panel and inverter may be the cause of the false readings. Has anyone tried opening the rain bucket and unplugging the wiring harness attach to the solar stuff from the unit? It may be a way of identifying if that is the cause of a hardware problem.
The End users should not have to be the ones troubleshooting/problem solving for a brand new, years in the making new product..this should have been done before this product was released. After all, it wasnt rushed to market in any way shape or form, and allegedly went through a long term beta testing program
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I’m in the Binghamton NY area and haven’t had any strikes reported since the day after I got the atlas. Could get storms tomorrow/tomorrow night though. No false strikes reported for me.
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I walked around the area of my atlas site with the handheld detector and got no strikes or warning from the device about "unable to detect, please relocate" unless I was within around a foot or less of another electrical device.
The atlas detector continues to report a dozen or more strikes at every 5 minute interval. The interference value in the myacurite data is always 0. We had legit lightning today which was detected by the handheld model, but the strikes reported by the atlas still never exceed last_strike_distance=5 (and also never =2 so far).
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It's interesting - all of the false detections I receive also come in at 5 miles distance. This must be related to the nature of the electrical noise. Maybe it can help Acurite pin-point the source?
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It's interesting - all of the false detections I receive also come in at 5 miles distance. This must be related to the nature of the electrical noise. Maybe it can help Acurite pin-point the source?
Hi - thanks for your report. I am seeing other distances, mostly 1
Out of the interval reports today:
last_strike_distance=1 98
last_strike_distance=2 0
last_strike_distance=3 24
last_strike_distance=4 41
last_strike_distance=5 19
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as a consumer products company, not having a live person via phone that you can contact is very suspect
tons of people, myself included wouldn't touch Face Junk with a 10 foot pole, and, still more dont have a clue about having a live chat..
Those are all things you use, IN ADDITION to having some live human beings to talk to, not to supplant that..
I suggest you just go ahead and return it if you aren’t willing to contact them or do any debugging.
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I've got 30 days to decide, so I will wait and see if Acurite does anything about this issue
thanks for your help and suggestions
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It is sunny and warm again in Ohio and the false strikes have come back. Seems to need to be above 82 or so and sunny for it to happen.
I have been sharing the information with Acurite but nothing yet other than the battery switch.
It reports the false strikes to both the panel and MyAcurite so a server fix will not do the trick.
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I've got 30 days to decide, so I will wait and see if Acurite does anything about this issue
thanks for your help and suggestions
I'm not sure what you are waiting for them to do.
If you're having problems, you need to contact them to see if it can be corrected.
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I've got 30 days to decide, so I will wait and see if Acurite does anything about this issue
thanks for your help and suggestions
I'm not sure what you are waiting for them to do.
If you're having problems, you need to contact them to see if it can be corrected.
considering how almost everyone with these early units are having problems with false lightning strikes, and a few have already contacted them, and I posted the issue on the amazon site, I am certain they are aware of the problem..plus, its 330pm mountain time, so there is no one to "contact" now, in their non existent customer service department
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I've got 30 days to decide, so I will wait and see if Acurite does anything about this issue
thanks for your help and suggestions
I'm not sure what you are waiting for them to do.
If you're having problems, you need to contact them to see if it can be corrected.
considering how almost everyone with these early units are having problems with false lightning strikes, and a few have already contacted them, and I posted the issue on the amazon site, I am certain they are aware of the problem..plus, its 330pm mountain time, so there is no one to "contact" now, in their non existent customer service department
I'm pretty sure you are mistaken.
If "almost everyone" were having this problem, there would be all kinds of posts about it on Facebook.
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I've got 30 days to decide, so I will wait and see if Acurite does anything about this issue
thanks for your help and suggestions
I'm not sure what you are waiting for them to do.
If you're having problems, you need to contact them to see if it can be corrected.
considering how almost everyone with these early units are having problems with false lightning strikes, and a few have already contacted them, and I posted the issue on the amazon site, I am certain they are aware of the problem..plus, its 330pm mountain time, so there is no one to "contact" now, in their non existent customer service department
I'm pretty sure you are mistaken.
If "almost everyone" were having this problem, there would be all kinds of posts about it on Facebook.
well 5 out of 7 folks in this thread are having the problem; no one really cares about facebook here, so thats at least 75% of actual users here..sounds like "almost everyone" to me
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well 5 out of 7 folks in this thread are having the problem; no one really cares about facebook here, so thats at least 75% of actual users here..sounds like "almost everyone" to me
It's a shame you are so dismissive of a good resource.
I'm sorry, but you're going to get nowhere just waiting for Acurite to "fix" it. There isn't any way for them to apply a patch to your hardware remotely.
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well 5 out of 7 folks in this thread are having the problem; no one really cares about facebook here, so thats at least 75% of actual users here..sounds like "almost everyone" to me
It's a shame you are so dismissive of a good resource.
I'm sorry, but you're going to get nowhere just waiting for an Acurite to "fix" it. There isn't any way for them to apply a patch to your hardware remotely.
Sorry, but when I think of "good resources" to fix anything, facebook and twitter, the 2 things in my mind that have pretty much ruined the social fabric of our society, never come into my thought stream, but to each his own
I'll contact Acurite during their so called "customer service" hours and see what they have to say.
thanks for your input
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My fan was not working out of the box but the lightning sensor worked fine got the fan running and lightning sensor went crazy my UV sensor never worked under complete sun for 3 days never went passed a 3 boxed it up and sent it back.
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My fan was not working out of the box but the lightning sensor worked fine got the fan running and lightning sensor went crazy my UV sensor never worked under complete sun for 3 days never went passed a 3 boxed it up and sent it back.
Since most if you with the lightning sensor problems talk about if having issues on warm sunny days, the issue sound like it is the fan/driver for the fan causing the noise.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
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After my lastest report to AcuRite support, they did reply: "...I have also made the quality team aware to see what the next step would be."
Hopefully with more reports, a solution will be quick in coming and hopefully, it does not involve sending the Atlas back in for repairs.
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here's my live chat with accurite this am, and their "solution"..
Oct 2, 9:08 AM CDT
Chat started: 2018-10-02 01:59 PM UTC
(01:59:38 PM) I am getting hundreds of false lightning strikes with my recently installed atlas station, and I have read the same thing is happening to many others..whats the fix?
(01:59:41 PM) *** Sara joined the chat ***
(01:59:43 PM) Customer Support: Thanks for your message, please wait a moment while our agents review your request.
(02:00:45 PM) Sara : Hello Michael, I am happy to assist today. There is some troubleshooting we would like to start with at this point which has corrected some of these cases.
(02:01:01 PM) Sara : If you give me one moment I will get that sent to you via email.
(02:01:08 PM) : ok
(02:01:26 PM) : I already am using alkaline batteries, so that does help
(02:01:32 PM) : doesnt
(02:01:37 PM) Sara : Are you near your sensor at all?
(02:01:51 PM) no, its outside, and its now raining,
(02:02:07 PM) Sara : Okay, thank you. One more moment.
(02:02:16 PM) but, the last 2 days was sunny and warm, and I had over 350 lightning strikes
(02:02:55 PM) Sara : Thank you for that information I am documenting that as well. I did just get that email sent over to you.
(02:03:05 PM) ok, let me check
(02:03:13 PM) Sara : Can I please get your full last name in the event we have to replace that lightening detector?
(02:04:39 PM)
(02:04:44 PM) Sara : Thank you.
(02:05:11 PM) Sara : Great, thanks for that information.
(02:05:13 PM) ill try your fix when it stops raining
(02:05:35 PM) Sara : That is great, if that does not correct it please reply to that email and we will get a replacement detector sent out to you.
(02:06:08 PM) has replacing the detector/resetting per your instructions, fixed this issue for people?
(02:06:21 PM) or is this the first attempt of figuring out a fix?
(02:06:34 PM) Sara : The few cases we have had, we have not heard back that the issue has continued.
(02:07:16 PM) ok, I will try this when the rain stops, and see if this works for me
(02:07:34 PM) Sara : That sounds great, thank you Michael.
(02:07:41 PM) Sara : Thanks for chatting with me.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
(02:07:57 PM) thanks for the help, and hopefuly this fixes it
(02:08:06 PM)
(02:08:10 PM) Sara : You are welcome! Have a nice day.
(02:08:19 PM) you too
(02:08:28 PM) Sara : Thank you.
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here are the details of their "solution"
Hi michael,
I have reviewed your ticket and found that the article attached may be helpful. Please follow the suggestions and let me know if you are in need of any further assistance.
Please verify you are using the battery recommendations and try the troubleshooting steps listed below. If you continue to register false lightning after the steps have been performed, please let us know.
Batteries:
•Verify you are using fresh alkaline batteries or lithium batteries (when temperature is below -4°F/-20°C) in sensor.
•Quality brand batteries are recommended, including Duracell Coppertops (Black and copper), Rayovac, Energizer, or Kirkland.
•Verify batteries are fresh. The battery expiration date should be at least 6 years out. Batteries can lose 3% power or more every year in storage.
•Heavy duty, extra strength or generic / store brand batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the way these types of batteries disperse power. Each battery should not exceed 1.6 volts.
•Rechargeable batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the voltage instability of these types of batteries.
•Mixing different battery types (brands, old/new, etc.) is not recommended.
-Remove the batteries from the sensor
-Remove the lighting detector from the sensor
-Plug in the detector again (Make sure the lightning detector is fully installed, you will hear two 'Clicks')
-Reset your display (Enter display menu by pressing the gear button all the way on the left then arrow down to Factory Reset in the Menu settings. Change the next option to "YES" then the display will tell you to press the "Check mark" twice.)
-Reinstall batteries in sensor
-Search for sensor on the display
AcuRite provides a one year warranty from the date of purchase.
To receive warranty coverage for the product, please follow the steps below.
1.) Reply to this email with your shipping address and phone number. (For locations in Canada, please provide a physical location.)
2.) If not previously registered, provide a copy of the proof of purchase dated within the last year by attaching to this email.
3.) Locate a small white sticker on the back of the battery door and provide the 4 digits on it. The sticker may also be inside the battery compartment.
Thank you,
Sara
AcuRite Customer Support
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That is pretty much the same email I received with the “fix.” It did not work. Are they offering you a repair part or return?
Right now, it sounds like I am on hold.
After dealing with the Access issues and then sending it and waiting for over a month for it to be returned, I am not really wanting to go that route again. I plan on sending mine back into Amazon if there is not a fix by my deadline.
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I thought the Atlas had a 2 year warranty?
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That is pretty much the same email I received with the “fix.” It did not work. Are they offering you a repair part or return?
Right now, it sounds like I am on hold.
After dealing with the Access issues and then sending it and waiting for over a month for it to be returned, I am not really wanting to go that route again. I plan on sending mine back into Amazon if there is not a fix by my deadline.
She said they would send me a new lightning detector if their "fix" didnt solve the problem; to me, thats like swapping parts on a car until you find the actual part that is causing the problem..
Like you, I'll try their "fix", and if it doesnt work, and I cant imagine that it will, its back to Amazon with it..
Hurricane Rosa remnants are going through Arizona now, so until it stops raining, I can't try their "fix"..
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I thought the Atlas had a 2 year warranty?
An unfortunate change from the original plan.
The 2 year warranty was to only apply to the outside sensor... everything else was still one year.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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She said they would send me a new lightning detector if their "fix" didnt solve the problem; to me, thats like swapping parts on a car until you find the actual part that is causing the problem..
Like you, I'll try their "fix", and if it doesnt work, and I cant imagine that it will, its back to Amazon with it..
Hurricane Rosa remnants are going through Arizona now, so until it stops raining, I can't try their "fix"..
I’m curious what you expect to happen (other than you are determined to be dissatisfied).
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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[quote author=wase4711 link=topic=35162.msg35999
She said they would send me a new lightning detector if their "fix" didnt solve the problem; to me, thats like swapping parts on a car until you find the actual part that is causing the problem..
Like you, I'll try their "fix", and if it doesnt work, and I cant imagine that it will, its back to Amazon with it..
Hurricane Rosa remnants are going through Arizona now, so until it stops raining, I can't try their "fix"..
I’m curious what you expect to happen (other than you are determined to be dissatisfied).
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
[/quote]
Well, you couldnt be more off the mark thinking I am determined to be "dissatisfied"
I EXPECT a new product, with MORE THAN A YEAR in beta testing, to actually work as described; if it doesn't, then don't release it until it does..
I understand you are an Acurite fanboy, and, thats ok, but, since this is a pretty prevalent issue, one that should have been discovered during their extensive beta testing, their suggested fix is like rebooting a computer, and expecting that to solve all your computer problems; if you've kept up with some others here, you see they have already tried this "fix", and it didnt work for them
I was the Director of Sales for a consumer product manufacturer for many many years, so I know how this game is played..dont release new products that arent working 100% of the time, and, when a widespread issue arises that didnt come up during your testing phase, then either recall the product, or contact the customers who are the early adoprters, and keep them informed of what you are doing to try and solve the problem..
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[quote author=wase4711 link=topic=35162.msg35999
She said they would send me a new lightning detector if their "fix" didnt solve the problem; to me, thats like swapping parts on a car until you find the actual part that is causing the problem..
Like you, I'll try their "fix", and if it doesnt work, and I cant imagine that it will, its back to Amazon with it..
Hurricane Rosa remnants are going through Arizona now, so until it stops raining, I can't try their "fix"..
I’m sorry
I’m curious what you expect to happen (other than you are determined to be dissatisfied).
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, you couldnt be more off the mark thinking I am determined to be "dissatisfied"
I EXPECT a new product, with MORE THAN A YEAR in beta testing, to actually work as described; if it doesn't, then don't release it until it does..
I understand you are an Acurite fanboy, and, thats ok, but, since this is a pretty prevalent issue, one that should have been discovered during their extensive beta testing, their suggested fix is like rebooting a computer, and expecting that to solve all your computer problems; if you've kept up with some others here, you see they have already tried this "fix", and it didnt work for them
I was the Director of Sales for a consumer product manufacturer for many many years, so I know how this game is played..dont release new products that arent working 100% of the time, and, when a widespread issue arises that didnt come up during your testing phase, then either recall the product, or contact the customers who are the early adoprters, and keep them informed of what you are doing to try and solve the problem..
[/quote]
I’m sorry, but the facts indicate otherwise.
Regardless, they seem to working on your problem using commonly accepted methods.
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Earlier in this thread it was posted the both the Atlas sensor and the Stand Alone sensor are both probably based on the AS3935 chip. So they should be similar right? When you look at the user manual for the stand alone sensor it has these guidelines...
How does your placement align with these guidelines? Trying to solve the problem, lets eliminate these possibilities...
Stand Alone User Manual (https://www.acurite.com/media/manuals/06045-instructions.pdf)
Battery Recommendations:
AcuRite recommends high quality
alkaline or lithium batteries in
the wireless sensor for the best
product performance. Heavy duty
or rechargeable batteries are not
recommended.
The sensor requires lithium batteries
in low temperature conditions. Cold
temperatures can cause alkaline
batteries to function improperly. Use
lithium batteries in the sensor for
temperatures below -4ºF / -20ºC.
So here are the guidelines for the Stand Alone...
Placement for Maximum Accuracy
AcuRite sensors are sensitive to surrounding environmental conditions. Proper
placement of the sensor is critical to the accuracy and performance of this
product.
Sensor Placement
Sensor must be placed outside to observe outdoor conditions.
Sensor is water resistant and is designed for general outdoor use,
however, to extend its life place the sensor in an area protected
from direct weather elements.
Hang the sensor using the integrated hanger, or by using string
(not included) to hang it from a suitable location, like a well
covered tree branch. The best location is 4 to 8 feet above the
ground with permanent shade and plenty of fresh air to circulate
around the sensor.
Important Placement Guidelines
• Sensor must be within 330 feet (100 meters) of a companion unit
(sold separately).
MAXIMIZE WIRELESS RANGE
Place unit away from large metallic items, thick walls, metal surfaces, or other
objects that may limit wireless communication.
PREVENT WIRELESS INTERFERENCE
Place unit at least 3 feet (90 cm) away from electronic devices (TV, computer,
microwave, radio, etc.).
LOCATE AWAY FROM HEAT SOURCES
To ensure accurate temperature measurement, place sensor out of direct
sunlight and away from any heat sources.
LOCATE AWAY FROM HUMIDITY SOURCES
To ensure accurate humidity measurement, locate sensor away from humidity
sources. Avoid installing the sensor near indoor pools, spas, or other bodies of
water. Water sources may impact humidity accuracy.
Lightning Detection
The sensor detects cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud lightning.
When lightning is detected, the sensor will beep and the strike indicator will
flash for each of the first 10 strikes. After 10 strikes, the sensor will enter silent
mode but will continue to flash. The sensor will stay in silent mode for 2 hours
after the last lightning detection.
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Earlier in this thread it was posted the both the Atlas sensor and the Stand Alone sensor are both probably based on the AS3935 chip. So they should be similar right? When you look at the user manual for the stand alone sensor it has these guidelines...
Not necessarily. I have several devices based on the AS3935, and the sensitivity seems to vary. I don't know if that's due to the particular antenna design or some other settable parameter in the chip.
Here's a spec sheet on the AS3935 for those who want to dig deeper...
https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf
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Here's a spec sheet on the AS3935 for those who want to dig deeper...
https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf)
This appears to be an antenna used for these AS3935 based systems: https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm (https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm)
The AS3935 board interfaced to my Blitzortung controller is from Embedded Adventures (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/as3935_lightning_sensor_module_mod-1016.html). There appears to be a number of Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects such as this: https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/ (https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/)
These projects might be interesting for some who like to tinker.
Greg H.
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Here's a spec sheet on the AS3935 for those who want to dig deeper...
https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf)
This appears to be an antenna used for these AS3935 based systems: https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm (https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm)
The AS3935 board interfaced to my Blitzortung controller is from Embedded Adventures (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/as3935_lightning_sensor_module_mod-1016.html). There appears to be a number of Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects such as this: https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/ (https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/)
These projects might be interesting for some who like to tinker.
Greg H.
Just to clarify: The AS3935 was "Local" option for the Blitzortung System Red controllers..,. it was discontinued in the current BLUE system, and is not supported. It proved problematic for most locations, and useless regarding the network, contributing nothing to the Blitzortung paradigm of strike locating. Greg's setup is a rarity, mostly due to his efforts and experience... For many locations the issue again was nearby 'disturbers' and noise triggering. Inherently, from the Network concept of Blitzortung, lightning alerts can be configured in both RED and BLUE systems, if properly configured.... but that is not the purpose of the Blitzortung Network.
Incidentally.... for the next week or so, the Blitzortung ORG Net will be moving to new servers, so there may be some strange data and experiences... let it shake out. It is likely that the older GREEN system data may not be available initially, for example,
Mike
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Here's a spec sheet on the AS3935 for those who want to dig deeper...
https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/datasheets/AS3935_Datasheet_EN_v2.pdf)
This appears to be an antenna used for these AS3935 based systems: https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm (https://www.coilcraft.com/ma5532.cfm)
The AS3935 board interfaced to my Blitzortung controller is from Embedded Adventures (https://www.embeddedadventures.com/as3935_lightning_sensor_module_mod-1016.html). There appears to be a number of Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects such as this: https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/ (https://coffeewithrobots.com/detecting-lightning-with-a-raspberry-pi/)
These projects might be interesting for some who like to tinker.
Greg H.
Just to clarify: The AS3935 was "Local" option for the Blitzortung System Red controllers..,. it was discontinued in the current BLUE system, and is not supported. It proved problematic for most locations, and useless regarding the network, contributing nothing to the Blitzortung paradigm of strike locating. Greg's setup is a rarity, mostly due to his efforts and experience... For many locations the issue again was nearby 'disturbers' and noise triggering. Inherently, from the Network concept of Blitzortung, lightning alerts can be configured in both RED and BLUE systems, if properly configured.... but that is not the purpose of the Blitzortung Network.
Incidentally.... for the next week or so, the Blitzortung ORG Net will be moving to new servers, so there may be some strange data and experiences... let it shake out. It is likely that the older GREEN system data may not be available initially, for example,
Mike
Indeed, Blitzortung RED was discontinued. The AS3935 was interfaced to the STM32 eval board that the earlier RED controller used. This involved connecting to specific ports on the STM32 board.
One of the Arduino or Raspberry Pi projects would be the way to go, or maybe hack into the Acu-Rite portable unit if you are so inclined. (thus voiding warranty, etc.)
I did open the Acu-Rite portable unit when it first came out to confirm that it used the AS3935. The others, probably use it, but I haven't seen any verification on this.
Greg H.
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I'm curious about how many people reading this thread have an Atlas unit (commercial - not the beta units) with the lightning detection option and are NOT experiencing problems with false detection of lightning.
Thanks.
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Batteries:
•Verify you are using fresh alkaline batteries or lithium batteries (when temperature is below -4°F/-20°C) in sensor.
•Quality brand batteries are recommended, including Duracell Coppertops (Black and copper), Rayovac, Energizer, or Kirkland.
•Verify batteries are fresh. The battery expiration date should be at least 6 years out. Batteries can lose 3% power or more every year in storage.
•Heavy duty, extra strength or generic / store brand batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the way these types of batteries disperse power. Each battery should not exceed 1.6 volts.
-Remove the batteries from the sensor
-Remove the lighting detector from the sensor
-Plug in the detector again (Make sure the lightning detector is fully installed, you will hear two 'Clicks')
-Reset your display (Enter display menu by pressing the gear button all the way on the left then arrow down to Factory Reset in the Menu settings. Change the next option to "YES" then the display will tell you to press the "Check mark" twice.)
-Reinstall batteries in sensor
-Search for sensor on the display
I removed the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (which was reported as working successfully by someone) - these tested at 1.7volts
Replaced with Duracel Quantum alkaline (are they considered "heavy duty"?) - these tested at 1.6volts, and seemed to generate as many, or more false strikes than the lithium (have not yet reviewed the logs).
Removed Quantum and replaced with regular Duracell coppertop, tested at 1.59 volts. Still generating false strikes.
All batteries were brand new and fresh.
Will seek warranty replacement of the lightning sensor. :-(
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I'm curious about how many people reading this thread have an Atlas unit (commercial - not the beta units) with the lightning detection option and are NOT experiencing problems with false detection of lightning.
Thanks.
I've been running a commercial unit since last week with no problems.
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Batteries:
•Verify you are using fresh alkaline batteries or lithium batteries (when temperature is below -4°F/-20°C) in sensor.
•Quality brand batteries are recommended, including Duracell Coppertops (Black and copper), Rayovac, Energizer, or Kirkland.
•Verify batteries are fresh. The battery expiration date should be at least 6 years out. Batteries can lose 3% power or more every year in storage.
•Heavy duty, extra strength or generic / store brand batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the way these types of batteries disperse power. Each battery should not exceed 1.6 volts.
-Remove the batteries from the sensor
-Remove the lighting detector from the sensor
-Plug in the detector again (Make sure the lightning detector is fully installed, you will hear two 'Clicks')
-Reset your display (Enter display menu by pressing the gear button all the way on the left then arrow down to Factory Reset in the Menu settings. Change the next option to "YES" then the display will tell you to press the "Check mark" twice.)
-Reinstall batteries in sensor
-Search for sensor on the display
I removed the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (which was reported as working successfully by someone) - these tested at 1.7volts
Replaced with Duracel Quantum alkaline (are they considered "heavy duty"?) - these tested at 1.6volts, and seemed to generate as many, or more false strikes than the lithium (have not yet reviewed the logs).
Removed Quantum and replaced with regular Duracell coppertop, tested at 1.59 volts. Still generating false strikes.
All batteries were brand new and fresh.
Will seek warranty replacement of the lightning sensor. :-(
I reported the same results to AcuRite but they have not offered any part replacements. I was told to wait. I had over 200 strikes yesterday. Can you please share what they say? Thanks!
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Replaced with Duracel Quantum alkaline (are they considered "heavy duty"?)
Technically, no. "Heavy duty" batteries are Zinc Chloride.
However, the support folks aren't always aware of this distinction. It's best just to say Duracel alkalines.
I don't think the batteries are an issue. As I've said before, it's just the first step in their debugging script.
During the beta they had me run through different battery sets (obtained locally) which I sent back for analysis.
During the field trial Acurite supplied specific batteries to be tested and sent back for analysis.
I don't know the results of their analysis. I just tested as they requested.
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Batteries:
•Verify you are using fresh alkaline batteries or lithium batteries (when temperature is below -4°F/-20°C) in sensor.
•Quality brand batteries are recommended, including Duracell Coppertops (Black and copper), Rayovac, Energizer, or Kirkland.
•Verify batteries are fresh. The battery expiration date should be at least 6 years out. Batteries can lose 3% power or more every year in storage.
•Heavy duty, extra strength or generic / store brand batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the way these types of batteries disperse power. Each battery should not exceed 1.6 volts.
-Remove the batteries from the sensor
-Remove the lighting detector from the sensor
-Plug in the detector again (Make sure the lightning detector is fully installed, you will hear two 'Clicks')
-Reset your display (Enter display menu by pressing the gear button all the way on the left then arrow down to Factory Reset in the Menu settings. Change the next option to "YES" then the display will tell you to press the "Check mark" twice.)
-Reinstall batteries in sensor
-Search for sensor on the display
I removed the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (which was reported as working successfully by someone) - these tested at 1.7volts
Replaced with Duracel Quantum alkaline (are they considered "heavy duty"?) - these tested at 1.6volts, and seemed to generate as many, or more false strikes than the lithium (have not yet reviewed the logs).
Removed Quantum and replaced with regular Duracell coppertop, tested at 1.59 volts. Still generating false strikes.
All batteries were brand new and fresh.
Will seek warranty replacement of the lightning sensor. :-(
I reported the same results to AcuRite but they have not offered any part replacements. I was told to wait. I had over 200 strikes yesterday. Can you please share what they say? Thanks!
did u get an email, or was this all via chat?
did you ask them what the next step was supposed to be?
The rain stopped here, but its still partly cloudy; only 96 false lightning strikes today..
I'll try their "fix" tomorrow, and see what happens
has anyone tried a "replacement" lightning detector yet to see if it made any difference with the false strikes?
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Batteries:
•Verify you are using fresh alkaline batteries or lithium batteries (when temperature is below -4°F/-20°C) in sensor.
•Quality brand batteries are recommended, including Duracell Coppertops (Black and copper), Rayovac, Energizer, or Kirkland.
•Verify batteries are fresh. The battery expiration date should be at least 6 years out. Batteries can lose 3% power or more every year in storage.
•Heavy duty, extra strength or generic / store brand batteries are not recommended for use with AcuRite products because they may cause performance irregularities due to the way these types of batteries disperse power. Each battery should not exceed 1.6 volts.
-Remove the batteries from the sensor
-Remove the lighting detector from the sensor
-Plug in the detector again (Make sure the lightning detector is fully installed, you will hear two 'Clicks')
-Reset your display (Enter display menu by pressing the gear button all the way on the left then arrow down to Factory Reset in the Menu settings. Change the next option to "YES" then the display will tell you to press the "Check mark" twice.)
-Reinstall batteries in sensor
-Search for sensor on the display
I removed the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (which was reported as working successfully by someone) - these tested at 1.7volts
Replaced with Duracel Quantum alkaline (are they considered "heavy duty"?) - these tested at 1.6volts, and seemed to generate as many, or more false strikes than the lithium (have not yet reviewed the logs).
Removed Quantum and replaced with regular Duracell coppertop, tested at 1.59 volts. Still generating false strikes.
All batteries were brand new and fresh.
Will seek warranty replacement of the lightning sensor. :-(
I reported the same results to AcuRite but they have not offered any part replacements. I was told to wait. I had over 200 strikes yesterday. Can you please share what they say? Thanks!
did u get an email, or was this all via chat?
did you ask them what the next step was supposed to be?
The rain stopped here, but its still partly cloudy; only 96 false lightning strikes today..
I'll try their "fix" tomorrow, and see what happens
has anyone tried a "replacement" lightning detector yet to see if it made any difference with the false strikes?
I just sent another follow-up email this evening...they have gone quiet on me and they have not responded back for a couple of days now. I asked if there has been any update with the false lightning strikes. I have not been offered any replacement parts or any other assistance other the change the batteries and the reset.
They are still continuing….sunny day…lots…warm and cloudy, less. 202 yesterday and 40 today...this is after their fix.
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post a question on Amazon; they seem to respond quickly to those..
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Well, AcuRite has shipped a replacement lightning detector to me. I'm not sure if the detector or electrical noise from the aspirating fan is the cause of the problem, but this should help to isolate the problem. I'll post the results once I've received the replacement detector and have it installed during some sunny weather.
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I tried their battery pull/reset "fix", and it did nothing; 121 lightning strikes so far by 9am in AZ..
when you get your replacement lighting detector, please post here if it fixes the problem
Also, does anyone have a link on where you can determine what your light sensor reading actually means? I'm getting 53,360 lux on my light reading, and not sure what that actually is indicating..UN sensor is reading 3, so not sure what putting those 2 numbers into play actually tells me
thanks
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I mounted my Atlas yesterday afternoon. It has brand new energizer alkaline batteries in it. Zero lightning strikes yet but it's been cloudy, so no sun.
I did find this on light intensity...
How Bright is it? Shining a light on intensity measurement (https://www.omega.com/technical-learning/shining-a-light-on-intensity-measurement.html)
As it pertains to weather...
While many light meters are configured for incandescent light they are still useful for providing comparisons outdoors. A meter could for example produce records showing the difference in intensity between the summer and winter solstice. Mapping light intensities in an area designated for solar arrays could help determine the optimal location for each panel. Those involved in agriculture may benefit from identifying areas of lower light intensity within a greenhouse.
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The aspiration fan does run even in cloudy weather. Sunshine may make it run harder, I'm not sure. In very cold dry weather, the fan can be heard running very clearly on my Atlas. If it's warm or humid, it is very quite.
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sunny again in Arizona, and 231 lightning strikes so far today..
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has anyone tried a "replacement" lightning detector yet to see if it made any difference with the false strikes?
I am pleased to report that replacing the lightning detector has fixed the false strike problem for me. Today with some actual storms around, Atlas has identified 3 strikes in the area. These 3 strikes were indicated as interference/noise on the 02020 portable
An additional strike shown as 1 mile away on the 02020 portable but was shown as interference on the Atlas.
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has anyone tried a "replacement" lightning detector yet to see if it made any difference with the false strikes?
I am pleased to report that replacing the lightning detector has fixed the false strike problem for me. Today with some actual storms around, Atlas has identified 3 strikes in the area. These 3 strikes were indicated as interference/noise on the 02020 portable
An additional strike shown as 1 mile away on the 02020 portable but was shown as interference on the Atlas.
Thanks for the update. I finally received a reply and will have a replacement detector Tuesday.
Did you just replace it or did you need to do a reset and remove the batteries, etc?
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Did you just replace it or did you need to do a reset and remove the batteries, etc?
I removed the batteries, removed the old detector, popped in the new detector, and re-added batteries.
Did "Factory Reset" on the HD display, which cleared everything including the thousands of false strikes.
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I put up another production Atlas and lightning detector yesterday.
I'm using Energizer lithiums.
So far the lightning detector is working fine. 18 strikes so far today, which is consistent with the small thunderstorms that have been rolling through.
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Ive been having issues with random strikes. bought a battery box and some Duracell batteries and I haven't had any false strikes since then.
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My replacement lightning sensor came Saturday.
Unfortunately, even after a total reset, no change. I had 151 false strikes on a sunny, warm afternoon.
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I'll be curious to see the response from AcuRite. Let us know what they recommend as the next step.
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Seems to me like the whole lightning detection thing is troubled with false positives using the AS3935 in certain locations because of other interference sources. It works for some people and not for others just because of outside interference source differences.
I propose that two Atlas owners swap lighting detectors. One with problems and the other without problems. I'm willing to bet it isn't the lightning detector itself that is the issue. It's location and whatever is causing interference. I'd be curious to know what those sources of interference are though. It may be power lines. It may be fault lines, it may be the Earths magnetic field flux lines that are different in different parts, it may be flying saucers. I don't know and I made all of those up. I wonder if there is a scientific way of finding those sources.
I've read enough here and including from the Blitzortung folks to determine that the AS3935 although it may be the best thing for local detection, it may not be a perfect solution. The fact that they gave up on that chip says it all and they moved to a more useful solutions that helped create their better global network.
It is unfortunate that Acurite is not more forthcoming with this information and has people chasing battery brands and and swapping out parts giving false hope and wasting everyones time and increasing warranty costs.
The local lighting detection may be a nice thing to have but it seems it isn't a possibility for everyone, at least not with an AS3935 chip. End of story.
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Seems to me like the whole lightning detection thing is troubled with false positives using the AS3935 in certain locations because of other interference sources. It works for some people and not for others just because of outside interference source differences.
I propose that two Atlas owners swap lighting detectors. One with problems and the other without problems. I'm willing to bet it isn't the lightning detector itself that is the issue. It's location and whatever is causing interference. I'd be curious to know what those sources of interference are though. It may be power lines. It may be falut lines, it may be the Earths magnetic field flux lines that are different in different parts, it may be flying saucers. I don't know and I made all of those up. I wonder if there is a scientific way of finding those sources.
I've read enough here and including from the Blitzortung folks to determine that the AS3935 although it may be the best thing for local detection, it may not be a perfect solution. The fact that they gave up on that chip says it all and they moved to a more useful solutions that helped create their better global network.
It is unfortunate that Acurite is not more forthcoming with this information and has people chasing battery brands and and swapping out parts giving false hope and wasting everyones time and increasing warranty costs.
The local lighting detection may be a nice thing to have but it seems it isn't a possibility for everyone, at least not with an AS3935 chip. End of story.
I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
I returned mine yesterday, and went with a ws2000; trouble free, great range, everything worked properly right out of the box, came with an ACTUAL 50 large page owners manual, great detail, and information and tweaking was super easy with the proper manual at hand..
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I returned mine yesterday, and went with a ws2000; trouble free, great range, everything worked properly right out of the box, came with an ACTUAL 50 large page owners manual, great detail, and information and tweaking was super easy with the proper manual at hand..
I bet you are happier with the barometer adjustment too hu? :grin:
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I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
No, they aren't "shots it the dark". That is how debugging is commonly done whether you approve of it or not. It's economical because it doesn't involve much in labor costs.
I'm sure you can't tell if there is any electrical interference or not. Most people don't have the kind of equipment or skills to debug that sort of situation, so you just have to work with what you have and rule-out the hardware issues.
And what do you mean "they couldn't get it right"? That's nonsense, just like the BS that you've been spreading that there's a widespread problem that has to be addressed. The AS3935 has been out for quite a few years now, with Acurite implementing it in two other products before this. They know the chip better than you think.
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I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
No, they aren't "shots it the dark". That is how debugging is commonly done whether you approve of it or not. It's economical because it doesn't involve much in labor costs.
And what do you mean "they couldn't get it right"? That's nonsense, just like the BS that you've been spreading that there's a widespread problem that has to be addressed.
Once again, you are showing your Acurite Fanboi colors; I know you idolize them and everything they do, but not everyone else does..
"Economical debugging" is code for too cheap or not caring about your end users enough to fix a problem properly; I guess when they have enough fanbois like you willing to deal with their ineptitude, its better for them fiscally; too bad that doesnt do anything for their paying customers..
considering only 1 person, aside from you, had their problem "fixed" by replacing the lightning detector, its obvious to any objective observer that there is another issue causing this device to malfuntion; I never posted it here, but my rain totals actually went down a day after a major rain event here, which, between their lighting detector defect, and the weird rainfall issue, and problems others are having with the Atlas, told me its time to move on to something else..
Just because you obviously get free units to test, and you feel obligated to support them, us paying customers feel quite differently..
enjoy your free Acurite stuff..
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I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
No, they aren't "shots it the dark". That is how debugging is commonly done whether you approve of it or not. It's economical because it doesn't involve much in labor costs.
And what do you mean "they couldn't get it right"? That's nonsense, just like the BS that you've been spreading that there's a widespread problem that has to be addressed.
Once again, you are showing your Acurite Fanboi colors; I know you idolize them and everything they do, but not everyone else does..
"Economical debugging" is code for too cheap or not caring about your end users enough to fix a problem properly; I guess when they have enough fanbois like you willing to deal with their ineptitude, its better for them fiscally; too bad that doesnt do anything for their paying customers..
considering only 1 person, aside from you, had their problem "fixed" by replacing the lightning detector, its obvious to any objective observer that there is another issue causing this device to malfuntion; I never posted it here, but my rain totals actually went down a day after a major rain event here, which, between their lighting detector defect, and the weird rainfall issue, and problems others are having with the Atlas, told me its time to move on to something else..
Just because you obviously get free units to test, and you feel obligated to support them, us paying customers feel quite differently..
enjoy your free Acurite stuff..
Wow. You are one ignorant and rude piece of work.
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I'll be curious to see the response from AcuRite. Let us know what they recommend as the next step.
Will do.
It is 87 and sunny this afternoon and the false strikes are really ramping up again. It only does it when it is above 80 and seems to be sunnier. It does not do it on cooler and sunny days. I think this points to more of an internal Atlas issue. My unit is in a field with only another weather station close by so no power lines, electric fence, etc.
I have another email in with support and will see what they say. I hate to send it back to Amazon but that will have to be my next step if they ask me to send the Atlas for them to look at it first. Either way, it is pain having to deal with this for a brand new unit that was not that cheap.
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I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
No, they aren't "shots it the dark". That is how debugging is commonly done whether you approve of it or not. It's economical because it doesn't involve much in labor costs.
And what do you mean "they couldn't get it right"? That's nonsense, just like the BS that you've been spreading that there's a widespread problem that has to be addressed.
Once again, you are showing your Acurite Fanboi colors; I know you idolize them and everything they do, but not everyone else does..
"Economical debugging" is code for too cheap or not caring about your end users enough to fix a problem properly; I guess when they have enough fanbois like you willing to deal with their ineptitude, its better for them fiscally; too bad that doesnt do anything for their paying customers..
considering only 1 person, aside from you, had their problem "fixed" by replacing the lightning detector, its obvious to any objective observer that there is another issue causing this device to malfuntion; I never posted it here, but my rain totals actually went down a day after a major rain event here, which, between their lighting detector defect, and the weird rainfall issue, and problems others are having with the Atlas, told me its time to move on to something else..
Just because you obviously get free units to test, and you feel obligated to support them, us paying customers feel quite differently..
enjoy your free Acurite stuff..
Wow. You are one ignorant and rude piece of work.
thanks; looks like you can dish it out, but can't take it \:D/
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I agree; and, I am out where there isnt any electrical interference that I can tell; their "solution" of changing battery brand, resetting the display, popping the detector in and out sounded like shots in the dark, and just a way to appease people until they figure out what is wrong with their "new" system, that they beta tested for over a year, and still couldn't get right..
No, they aren't "shots it the dark". That is how debugging is commonly done whether you approve of it or not. It's economical because it doesn't involve much in labor costs.
And what do you mean "they couldn't get it right"? That's nonsense, just like the BS that you've been spreading that there's a widespread problem that has to be addressed.
Once again, you are showing your Acurite Fanboi colors; I know you idolize them and everything they do, but not everyone else does..
"Economical debugging" is code for too cheap or not caring about your end users enough to fix a problem properly; I guess when they have enough fanbois like you willing to deal with their ineptitude, its better for them fiscally; too bad that doesnt do anything for their paying customers..
considering only 1 person, aside from you, had their problem "fixed" by replacing the lightning detector, its obvious to any objective observer that there is another issue causing this device to malfuntion; I never posted it here, but my rain totals actually went down a day after a major rain event here, which, between their lighting detector defect, and the weird rainfall issue, and problems others are having with the Atlas, told me its time to move on to something else..
Just because you obviously get free units to test, and you feel obligated to support them, us paying customers feel quite differently..
enjoy your free Acurite stuff..
Wow. You are one ignorant and rude piece of work.
thanks; looks like you can dish it out, but can't take it \:D/
I haven't dished out anything but information. Pearls before swine, I guess.
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I'm beginning to see why the Atlas Elite has not been released. Not just because of the lighting issue but everything else too. Rain gauge accuracy, lacking barometer manual adjustment, shorter operating distance for the Atlas than 5-in-1. I know that the Elite is supposed to have a 1000 Ft range...who knows if they actually achieved that though.
At this moment when a product has been delayed for prolonged beta testing all these issues should have been ironed out. There is no excuse. This type of product launch failure happens to the best of companies. Just look at Apple with their antenna-gate issue. Or Samsung with their batteries blowing up. There are countless examples of this. Hopefully these companies learn and finally get it right. I'll keep Acurite on my radar but I think it will be a while before they right the ship.
A short while ago I was anxiously awaiting the Atlas Elite release and also hoping that the regular Atlas had performed better. Now I've given up on Acurite from what I'm seeing (for now).
At this point there is no perfect weather hardware (even Davis). My next focus though will be on the release of the Davis VP3. Fingers crossed that they get that right. Until then I'll just enjoy my Ambient Weather which is also not perfect.
I'm no fanboy of any brand. Why is it so difficult for people to see things for what they are? Perhaps they are too invested in a brand both emotionally and financially. If you are invested in a given brand then that company's success will determine many things for you. If the brand sells better then their support could improve. Upgrades to software and hardware could come out that improve your investment. Nobody wants to be stuck with the Blackberry in their pocket. And you also feel better about your investment if others agree with you. So I get it.
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I'm beginning to see why the Atlas Elite has not been released. Not just because of the lighting issue but everything else too. Rain gauge accuracy, lacking barometer manual adjustment, shorter operating distance for the Atlas than 5-in-1. I know that the Elite is supposed to have a 1000 Ft range...who knows if they actually achieved that though.
"Everything else"? C'mon.
The rain gauge settings have been vetted against CoCoRaHS gauges by many. If you want to adjust the mechanism, you can.
There is no barometer in the Atlas itself.
The barometer that is in the Access is adjustable by tweaking your elevation if necessary. There is also the option of manually adjusting the station pressure.
The Atlas display barometer can also be manually adjusted by as much as 10 inches.
Range is actually much better than a 5n1. Check it out with an SDR and you'll see a much stronger signal. This has also been borne out by many.
The "report" of a weaker here was done by someone who modified their Access, but didn't disclose that. I'm pretty sure he is over-loading the front-end with the stronger signal from the Atlas.
It's been well known the release of the Elite is coming later. How much later I couldn't tell you. I have a suspicion that it is going to be marketed differently toward professional users rather than the typical consumer.
As for the "product launch failure", what the hell? There's been no "product launch failure". Quite the opposite from what I've been observing.
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My issue with the rain gauge is that it seems not accurate out of the box. The fact that you can adjust it is nice but it undocumented in the Atlas manual. Why was that not worthy of being included like the 5-in-1?
The barometer issue with the display and having to wait 14 days is annoying. That certainly isn't sufficient to hobbyists, at least it isn't for me. The manual adjustment of 10 inches still doesn't let you set station pressure and that seems to not be sufficient of an adjustment for some people. Seems like Acurite has taken some big steps to make things simpler to the common uninformed consumer rather than providing a solution to weather hobbyist.
I hope you are right about the Elite which is why I passed on the regular Atlas.
As for product launch failure, well that may or may not be a bit harsh depending on your perspective. For me I thought the Altas was going to be so much more. On paper it looks to be almost exactly like the Elite. It even has the same name as the Elite both being Atlas. The Alas was supposed to be an improvement over the 5-in-1. And I suppose in many ways it is better than the 5-in-1. But they certainly didn't hit a home run. This is maybe a 2nd base effort.
Then there is the lighting issue. What a gimmick. Sure it works for some. But they should have a disclaimer on its performance or not have included as a feature.
As for the signal strength issue vs 5-in-1. I've seen I think a couple people with this complaint, not just the person whom modified the Access. I think.
Take all than and then you throw in a company that has removed support options, closes a forum. Also regarding the release an Access device that has no way of getting live data from it so that you can run your own software and you have what I'm seeing is a closed minded company that thinks that you should only be using their product the way they intend. Then they release a product way behind schedule and the whole picture starts to look bleak.
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Your SDR graph comparison is nice. But it doesn't prove anything. You can have a stronger signal but then you could also introduce more noise and then it is less useful. I'm not a radio guy so I can't express myself well enough in this regard. But I know enough to know that latching on to a signal is not purely based on signal strength. So compared to a 5-in-1 the signal may be stronger but for some reason it seems some people are seeing less performance and not being able to latch on and keep that signal.
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I think if you are a big Acurite fan you would want them to fix all these issues, rather than pretend that there are no issues.
I hope Acurite gets it right. I want Davis to have more competition so that Davis doesn't think that they can keep selling a VP2 for two decades.
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My issue with the rain gauge is that it seems not accurate out of the box. The fact that you can adjust it is nice but it undocumented in the Atlas manual. Why was that not worthy of being included like the 5-in-1?
Probably from past experience with the 5n1. When it was in the manual, many seemed to be thinking the unit needed calibration before it was installed. This just wasted people's time, especially when they screwed it up.
You have an Atlas and know it is not accurate out-of-the box?
The barometer issue with the display and having to wait 14 days is annoying. That certainly isn't sufficient to hobbyists, at least it isn't for me. The manual adjustment of 10 inches still doesn't let you set station pressure and that seems to not be sufficient of an adjustment for some people. Seems like Acurite has taken some big steps to make things simpler to the common uninformed consumer rather than providing a solution to weather hobbyist.
The display is just for local viewing. It's not a huge deal.
I hope you are right about the Elite which is why I passed on the regular Atlas.
As for product launch failure, well that may or may not be a bit harsh depending on your perspective. For me I thought the Altas was going to be so much more. On paper it looks to be almost exactly like the Elite. It even has the same name as the Elite both being Atlas. The Alas was supposed to be an improvement over the 5-in-1. And I suppose in many ways it is better than the 5-in-1. But they certainly didn't hit a home run. This is maybe a 2nd base effort.
On that scale, I'd say an Osprey hardly makes first base. A single bucket tipper with no aspiration?
Then there is the lighting issue. What a gimmick. Sure it works for some. But they should have a disclaimer on its performance or not have included as a feature.
Oh, come on. It works for whole hell lot of people. It's not perfect, but it is effective. I suppose my WeatherFlow is also a gimmick?
Take all than and then you throw in a company that has removed support options, closes a forum. Also regarding the release an Access device that has no way of getting live data from it so that you can run your own software and you have what I'm seeing is a closed minded company that thinks that you should only be using their product the way they intend. Then they release a product way behind schedule and the whole picture starts to look bleak.
You've been filled with a lot of bad information, I'm sorry to say.
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Your SDR graph comparison is nice. But it doesn't prove anything. You can have a stronger signal but then you could also introduce more noise and then it is less useful. I'm not a radio guy so I can't express myself well enough in this regard. But I know enough to know that latching on to a signal is not purely based on signal strength. So compared to a 5-in-1 the signal may be stronger but for some reason it seems some people are seeing less performance and not being able to latch on and keep that signal.
Again, where are you getting that people are seeing range performance issues? The guy with the modified Access?
I've provided some actual proof, here sir. Where's yours?
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I think if you are a big Acurite fan you would want them to fix all these issues, rather than pretend that there are no issues.
I hope Acurite gets it right. I want Davis to have more competition so that Davis doesn't think that they can keep selling a VP2 for two decades.
Let's quit with the "Fan" stuff. I've been running a lot of different brands for a long time. Davis, Ambient, WeatherFlow, Bloomsky, etc. I can point out problems and issues with any of them.
I'm not someone who runs around ignorantly trashing other brands like many do here. I just happen to have a lot of extra info on Acurite that other folks don't have and try to share it. It's sad some people have a problem with that.
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I'm not trashing other brands either. I try to tell it like it is so that something gets done about it.
I checked and you are right, there is only one person that complained about signal strength and it was the individual that modified their Access. I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong.
But I also forgot to bring up the issue about Solar and UV not being reported to Weather Underground. Again for a product with such a long product beta how did this get missed???? :shock:
"The display is just for viewing. It's not a huge deal"
Well to me such a nice looking display (the best in the market today) needed to be perfect.
Okay we'll quit with the fan stuff. Glad to see you are also familiar with other brands. You just come across as defending Acurite just a bit too strongly. I on the other hand have no problem with you pointing out true statements about Ambient (because I am not a fan of anyone). Yes the rain gauge is pretty week with one tipper, and there is no aspirating fan. But it is also a lot cheaper and for me the Ambient was just a stop gap because I felt the VP2 was a bad investment in 2018. I want something better than what I have. I recognize all the faults the Osprey has and I gladly point acknowledge them. I think you are right the Osprey is probably a 1st or 2nd base hit. At least I think it come close to stealing 2nd base. The fact that the ObserverIP gives me Live Data to do whatever I want with it is huge selling point for me. I understand the only way to get live data from the Access is to hack the WU feed because the myAcurite feed is 5 minutes (and that is unacceptable). The Atlas has a better temperature and humidity sensor than the Osprey. The ability of the Atlas to extend the anemometer is a nice touch and that makes it better. I have no problem denouncing the bad and at the same time recognizing the good in any product/brand. Which is why I say nothing out today is perfect. The Davis is dated and some people have humidity sensor issues.
I have no horse in this race. But I have money to throw at whatever company finally gets it right.
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But I also forgot to bring up the issue about Solar and UV not being reported to Weather Underground. Again for a product with such a long product beta how did this get missed???? :shock:
It wasn't missed. It's actually an issue on the Access. Remember all the wunderground re-coding from earlier this year? That has created several unexpected issues that need to be worked out between Acurite and wunderground. I was hoping it would all be resolved by now, but apparently Acurite decided it wasn't worth waiting around.
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You just come across as defending Acurite just a bit too strongly.
I do that anytime anyone is throwing around bad information when I'm aware of it, especially when it is deliberately malicious.
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funny, making 5 separate posts refuting and arguing another members opinions, looks a whole lot like fanboy to me and several others..
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funny, making 5 separate posts refuting and arguing another members opinions, looks a whole lot like fanboy to me and several others..
Clearly your not happy and moved on to a ws2000 so.. the logical thing to do would be post in that section and stop posting trolling here and keep things on topic, yes, no?
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All the accusations of being a backer or supporter, or fanboi of acurite are being thrown out there for what purpose? There are big fans of Davis on this board too... So what?
Let's stick to the issues. Saying that everyone is having a problem is just guessing. I am not having a problem, or I would let you know. Everyone knows around here that I have been critical many times too. We all want these things to work, so lets just keep working on finding a direct cause without calling each other out for liking one product only.
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Let's stick to the issues. Saying that everyone is having a problem is just guessing. I am not having a problem, or I would let you know. Everyone knows around here that I have been critical many times too. We all want these things to work, so lets just keep working on finding a direct cause without calling each other out for liking one product only.
Hear! Hear!
Following this with interest... Folks with the new Accurate system will never resolve any technical or 'operational' or 'situationl' issues if those of us with 'no dog in the fight' keep popping in unasked... we simply need to place our bets, and cheer them on.... this New Suite's community can resolve stuff if everyone stays away from personalities etc.
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Clearly your not happy and moved on to a ws2000 so.. the logical thing to do would be post in that section and stop posting trolling here and keep things on topic, yes, no?
yes, certainly, I just dont appreciate being called names just because I dont agree with someones opinion..and, I dont recall seeing any rule here saying you can only post in a forum if you own/like/support/agree with everything being posted..but hey, life's too short to argue nonsense on the internet..
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I'm one of the people experiencing false lightning strikes. I'm still awaiting arrival of the replacement lightning detector to see if this corrects the issue. From reading the other posts, it seems that a replacement detector worked for one person but did not work for another. Personally, I don't know if this is an issue with the lightning detectors or electrical noise from the aspirating fan or solar panels. However, I a fairly certain this has nothing to do with stray electrical noise from appliances, electric fences, power lines, etc. Like the others that have reported problems, I only get false lightning strikes during the daytime when the unit is receiving direct sunlight. Nothing else seems to influence the false readings. It doesn't matter if someone is home or isn't (appliance use). There are no electric fences within miles of my house. The utilities for my house come in underground. The false strikes have occurred when the temperature is in the 60s, so there is no one using air conditioning that could be causing electrical spikes in the public utilities.
Again, the only thing that I have seen that has any influence on the false lightning strikes is whether or not the unit is receiving direct sunlight. Most, but not all, of the strikes occur when the light intensity is a >= 70,000 LUX. I have never received a false lightning detection when the Atlas is not in direct sunlight.
Unfortunately, the replacement lightning detector may not arrive for a few days, so it could be a while until I know if it fixes the problem - first I need to replace the detector, then I need direct sunlight at a time when it will miss the trees and hit the Atlas.
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Like the others that have reported problems, I only get false lightning strikes during the daytime when the unit is receiving direct sunlight. Nothing else seems to influence the false readings.
Replacing the module worked for me - but with the old detector, strikes were registered even in the dark so solar panels / fan were not active. Multiple problem scenarios.
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Completely new to this forum, found this thread searching lightning and AcuRite 01007M. I have had weather stations for about 6-7 years now, started with ambient weather 1080 I think connected to laptop with was it sanday? Anyways I read in here that someone else seems to have the lightning issue I am with the constant false lightning strikes and theirs too was much worse/only happening with sunlight.
Biggest thing I have to share is I borrowed my moms AcuRite 02020 Portable Lightning Detector and sat it with in 10 feet of ws and over the course of hours it did not record one false strike. This detector has proven reliable for us in past. I believe issue is with new weather station, not my location.
I put my AcuRite 01007M up yesterday and started getting false strikes/interference readings immediately, tried some other locations in the front yard with no success. Moved it to the back yard and had no issues so I blamed it on power lines in the front yard. Put the ws on one of my sheds just above the metal roof (quickest easiest set up) at around 5:30 to 6 pm and had not false strikes until 8:30 AM this morning when it started going off every few seconds and saying interference. Tried moving it around yard, using alkaline batteries (was using energizer lithium) and still had same problem. Later on read information in this thread, got me thinking about the solar panels/maybe the fan, so tried putting in heavy shade. No issues in heavy shade. Put back in sun on certain side and very quickly got false strikes. Covered up solar panels and no more false strikes (last test was not very thorough, it was already past 3:00 pm and there was not a lot of time given for test).
I am really starting to think problem lies in the solar panels or fan.
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Seems to me like the whole lightning detection thing is troubled with false positives using the AS3935 in certain locations because of other interference sources. It works for some people and not for others just because of outside interference source differences.
I propose that two Atlas owners swap lighting detectors. One with problems and the other without problems.
On that note, the black section with the solar panels is also easy to swap out for testing. No tools. Just unplug and plug the cable harness.
The fan/motor module might require tools, though. I might try to disassemble that tonight.
Not related to the problem, but the temp/humidity module can easily be removed/replaced without tools.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2ONK3OMIW3GAW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074XKB239
This review is enough for me, I'm ordering another one and giving it a try while price is still good, returning old one. Word of advice buy new on Amazon instead of returning for exchange, gives more time for exchange if problem occurs again. Will try covering solar panels on old one to see if problem occurs tomorrow or disconnecting cable nincehelser is mentioning if he can give me a little more info.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2ONK3OMIW3GAW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074XKB239
This review is enough for me, I'm ordering another one and giving it a try while price is still good, returning old one. Word of advice buy new on Amazon instead of returning for exchange, gives more time for exchange if problem occurs again. Will try covering solar panels on old one to see if problem occurs tomorrow or disconnecting cable nincehelser is mentioning if he can give me a little more info.
See the white modular plug? Just grab it and pull up (not by the wires). It is "keyed" to make sure you plug it back in the right way.
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Just pulled it out but then got to thinking that if the problem is the solar panels they are still going to be producing power so plugged it back up and put a box over all solar panels. If there are no false strikes tomorrow I will try unplugging the unit for the next day to help narrow down problem between panels and fan.
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Seems to me like the whole lightning detection thing is troubled with false positives using the AS3935 in certain locations because of other interference sources. It works for some people and not for others just because of outside interference source differences.
I propose that two Atlas owners swap lighting detectors. One with problems and the other without problems.
On that note, the black section with the solar panels is also easy to swap out for testing. No tools. Just unplug and plug the cable harness.
The fan/motor module might require tools, though. I might try to disassemble that tonight.
Not related to the problem, but the temp/humidity module can easily be removed/replaced without tools.
If you get access to the motor, it might be worthwhile to temporarily (or permanently if it works) solder a small value ceramic capacitor across the motor terminals.
I am beginning to suspect the motor brush noise, which is actually a lot of small sparks. You probably already know that, but for the benefit of others I thought that I would mention it.
Good hunting and luck on tracing this down. I have been following this issue with keen interest.
Greg H.
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Seems to me like the whole lightning detection thing is troubled with false positives using the AS3935 in certain locations because of other interference sources. It works for some people and not for others just because of outside interference source differences.
I propose that two Atlas owners swap lighting detectors. One with problems and the other without problems.
On that note, the black section with the solar panels is also easy to swap out for testing. No tools. Just unplug and plug the cable harness.
The fan/motor module might require tools, though. I might try to disassemble that tonight.
Not related to the problem, but the temp/humidity module can easily be removed/replaced without tools.
If you get access to the motor, it might be worthwhile to temporarily (or permanently if it works) solder a small value ceramic capacitor across the motor terminals.
I am beginning to suspect the motor brush noise, which is actually a lot of small sparks. You probably already know that, but for the benefit of others I thought that I would mention it.
Good hunting and luck on tracing this down. I have been following this issue with keen interest.
Greg H.
I'll post this in the tear-down thread later, but here's a pre-view to puzzle over while I get more sleep...
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I just ran a little experiment of my own using the portable (02020?) Acu-Rite detector. I have an old "Psychron" wet/dry bulb psychrometer with a rather exposed small DC motor to drive the fan. I put the Acu-Rite detector fairly close to the motor, and sure enough it started detecting strikes (no actual lightning in the immediate area presently). When I held the detector very close to the motor, it had a "Unable to detect" message.
At this point, I am thinking that the brush motor noise might be the culprit. :-k
Greg H.
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Does the Atlas fan spin constantly? Or is it variable depending on temperature. Because reports are that false lighting detection occurs when in full sun. So if the fan spins more (or faster) during full sun then there is the correlation.
I think Acurite knows what the problem is and are keeping tight lipped. The fact they say to use batteries with no more than 1.6 volts could be to limit fan speed.
Maybe adding a resistor to the fan motor might fix this problem (limit speed). Sure you'd void your warranty. But maybe Acurite needs to do a recall and fix this. Or they need better QC of their fan motor sourcing.
Telling people to change batteries seems like there is a design problem. They needed to add a voltage regulator, or use better motors. Different batteries does nothing for high solar power. Perhaps full sun overloads the fan motor in the same way.
Great detective work Miraculon!
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I think Acurite knows what the problem is and are keeping tight lipped. The fact they say to use batteries with no more than 1.6 volts could be to limit fan speed.
They are always tight-lipped by policy.
Batteries don't drive the fan. In the past they've used a LDO voltage regulator to regulate speed. However, I think the power from the panels does flow through the main circuit board, unlike the 5n1 design where the systems were completely separate.
The voltage limitation they mention applies to all products. Some folks have been trying AA-sized lithium-ion batteries that have a much, much higher voltage. You need to use lithium iron disulfide (i.e. Energier Lithiums) if you're going to use a lithium chemistry.
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I just saw your tear down photos. Maybe someone with false lighting should definitely as suggested momentarily risk high temperatures and disconnect the fan cable. Seems simple enough, as it is clearly marked. No harm should come of it.
If this works then we can discuss what value resistor and method to put in. Or maybe the motor can be swapped out for a more quality brushless type.
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No false strikes when unit was kept covered today (no light to solar panels, or rain bucket and uv sensor for that matter), I'll try and post a pick later. I just covered the hole thing in a 24 can cardboard box besides the wind part. Unless there is some magical filtering property of the thin cardboard I believe the issue is almost surely in the fan or solar panels, from what I have read here I am thinking the fan. Getting another ws in tomorrow so by Wednesday hopefully I'll know if I have one that does not give me false strikes.
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My elegant solution, yeah my wunderground had to be way off today ;)
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Today it reached 88° and my Atlas is in full sun light and didn't record a single strike.
So I'm thinking other people with strikes might be having interference. All the electrical lines in my neighborhood are underground. Now I just need some lightning to see if it records real strikes. Maybe next month.
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SkellyCA I don't think every unit is getting false lightning strikes from the solar/fan but I think it is quite possible some/many/mine is. From reports such as yours I am hoping that the majority are free from this problem and I'm not going to be stuck returning two of these. I'm getting a new one tomorrow and well post what I find.
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After removing box from my first ws solar panels today I got over 40 lightning strikes even on an over cast day. Took it down and installed new ws and so far no strikes but it is late in the day. I removed the bottom piece to look at the fan and it was not going, I gave it a slight nudge and it started with no reported strikes. Hopefully I get some sun tomorrow, too bad I won't be home to see if the fan is actually going though. I want to note on the new one the sensor with screen (i'm assuming temp sensor) was just hanging instead of being clipped in, don't think that it is a huge deal but you may want be sure yours is correctly installed if you have one, easy to clip back in place.
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I have a replacement Atlas coming by the weekend. Unfortunately, the heat wave is subsiding...highs in the 80s to highs in the 50s by then....
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Well my hope was short lived, it was rainy today but once it got enough light the false strikes started coming in like crazy. I'm trying it in one more position but already planning on returning this one too. After 2 for 2 having same symptoms I'm beginning to wonder how many people with functioning lightning detectors have ones with non running fans and don't know it. I Really like everything about this weather station besides this. I think the easiest solution would be a long ribbon cable to move the lightning detector far enough from the unit to get away from the interference but I'm unsure if it may pick up the interference on the cable then. Besides that it looks like they would have to give you the bulk of the weather station as I don't think the fan is easily changed.
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well, you tried 2 units, so its time to move to something else
I really wanted to like this too, but, IMO, its not ready for prime time yet for many of us
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Here's a good (but long) video about a product that uses the AS3935 chip found in the Atlas lightning module. We have no way to tune the parameters ourselves, but it's great background information.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/fTEEDfWbGEU[/youtube]
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Well my hope was short lived, it was rainy today but once it got enough light the false strikes started coming in like crazy. I'm trying it in one more position but already planning on returning this one too. After 2 for 2 having same symptoms I'm beginning to wonder how many people with functioning lightning detectors have ones with non running fans and don't know it. I Really like everything about this weather station besides this. I think the easiest solution would be a long ribbon cable to move the lightning detector far enough from the unit to get away from the interference but I'm unsure if it may pick up the interference on the cable then. Besides that it looks like they would have to give you the bulk of the weather station as I don't think the fan is easily changed.
Was your unit from Amazon?
I have a second unit coming from Acurite so that will be interesting to see how it works. However, my concern is we are heading into a long cold spell.
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I finally received a replacement lightning detector today. After replacing the detector, I had more than an hour of conditions that normally would have caused false lightning strikes (direct sunlight, >=70,000 LUX) and I received no false lightning strikes. This was only small snapshot in time, but at least the results were encouraging.
Somewhere in this thread, one person hypothesized that possibly the noise causing the false lightning strikes is from the aspirating fan and that, possibly, the noise would dissipate when the fan motor is "broken in". I can't say whether or not this is a reasonable theory, but I did notice that the aspirating fan motor sounded like it was running much-more smoothly and quietly today than when I first installed the Atlas. I just hope that the change of detectors fixes the false lightning strikes because, aside from this problem, I really like the Atlas.
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Both of mine were from Amazon. Neil_o, not trying to be smart here but could you tell for sure your fan was running?
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My Amazon one shipped from Petersburg, VA
The replacement from NEW BERLIN, WI.
It will be interesting to see if there is a difference.
I too want to like the unit but.....
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Yep; I'm positive the fan was running. The Atlas was in direct sunlight and I could hear the fan running. However, the fan was much quieter today than when I first heard it during initial installation.
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I'll keep an eye on your situation Neil_o, if yours does alright through a day I may see how mine performs after sitting out a week. I wouldn't mind a stray false strike (not that I would like it) here and there as long as I could tell real strikes due to a higher count.
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The replacement from NEW BERLIN, WI.
It will be interesting to see if there is a difference.
New Berlin, Wi is about 40 miles from AcuRite's Lake Geneva, WI headquarters and is probably their shipping point.
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According to this amazon reviewer an external battery box fixed his lightning problem. https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3UKZQB2DK8JV6/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_btm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074XKB239#wasThisHelpful
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According to this amazon reviewer an external battery box fixed his lightning problem. https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3UKZQB2DK8JV6/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_btm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074XKB239#wasThisHelpful
I can't see a remote battery box doing anything to fix a lightning module related problem.
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Thanks for the input nincehelser, I was wondering if you might have seen anything in you tear down that would relate to this. Maybe it was just a break in period for the motor on his? I don't know. I guess next I will disconnect the panels/uv sensor cable you showed me to rule out solar panels being the culprit. A hurricane is coming my way so it will be a few days till I have good sun again for testing.
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Thanks for the input nincehelser, I was wondering if you might have seen anything in you tear down that would relate to this. Maybe it was just a break in period for the motor on his? I don't know. I guess next I will disconnect the panels/uv sensor cable you showed me to rule out solar panels being the culprit. A hurricane is coming my way so it will be a few days till I have good sun again for testing.
I'm not sure about the motor break-in, but maybe.
After watching the AS3935 video I posted earlier in this thread, I wonder if some lightning sensors may have a different noise floor setting.
Maybe a particular setting is required to avoid motor noise?
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While I am waiting for a new Atlas sensor, I am noticing the false strikes, while much lower in number, are still occurring on cool, cloudy days now. This is with the replacement lightning sensor.
So for me, it seems to be getting worse instead of better. Hopefully, the new Atlas will be here this weekend and the problem will be solved.
(https://7556552.dotster.com/photos/Screen_Shot_2018-10-11_at_11.57.24_AM.png)
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Well...no luck here with the replacement Atlas.
Within about two hours of installing it, on a cool but very sunny day, I received the first lightning strike. Once the direct sun got on the unit, they seemed to start up again.
My replacement one seemed to be a refurb as it has scratches and it looked to be used lightly.
Very disappointing and also upsetting about how much time I have lost on this new unit (and expensive).
I will forward my results back to Acurite and see what they say but my Amazon return for a refund is just about here. I really do not have time to keep dealing with this.
Edit: My replacement one came from AcuRite and my original one came from Amazon.a
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MacGarage looks like your experience has been about the same as mine with 2 bad units plus you tried another lightning sensor. I let mine run today with the solar panel ribbon cable disconnected and got no false strikes so I have removed most doubt of it being anything but the fan. With us combined being 4 for 4 bad I really think there must be a high rate of defective atlas weather stations.
I sent this to acurite today "I am on my 2nd weather atlas and both have had the same issue of false lightning strikes, I have tried them both with lithium and alkaline batteries. I have also tried them in different areas of my yard. The problem only occurs in direct sunlight and does not happen if I cover the solar panels. I have seen others with the same problem and was wondering if you may be developing a fix or if I need to return my 2nd one."
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Well...no luck here with the replacement Atlas.
Within about two hours of installing it, on a cool but very sunny day, I received the first lightning strike. Once the direct sun got on the unit, they seemed to start up again.
My replacement one seemed to be a refurb as it has starches and it looked to be used lightly.
Very disappointing and also upsetting about how much time I have lost on this new unit (and expensive).
I will forward my results back to Acurite and see what they say but my Amazon return for a refund is just about here. I really do not have time to keep dealing with this.
Yikes! #-o
I don't think I'll be getting one from Amazon I don't want someone's used unit!
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Thanks for the input nincehelser, I was wondering if you might have seen anything in you tear down that would relate to this. Maybe it was just a break in period for the motor on his? I don't know. I guess next I will disconnect the panels/uv sensor cable you showed me to rule out solar panels being the culprit. A hurricane is coming my way so it will be a few days till I have good sun again for testing.
I'm not sure about the motor break-in, but maybe.
After watching the AS3935 video I posted earlier in this thread, I wonder if some lightning sensors may have a different noise floor setting.
Maybe a particular setting is required to avoid motor noise?
I have a couple of stand alone AS3935 boards, each board has a different Tune Cap values which needs to be set. I do have different noise floor settings on both boards. Comparing the AS3935 boards to two 06045M detectors, it seems the boards are better in detecting strikes and producing less false strikes. In my opinion, I think that is due to fine tuning the boards to the environment they are located in.
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Here is a post on an atlas that is reading to high of temps in the sun but has no false lightning strikes, sounds like their fan is not running to me. https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35274.new#new
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I also noticed the rain measurement is off again on the replacement unit...I do not believe a customer should constantly need to work on a brand new, upscale unit.
This is the first false strike after setting up the replacement unit...it is cool but direct sunshine in the afternoon.
(https://7556552.dotster.com/photos/Screen_Shot_2018-10-13_at_1.41.19_PM.png)
This is the first day for the replacement Atlas:
(https://7556552.dotster.com/photos/IMG_4600.png)
I can hear the fan running despite it being cool out.
Judging from the shape of the unit I received from AcuRite, I wonder if they just shipped me someone's return.
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i'll chime in with a positive report. i ordered mine from Amazon and have not had any false lighting strikes in the past 7 days i've owned it
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i'll chime in with a positive report. i ordered mine from Amazon and have not had any false lighting strikes in the past 7 days i've owned it
Oh look the Acurite shills are coming in for damage control.... =D> Relax I'm just kidding. :grin: Welcome to the forum. Glad you got a good one. That is promising that hopefully this will pass and quality control hopefully will improve and the Atlas Elite will come out without problems. I really want the Atlas Elite to be perfect. Fingers crossed.
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I've been around for many years, either i forgot my login account or just never posted :)
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Welcome anyway. A positive posting with good news is always welcome here...
Rich K.
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jstephens1 do you know if your fan is running?
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I did get some false strikes yesterday on the Atlas. None on the stand alone sensor.
Atlas showed 255 strikes yesterday morning. Closest was 7 miles away @ 7:23. Which puts these strikes just after sunrise.
So maybe our thinning ozone layer is letting in to much radiation? :shock:
(That's a joke btw)
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I've been running a new Atlas for about a week. Yesterday I recorded 14 false lightning strikes. They occured under bright sunshine and clear skies. I took a fine little radio receiver to my outdoor device and tuned it to the frequency that the lightning detector listens at. I expected to hear noise from the motor. Nope, none detected, even as the fan spun madly. I did hear some of the blurps and bleeps that happen when the internal electronics computes and transmits, but I do not think they matter. The AcuRite engineers almost certainly mute the lightning detector to protect it from hearing that stuff.
Reviewing yesterday's data again this morning I realized that the period of false lightning also coincided with a period of rather low humidity.
At the moment I'm thinking that the spinning fan blade can build up a static charge and an occasional discharge might register as lightning. Think Van de Graaff generator. It's a known issue with fans, and is dealt with by incorporating anti-static materials in the blade plastic. I'll be testing this idea a few different ways, and will report back when I draw a conclusion.
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Mine would register false strikes in the 100s each day. Going by your theory what is yours mounted too. Every location I tried was the supplied mount attached to wood which would offer no grounding.
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My Atlas is mounted to an elevated deck railing using the plastic fixture provided.
Also, an update. I took my radio to the outdoor unit again this morning. I CAN here the fan motor noise, but only at frequencies below about 250 khz. The lightning detector listens at 500 khz. Both my new unit and a beta Atlas sound the same. I have had no issues with false lightning on the beta Atlas.
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John Z,
I still have not received my production Atlas... Has everyone already gotten theirs?
I cannot imagine what Chaney could have changed between Beta and production that would have introduced these lightning issues? Even during winter when the air was very dry, I did not have fake lightning.
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DoctorKnow,
Mine arrived about 10 days ago. Beyond that, I know nothing. Sorry.
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DoctorKnow,
Mine arrived about 10 days ago. Beyond that, I know nothing. Sorry.
What do you get with it? Another display and Access?
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DoctorKnow,
I'm puzzled, too.
I just put the beta lightning module into the production unit, pulling the batteries first so that a full reboot and recalibrate cycle would happen on power up. I'm still getting the occasional false detection. SMH.
An old engineer saying: It's seldom the things you engineer that bite you. It's the things you don't...
The production unit came with a display and a lightning module, no Access.
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Hi Guys,
I'm one of the rat to test acurite atlas product from India. Just bought acurite atlas and getting 100s of false lightening day & night continuously. In addition to the false lightening issue, any any noticed incorrect rainfall rate displayed in atlas HD display. It is just showing the accumulated rainfall reading as rain rate like wunderground website. For example if it receives rainfall as 0.51mm, then rain rate would be displayed as 0.51 mm/hr and if the reading is 4.56 mm, then rainfall rate is 4.56 mm/hr. I have used weather display software with 5 in 1 weather station and it was superb in showing rain rate. Atlas developers could have just applied that formula to calculate rain rate.
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Hi Guys,
I'm one of the rat to test acurite atlas product from India. Just bought acurite atlas and getting 100s of false lightening day & night continuously. In addition to the false lightening issue, any any noticed incorrect rainfall rate displayed in atlas HD display. It is just showing the accumulated rainfall reading as rain rate like wunderground website. For example if it receives rainfall as 0.51mm, then rain rate would be displayed as 0.51 mm/hr and if the reading is 4.56 mm, then rainfall rate is 4.56 mm/hr. I have used weather display software with 5 in 1 weather station and it was superb in showing rain rate. Atlas developers could have just applied that formula to calculate rain rate.
There is nothing wrong with the rain rate you are seeing. It is just that there is more than one way of reporting rain rate. It is up to the manufacturer's software to make available one method or another or both. It means different things depending on which method is being used. One method is actual (for the past hour) as in historical and the other method is projected or instant rain rate sort of like a speedometer. See more explanation here:
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35084.msg360650#msg360650
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You beta testers did you see this false lightning problem with the test/beta units?
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Hi Guys,
I'm one of the rat to test acurite atlas product from India. Just bought acurite atlas and getting 100s of false lightening day & night continuously. In addition to the false lightening issue, any any noticed incorrect rainfall rate displayed in atlas HD display. It is just showing the accumulated rainfall reading as rain rate like wunderground website. For example if it receives rainfall as 0.51mm, then rain rate would be displayed as 0.51 mm/hr and if the reading is 4.56 mm, then rainfall rate is 4.56 mm/hr. I have used weather display software with 5 in 1 weather station and it was superb in showing rain rate. Atlas developers could have just applied that formula to calculate rain rate.
There is nothing wrong with the rain rate you are seeing. It is just that there is more than one way of reporting rain rate. It is up to the manufacturer's software to make available one method or another or both. It means different things depending on which method is being used. One method is actual (for the past hour) as in historical and the other method is projected or instant rain rate sort of like a speedometer. See more explanation here:
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35084.msg360650#msg360650
Thanks for the reply.. At least they could have given USB access through software like pc-connect/Weather display since myacurite is one of the junk interface. Really I'm unhappy customer with atlas. False lightening continuously happening. Do you have any idea about the use of micro USB port in HD display? Is there any way we can use that port to connect third party software?
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harishkumar1990,
I don't think anyone has tried to hook up the Atlas HD display to see if there is any data that would flow through it... I assumed the port was just dead. Maybe someone can try?
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harishkumar1990,
I don't think anyone has tried to hook up the Atlas HD display to see if there is any data that would flow through it... I assumed the port was just dead. Maybe someone can try?
It's been tried. No Data through USB port. The USB port is only for manufacturer use. It is possible that this could change, but I doubt it unless things radically change at Chaney.
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harishkumar1990,
I don't think anyone has tried to hook up the Atlas HD display to see if there is any data that would flow through it... I assumed the port was just dead. Maybe someone can try?
I tried to connect it with laptop but it is not even getting detected. May be some driver needed to make the port active. Hope some genius will come up with hack to connect atlas display to third party software especially software like weather display. Really missing rain rate instead of accumulated rainfall which I use with 5 in 1 weather station.
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I tried with meteobridge, and it wouldn't detect anything either...
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Hey guys,
My device got another issue. It looks aspirating fan in my new atlas device is not running. I could not hear any motor/fan running sound in the device even in 33 degree C.
Also device temperature spike higher than my old 5 in 1 weather station. Is there any way to check if it is actually running apart from hearing fan running sound?
Not getting response sooner from acurite support team, hence posting the query here. Thanks.
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Yes. You can manually remove the cover at the bottom of the pagoda that covers the temperature/humidity sensors and the remove the "cage" that houses the sensors. Both of these just clip in - no tools are required for removal. Once you've done this, you'll be able to see the aspirating fan.
When I received a replacement Atlas, my fan was also not running. It turned out to be an issue with the solar panels, not the fan. I simply removed the housing that holds the solar panels, removed and re-attached the electrical connector and straightened all of the wires at the connector and on the backs of the solar panels. After that, the panels sent voltage to the fan and the fan now runs. I can't guarantee that this will work for you, but it worked for me.
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Yes. You can manually remove the cover at the bottom of the pagoda that covers the temperature/humidity sensors and the remove the "cage" that houses the sensors. Both of these just clip in - no tools are required for removal. Once you've done this, you'll be able to see the aspirating fan.
When I received a replacement Atlas, my fan was also not running. It turned out to be an issue with the solar panels, not the fan. I simply removed the housing that holds the solar panels, removed and re-attached the electrical connector and straightened all of the wires at the connector and on the backs of the solar panels. After that, the panels sent voltage to the fan and the fan now runs. I can't guarantee that this will work for you, but it worked for me.
Thanks Neil. Let me try this in my device and update here.
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Something might be misaligned preventing the fan from turning
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I'm starting to see reports of bad/loose solar wiring, I don't have one to look at now as I have returned 2 due to false lightning strikes, but could there possibly be bad connections leading to arcing at the connections that would cause this problem? All my test concluded that if the solar panels are not getting sun no false lightning strikes and if the solar panels are not connected no false lightning strikes. Does anyone still have a unit with false lightning strikes that they could inspect the wiring on?
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I didn't remove the solar panels from the housing but, to me, the soldering where the wires connect to the solar panels was really messy. It sort of looked like cold soldering (not enough heat during soldering). I even had trouble reading the panel voltage with a good multimeter.
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Really had a tough time with new atlas AWS. Initially False lightening started and found it was due to lift sound. After moving AWS to different location, false lightning strikes completely stopped.
Then temperature was shooting up like rocket since aspirating fan was not running. Today opened the sensor to check if FAN is properly connected with solar panel and found one wire was disconnected from the board due to poor soldering. When trying to solder that, another wire connected to solar panel got removed. Somehow made all the wire connection to stick properly and fan started working. Now false lightening strike started hitting in display continuously. Removed the lightning detector and thrown it in dustbin. As suspected by many, aspirating fan is causing the false lightening strikes.
After mounting the sensor in pole, it was not detected by atlas HD display. Later removed the battery and put it back, everything started working. Not sure what is going to happen next!!
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Really had a tough time with new atlas AWS. Initially False lightening started and found it was due to lift sound. After moving AWS to different location, false lightning strikes completely stopped.
Then temperature was shooting up like rocket since aspirating fan was not running. Today opened the sensor to check if FAN is properly connected with solar panel and found one wire was disconnected from the board due to poor soldering. When trying to solder that, another wire connected to solar panel got removed. Somehow made all the wire connection to stick properly and fan started working. Now false lightening strike started hitting in display continuously. Removed the lightning detector and thrown it in dustbin. As suspected by many, aspirating fan is causing the false lightening strikes.
After mounting the sensor in pole, it was not detected by atlas HD display. Later removed the battery and put it back, everything started working. Not sure what is going to happen next!!
If the fan is the cause, and after looking at the great tear-down images (https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35220.msg360501#msg360501), would I be correct that the Atlas sensor itself would have to be replaced if the repair is a replacement aspirating fan?
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Really had a tough time with new atlas AWS. Initially False lightening started and found it was due to lift sound. After moving AWS to different location, false lightning strikes completely stopped.
Then temperature was shooting up like rocket since aspirating fan was not running. Today opened the sensor to check if FAN is properly connected with solar panel and found one wire was disconnected from the board due to poor soldering. When trying to solder that, another wire connected to solar panel got removed. Somehow made all the wire connection to stick properly and fan started working. Now false lightening strike started hitting in display continuously. Removed the lightning detector and thrown it in dustbin. As suspected by many, aspirating fan is causing the false lightening strikes.
After mounting the sensor in pole, it was not detected by atlas HD display. Later removed the battery and put it back, everything started working. Not sure what is going to happen next!!
If the fan is the cause, and after looking at the great tear-down images (https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35220.msg360501#msg360501), would I be correct that the Atlas sensor itself would have to be replaced if the repair is a replacement aspirating fan?
Acurite has to open mouth on this issue. Simply they can back out atlas sensor from the field.
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I didn't remove the solar panels from the housing but, to me, the soldering where the wires connect to the solar panels was really messy. It sort of looked like cold soldering (not enough heat during soldering). I even had trouble reading the panel voltage with a good multimeter.
I've got a 5 in 1 here that I just bought that has cold soldering. I am still trying to find exactly where it is, since my signal pops in and out. When I finger some of the chips on the board, the signal will go for a while, and then it just stops... I've been over it with a soldering iron already one time, looks like when I get a change I will have to do it again, but I have narrowed it down to 3 little chips and a crystal.
I just wonder if these things are being soldered in China? The fine offset stations are known for poor soldering as well in the past. Not sure about today.
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In the old days of manual soldering (through hole technology) yes there was a lot of terrible soldering work being done out of China. But in this era of pick and place machines (SMT technology) with SMD components, bad soldering is almost a thing of the past. I suppose there are a still some devices being designed where manual soldering is still required but that is getting to be less and less. Robots are replacing a lot of the manual labor even in China.
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It's hard to know if the low volume of these products would justify the setup costs for a very-short, automated production run. It might be more cost effective, in a low labor cost area, to simply use manual processes.
I imagine that the attachment of the wires to the solar panels probably is done manually.
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Update. Acurite sent me a replacement lightning detector and still false lightning strikes. Then I was asked to return my Atlas sensor back with my original lightning detector for testing. At that same time they sent me a replacement Atlas sensor, which I received yesterday evening. Still false lightning strikes reported. They responded back and said they figured out what the root cause was and made some adjustments to my original Atlas sensor. They now want me to return the replacement that I just put up yesterday. Very inconvenient, but if they did fix it, I guess it was worth it. They said I will no longer experience false lightning readings. They did not disclose exactly what the issue was or what they did to fix it at this time.
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It's odd that the replacement they sent you didn't come adjusted and also had the problem. The back and forth is a bit of a pain, but at least your problem has their attention.
Rich K.
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I'm willing to bet they didn't fix it. Why else would they still be sending out replacements with issues. They don't have a clue.
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Update. Acurite sent me a replacement lightning detector and still false lightning strikes. Then I was asked to return my Atlas sensor back with my original lightning detector for testing. At that same time they sent me a replacement Atlas sensor, which I received yesterday evening. Still false lightning strikes reported. They responded back and said they figured out what the root cause was and made some adjustments to my original Atlas sensor. They now want me to return the replacement that I just put up yesterday. Very inconvenient, but if they did fix it, I guess it was worth it. They said I will no longer experience false lightning readings. They did not disclose exactly what the issue was or what they did to fix it at this time.
So, why wouldnt they tell you what "magical" fix they came up with, so it can be shared with all the other poor folks who have bought/returned/bought/mounted/taken down their product, if it actually SOLVES the "issue"? Very weird..
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I'm willing to bet they didn't fix it. Why else would they still be sending out replacements with issues. They don't have a clue.
THIS makes the most sense!!
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Maybe they cut the wires to the fan :lol:
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Hello everyone! Some of you probably know me from various AcuRite product beta and field tests; my name is Victoria, and I am a Product Manager at AcuRite.
I'm glad to come forward to say we have recognized the issue in some Atlas devices where lightning interference, and potentially false lightning readings, are occurring when the device is exposed to sunlight. We have identified a root cause, as well a resolution.
We would like to resolve this for any customers impacted, so please chat with our Support team on AcuRite.com if you are experiencing lightning interference during the daytime. As of today, our team has an updated action plan in hand to help you get this resolved, and quickly.
I am extremely grateful for the interest and input you all put into these discussions. As part of the investigation, these discussions assisted in pinpointing the behavior, allow us to more quickly replicate the problem and identify a root cause.
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Great thanks for coming on here and sharing your support what was the root cause?
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Great thanks for coming on here and sharing your support what was the root cause?
good luck getting them to disclose that.. :idea:
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Great thanks for coming on here and sharing your support what was the root cause?
Some interference was coming off the power wire for the fan. Based on small differences on how far the wire was split or resting, it could potentially create the problem. That's why the issue is only seen when the aspirating fan is receiving power and running.
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Wonderful thank you for your explanation are all atlases manufactured from this point on going to be receiving this fix?
Because like me and I'm sure thousands of other customers we are waiting on a fix for this before we purchase one so as a company I hope you realize this.
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Great thanks for coming on here and sharing your support what was the root cause?
Some interference was coming off the power wire for the fan. Based on small differences on how far the wire was split or resting, it could potentially create the problem. That's why the issue is only seen when the aspirating fan is receiving power and running.
It this something we can repair at home or do we need to send the unit back in? I have already sent one in.
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It this something we can repair at home or do we need to send the unit back in? I have already sent one in.
While the actual technical work of fixing it is within the capabilities of some users, there's some risk associated with any errors in applying the fix. It would be best to send it in to get resolved, as we'll be testing after the fix to make sure everything is working as expected.
We don't want people to have to wait weeks for their Atlas to come back though. Any Atlas will undergo an expedited RMA process; once it arrives here, we'll have tested and back in the mail within a couple days.
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Wonderful thank you for your explanation are all atlases manufactured from this point on going to be receiving this fix?
Because like me and I'm sure thousands of other customers we are waiting on a fix for this before we purchase one so as a company I hope you realize this.
You bring up a great point, and I do realize and am grateful for this. To answer your question, yes. Moving forward, all devices will have the fix.
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Thank you for posting and answering our questions
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Victoria, very much appreciated. I actually had this process already done and they will be sending my original Atlas sensor back soon with the adjustments that corrected the problem. I will say, it was very inconvenient to receive the replacement and then put it up and then take it back down the next day to send back. However, even though this was inconvenient because of my set up with the wind extension and anemometer, they were very prompt with the process. I will say for my experience this time, customer service was great. It's just too bad there had to be this issue in the first place. I hope others have a positive experience as well in this process with getting their sensors fixed.
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Victoria - Thank you for posting! As someone who didn’t have the problem it is reassuring to know that the problem and solution has nothing to do with the fan and/or lightning detector itself and would’ve required me to address and fix in the future.
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Victoria, very much appreciated. I actually had this process already done and they will be sending my original Atlas sensor back soon with the adjustments that corrected the problem. I will say, it was very inconvenient to receive the replacement and then put it up and then take it back down the next day to send back. However, even though this was inconvenient because of my set up with the wind extension and anemometer, they were very prompt with the process. I will say for my experience this time, customer service was great. It's just too bad there had to be this issue in the first place. I hope others have a positive experience as well in this process with getting their sensors fixed.
Thank you for your patience on this one. When in the process of trying to replicate an issue and identify a root cause, we often end up needing hardware back to replicate the issue on, and send out replacements to verify if the issue appears to be environmental. I appreciate your help on the matter.
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Victoria - Thank you for posting! As someone who didn’t have the problem it is reassuring to know that the problem and solution has nothing to do with the fan and/or lightning detector itself and would’ve required me to address and fix in the future.
Yeah, if you're not experiencing the issue, you should be fine. But if something were to happen, please know we would definitely help you take care of it.
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How long before new stock will have the lightning sensor issue repaired. I just ordered a new array from Ambient Weather this week, but I could use it in another location. I have been waiting on the Atlas (and holding off ordering anything) for about 18 months. My whole reason in wanting the Atlas was for the lightning detector. And if the bugs get worked out (I saw here there might be weather underground connection issues too ???? ) , But if all the bugs get worked out I am still wanting to get an Atlas.
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How long before new stock will have the lightning sensor issue repaired. I just ordered a new array from Ambient Weather this week, but I could use it in another location. I have been waiting on the Atlas (and holding off ordering anything) for about 18 months. My whole reason in wanting the Atlas was for the lightning detector. And if the bugs get worked out (I saw here there might be weather underground connection issues too ???? ) , But if all the bugs get worked out I am still wanting to get an Atlas.
Anything from AcuRite.com would have the fix applied.
I am not aware of anyone having a notable issue with it connecting to Weather Underground, though, besides regular WU things.
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Very nice to see Victoria, an Acurite representative, here in this forum. This makes a huge difference in in adding transparency and communication back from the company whom has recently closed up customer communication and appeared to be silent regarding the issues we are facing. It begins to right the ship after so many miss turns.
This makes me feel better about the impending Atlas Elite launch. I won't say that this makes everything perfect because Acurite still needs to listen some more to all of us weather hobbyists and professionals. In particular I think they need to issue a firmware update to the Access so that it gains the capability to easily pull our live data from it, to do with it what we please (use 3rd party software and report to more places and save our own data to any place we choose.) Without this feature the Atlas line and the Access will be seen by many of us as just a basic every-day consumer gadget, instead of a real piece of meteorological equipment.
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Very nice to see Victoria, an Acurite representative, here in this forum. This makes a huge difference in in adding transparency and communication back from the company whom has recently closed up customer communication and appeared to be silent regarding the issues we are facing. It begins to right the ship after so many miss turns.
This makes me feel better about the impending Atlas Elite launch. I won't say that this makes everything perfect because Acurite still needs to listen some more to all of us weather hobbyists and professionals. In particular I think they need to issue a firmware update to the Access so that it gains the capability to easily pull our live data from it, to do with it what we please (use 3rd party software and report to more places and save our own data to any place we choose.) Without this feature the Atlas line and the Access will be seen by many of use as just a basic every-day consumer gadget, instead of a real piece of meteorological equipment.
I agree that our ongoing communication is critical. As a matter of fact, regarding your specific example, at some point I will be asking more about new ways people would like to use their data, though I'll hold off on that topic for the moment.
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How long before new stock will have the lightning sensor issue repaired. I just ordered a new array from Ambient Weather this week, but I could use it in another location. I have been waiting on the Atlas (and holding off ordering anything) for about 18 months. My whole reason in wanting the Atlas was for the lightning detector. And if the bugs get worked out (I saw here there might be weather underground connection issues too ???? ) , But if all the bugs get worked out I am still wanting to get an Atlas.
Anything from AcuRite.com would have the fix applied.
I am not aware of anyone having a notable issue with it connecting to Weather Underground, though, besides regular WU things.
He might be referring to the UV and light reporting to wunderground.
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Speaking of UV, does the wiring fix also address the units that will not report UV past 2?
The replacement Atlas I received from AcuRite had both the lightning issue as well as the UV issue so I sent it back and kept the original one.
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Hello everyone! Some of you probably know me from various AcuRite product beta and field tests; my name is Victoria, and I am a Product Manager at AcuRite.
I'm glad to come forward to say we have recognized the issue in some Atlas devices where lightning interference, and potentially false lightning readings, are occurring when the device is exposed to sunlight. We have identified a root cause, as well a resolution.
We would like to resolve this for any customers impacted, so please chat with our Support team on AcuRite.com if you are experiencing lightning interference during the daytime. As of today, our team has an updated action plan in hand to help you get this resolved, and quickly.
I am extremely grateful for the interest and input you all put into these discussions. As part of the investigation, these discussions assisted in pinpointing the behavior, allow us to more quickly replicate the problem and identify a root cause.
Now ain't this a breath of fresh air? :grin:
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He might be referring to the UV and light reporting to wunderground.
Ah yes, we're looking into adding that in an upcoming Access firmware update. I don't have a timeline for it yet, however. That's unrelated to the actual Atlas hardware though.
Speaking of UV, does the wiring fix also address the units that will not report UV past 2?
The replacement Atlas I received from AcuRite had both the lightning issue as well as the UV issue so I sent it back and kept the original one.
UV would not be impacted by this fix. We're seen a few users with this issue, and we're currently looking into it. We can resolve this for a user with a replacement part (the rain bucket, which includes the light and UV sensors) but we're still investigating for a root cause. If you're running into this, please mention it specifically to Support so we can make sure to check it and test for it when it's here.
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Just having AcuRite here on this site and being proactive about customer care and fixes makes me want to get the Atlas pretty soon. I would go with the Amazon site though - because from what I can see, the price is a bit lower? Or am I seeing old info or not doing it right?
Looks like $258 on Amazon and $389 on AcuRite Site?
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its a bunch cheaper on Amazon..
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I would jump on that Amazon price. I doubt it will last very long.
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actually, when I bought mine a couple weeks ago, it was less than 258, so I doubt it will go any higher..
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The price has been a little bit cheaper before ~$253 and also a little bit more ~$261. So the current $258 is right about in the middle to what doesn't amount to much difference. If you want it. Get it.
https://camelcamelcamel.com/AcuRite-01007M-Touchscreen-Monitoring-Lightning/product/B074XKB239
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Hello everyone! Some of you probably know me from various AcuRite product beta and field tests; my name is Victoria, and I am a Product Manager at AcuRite.
I'm glad to come forward to say we have recognized the issue in some Atlas devices where lightning interference, and potentially false lightning readings, are occurring when the device is exposed to sunlight. We have identified a root cause, as well a resolution.
We would like to resolve this for any customers impacted, so please chat with our Support team on AcuRite.com if you are experiencing lightning interference during the daytime. As of today, our team has an updated action plan in hand to help you get this resolved, and quickly.
I am extremely grateful for the interest and input you all put into these discussions. As part of the investigation, these discussions assisted in pinpointing the behavior, allow us to more quickly replicate the problem and identify a root cause.
Hi Victoria,
I should be the first customer to use atlas product from India and suffering from multiple issues,
1) False lightening strikes
2) Aspirating fan did not run
3) Lightening column did not appear in myacurite
4) Poor soldering broke wire from solar panel
How could I expect the RMA to be done for me here. You can see multiple cases reported under my name with your support team.
Really bought atlas with so much excitement but frustration is left. I was happy with the 5 in 1 weather station and I have bought 6 to 7 stations so far for our weather bloggers in India. Are you going to send one sensor for me to India?
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It would be interesting (for me at least) to know exactly what the fix is.
Did they just control the fan wire routing better? Hot melt glue?
Did they end up twisting the cable? (magnetic field cancellation)
Is there a new calibration for the AS3935 in addition to the wiring countermeasures?
Greg H.
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Hi Victoria,
I should be the first customer to use atlas product from India and suffering from multiple issues,
1) False lightening strikes
2) Aspirating fan did not run
3) Lightening column did not appear in myacurite
4) Poor soldering broke wire from solar panel
How could I expect the RMA to be done for me here. You can see multiple cases reported under my name with your support team.
Really bought atlas with so much excitement but frustration is left. I was happy with the 5 in 1 weather station and I have bought 6 to 7 stations so far for our weather bloggers in India. Are you going to send one sensor for me to India?
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about all that trouble! This does a present a tricky situation considering your geographical location. I will reach out to our Support team and take a look at the case and situation, though it might take me a few days due to the weekend.
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Any idea on if Amazon units now have the fix?
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Hi Victoria,
I should be the first customer to use atlas product from India and suffering from multiple issues,
1) False lightening strikes
2) Aspirating fan did not run
3) Lightening column did not appear in myacurite
4) Poor soldering broke wire from solar panel
How could I expect the RMA to be done for me here. You can see multiple cases reported under my name with your support team.
Really bought atlas with so much excitement but frustration is left. I was happy with the 5 in 1 weather station and I have bought 6 to 7 stations so far for our weather bloggers in India. Are you going to send one sensor for me to India?
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about all that trouble! This does a present a tricky situation considering your geographical location. I will reach out to our Support team and take a look at the case and situation, though it might take me a few days due to the weekend.
Even I'm working in product company and we do RMA for any location if we sold DEFECTIVE product. If support can not be provided in India, then Amazon should stop shipping acurite products to India.
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Any idea on if Amazon units now have the fix?
All new shipments to Amazon have been modified, but they may still have some pre-fix stock that has some risk of the issue. Anything from AcuRite has been modified.
Naturally, we would help you if you have a problem, but I understand it makes sense to minimize risk of having an issue.
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All new shipments to Amazon have been modified, but they may still have some pre-fix stock that has some risk of the issue. Anything from AcuRite has been modified.
Naturally, we would help you if you have a problem, but I understand it makes sense to minimize risk of having an issue.
Is there some kind of product code, date code or serial number that would indicate the updated / fixed lot of Atlas units? On the box or on the unit?
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All new shipments to Amazon have been modified, but they may still have some pre-fix stock that has some risk of the issue. Anything from AcuRite has been modified.
Naturally, we would help you if you have a problem, but I understand it makes sense to minimize risk of having an issue.
Is there some kind of product code, date code or serial number that would indicate the updated / fixed lot of Atlas units? On the box or on the unit?
Because we manually changed our existing stock, the date codes and product numbers would not be able to indicate a difference until the next production run.
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I have a couple Atlas's with this issue. Can we get information on what the fix was, I really don't want the hassle of sending these back if I can fix it myself.
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I have a couple Atlas's with this issue. Can we get information on what the fix was, I really don't want the hassle of sending these back if I can fix it myself.
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35162.msg362102#msg362102
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35162.msg362109#msg362109
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I have a couple Atlas's with this issue. Can we get information on what the fix was, I really don't want the hassle of sending these back if I can fix it myself.
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35162.msg362102#msg362102
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35162.msg362109#msg362109
Thanks Ninceheiser, hopefully someone will post a pic of how they are re-running the wire.
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Any idea on if Amazon units now have the fix?
All new shipments to Amazon have been modified, but they may still have some pre-fix stock that has some risk of the issue. Anything from AcuRite has been modified.
Naturally, we would help you if you have a problem, but I understand it makes sense to minimize risk of having an issue.
So, for those wanting to order it from Amazon, since they are 100 dollars or so less expensive than ordering from Acurite, how long would you say to wait to be certain they get a "fixed" unit, or is there any other way to tell if they ship you a fixed unit?
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Any idea on if Amazon units now have the fix?
All new shipments to Amazon have been modified, but they may still have some pre-fix stock that has some risk of the issue. Anything from AcuRite has been modified.
Naturally, we would help you if you have a problem, but I understand it makes sense to minimize risk of having an issue.
So, for those wanting to order it from Amazon, since they are 100 dollars or so less expensive than ordering from Acurite, how long would you say to wait to be certain they get a "fixed" unit, or is there any other way to tell if they ship you a fixed unit?
Most likely, you'll be okay regardless of when you order. Amazon controls their own prices though, so if you want to take advantage of that price, I recommend sooner than later; you know we'll work it out for you if you get unlucky, and then you've locked in the better price.
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I just finished chatting with Chris at Acurite. I'm supposed to receive my FedEX shipping label for return tomorrow. We'll see how long the turn around time takes. Problem, false lightning strikes and UV sensor. I'll follow up with any progress.
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Victoria, I work during your live chat hours and didn't get much feed back from email on the last 2 I tried. If I get one now and it has the false strikes will I be able to get it repaired by acurite through email? Is shipping covered both ways?
Thanks
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Any idea on if Amazon units now have the fix?
Most likely, you'll be okay regardless of when you order. Amazon controls their own prices though, so if you want to take advantage of that price, I recommend sooner than later; you know we'll work it out for you if you get unlucky, and then you've locked in the better price.
I see today the Amazon price is up to $261.25, up over $2 from the price on Oct 25th. :shock: :-k
BUT .... They also have some used stock now that will ship from the Amazon warehouse. That's pretty funny to me. :lol: Used items for a product that has been out just over a month. Probably returns from people unaware or not wanting to bother with the fix.
So I am looking at 1 of 3 options:
1. Order what is now "Used" from Amazon:
But I wonder, would those used units be eligible for the fix and future warranty claims if needed? Seems you could get one at a pretty good price that way and just send it in for the fix when you get it.
2. Order today with "No Rush" shipping
As to stock turn over, I am considering ordering new now BUT use no rush shipping to "lock" in a price. That would delay it another week in hopes of more turnover. Just a thought.
3. Order today and go for Faster shipping, BUT ... Send it in after receiving it and trying it.
Would AcuRite receive a unit for the fix if I had not verified it? In other words, if I ordered one and then just sent it in, would AcuRite go over it to varify it had the fix? I have to be out of town for 3 weeks in Nov so it really would not matter to me how long I waited, I am looking at it from a price point of view.
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would those used units be eligible for the fix and future warranty claims if needed?
Yes. Someone from Acurite posted that here on this forum somewhere.
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Does the new lightning fix remove the need to use only alkaline batteries?
With winter coming, lithium batteries would be nice.
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Does the new lightning fix remove the need to use only alkaline batteries?
With winter coming, lithium batteries would be nice.
You can use lithiums. I've always used lithiums in my Nebraska stations.
I'm also using lithiums in Texas. They hold up better in the heat, but that advantage is less apparent.
Using alkalines instead of lithiums is just a debugging step Acurite uses for just about everything.
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As George said, there should be no issue with using lithium batteries.
So I am looking at 1 of 3 options:
1. Order what is now "Used" from Amazon:
But I wonder, would those used units be eligible for the fix and future warranty claims if needed? Seems you could get one at a pretty good price that way and just send it in for the fix when you get it.
2. Order today with "No Rush" shipping
As to stock turn over, I am considering ordering new now BUT use no rush shipping to "lock" in a price. That would delay it another week in hopes of more turnover. Just a thought.
3. Order today and go for Faster shipping, BUT ... Send it in after receiving it and trying it.
Would AcuRite receive a unit for the fix if I had not verified it? In other words, if I ordered one and then just sent it in, would AcuRite go over it to varify it had the fix? I have to be out of town for 3 weeks in Nov so it really would not matter to me how long I waited, I am looking at it from a price point of view.
1. I believe that technically, used goods aren't traditionally eligible for warranty.
3. You would need to verify it first, but that would actually be pretty easy. In the outdoor device, put the lightning detector and batteries in, connect it to the display, then just hold the outdoor part up for a couple minutes in the sun or next to a light powerful enough to power the fan (make sure the fan is running). If you get interference or false strikes, you've got the issue, and if not, you should be fine to go mount it.
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Thanks
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I wouldn't trust untill you had it sit through a good sunny day for several hours. The false strikes do show up pretty much instantly in strong sun. VICTORIA any information on if acurite can take care of problems through email? Live chat is durring my work hours.
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Victoria and everyone else, I put my original Atlas sensor back up that Acurite fixed and I have the lightning detector installed. It has been in direct sunlight and it is around 1:30pm est and no false lightning strikes. The Atlas is working flawlessly at this point since I received it back from Acurite with the adjustments with the wiring with the fan. I just want to let everyone know that Acurite did fix it.
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Victoria and everyone else, I put my original Atlas sensor back up that Acurite fixed and I have the lightning detector installed. It has been in direct sunlight and it is around 1:30pm est and no false lightning strikes. The Atlas is working flawlessly at this point since I received it back from Acurite with the adjustments with the wiring with the fan. I just want to let everyone know that Acurite did fix it.
Thank you for the update. Can you post pictures of the inside fix and so we can see how the wires are run? This is good news for the Atlas Elite coming out without issues. I hope it launches soon.
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Victoria and everyone else, I put my original Atlas sensor back up that Acurite fixed and I have the lightning detector installed. It has been in direct sunlight and it is around 1:30pm est and no false lightning strikes. The Atlas is working flawlessly at this point since I received it back from Acurite with the adjustments with the wiring with the fan. I just want to let everyone know that Acurite did fix it.
Thank you for the update. Can you post pictures of the inside fix and so we can see how the wires are run? This is good news for the Atlas Elite coming out without issues. I hope it launches soon.
Unfortunately, I am going to let someone else do that. I have it where I want it and really do not want to take it down again and open it up. I have taken the Atlas sensor down and put it back up a lot with the process of getting it fixed. Sorry.
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It's great to hear that the fix applied by AcuRite has corrected the problem. How long did it take them to fix and return your Atlas? AcuRite received my unit for repair yesterday; I'm just wondering how long it might be until I have it returned to me.
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It's great to hear that the fix applied by AcuRite has corrected the problem. How long did it take them to fix and return your Atlas? AcuRite received my unit for repair yesterday; I'm just wondering how long it might be until I have it returned to me.
It may vary for each person because of where they may be located and situation with how quick Acurite gets the sensor back to the customer. I live in PA and Acurite is in Wisconsin as you know. So not that far from me. What I can tell you is that they received my original sensor on 10/22 and shipped it back to me on 10/26 after testing and fixing it. I received my original fixed sensor yesterday evening 10/30. I had to ship back the replacement sensor they sent me during this time as well.
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It's great to hear that the fix applied by AcuRite has corrected the problem. How long did it take them to fix and return your Atlas? AcuRite received my unit for repair yesterday; I'm just wondering how long it might be until I have it returned to me.
It may vary for each person because of where they may be located and situation with how quick Acurite gets the sensor back to the customer. I live in PA and Acurite is in Wisconsin as you know. So not that far from me. What I can tell you is that they received my original sensor on 10/22 and shipped it back to me on 10/26 after testing and fixing it. I received my original fixed sensor yesterday evening 10/30. I had to ship back the replacement sensor they sent me during this time as well.
As Victoria mentioned earlier, they are expediting this particular issue. In the past, the normal RMA/Testing/Repair cycle seemed to take a couple of weeks.
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My third Atlas sensor was shipped Tuesday and I should have it here in Ohio by Friday.
I am guessing that the fix would be hard to access to take images? There is a wiring harness when you lift the rain bucket up but from the teardown images, the fan's wires are not that easy to get too.
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My third Atlas sensor was shipped Tuesday and I should have it here in Ohio by Friday.
I am guessing that the fix would be hard to access to take images? There is a wiring harness when you lift the rain bucket up but from the teardown images, the fan's wires are not that easy to get too.
Based on my beta disassembly, I'd say it's one of the more difficult places to reach.
Maybe the motor noise issue is why the wires don't have a convenient socket and a difficult run.
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I wouldn't trust untill you had it sit through a good sunny day for several hours. The false strikes do show up pretty much instantly in strong sun. VICTORIA any information on if acurite can take care of problems through email? Live chat is durring my work hours.
I sent you an email address you can use in a PM. The Support team knows you'll be reaching out.
Victoria and everyone else, I put my original Atlas sensor back up that Acurite fixed and I have the lightning detector installed. It has been in direct sunlight and it is around 1:30pm est and no false lightning strikes. The Atlas is working flawlessly at this point since I received it back from Acurite with the adjustments with the wiring with the fan. I just want to let everyone know that Acurite did fix it.
I'm glad you've got everything in good working order! Thanks for following up!
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Hi Victoria,
I should be the first customer to use atlas product from India and suffering from multiple issues,
1) False lightening strikes
2) Aspirating fan did not run
3) Lightening column did not appear in myacurite
4) Poor soldering broke wire from solar panel
How could I expect the RMA to be done for me here. You can see multiple cases reported under my name with your support team.
Really bought atlas with so much excitement but frustration is left. I was happy with the 5 in 1 weather station and I have bought 6 to 7 stations so far for our weather bloggers in India. Are you going to send one sensor for me to India?
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about all that trouble! This does a present a tricky situation considering your geographical location. I will reach out to our Support team and take a look at the case and situation, though it might take me a few days due to the weekend.
Even I'm working in product company and we do RMA for any location if we sold DEFECTIVE product. If support can not be provided in India, then Amazon should stop shipping acurite products to India.
Thanks for your patience on this. I discussed this with our Support team, and they are working on getting this sorted out for you. You should be hearing back from them today on your issue.
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Hi Victoria,
I should be the first customer to use atlas product from India and suffering from multiple issues,
1) False lightening strikes
2) Aspirating fan did not run
3) Lightening column did not appear in myacurite
4) Poor soldering broke wire from solar panel
How could I expect the RMA to be done for me here. You can see multiple cases reported under my name with your support team.
Really bought atlas with so much excitement but frustration is left. I was happy with the 5 in 1 weather station and I have bought 6 to 7 stations so far for our weather bloggers in India. Are you going to send one sensor for me to India?
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about all that trouble! This does a present a tricky situation considering your geographical location. I will reach out to our Support team and take a look at the case and situation, though it might take me a few days due to the weekend.
Even I'm working in product company and we do RMA for any location if we sold DEFECTIVE product. If support can not be provided in India, then Amazon should stop shipping acurite products to India.
Thanks for your patience on this. I discussed this with our Support team, and they are working on getting this sorted out for you. You should be hearing back from them today on your issue.
Thanks Victoria. Eagerly waiting for the response.
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I wouldn't trust untill you had it sit through a good sunny day for several hours. The false strikes do show up pretty much instantly in strong sun. VICTORIA any information on if acurite can take care of problems through email? Live chat is durring my work hours.
I sent you an email address you can use in a PM. The Support team knows you'll be reaching out.
Victoria and everyone else, I put my original Atlas sensor back up that Acurite fixed and I have the lightning detector installed. It has been in direct sunlight and it is around 1:30pm est and no false lightning strikes. The Atlas is working flawlessly at this point since I received it back from Acurite with the adjustments with the wiring with the fan. I just want to let everyone know that Acurite did fix it.
I'm glad you've got everything in good working order! Thanks for following up!
My Atlas continues to perform well with no false lightning strikes since putting it back up. It is in direct sunlight for the second day now since getting it back. I got up near the sensor yesterday to hear for the fan just for reassurance and the fan was on. Nothing indicated to me to check other than reassurance it was on, which I pretty much knew it was anyway because of spot on temps. Tomorrow they are forecasting thunderstorms, so I will see how the lightning detector works. It seemed to work fine before when the fan was not running and did record actual lightning strikes.
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As George said, there should be no issue with using lithium batteries.
So I am looking at 1 of 3 options:
1. Order what is now "Used" from Amazon:
But I wonder, would those used units be eligible for the fix and future warranty claims if needed? Seems you could get one at a pretty good price that way and just send it in for the fix when you get it.
2. Order today with "No Rush" shipping
As to stock turn over, I am considering ordering new now BUT use no rush shipping to "lock" in a price. That would delay it another week in hopes of more turnover. Just a thought.
3. Order today and go for Faster shipping, BUT ... Send it in after receiving it and trying it.
Would AcuRite receive a unit for the fix if I had not verified it? In other words, if I ordered one and then just sent it in, would AcuRite go over it to varify it had the fix? I have to be out of town for 3 weeks in Nov so it really would not matter to me how long I waited, I am looking at it from a price point of view.
1. I believe that technically, used goods aren't traditionally eligible for warranty.
3. You would need to verify it first, but that would actually be pretty easy. In the outdoor device, put the lightning detector and batteries in, connect it to the display, then just hold the outdoor part up for a couple minutes in the sun or next to a light powerful enough to power the fan (make sure the fan is running). If you get interference or false strikes, you've got the issue, and if not, you should be fine to go mount it.
Victoria-
On the Amazon Atlas listing (full kit) it lists a seller "Happy Happy Shops" offering a new Atlas kit at nearly $400.
High price aside, are listings like these legit resellers where the warranty is honored? Or is it like those on eBay they should be avoided?
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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Victoria-
On the Amazon Atlas listing (full kit) it lists a seller "Happy Happy Shops" offering a new Atlas kit at nearly $400.
High price aside, are listings like these legit resellers where the warranty is honored? Or is it like those on eBay they should be avoided?
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Something from a reseller like that would not be eligible for warranty, so I would avoid them if possible. After all, you're really only taking their word for that it's new anyway.
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I received my third Atlas sensor...this one with the lightning fix.
After a week, I have not had any false strikes. I also installed lithium batteries.
I did not want to jinx it and take any parts off to see what they did but I did notice the markings and the wires:
(https://7556552.dotster.com/photos/IMG_4801.jpg)
(https://7556552.dotster.com/photos/IMG_4802.jpg)
I still do not know if the UV is working correctly though. My first unit worked fine, the second only went to two. This one is only going to three while another unit I have and the local airport will report 5.
While it has been a royal pain dealing with this (three units in one month), their customer service did improve greatly compared my experience with the Access.
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Was this listed as NEW or a warranty replacement you received?
I don't want anyone's returned/used stuff.
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Was this listed as NEW or a warranty replacement you received?
I don't want anyone's returned/used stuff.
I have no idea if this was a new unit or a return. I do not think I can tell. It was shipped from Acurite’s customer support. I hope they fixed the UV issue on the second unit I returned before they ship it back out.
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From the small glimpse of the red/white fan wires, they appear to be twisted now. This should be an effective fix.
Greg H.
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So where did you buy this one MacGarage?
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So where did you buy this one MacGarage?
I purchased mine from Amazon the day it was first available. I never returned the unit to Amazon and worked through AcuRite's customer support.
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From the small glimpse of the red/white fan wires, they appear to be twisted now. This should be an effective fix.
Greg H.
Why are twisted wires an effective fix...or are you being sarcastic? :grin: :grin:
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From the small glimpse of the red/white fan wires, they appear to be twisted now. This should be an effective fix.
Greg H.
Why are twisted wires an effective fix...or are you being sarcastic? :grin: :grin:
Twisted pairs can effectively cancel out noise. Twists are commonly found in telephone and Ethernet cables. Generally speaking the more twists per foot, the better.
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From the small glimpse of the red/white fan wires, they appear to be twisted now. This should be an effective fix.
Greg H.
Why are twisted wires an effective fix...or are you being sarcastic? :grin: :grin:
Twisted pairs can effectively cancel out noise. Twists are commonly found in telephone and Ethernet cables. Generally speaking the more twists per foot, the better.
Thanks and I should of googled it in the first place...I was lazy
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I posted part of this in the UV thread as it appears my third Atlas sensor's UV is not reporting correctly. This unit has the UV fix. My second Atlas also did not report UV past 2.
I was instructed to replace the rain bucket from my original Atlas as its UV was working okay. Now, my lightning sensor is not showing up in the third Atlas.
I have removed the batteries and lightning sensor a number of times (and it clicks in). I have rebooted the Access twice.
The Atlas sensor shows up, just without the lightening sensor...everything else works. Wonder if the lightning fix did something to the rain bucket wiring hence the non-fixed one will not work now.
So, I still do not have a properly working Atlas....
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A head ache for sure but rest assured they will fix it.
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Thanks...
The lightning sensor is showing up on my panel...just not MyAcuRite. Rebooted and reset the Access many times and left unplugged/without batteries for a good bit of time, removed Atlas several times...no go.
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Someone reported a similar problem a while back. It turned out to be a glitch on the myAcurite servers. Support should be able to clear it up.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Someone reported a similar problem a while back. It turned out to be a glitch on the myAcurite servers. Support should be able to clear it up.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks.
Their support representative informed me they are doing exactly that with regards to checking their servers. Will update once a solution is found.
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Like the original OP on this thread, I also live in the Bay Area (North Bay) and ever since getting my Atlas last week I've had no issues including the lightning sensor problem. Although we haven't had any storms since I installed it (just wildland fire smoke conditions) I haven't had any false readings either. Having read Victoria's comments about the issue being corrected is it safe to say that my unit purchased off Amazon last week has already had the lightning sensor issue corrected before it went out?
With a storm arriving tomorrow supposedly it'll be interesting to see how the unit does.
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I may have spoken to soon. 10 minutes after writing the above post I got my first lightning strike which I assume is false. Lot's of high clouds with rain forecast for tomorrow but no obvious reason for a strike. Could unseen electrical activity cause a false reading?
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Could unseen electrical activity cause a false reading?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNeGSJaQ9Q
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Exactly!
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
Mine works great when it rains.
If you're having rain, how do you know there isn't any lightning activity nearby? You won't necessarily see lightning or hear thunder in many cases, particularly if it is distant.
At my Texas location I have 3 different AS3935 based systems. I also have lighting alerts from a local TV station. Other than my WeatherFlow AIR, they have all been very consistent with lightning detection.
WeatherFlow recently replaced my AIR. The strike count seems low compared to my other systems, but it is at least picking up thunderstorm activity now.
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
Mine works great when it rains.
If you're having rain, how do you know there isn't any lightning activity nearby? You won't necessarily see lightning or hear thunder in many cases, particularly if it is distant.
I did not even hear single thunder sound. 70 strikes possible in 12 hrs? Whole day radar showed 40 dBZ storms which is not capable of producing thunders. All we got is drizzle to moderate bands.
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
I had the false lightning strike issue with my Atlas and they sent me a replacement, which did not solve the issue. They tested my original Atlas, repaired it, and I have had no issues of any sort since. So the bottom line is they repaired the false lightning issue for mine. There was a wiring issue with the fan causing interference and triggering the lightning detector.
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
I had the false lightning strike issue with my Atlas and they sent me a replacement, which did not solve the issue. They tested my original Atlas, repaired it, and I have had no issues of any sort since. So the bottom line is they repaired the false lightning issue for mine. There was a wiring issue with the fan causing interference and triggering the lightning detector.
My replacement device did not have any issues until yesterday (4 days after mounting) when it was hot day. But rain started yesterday evening and false striking starts after that. Have you tested the repaired device when it was raining?
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I had my first round of severe thunderstorms roll through this past weekend since the lightning fix.
It seemed to work okay...recorded over twenty strikes which seemed reasonable.
Since the fix, I have not received any false strikes. I have had other rainy and snowy days that did not record any strikes.
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
I had the false lightning strike issue with my Atlas and they sent me a replacement, which did not solve the issue. They tested my original Atlas, repaired it, and I have had no issues of any sort since. So the bottom line is they repaired the false lightning issue for mine. There was a wiring issue with the fan causing interference and triggering the lightning detector.
My replacement device did not have any issues until yesterday (4 days after mounting) when it was hot day. But rain started yesterday evening and false striking starts after that. Have you tested the repaired device when it was raining?
AcuRite repaired my Atlas and I have had zero false lightning strikes since the repair. The repaired unit has been running through several rain events and there have been no false lightning strikes. Keep in mind that the sensor can detect lightning up to 25 miles away (40 km). What distances were reported for the lightning strikes that were detected?
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
Mine works great when it rains.
If you're having rain, how do you know there isn't any lightning activity nearby? You won't necessarily see lightning or hear thunder in many cases, particularly if it is distant.
I did not even hear single thunder sound. 70 strikes possible in 12 hrs? Whole day radar showed 40 dBZ storms which is not capable of producing thunders. All we got is drizzle to moderate bands.
YES!
you will not hear them you will not see them but they are there,.
I had 12 strikes in less then 2hours the other day with my portable lighting detector.
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Last one recorded was just 5 km away. But there was no rain at that time actually. Something screwed after rain started over my device. Let me get in touch with acurite team.
Lightning
69
Strikes Today
5 km
4:11 PM Today
Closest Strike
5 km
4:11 PM Today
Last Strike
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I got my replacement ATLAS sensor and it did not record any false lightening for the past 48 hours of hot climate. Thanks to Victoria for initiating replacement sensor to my location (India).
Jumped into conclusion too early. Now the false lightening in sunny days are stopped but numerous increment when it rains without lightening actually.. Seriously lightening detector is complete failure. Today 70 counts when it was raining without single thunder/lightening. ](*,)
And two different rainfall reading in my 2 atlas device with factory default rainfall settings :-(. Anyone tested the lightening issue repaired device when there is rain?
Mine works great when it rains.
If you're having rain, how do you know there isn't any lightning activity nearby? You won't necessarily see lightning or hear thunder in many cases, particularly if it is distant.
I did not even hear single thunder sound. 70 strikes possible in 12 hrs? Whole day radar showed 40 dBZ storms which is not capable of producing thunders. All we got is drizzle to moderate bands.
YES!
you will not hear them you will not see them but they are there,.
Thanks Daman and everyone. Let me monitor for some more days..
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feel it out for a little bit, I had 12 strikes in less then 2hours the other day with my portable lighting detector.