Topic: Poll: Batteries in 24 HR FARS

[WxLover16]

My first poll, hopefully I did it correctly. I currently have both batteries in but thinking about taking one out for higher daytime aspiration. What says you?

[CW2274]

If your ISS is easily accessible, I'd play with it.

[WxLover16]

If your ISS is easily accessible, I'd play with it.

Mine is, I check it at least twice a week to hear for the fan. I know with both batteries in it runs at 190 ft/minute or 1.9 mph. Does anyone have any clue how much faster it runs with 1 or no batteries?

[CW2274]

If your ISS is easily accessible, I'd play with it.

Mine is, I check it at least twice a week to hear for the fan. I know with both batteries in it runs at 190 ft/minute or 1.9 mph. Does anyone have any clue how much faster it runs with 1 or no batteries?

No sir, the 190 is with both batteries OUT and the maximum the fan will run in full sun. With both IN, the fan runs at 80ft/min. With ONE battery in I'll WAG that it runs ~ 150 ft/min.

[WxLover16]

If your ISS is easily accessible, I'd play with it.

Mine is, I check it at least twice a week to hear for the fan. I know with both batteries in it runs at 190 ft/minute or 1.9 mph. Does anyone have any clue how much faster it runs with 1 or no batteries?

No sir, the 190 is with both batteries OUT and the maximum the fan will run in full sun. With both IN, the fan runs at 80ft/min. With ONE battery in I'll WAG that it runs ~ 150 ft/min.

Ah, I suppose I misunderstood the manual. It says 190 ft/min with full sun, solar powered and 80 ft/min battery only. I suppose I took that as 80 ft/min at night when it runs strictly on battery. Well, that fact makes me want to play with it, maybe take 1 battery out at first, experiment. I wonder what the difference it would make on my highs and lows if I were to take 1 battery out, if any at all. My station is approximately 24' away from a 7.5' black wooden fence and 27' from a main road so I know I need the maximum fan output at solar heating but the fence and road also radiate heat (then there's convective heat) that I deal with once the sun sets. Hmmm. A/C would definitely be the way to go but for now I'll just experiment with the batteries. It's kind of amazing that at an aspiration rate of only .9mph that it can make such a difference wrt high temps compared to passive shields.

[CW2274]

Like I said, go play with it in the sun. See for yourself how it behaves and you'll get it.
.9 mph is certainly better than none at all. 

[WxLover16]

Like I said, go play with it in the sun. See for yourself how it behaves and you'll get it.
.9 mph is certainly better than none at all. 

I was too giddy not to do it right away.  I pulled one FARS battery. Tomorrow will be sunny so I will listen for a "stronger" whirling sound. I also am testing my supercap to see how much charge it's been getting and to see if it powers my station the entire night, took the shelter battery out. Gotta love testing my weather toys! 

[WxLover16]

Like I said, go play with it in the sun. See for yourself how it behaves and you'll get it.
.9 mph is certainly better than none at all. 

I was too giddy not to do it right away.  I pulled one FARS battery. Tomorrow will be sunny so I will listen for a "stronger" whirling sound. I also am testing my supercap to see how much charge it's been getting and to see if it powers my station the entire night, took the shelter battery out. Gotta love testing my weather toys! 

Well I found out my supercap can power my station for an entire night, battery is still out. October has basically been sunny the whole month. How long can I keep the battery out (to test the supercap's longevity) before fearing it failing in the middle of the night? My console does say low battery, is that any indication at all that the supercap might be losing its energy to power the station or is that unrelated?

[CW2274]

Like I said, go play with it in the sun. See for yourself how it behaves and you'll get it.
.9 mph is certainly better than none at all. 

I was too giddy not to do it right away.  I pulled one FARS battery. Tomorrow will be sunny so I will listen for a "stronger" whirling sound. I also am testing my supercap to see how much charge it's been getting and to see if it powers my station the entire night, took the shelter battery out. Gotta love testing my weather toys! 

My console does say low battery, is that any indication at all that the supercap might be losing its energy to power the station or is that unrelated?

Yes, it could, but it also could be a false low battery warning as one of our other members is currently experiencing.

[WxLover16]

Like I said, go play with it in the sun. See for yourself how it behaves and you'll get it.
.9 mph is certainly better than none at all. 

I was too giddy not to do it right away.  I pulled one FARS battery. Tomorrow will be sunny so I will listen for a "stronger" whirling sound. I also am testing my supercap to see how much charge it's been getting and to see if it powers my station the entire night, took the shelter battery out. Gotta love testing my weather toys! 

My console does say low battery, is that any indication at all that the supercap might be losing its energy to power the station or is that unrelated?

Yes, it could, but it also could be a false low battery warning as one of our other members is currently experiencing.

I'm "siding" on the unrelated side because my station has been getting intense sun most all day long for the majority of the month. My solar panel has had TONS of hours to charge up the supercap, especially at peak heating when there are no obstacles (trees, fences, etc...) to disrupt its solar charging for the supercap.

[CW2274]

Well since your ISS is easily accessible, pull the batt and measure it, if you have a multi meter or whatever.

[WxLover16]

Well since your ISS is easily accessible, pull the batt and measure it, if you have a multi meter or whatever.

I don't but I've been looking online at some and they're fairly cheap. I will be purchasing one very soon most likely. Can't you also measure the charge of the supercap as well? That would be very interesting to me. Do you know what the measurement of an unused supercap is supposed to be?

[CW2274]

Well since your ISS is easily accessible, pull the batt and measure it, if you have a multi meter or whatever.

Can't you also measure the charge of the supercap as well? That would be very interesting to me. Do you know what the measurement of an unused supercap is supposed to be?

I'm sure you can, but that stuff is above my pay grade.

[C5250]

Do you know what the measurement of an unused supercap is supposed to be?

The only thing you'll might be able to measure with a DMM is capacitance. Now if had an LCR meter... But you would still need to determine what the typical power draw over time is to make any use of what that would tell you.

[miraculon]

I voted I have a DFARS but wish I could have nighttime aspiration as well. I am not really sure about the need for nighttime aspiration at my location. My biggest issue with DFARS is for my T/H station conversion when the sun is still hitting the shield and the solar panel is in the shade. (I had to remote the solar for this to work)

Even so, it is an improvement over the naturally aspirated shield when the sun is hitting it. I have a DFARS on my normal ISS as well as the T/H station. They track together much better during the day than before DFARS on the T/H.

Greg H.

[WxLover16]

I'm bumping this poll since it's getting closer to Summer. Yesterday I took down my station, gave it a thorough cleaning, took both fan batteries out, put a fully charged fan battery in so that I will get slightly higher aspiration during the day when I truly need it on those hot calm sunny summer days. How many other people do this for the summer?

[CW2274]

put a fully charged fan battery in so that I will get slightly higher aspiration during the day when I truly need it on those hot calm sunny summer days. How many other people do this for the summer?

Before I went a/c, I had both batts out for maximum daytime aspiration.

[ValentineWeather]

I've went with 2 batteries so it will make it through the long winter nights. 

[alexstaar]

I leave both batteries in at all times. My ISS is shaded from roughly noon to 3:30pm (local time) by a large maple tree in the backyard. So the ISS is not getting the strong solar radiation during the peak afternoon heating. I'd also rather have both batteries in a night, particularly during the summer when the air is very still, warm, and humid (no passive aspiration whatsoever).

[dupreezd]

I dont know what type of fans are in these FARS or what voltage.

On a three wire fan, the third wire is the tach or fan speed and on a standard computer fan sends out two pulses per revolution. The ouput is an open collector and needs an external pullup resister which allows for various configuration uses.

I wanted to see if a fan was turning without having to listen if I could hear it spinning. I used a LED and resistor and connected the LED and a load resistor between power and the tach wire.

If you can get a three wire computer fan which is replacement for your fan (size, voltage and current drawn), this might work for you as well. Just check if the LED is on. If the LED is dim, the fan is spinning slowly.

[CW2274]

I dont know what type of fans are in these FARS or what voltage.

Nothing to do with the poll, but here's the equivalent. http://www.jameco.com/z/RF-500TB-18280-R-Nichibo-Taiwan-3-Volt-Dc-Motor-2104-Rpm-1-3-Volt-Range_2158442.html

[dupreezd]

Man that is a small motor. Just show you, you learn something new every day.
Thanks for the info.

[CW2274]

Man that is a small motor.

Just one reason I went with something that has a little more "oomph". 

[WxLover16]

I leave both batteries in at all times. My ISS is shaded from roughly noon to 3:30pm (local time) by a large maple tree in the backyard. So the ISS is not getting the strong solar radiation during the peak afternoon heating. I'd also rather have both batteries in a night, particularly during the summer when the air is very still, warm, and humid (no passive aspiration whatsoever).

Fortunately I have no problem with my ISS getting solar heating. There are no trees around so my ISS gets direct sunlight from sun up to down. That's one reason I want the higher aspiration during the day.