Author Topic: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?  (Read 167003 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Taistealaiche

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #275 on: May 13, 2014, 04:32:32 PM »
Just to chip in here since I've just started having problems....

A few days ago, I needed to take down my Vue (bought in 2010) to replace the pole it had been on. While down, I did routine maintenance (cleaning, etc), put it back up and immediately started having battery problems.

1) Battery died within 2 days (this was the original so close on 4 years old). Replaced battery 2 days ago, battery showing low on the console this morning.

2) Noticed this morning that the green light under the ISS is on permanently.

Advice/help will be very greatly appreciated.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #276 on: May 13, 2014, 04:53:54 PM »
Perhaps the pushbutton (next to the LED) is "stuck" in the pushed position?

Offline Taistealaiche

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #277 on: May 13, 2014, 05:06:47 PM »
Perhaps the pushbutton (next to the LED) is "stuck" in the pushed position?
Thanks for the reply, Dale. That'll be one thing I'll check when the roof is dry enough for me to go up there. Had overnight/morning rain.

Offline Taistealaiche

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #278 on: May 13, 2014, 06:00:52 PM »
And I've just remembered something.... about the same time this happened, i.e. after the first time I'd put the ISS back up again, I noticed the ISS had changed its ID from 1 to 8 and I had to reconfigure the console to match it.

Off the top of my head (not really knowing what I'm talking about), it could tie in with a stuck button?

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #279 on: May 13, 2014, 07:00:36 PM »
And I've just remembered something.... about the same time this happened, i.e. after the first time I'd put the ISS back up again, I noticed the ISS had changed its ID from 1 to 8 and I had to reconfigure the console to match it.

Off the top of my head (not really knowing what I'm talking about), it could tie in with a stuck button?

Yes.  See pages 3-4 of the ISS manual (not that it covers exactly the situation here).  But the LED being on all the time probably indicates that the transmitter is on all the time.  That will drain the battery.

Offline Taistealaiche

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #280 on: May 13, 2014, 07:19:51 PM »
Thanks again, Dale. Now I've got to wait for the *beep* rain to stop so I can go up onto the roof.

Huh. And I've just this minute heard back from Davis here in NZ, who had to contact Davis USA who said to replace the transmitter (PCBA). Think I'll try other things first!
« Last Edit: May 13, 2014, 07:22:44 PM by Taistealaiche »

Offline mickopla

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 358
    • Waterford City Weather
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #281 on: June 05, 2014, 04:00:17 PM »
Got the dreaded Low Transmitter error about a week ago on my near 4 year old Vue. The battery was nearly a year old so changed it to a new one yesterday. I reset the console and after a while the error returned. I reset again today and the error returned.
The ISS is still transmitting data to the console. If the battery is good will the ISS work as normal the lifetime of the battery even though the error is showing?

Reading through the thread Dielectric grease seems to fix the issue. Rather than wait for Davis to send out the grease can it be purchased either online in the UK or in an Autoshop like Halfords?

Mike


Offline mike67ld

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #282 on: June 28, 2014, 04:52:29 AM »
In reply to my own post on Dec 28 2013, I have now been on the roof and measured the battery voltage in situ - 3.15 volts.  It's been up there for over a year now happily transmitting data (and also the low battery warning) so I'm going to ignore it until it stops. 
I hope this helps put a few of your minds at ease, not having to keep changing the thing just because the trigger point for sending the message has been set too high - in my opinion anyway!
Cheers
Mike

Offline mickopla

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 358
    • Waterford City Weather
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #283 on: June 28, 2014, 09:34:10 AM »
In reply to my own post on Dec 28 2013, I have now been on the roof and measured the battery voltage in situ - 3.15 volts.  It's been up there for over a year now happily transmitting data (and also the low battery warning) so I'm going to ignore it until it stops. 
I hope this helps put a few of your minds at ease, not having to keep changing the thing just because the trigger point for sending the message has been set too high - in my opinion anyway!
Cheers
Mike

Cheers Mike for the update. That's basically one of my concerns answered. I have the low battery warning now since early June and up to now all is ok. I did purchase the dielectric grease but haven't applied it yet. If everything keeps working ok i can live with the error message on the console.

Mike

Offline valleyweather

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8
    • valleyweather
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #284 on: July 28, 2014, 01:54:11 PM »
I recently change my battery on my Vantuge Vue as well. The console and unit are working perfectly transmitting data, but the low battery warning remains, it has been over two weeks.

Offline Daffypuck

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 32
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #285 on: August 05, 2014, 04:28:01 AM »
Ive had my VV for 2 years now and it displayed the same message for a few weeks. I took out the batteries and reset it and it eventually fixed itself and I haven't, to the best of my knowledge, changed the batteries in 2 years! In my case, I think it was just a bug that resolved itself.

Offline maccross

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #286 on: August 21, 2014, 09:56:53 AM »
I got my VantageVue some 4 years ago in the US and brought it back to Brazil.
It has a version 2.14 firmware and the dielectric grease.
It has been working nice till 3 months ago when it started giving the LOW TRANSMITER BATTERY warning  (again) mostly when the temperature rised.
I did see that it was losing transmitter signal (outside temperature, outside humidity, wind) early in the morning before sunrise for 2 or 3 hours. So the warning was for real.
I changed the battery (this is my second change).
It worked fine for a week, now the low battery warning rides again and no signal lost during the night.
I'm starting to think the dielectric grease got contaminated somehow (it seems to me too much dark brown).
Any thoughts? Anyone passed through this? I think I will have trouble to find this grease here.


Offline arrowspace90

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 409
  • Vantage Pro II, tripod mount, 30 feet elevation
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #287 on: September 10, 2014, 07:35:05 PM »
After 3 plus years, FINALLY got the low battery transmitter message.

Paid the antenna guy handsomely to go high pitch second story and swap it out.
Message gone.  That VV has sure been a solid performer.

Offline pfletch101

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 329
    • Personal Website
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #288 on: September 11, 2014, 10:13:12 AM »
I got my VantageVue some 4 years ago in the US and brought it back to Brazil.
It has a version 2.14 firmware and the dielectric grease.
It has been working nice till 3 months ago when it started giving the LOW TRANSMITER BATTERY warning  (again) mostly when the temperature rised.
I did see that it was losing transmitter signal (outside temperature, outside humidity, wind) early in the morning before sunrise for 2 or 3 hours. So the warning was for real.
I changed the battery (this is my second change).
It worked fine for a week, now the low battery warning rides again and no signal lost during the night.
I'm starting to think the dielectric grease got contaminated somehow (it seems to me too much dark brown).
Any thoughts? Anyone passed through this? I think I will have trouble to find this grease here.

?Super-Cap failure. That will cause rapid draining of the battery.
Vantage Pro 2+ connected to Raspberry Pi running weewx by means of Meteo-Pi - data incorporated in domestic energy production (PV) and use monitoring system.

Offline maccross

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #289 on: September 11, 2014, 01:21:28 PM »
I don't think I have any "component" or battery failure. To my surprise I had no warning for over 10 days and everything seems to be working fine. Weather as been extremely dry.

Offline srhodes

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #290 on: September 21, 2014, 12:21:40 PM »
In reply to my own post on Dec 28 2013, I have now been on the roof and measured the battery voltage in situ - 3.15 volts.  It's been up there for over a year now happily transmitting data (and also the low battery warning) so I'm going to ignore it until it stops. 
I hope this helps put a few of your minds at ease, not having to keep changing the thing just because the trigger point for sending the message has been set too high - in my opinion anyway!
Cheers
Mike

Cheers Mike for the update. That's basically one of my concerns answered. I have the low battery warning now since early June and up to now all is ok. I did purchase the dielectric grease but haven't applied it yet. If everything keeps working ok i can live with the error message on the console.

Mike

I bought my Vantage Vue Dec 2009. Worked flawlessly for first three years. Then occasionally would give low transmitter battery. Dec 2013 replaced battery and had no problems until august. I emailed Davis Instr tech support for help,with no quick response (10 day). Phone call is the way to go. This is what i've learned. The manual led me to believe that the battery was charged by the solar panel. This is not so. The solar panel operates the ISS when sunlight is available and it charges a "super" capacitor which operates the ISS when there is no sunlight. The battery is for low or no sunlight periods when the super capacitor is not sufficiently charged to run the system. The super cap is on the transmitter board which also has the battery on it. I was told to give them the mfr code on back of console and they would order me a transmitter board for $ 78. I installed 800 mah rechargeable batteries in my ISS and i have a charger so i am going to forgo the board and use my batteries. 8 months on a charge is no big deal. You can also buy 2000 mah batteries for cheap which should last twice as long. There are other issues with firmware and false readings and applying grease to keep moisture out of transmitter which are already covered in other strings. I live in west texas so moisture in the ISS is not a problem for me. Appreciate all the previous posts that helped get to this point. I did suggest to Davis Inst that they should forgo the not so super capacitor and just charge a battery...seems easier and cheaper to me.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #291 on: September 21, 2014, 09:30:06 PM »
I did suggest to Davis Inst that they should forgo the not so super capacitor and just charge a battery...seems easier and cheaper to me.

It's not cheaper.  And that would mean relying on just two sources of power during the day, and just one at night.

Offline srhodes

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #292 on: September 23, 2014, 09:28:54 AM »
I disagree. They want $ 80 plus shipping both ways and possible taxes for the transmitter board.  Which is going to be at least $90 versus using a rechargeable battery instead of a non rechargeable battery- difference in cost of $ 1- 2. The solar panel runs the ISS during almost every day except when it is extremely overcast then the Super cap or battery kicks in. My super cap died 1 1/2 years ago (only lasted 2 1/2 years)and i have been running on rechargeable battery at night and low light days ever since. I paid less than $10 to Amazon for the two pack of Ultra 800 mah rechargeable batteries. The charger cost $ 16 which I use for other batteries as well. The batteries are rated for 500 recharge cycles. They lasted 8 months in ISS per charge. So these batteries will last much longer than this ISS will be around. $26 has always been less than $ 90. And that appears to be $ 90 every two to three years.Yes, you do have to go out and change the batteries, but I service the ISS twice a year anyways so no big deal.  I do love my Vantage Vue and went on line with the data logger earlier this year. i just think the super cap is not the best way to go.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #293 on: September 23, 2014, 12:14:20 PM »
I disagree. They want $ 80 plus shipping both ways and possible taxes for the transmitter board.  Which is going to be at least $90 versus using a rechargeable battery instead of a non rechargeable battery- difference in cost of $ 1- 2. The solar panel runs the ISS during almost every day except when it is extremely overcast then the Super cap or battery kicks in. My super cap died 1 1/2 years ago (only lasted 2 1/2 years)and i have been running on rechargeable battery at night and low light days ever since. I paid less than $10 to Amazon for the two pack of Ultra 800 mah rechargeable batteries. The charger cost $ 16 which I use for other batteries as well. The batteries are rated for 500 recharge cycles. They lasted 8 months in ISS per charge. So these batteries will last much longer than this ISS will be around. $26 has always been less than $ 90. And that appears to be $ 90 every two to three years.Yes, you do have to go out and change the batteries, but I service the ISS twice a year anyways so no big deal.  I do love my Vantage Vue and went on line with the data logger earlier this year. i just think the super cap is not the best way to go.

Let me see if I understand.  You are saying that Davis should do away with the 3-power-source approach, and supply two rechargeable batteries and a charger, and tell all customers to exchange the outside battery with a recharged one twice a year?

Offline arrowspace90

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 409
  • Vantage Pro II, tripod mount, 30 feet elevation
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #294 on: September 23, 2014, 01:07:20 PM »
If you don't have easy access to your station, that rules out the option of swapping out rechargable batteries on a regular basis.

When my supercap fails, I will upgrade to a vantage pro II, and STill have the wonderful Vue refurbished and give it to someone worthy.

Offline pfletch101

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 329
    • Personal Website
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #295 on: September 23, 2014, 01:43:50 PM »
Let me see if I understand.  You are saying that Davis should do away with the 3-power-source approach, and supply two rechargeable batteries and a charger, and tell all customers to exchange the outside battery with a recharged one twice a year?

I am not sure that you do (understand, that is)! My assumption was that srhodes was suggesting that Davis replace the Supercap and the circuitry which allows it to function as a power storage device with rechargeable batteries and the appropriate circuitry to keep them charged from the solar cell. This seems like a perfectly reasonable suggestion. If you had to use NiCads, that might not work well because of memory effect, but Lithium cells should do fine in that sort of usage, and should need replacing no more often than the present non-rechargeable backup battery. He currently has to recharge his batteries 'manually'  because the ISS has no way of keeping them charged, but I certainly didn't think that he regarded this aspect of his current situation as a particularly good thing.
Vantage Pro 2+ connected to Raspberry Pi running weewx by means of Meteo-Pi - data incorporated in domestic energy production (PV) and use monitoring system.

Offline moehoward4

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 689
  • Jack in SE MA.
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #296 on: September 23, 2014, 03:02:29 PM »
Just as an example.....a VP2 solar panel puts out on a REAL good day ~2.3v....I don't know what a Vue solar panel puts out, but I'll bet that it is about the same, so you're not gonna recharge any battery(s) on that output. A while back in this thread, I posted how Davis recommended updating the Vue console firmware that was supposed to cure this issue......how many of you have done that? How many have followed the exact directions Davis gives for when you change the battery in the ISS? Probably not many..............
3 Davis set-ups...which one ya wanna talk about? And I got ALL my manuals....

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #297 on: September 23, 2014, 03:38:55 PM »
Let me see if I understand.  You are saying that Davis should do away with the 3-power-source approach, and supply two rechargeable batteries and a charger, and tell all customers to exchange the outside battery with a recharged one twice a year?

I am not sure that you do (understand, that is)! My assumption was that srhodes was suggesting that Davis replace the Supercap and the circuitry which allows it to function as a power storage device with rechargeable batteries and the appropriate circuitry to keep them charged from the solar cell.

...and perhaps a larger/different solar cell.  Which still means that there would only be two power sources.

My suggestion would be that Davis figure out how to make the supercap "inexpensively and easily replaceable". 

Offline johnd

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 4827
    • www.weatherstations.co.uk
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #298 on: September 23, 2014, 04:19:12 PM »
My suggestion would be that Davis figure out how to make the supercap "inexpensively and easily replaceable".

I think the problem there is that the Davis ISS design is dominated nowadays by having continuous or soldered connections wherever conceivably possible, eg the way that the pogo plugs of the Vue v1.0 design has been replaced by a single all-in-one harness in v1.1. Their view seems to be, rightly or wrongly (but I guess they have a lot of support evidence on their side), that any breakable connection is a potential source of unreliability and so should be avoided except where it's not feasible to do otherwise eg as in a battery or a physical sensor connection on a VP2 system.

(Not saying I necessarily agree, but it seems to be the design philosophy.)
Prodata Weather Systems
Prodata's FAQ/support site for Davis stations
Includes many details on 6313 Weatherlink console.
UK Davis Premier Dealer - All Davis stations, accessories and spares
Cambridge UK

Sorry, but I don't usually have time to help with individual issues by email unless you are a Prodata customer. Please post your issue in the relevant forum section here & I will comment there if I have anything useful to add.

Offline dalecoy

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6447
    • Lee's Summit, MO
Re: Battery failures on Vantage Vue?
« Reply #299 on: September 23, 2014, 04:49:41 PM »
Yes, I understand.  But of course, there are available batteries with solder connections.............

(Not suggesting that, of course). 

The supercap is a rechargeable battery of course.  And it has the advantage of not insisting on a particular fixed charging voltage.   But I digress.....
« Last Edit: September 23, 2014, 04:53:27 PM by dalecoy »