Topic: Console Locking Issues

[NorthNJwx]

I sent the following in an e-mail to WxSolution support back on Friday, but figured it would be wise to post it here as well. I decided to put this in the main Davis forum instead of "other software" since I'm not sure if my problem is with the console, software, or both. Either way, if anyone else has had a similar experience w/any wx station software, perhaps a fix can be found.


"I have had a serious problem develop over this past week regarding WxSolution locking up the display on my VP2 console. It began last Sunday, when I noticed that the wind indicated on my VP2 console had been NNE 23 for almost two straight minutes, then realized the "R" indicating no reception in the bottom right hand corner of the console. I figured it was a console issue, but, after regaining reception after I closed WxSolution and the other wx station programs I had been running, I soon found that the issue occured again when I started WxSolution. Since then, the console display has locked up and the "R" has appeared every time I have opened WxSolution. In some instances, the console will go back to normal and begin reporting again about ~30 seconds after booting WxSolution and keeping it open. However, there were occassions when the only way I could get the console working again was to close WxSolution.
 
The problem seems to have gotten worse today. Even after closing WxSolution when it locked up the console, the console did not regain reception for another 10-15 minutes, including a couple of ventures into Setup mode. The original loss of reception on Sunday occured while WxSolution had been running for days unabated; the WxSolution boot/reception loss problem has only occured in the time since. It has gotten to the point where I cannot run WxSolution any longer. I use Virtual VP to also run WeatherLink and WUHU, and neither have caused the same problem that WxSolution has. I also ran WxSolution on its own (without Virtual VP), with the same result. I upgraded to version 1.8.3, but the problem remains..."

[Weather Display]

try moving the console as far away from the PC as you can, and try adding RF baluns to the connection to the PC

[NorthNJwx]

try moving the console as far away from the PC as you can, and try adding RF baluns to the connection to the PC

Thanks...I wasn't aware of what an RF balun was, but just got an idea from a search...can these be purchased at Radio Shack or a related store?

I thought the problem was fixed on Sunday after powering down the console, computer, etc., unplugging the datalogger, then reattaching everything. The issue ceased to occur after that for several days. I had to restart my weather computer due to an internet problem today, though, and the problem came back. I opened WxSolution, and the "R" appeared (note: it went away within a couple of minutes, thankfully). The troubling things to me are that 1) it only occurs with one program; WeatherLink and WUHU work fine and 2) I've never read about anyone having this problem before. 

[SLOweather]

Thanks...I wasn't aware of what an RF balun was, but just got an idea from a search...can these be purchased at Radio Shack or a related store?

Technically, they are called ferrite cores or ferrite chokes or ferrite beads, depending on the size. (You can use some ferrite cores to build RF baluns (balanced/unbalanced transformers).

Rat Shack has 'em:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103222


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012599

[NorthNJwx]

Thanks...I wasn't aware of what an RF balun was, but just got an idea from a search...can these be purchased at Radio Shack or a related store?

Technically, they are called ferrite cores or ferrite chokes or ferrite beads, depending on the size. (You can use some ferrite cores to build RF baluns (balanced/unbalanced transformers).

Rat Shack has 'em:

Thanks for the info!

Interesting turn of events two days ago for my situation. The computer my weather station was connected to was about 10 years old and probably losing it; I had been planning on transferring the station/software to a newer (~7 year old) computer with much better specs and performance. I decided to do the transfer on Thursday. So far, my issue has not occured on the newer computer - knock on wood! So, it could very well have been an issue with the computer itself.