Topic: Station Going Off Line

[jjudson]

I have a Davis Vantage Pro 2 station and console.  It's been working great up until three days ago.  Now, it is intermittently going off line.  The flashing X seems very slow compared to what it was, and I'll occasionally get an R.  The unit has not been moved from where it has been when the connections were good.  The weather station itself is only four months old.

I have it running on Cumulus.  The software is giving me a "updating Weather Underground" message regular.  But I'm not seeing any updates very often on Weather Underground.  In fact, it shows that it's offline more than it's on.  I have it set for an update each minute.

Any thoughts on what I can do to get it back running normal again?

[dalecoy]

What kind of logger?

The first thing to try is changing the channel - because perhaps someone else has recently set up a VP2 nearby on the same channel you are using.

OR - have you recently placed some other electronic equipment near the console?  Portable phone, etc. etc.?

[jjudson]

dalecoy, for some reason, it's back on line and working fine now.  Just a gremlin I guess.  I'll keep an eye on it.  Thanks for the reply.

[dalecoy]

Glad it's working.  Remember to come back to this topic if it goes haywire again.

[jjudson]

dalecoy, one of the issues may have been my internet connection.  That doesn't account for the slow ping between the station and the console, but it probably accounts for the offline condition on WeatherUnderground.  I'm cursed with Time Warner Cable, and my entire development has been having issues with those b**tards for several weeks now.

One question, though, connected to that.  I'm not sure I understand the data logger function or the catchup function of Cumulus.  Isn't the premise that it continues to collect data until the connection to the internet restores, then uploads it all accordingly?  If so, it's not working.  The times when the system is offline show up on WeatherUnderground as flatlines with whatever the data is when it went down.  When it comes back online, the data points jump to the current data values, with seemingly no interim data uploaded.

Am I off base on how this system works with data logging and catchup?

(by the way, to your previous question, I have the USB data logger installed)

[ericfynne]

One question, though, connected to that.  I'm not sure I understand the data logger function or the catchup function of Cumulus.  Isn't the premise that it continues to collect data until the connection to the internet restores, then uploads it all accordingly?

No. Cumulus "catches up" for periods when it wasn't running. It takes no notice of the state of your internet connection while it is running.

Eric.

[dalecoy]

One question, though, connected to that.  I'm not sure I understand the data logger function or the catchup function of Cumulus. 

The logger will continue to save data at the "archive interval", until it fills up and rolls over.  Assuming that there is good communication between the ISS and the console.

I know nothing about Cumulus.  However, it has a good reputation - so I assume that it has some sort of logging function that would tell you in detail what went on - such as "couldn't download data" or "couldn't connect to the internet".

[PaulMy]

dalecoy, for some reason, it's back on line and working fine now.  Just a gremlin I guess.  I'll keep an eye on it.  Thanks for the reply.

In Cumulus you can use the "Alarm if sensor contact lost" setting
.

It takes no notice of the state of your internet connection while it is running.

so I assume that it has some sort of logging function that would tell you in detail what went on - such as "couldn't download data" or "couldn't connect to the internet".

As Eric said, and also as what dalecoy assumed.  You can also turn on Debug Log to track upload activity such as

1420.75820 : 1:12:23 PM Updating Wunderground
1420.75820 : http://rtupdate.wunderground.com/weatherstation/updateweatherstation.php?ID=IONTARIO226&PASSWORD=*********&dateutc=2015-01-24+18%3A12%3A23&winddir=282&windspeedmph=5&windgustmph=12&windspdmph_avg2m=5&winddir_avg2m=267&humidity=88&tempf=29.7&rainin=0.00&dailyrainin=0.00&baromin=29.556&dewptf=26.4&indoortempf=79.3&indoorhumidity=21&softwaretype=Cumulus%20v1.9.4&action=updateraw&realtime=1&rtfreq=5
1420.76148 : 1:12:23 PM WU Response Code: 200 Response = success
1420.76756 : 13:12:24.207 Load current data
1420.79970 : 13:12:27.425 Data loaded
1420.81078 : 13:12:28.529 Load current data
1420.81156 : 1:12:28 PM Updating Wunderground
1420.81156 : http://rtupdate.wunderground.com/weatherstation/updateweatherstation.php?ID=IONTARIO226&PASSWORD=*********&dateutc=2015-01-24+18%3A12%3A28&winddir=282&windspeedmph=5&windgustmph=12&windspdmph_avg2m=5&winddir_avg2m=267&humidity=88&tempf=29.7&rainin=0.00&dailyrainin=0.00&baromin=29.556&dewptf=26.4&indoortempf=79.3&indoorhumidity=21&softwaretype=Cumulus%20v1.9.4&action=updateraw&realtime=1&rtfreq=5
1420.81343 : 1:12:28 PM WU Response Code: 200 Response = success
1420.84291 : 13:12:31.749 Data loaded
1420.85399 : 13:12:32.854 Load current data
1420.86304 : 13:12:33.760 Data loaded
1420.86351 : 1:12:33 PM Updating Wunderground

.
 
Paul

[bmwr100]

My VP 2 pro did the same thing a few weeks ago. Got up one morning and noticed the anemometer spinning like crazy but wind speed read 1 mph. After some looking and scratching my head noticed that my usually 100% good signal readings were barely there. Barely a signal at all and numerous fails. Scratched my head some more and went into setup with the intention of changing the recieved channel. I didn't think there was any way another station had come on line in my area because I live in a rural area surrounded by few neighbors. Changed my mind and backed out of setup with the same default setting of station #1 and immediately everything was fine. Back to near perfect communications and all has been well since. Can't explain it except for a glitch. If it happens to you again you might want to try it. Cheers.

[dalecoy]

jjudson and bmwr100 --

Have you ever looked at the console diagnostic screens?  There's a good description in the user's manual.

[jjudson]

bmwr100 -- you know, that's EXACTLY what I did.  I went into the settings, changed my mind and backed out, and it worked fine after that.

Hmmmm....  Maybe you're on to something.

dalecoy -- I haven't yet, but I intend to...

[dalecoy]

Just a hint for the future: 

bmwr100 -- you know, that's EXACTLY what I did.  I went into the settings, changed my mind and backed out, and it worked fine after that.

would be a lot more useful in this forum, than saying:

dalecoy, for some reason, it's back on line and working fine now.  Just a gremlin I guess.  I'll keep an eye on it.  Thanks for the reply.