Topic: Changed Vantage Vue Transmitter Battery 3 days ago still dropping data at night!

[wildirishtime]

Did I miss something in the instructions? Was I supposed to clear or reset something ?  I'm still getting the Low Battery on Transmitter errors on the display - it's been 3 or 4 days now since i replaced the transmitter battery.

I read the troubleshooting on Manula , but don't see anything about this situation. 

SUGGESTIONS?  Thanks,
-Brendan

[Mattk]

An ISS battery change should change the alert at midnight of the day changed.

[wildirishtime]

I agree that's what the manual said, I pressed the button as requested, saw the green light..... but still three (maybe 4) days now and i'm still losing data from about 5am to 8am or so plus/minus one hour.

[johnd]

No information as to how old this unit is, but sounds like a faulty supercap. Potentially needs a new harness or ISS.

[wildirishtime]

Guessing but probably 5 years.... is this for SURE the supercap? I'm happy to swap it out if someone has a DigiKey part# or something specific to get me a part.....

Just hoping someone can tell me 'yea, that's the supercap' with some sort of certainty  

@JOHND What is a harness? 

It SEEMS like the new battery should over-power the supercap when the battery is brand new.....????

[Mattk]

Have you double checked the new battery? Could be a dud from new, wouldn't be the first, have you tried re-seating the battery? Is this a Vue or VP2 ISS?

[wildirishtime]

It's the VUE ISS.  The batteries have been good, i got the green light when installed, seated nicely, so i assume it's in and fine. 

I am still getting LOW BATTERY TRANSMITTER 1 error messages...... not sure if that can help isolate if it's the supercap or the battery?

Anyone have a DigiKey or Manufacturer part# for that cap?  If i pull this thing off the 30ft mast i may has well shotgun that part too.  My dad the weather nut doesn't want any 'downtime' for his data   i'M SURE you all understand

[johnd]

The supercap on the Vue is not normally regarded as replaceable because the PCBA is potted (unlike the VP2 SIM board). That said, IIRC there is a hack somewhere on this site where someone has managed to do it - not pretty though from memory, but guess it is inside the Vue ISS case. Also, even if the supercap is replaced, this doesn't guarantee to fix the fault - other damage could have happened.

And I wouldn't worry about the low battery warning - the key point is whether data is being lost overnight.

[wildirishtime]

Is there any other suggested troubleshooting I can do to determine if the problem is in/around the CR123 battery itself, especially from the console if possible, to isolate my issue to the battery itself?  I can certainly get a voltmeter on it but at the moment it's 35ft in the air and needs a manlift so I only want to set a manlift once !

-B

[Mattk]

Yes a Vue ISS 35 feet in the air becomes a bit of a hassle, not really suited to this type of install.

Anyway good idea to check new battery voltage before install (especially being out of reach), should be close to 3.3v, these batteries don't require a big voltage drop before they are dead, which is around 3v. Green Tx ID should not be on anymore and should have gone off within a few minutes of replacing the battery and pushing the white button?

Good quality battery I assume? Can't think of much else?   

[dalecoy]

..... and i'm still losing data from about 5am to 8am or so plus/minus one hour.

With that symptom, just after replacing the battery, it is unlikely to be the supercap - more likely to be a battery problem. 

[SnowHiker]

Double check the polarity of the battery.  People have been known to put batteries in backwards.

[wildirishtime]

well i got up in the manlift and the NEW battery measured 2.67 volts... knowing a little about low voltage, i'm going to guess that's insufficient!  Placed a new battery, if you don't hear back from me that was the whole culprit, a bad lithium cell!    DRRR... I just Didn't want to get clear up there without being 'armed' with help from you guys, I appreciate all the responses!  Another forum alive and well!
-Brendan

[Mattk]

2.67 volts is even less than insufficient

[miraculon]

Please see this: http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=5098.msg46984#msg46984
My own measurements are consistent with these values. I was monitoring the battery voltage on my pre-Solar Temp/Hum station and needed a way to predict the demise.

Your battery was definitely in the no-data zone. You have my sympathy, it is especially maddening when the "new replacement" is just as bad as the suspect part.

Greg H.