Topic: WS-2902a stopped transmitting with snow

[madkiwi]

So it started raining here last night, at about 10 pm and started coming down as snow about midnight. At my 2nd home the Ambient station stopped transmitting outdoor information at 11:20 pm- no precip, temp or wind info has been logged since then, but pressure and indoor temp and humidity have been reported every 5 minutes.

System has been up since 11/8, after some initial problems with the location of the base station causing reception issues it has been rock solid since the 9th. Now nothing for 12 hours.

If we had 4" of snow (forecast- and judging by my driveway this morning about right) then I could understand the anemometer might stop working, but it should still be sending the temperature and humidity.

Updated 11/26

As I mentioned below, when I ventured out to the house where the Ambient is set up there was snow piled up on the unit. Not enough to block the anemometer or wind vane, but definitely piled up on the solar panel, the UV sensor and filling the rain gauge.

As soon as I cleared the snow off the unit it started transmitting to the base.

I do not believe it is related to the solar panel, the unit stopped transmitting at 11:20pm Friday night. Since the snow was cleaned off the data has been uploaded every 5 minutes to ambientweather.net, including Saturday night and Sunday. Batteries are new Eveready Ultimate Lithiums, installed 11/8. So somehow the snow on it was causing a problem.

Called Ambient, TS guy was nice and told me what my array is doing is something that he has not seen before so they are sending me a new one with with a UPS return label for the old one.

[kbellis]

Did you see the blinking light on the underside of the outdoor sensor?

[madkiwi]

Nope. I cleaned off the snow and it started working again.

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It is still working now. So... battery issues? New Eveready Lithiums installed 2 weeks ago.

[kbellis]

Nice photo, but was it taken before you cleared the snow?

One reservation I've had about this design has been the location of the solar panel.

[kbellis]

I'm not seeing any data on WU.
Is the internet connection icon showing up on the display console?

[madkiwi]

Nice photo, but was it taken before you cleared the snow?

Yes, that's why there's snow on it.

I'm not seeing any data on WU.
Is the internet connection icon showing up on the display console?

Internet is fine. Info is appearing at ambientweather.net, don't know what the heck is going on at WU.

In Montana snow is part of the experience. If this is going to black out every time we get some white precipitation then it's going to be a long and frustrating winter. I will try calling Ambient on Monday, otherwise it's still inside the Amazon 30 day window and Ambient can pay for a replacement that way.

M.

[kbellis]

I won't be able to make any tests for a month as my wife hasn't even ordered the WS-2902A for Christmas yet.
We've already gotten a foot of snow and your post has me wondering if other people in Montana, Maine, and other places that receive heavy snow and who have had the WS-2902A have experienced similar problems.

[Platokidd]

I have this same unit - ws-2902a.

We had snow and than the temps dropped to -28f with a wind chill of near -50f.
Had the same issue of losing outside data, it would come and go. I did brush of the unit with a broom gently and nojoy.

I have now lowered , completely cleaned off the unit and its been rock solid working.

madkiwi-Wondering how your 2902a has been performing since posting this thread. Could you share an up date? 

[madkiwi]

Sorry for the tardy response- haven't been on the site.

The sensor array has not had any issues since the first time that happened. Keep in mind that was early in the season and it had been raining before the temperature dropped and then started snowing. So that caused the snow to get stuck and build up on what we believe is the antenna protrusion.

I have not made any modifications to the sensor array since the first problem, apart from spraying some Sno-Jet spray polymer on it. Someone had suggested mounting a plastic shield over the antenna, with the side aimed towards my home (and base station) cut away. This would theoretically prevent a water/ice/snow buildup on the antenna. In one of the threads here they posted a drawing of what they were thinking, it looked like it would be just the ticket but I have not felt the need to try it yet.

Good luck!

Mark