Topic: offline - communication issues????? 433 interference

[mackbig]

I was joking in "last person thread" about comm issues from everyone having weather station in a neighbourhood.  I think I jynxed myself.

Something happend in my area Friday night.
chan 1-3 all failed at 6pm.  I had an issue with channel 1 sporadicaly over the years, but I am total shutdown now.

Trouble shooting so far.
multiple channel searches on os base
multiple reboot on shack recievers
took pool channel 3 off line
took batteries out of all shack receivers in house
tool chan 2 offline.
reset chan 1 sensor
resest another sensor to chan 1
even took batts out of old garage door opener


So I know its not the console, as the shack bases are having same issue and pretty sure its none of the sensors.
Next stepts, try my 'ultra cold sensor", order a new stock thgr968 so I am no longer using chan 1, order a davis since its on a diff frequency.  in order of expens, free to a hundred to several hundred.  doh....

I am stumped... its probably a close neghbour with some sort of malfunctioning 433mhz device (babay mon) or the fire station with their antenna array, or something else....?

Only new electronic device in house in my car.... and it arrived before Friday at 6pm?????

Andrew

[SlowModem]

Is it just the temp/rh sensors?  Have you tried to take a console outside and see if it receives when next to the sensor transmitter?  Did you try new batteries in the sensor/transmitter?

I'm just thinking out loud here.   

Greg

[port1]

With interference on all your OS sensors, it has to be something big, and your clue about the car is where I'd look.
Does your new car have remote start?  That's typically a long range capability, as I've noticed myself.
Take the remote for your car far enough away from your house to see it that's it.  Or wrap in in foil.
Keep us posted, sir!
 

Henry

[mackbig]

So far just the extra channels.  Yesterday i took the console down to where channe 1 and 2 were.  it picked them up.  But no more updates were rec'd when took console back upstairs.

Batteries are good, I could try fresh, but again we are talking about 3 sensors with all pretty new batteries all failing at the same time.

If it was just the console (and not the shack receivers supporting findings) I would do a hard reset on it as well.  May still do that now, in case (although should be impossible) it is somehow xmitting bad stuff.

Right now I have chan 1 sitting 6 inches from console, and a shack one 2 feet. Shack picked up chan 1 but console no dice yet????

Andrew

Is it just the temp/rh sensors?  Have you tried to take a console outside and see if it receives when next to the sensor transmitter?  Did you try new batteries in the sensor/transmitter?

I'm just thinking out loud here.   

Greg

[mackbig]

Well my car is awesome, so if I have to choose between OS and it, the car will win.  It cost me a whole lot of vp2's... so maybe I can hide it in the "closing costs" and get a 6153...

no starter, and its just a newer model than the car I had the past three years.   The remotes are the same (in appearance).  The only two "wireless" features it has that my old one did not, is comfort access and built in garage door opener buttons.  So the garage door buttons are pretty much the same as any clicker, and the other car has them as well.  The comfort access is "wireless" but I think it works on RFID, so it only searches for signal once you touch the door handle, then looks for signature from the remote control/key ....

I guess I could drive it down to my inlaws and leave all the remotes there to check it out.  but as I said, got the car wednesday, and this started Friday at 6pm.

Andrew

With interference on all your OS sensors, it has to be something big, and your clue about the car is where I'd look.
Does your new car have remote start?  That's typically a long range capability, as I've noticed myself.
Take the remote for your car far enough away from your house to see it that's it.  Or wrap in in foil.
Keep us posted, sir!
 

Henry

[mackbig]

Definitely something (new) in or around house. I just took a brand new THGN123n out of the box.  Inserted batteries 12 inches from console and a shack 6301030, they both picked it up.  Walked the sensor downstairs, about 15 feet away, they both lost it.

Andrew

ps: henry, wrapped the remotes for my car in aluminum foil and put in basement. car still in driveway, have to wait for naptime to end, to move it down the street.

[Axelvold]

it's probably one of your neighbours that have bought a new wireless thermometer, home security or maybe a new laptop with some wireless device.

Could be that neighbour that did complain about your webcam.

Edit:
Here is a small list what's transmitting on the 433 mhz band

Garage door openers
Doorbell
Wireless alarm
Control system
Remote Switch
Wireless audio / video links (SW part)
Over Falls alarm
Smoke detector
Wireless Headphones
Car alarms

[SlowModem]

What I don't understand is why it's only the temp sensors and not the anemometer, too.

[mackbig]

yup, me too.

Andrew

What I don't understand is why it's only the temp sensors and not the anemometer, too.

[Axelvold]

yup, me too.

Andrew

What I don't understand is why it's only the temp sensors and not the anemometer, too.

The reason is probably that the device that interfere is on the exact same frequency as the temp sensor.

See if you could change the frequency a little bit up or down (Don't know if that's possible)

[mackbig]

Funny, wife came home and asked if I figured out the issue...  I said "no".   She said "you know what that means ..."   "yes, I need to buy a new weather station..."  She said "no we have to move..."  gotta love real estate agent wives.

Andrew

[port1]

Definitely something (new) in or around house. I just took a brand new THGN123n out of the box.  Inserted batteries 12 inches from console and a shack 6301030, they both picked it up.  Walked the sensor downstairs, about 15 feet away, they both lost it.

Andrew

ps: henry, wrapped the remotes for my car in aluminum foil and put in basement. car still in driveway, have to wait for naptime to end, to move it down the street.

I read somewhere that having the sensors "too close" to the console isn't good for a link-up for the signals.  I am sure I read for them to be six feet (two meters for you!) apart.
Another clue: new car = new car alarm.  It might have taken a while for your console to lose it's handshake with the temp sensors due to so many signal collisions.  I don't think the console surrenders easily, as evidenced by it linking up with a channel three sensor at my house that I don't want it to "see".
It's very frustrating, for sure.
The aluminum foil will tell you if you're on the right track.  Troubleshooting isn't fun.
Don't give up, unless the wife let's you purchase a Davis!
Good Luck...and keep us posted, especially for those still using the OS 968's.
A hard reset may bring everything back...as a last resort.
BTW...do you have the console on surge suppression? Might have just been some stray over-voltages that farkled things for you.
Go ahead...try the hard reset.  Even the owner's manual suggests that when all else fails.
 

Henry

[mackbig]

I got it to read chan 1 and 2 using some 268's.    One of the shack units is still not reading chan 1 from 15 feet? 

Very strange, the new car was away for a bit.. so it did not seem to help the shack unit.   We'll see during the week when my car is at work for 12 hour chunks...

priced out my solution.
6153 $518.95
wireless anemometer $146.95
serial weatherlink 118.95
ouch u$784.85 plus shipping, duty and fx

Tripple ouch after UPS makes me bend ov...  As much as I like ambient, might consider Archer just cause they use USPS.
So I can solve this mystery with about a thousand C$...  happy birthday to me.....

Andrew

[port1]

I got it to read chan 1 and 2 using some 268's.    One of the shack units is still not reading chan 1 from 15 feet? 

Very strange, the new car was away for a bit.. so it did not seem to help the shack unit.   We'll see during the week when my car is at work for 12 hour chunks...

priced out my solution.
6153 $518.95
wireless anemometer $146.95
serial weatherlink 118.95
ouch u$784.85 plus shipping, duty and fx

Tripple ouch after UPS makes me bend ov...  As much as I like ambient, might consider Archer just cause they use USPS.
So I can solve this mystery with about a thousand C$...  happy birthday to me.....

Andrew

Fooey!    Lot's of $, even in Canadian.
No good.
Suggest continue troubleshooting...although that's not fun.
Nope...not at all.

You know...that hard reset, as dreaded as a choice it may seem to be, may be your solution.
Did the aluminum foil at least eliminate some doubts?
 
What about my question regarding surge suppression?
Stray voltages are an enemy of electronics....

Henry

[mackbig]

Well it seems to have stuck since 3pm yesterday. ??? stuck in a good way, meaning I have no flat lines, or dashes on console....

so two theories.

1) it was the car, and its departure from the house at 2:25 allowed the signal to connect, and its return around 5:30 did not disrupt it again.

2) the external source stop emitting
a) it was a device that started sending out junk as its battery got low, and sunday afternoon the batter finally ran out or was replaced.
b) perhaps something like a baby monitor, visitors for the weekend arrived friday eve left sunday aft?

Hoping for 2a or b.

Andrew

ps: if I do have to get a vp2, hope I can arrange pre snow, so I can get the anny up there.

[mackbig]

Henry.
Foil no impact, so I guess rules out handheld remotes.

Its on a surge suppresion strip, attached to a tripp lite SMART1000LCD ups with voltage regulation, so I doubt it was a stray volt... Also since this "interference" also affect my 4 radio shack recievers, which are 100% battery, that was also one of the its not the oregon console's fault

Hard reset avoided for now.  Besides I hard reset the shack's about 200 times yesterday.

Andrew

You know...that hard reset, as dreaded as a choice it may seem to be, may be your solution.
Did the aluminum foil at least eliminate some doubts?
 
What about my question regarding surge suppression?
Stray voltages are an enemy of electronics....
Henry

[port1]

No stray volts for sure.  Rf interference can be a bugger...have to rule out vehicle next.
Good luck sir. 

Henry

[GregK]

I had sent 3 OS WMR-200 units back and forth all summer long due to incorrect readings on the console.  Everytime I got a new weather station and set it up, the Indoor/Outdoor  read 71.5 or something like that.

After several months, I found an old honey well sensor transmitting at 75.5 stuck deep inside my end table. I wasted 3 months with OS over this.

Anyhow, someone suggested I take the base unit and sensors, drive several miles away to a friend or some other location, set the sensors up, and see if they work.  If they work okay, then there is something around home causing the problem.  At least you know your equipment is not at fault.

Of course, I am sure you already thought of this...but just wanted to chime in.

Greg

[mackbig]

Yup, I remember this, cause it was me that suggested it to solve your issues. 

That would have been a next step once I eliminated everything in the house.  Mine is a bit different cause everything else worked for almost 4 years.  Also my farthest sensors rain, and wind never stopped functioning.

Anyway has been working since Sunday afternoon, knock on wood.

Of course in the middle of the wind storm last night wind dropped to 0.  Direction kept changing so comm's are good. guess its time to climb up and lube, and tighten screw... I think the last time this happend was Oct/Nov time frame as well???   or maybe I should wait till vp2 arrives, and try to only climb up once.

Andrew

Anyhow, someone suggested I take the base unit and sensors, drive several miles away to a friend or some other location, set the sensors up, and see if they work.  If they work okay, then there is something around home causing the problem.  At least you know your equipment is not at fault.

[W Thomas]

Does sound like a close neighbor had a baby monitor with a weak battery.I have noticed my OS sensors get very spurious on a weak battery.