Weather Station Hardware > Ambient Weather and Ecowitt and other Fine Offset clones

ObserverIP Firmware Tips - WS-2902A WS-2000 + Dealing with Meteobridge Bad Data

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galfert:
Last Updated: April 28, 2019
I will try and update this as new firmware is released.
Update: I've retired my ObserverIP now that the Meteobridge can talk to the GW1000.
Bye bye thread.
Bye bye ObserverIP.

PURPOSE: To list out and label each previous ObserverIP firmware (and current one) as to which are good downgrade choices and which aren’t. How to best run an ObserverIP as an add-on for WS-2902A and WS-2000 stations.

BONUS: How to Set Meteobridge Alerts and Automated Restart for Bad Data. (Info is few posts down, or follow this link):
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=34948.msg357305#msg357305

DISCLAIMER: This post is to share my experience with the ObserverIP in use with the WS-2902A sensor array. Please provide your feedback to this thread so that we can collaborate and learn from each other. My focus will be on this combination of devices. If you use an ObserverIP with a different sensor array like a WS-1400-IP or a WS-0900-IP then I would suggest that you read the ObserverIP firmware notes, and ignore my  notes. The focus will be on testing the best firmware for the WS-2902A for use with a Meteobridge. I mean why else would you need an ObserverIP if not for a Meteobridge as the ObserverIP alone hardly provides and added capabilities to the WS-2902A display console. From my testing it seems that the display console does a better job than the ObserverIP for WU and ambientweather.net.
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=34976.0

The purpose of this is to help others with WS-2902A and ObserverIP decide on which firmware to use. Given that new firmware is released often, this is information that can quickly become outdated. But at least it could serve as a guide in case someone wants to downgrade from a future new release and they need help deciding which previous firmware was a good one and which was bad. There may be a suitable older firmware for your needs as some updates are done for others models. But eventually there might be a feature you need that you can’t do without, so you’ll have your own minimum version that you are willing to use.

Currently with a couple of the latest firmware version for the ObserverIP I’ve noticed some stability problems where the ObserverIP will lose all network connectivity, become unreachable via the network, and it turns off the RF, Indoor, Outdoor, and Server LEDs. Only the ACT (blinks), Link, and Power remain on (yet is unreachable via network). This seems to happen randomly. I’ve read reports from other users having the same problem.

Turns out that perhaps we are asking too much from the ObserverIP. At least that is what is written in the firmware notes since version 4.3.8 release. Basically the firmware notes state that the ObserverIP was not designed to be access by many devices at the same time. It can supposedly reliably service one request at a time, meaning one Meteobride or one web browser looking at Live Data but not both…as they could overlap. The firmware notes also mention not more than 4 simultaneous web page requests. So it mentions 1 simultaneous request and it also mentions 4 simultaneous requests...which makes it vague and unclear which it is. From my experience I think 1 request is taxing enough.

Here below is my list of which ObserverIP firmwares are the Good Ones and which are the Bad Ones.

The Good Ones –  ObserverIP firmwares for use with WS-2902A:
These all seem to have 30 secs for WU updates. - I recommend using the console for WU.
4.5.6 - Several fixes: rain event, Relative pressure in WU fixed, adds PM2.5, and fixes Weather Network lockup. (still has DHCP bug - use static IP)
4.4.9 - Fixes for those that have changed rain calibration to anything other than 1.0.
4.4.7 – Came out to fix problem with WS-0900-IP
4.4.6 – Issued to fix problem with WU and WS-0900-IP, this fix did not impact WS-2902A
4.4.5 – Issued for adding more sensors (up to 8 sensors)
4.4.4 – Fixes WU reboot loop that was introduced by 4.4.2 - (So this reboot issue is not present in 4.4.0)
4.4.0 – Has fix for time stamp introduced by 4.3.8, First good one to have lockup fixes.

The Bad Ones – ObserverIP firmwares you should avoid with WS-2902A:
4.5.5 - Has bug that prevents it from changing settings on Weather Network tab.
4.5.2 - Has bug that makes it report Absolute Pressure instead of Relative Pressure to Weather Underground
4.5.1 - Has Daily Rain Reset issue. Under reports UV bug.
4.4.2 – Has a reboot loop issue
4.4.1 – Has WU bug
4.3.8 – Has time stamp bug. Was the first one to address and make some fixes for lockup issue of multiple devices accessing and is the one with notes about the hardware limitations of the ObserverIP. Not recommended because of time stamp bug.
4.2.0 – Has unspecified bug
4.1.9 – Has unspecified bug

The Not Great but maybe Just Okay Ones (a bit dated) – ObserverIP firmwares for WS-2902A:
These just were around before addressing Meteobridge Live Data access, may be slow, may lock up.
4.3.6 – Improved WU upload stability
4.3.1 – Removed Telnet
4.2.1 – The last probably okay one to use with Telnet – Only needed if you use WeeWx redirection or the like. Fixes bug in 4.2.0.
4.1.8 – Supposedly has 14 second WU updates. Prior to this since 4.1.0 timer for WU was 60 secs.
4.1.7m – no info
4.1.7 – Fixes WU formatting error when reading data string…may have affected Meteobridge.
4.1.4 – First one to support WS-2902A as a WS-1600-IP

Anything older than 4.1.4 is not a concern because it is not compatible with the WS-2902A (as a WS-1600-IP). There technically was a hack way to make older firmware work with the WS-2902A by selecting WS-1400-IP and then doing some correction to the anemometer because the WS-1400-IP counts wind differently. But again the WS-2902A has been supported by some time and there are plenty of newer firmwares to pick from that are probably better.

Link to all of these firmwares:
https://p10.secure.hostingprod.com/@site.ambientweatherstore.com/ssl/iptools/

TIP: If you want a Meteobridge and you also want to do redirection over to WeeWx then an option is to have 2 ObserverIP devices. One with the best firmware for the Meteobridge and one with the best 4.2.1 for WeeWx with Telnet capability to do the redirection. You will only need one WS-1000-BTH.

galfert:
After a bit over 24 hours of not touching my ObserverIP running 4.4.7 locked up. Only Power, Link, and ACT lights on...yet not able to be pinged on network and GUI doesn't come up. It stopped reporting to both WU and ambientweather.net. I suspect the problem may be related to either uploading to WU or ambientweather.net with the ObserverIP. Even though I suspect the problem to be WU I'm going to remove ambientweather.net from the ObserverIP as a test. If that doesn't work then I'll disable WU. The best method to remove a service upload is to first do a factory reset and then not configure that option. I've read that in the past some firmware kept reporting even after deleting the configuration fields.

So no browser access was done to Live Data page. Only the Meteobridge v3.7 was accessing the ObserverIP when lockup occurred.

Really wish Ambient (Fine Offset) would come out with a better ObserverIP. I'd pay more money for it. But it would need to be compatible from a Meteobridge perspective. Perhaps the data scraping isn't the best method. They should add a direct upload to Meteobridge option and then Meteobridge should adopt the new method. It's about time.

VinnyRI:

--- Quote from: galfert on August 21, 2018, 05:04:56 PM ---After a bit over 24 hours of not touching my ObserverIP running 4.4.7 locked up. Only Power, Link, and ACT lights on...yet not able to be pinged on network and GUI doesn't come up. It stopped reporting to both WU and ambientweather.net. I suspect the problem may be related to either uploading to WU or ambientweather.net with the ObserverIP. Even though I suspect the problem to be WU I'm going to remove ambientweather.net from the ObserverIP as a test. If that doesn't work then I'll disable WU. The best method to remove a service upload is to first do a factory reset and then not configure that option. I've read that in the past some firmware kept reporting even after deleting the configuration fields.

So no browser access was done to Live Data page. Only the Meteobridge v3.7 was accessing the ObserverIP when lockup occurred.

Really wish Ambient (Fine Offset) would come out with a better ObserverIP. I'd pay more money for it. But it would need to be compatible from a Meteobridge perspective. Perhaps the data scraping isn't the best method. They should add a direct upload to Meteobridge option and then Meteobridge should adopt the new method. It's about time.

--- End quote ---

Why don't you just let meteobridge do all the weather site uploads?

galfert:
I am currently running a temporary test comparing 3 devices simultaneously uploading to WU to different station IDs. All 3 devices data originates from the same WS-2902A outdoor sensor array.

1. WS-2902A console --> WU
2. ObserverIP --> WU
3. Meteobridge --> WU

So to answer your question as to why I don't just let the Meteobridge do all the uploading I'll say this... From a brief analysis of all 3 devices the data looks worse coming from the Meteobridge. Same data, just seeing various issues. These are only WU issues with the Meteobridge as the Meteobridge is performing well with other services. I just got my Meteobridge. So I need some more data to have more details. I'll be back with a nice long post showing screenshots and giving examples and explanations. It won't be on this thread. I'll create a new thread as I want more exposure and attention to the matter. Look for it soon in the Meteobridge sub-forum on this website. I'll try and remember to post a link though on this thread.

UPDATE - Not a Meteobridge issue. Look for update in this Ambient Weather sub-forum.

galfert:

--- Quote from: VinnyRI on August 21, 2018, 06:47:33 PM ---
Why don't you just let meteobridge do all the weather site uploads?

--- End quote ---

I've posted an new topic with analysis as to why I dislike using the Meteobridge for posting to WU specifically, (But it is because of the Ambient Weather ObserverIP).

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=34976.0

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