Topic: Davis VantagePro2 logging data with future dates

[N9XTN]

I have a Davis VantagePro2 weather station with a serial data logger option and am using WeatherLink 6.something to record the data. 

I have been having issues where the month in the data received by the computer has the month changed from 2 to 6 (February to June).  The rest of the data seems OK, in fact it seems to have the right day of month, year, and time - only the month number itself changes.  When that happens, WeatherLink tries to make charts ending with this future date and has all kinds of trouble.  The bad data repeatedly downloads from the logger because it thinks that it has not been transferred to WeatherLink.

At first I tried removing the invalid records from WeatherLink, but then the program would re-download the bad data and make a new data record with the same future date.  This makes me think the problem is inside the logger and not a faulty serial link (the fact it only hammers the month field and not any other data makes me think that as well).  My only solution now is to erase the archived data in the logger, but that produces a data gap between the time the bad date happened and whenever I clear the logger.  Prior to this month the problem happened only once, but this is now the third time this has happened in the last ten days.

If it helps, the webpage for the output is http://waterlooweather.net and is available on APRS as N9XTN-2 or CWOP as AT440.  At the moment it has the bad data showing on the webpage, but I'll clear the archive (again) when I get home and it'll work again.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and what was the resolution?  I'm hesitant to pay for a new logger until I rule out other potential issues.

Mark

[dalecoy]

I do not believe it could be a logger problem.  (But might require clearing the logger data)

1.  Do you have any .wlk files with "strange" dates in the filename?  Like 2015-06.wlk?

2.  Is the date/time on the console the same as the date/time on your computer?

If the above things don't provide a better clue, I suggest clearing the "archive" from the logger.  One easy way is from the same WeatherLink pulldown that you use to check the console time.

[N9XTN]

Yes, I do get .wlk files with the strange dates.

Console date/time is correct and in sync with computer.

It may not have been clear in my original post that I have cleared the archive data in the logger the last three times this has happened, but I get a new bad date stuck in the logger again within a couple days.

[dalecoy]

Yes, I do get .wlk files with the strange dates.

What do you do about those files?

What operating system are you using, and how is your computer's time set automatically? 

Does your computer reboot frequently? (or "blue screen" or crash often?)  If so, does the "rebooting" perhaps correlate with the problem with WeatherLink?

Have you considered that your hard drive might have some small problems?  [Running chkdsk might be a good idea]

[N9XTN]

OS is Win7 64bit, time is set with D4time every hour.  Computer is very stable and reboots only when Windows does an update.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a BSOD on it.  Disk is fine, no errors.

If I delete the future-dated records out of WeatherLink using the "Browse Records" function, the corresponding .wlk files disappear.  However, the next time WeatherLink redownloads the archive data from the console, it re-downloads the badly-dated records and the .wlk files reappear.

I am 99.99% certain the bad data is in the logger archive.  If it were a serial glitch, it would be random and the exact same badly-dated records would not reappear.  If I clear the archive, all functions normally again until a future-dated record reappears.

[dalecoy]

If I delete the future-dated records out of WeatherLink using the "Browse Records" function, the corresponding .wlk files disappear.  However, the next time WeatherLink redownloads the archive data from the console, it re-downloads the badly-dated records and the .wlk files reappear.

I am 99.99% certain the bad data is in the logger archive.  If it were a serial glitch, it would be random and the exact same badly-dated records would not reappear.  If I clear the archive, all functions normally again until a future-dated record reappears.

Good diagnostics.  Tough problem.

Has this problem just recently appeared?  And is the change always from month 2 to month 6?

Also, is there a "random" amount of time from when you clear the archive until the problem appears?  Or is it always the same amount of time?

[N9XTN]

It first happened last summer sometime, but only once.  That one may have been a serial glitch, as the problem disappeared as soon as I edited the records in WeatherLink (it didn't redownload new bad records).

Right now it's happening about every 3 days (has happened 3 times in the last several days).  I'll take note of the time interval this time.  Not purely random but not sure it's a fixed interval either.

At the moment, the month is always changed from 2 to 6.  Day and year remains the same.  Not sure if time is correct - it looks like it might be.  This last time, the last good record is within a couple minutes prior to the bad one.

I'm thinking the EEPROM or whatever nonvolatile storage used in the logger may be going bad.  I think it'd be an unusual problem, but running out of other possibilities.

[dalecoy]

At the moment, the month is always changed from 2 to 6.  Day and year remains the same.  Not sure if time is correct - it looks like it might be.  This last time, the last good record is within a couple minutes prior to the bad one.

I'm thinking the EEPROM or whatever nonvolatile storage used in the logger may be going bad.  I think it'd be an unusual problem, but running out of other possibilities.

Your diagnostics have been excellent.  And yes, it is certainly possible (but unusual and rare) that it could be a logger problem.

First, if you haven't done this recently:  (after the next time this problem occurs), remove all power (batteries and AC) from the console, remove the logger, wait a minute, plug the logger back in, and then restore power.  Check the settings, and then wait to see if the problem occurs again.

If this is actually a problem with some memory location(s) in the logger, then the problem interval would be relatively constant. 

Confirming diagnostics would be: (1) changing the archive interval would change how soon the problem occurs; and (2) clearing the archive every (2 days or so) would prevent the problem from occurring.  Of course, neither of those is a permanent solution.

[Aardvark]

I have a fast solution.  Having checked the date and time on your logger (console or Envoy) is correct.   Instead of farting around here with  retired engineers spouting their theoretical platitudes and theories

The logger records what the Envoy or the Console sends to it. Think of it as a file cabinet.   Contact Davis Instruments about the whole thing.  It could be a software error, it could be a hardware error. But I would go to the experts.

Let's say that your back hurts so bad you can't move. Are you going to the grocery store fish department for the cure?  Same here.

[N9XTN]

That was my next step - I was hoping this was a well-known issue with a simple fix, but sounds like it's neither.

[Bushman]

...
Let's say that your back hurts so bad you can't move. Are you going to the grocery store fish department for the cure?  Same here.

You mean like Daniel Palmer? 

[dalecoy]

........... farting around here with  retired engineers spouting their theoretical platitudes and theories

I resemble that remark!     

N9XTN, please let us know what Davis says.

de W5VBQ