WXforum.net
Weather Station Hardware => Ambient Weather and Ecowitt and other Fine Offset clones => Topic started by: Aircub on May 29, 2017, 03:33:38 AM
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Hi I have a Maplin Maplin Professional Solar Powered Wi-Fi Weather Station Code: N23DQ, which I believe is a clone of the Ambient Weather WS-1001.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-professional-solar-powered-wi-fi-weather-station-n23dq
(http://images.maplinmedia.co.uk/maplin-professional-solar-powered-wi-fi-weather-station.jpg?w=283&h=283&r=4&o=J$vHeo5AuUAfPtA5oeZ6bqBNzmkj&V=hUkB)
Recently the outside temperature overhead by about 10 degrees when the humidity is high, when its dry it goes back to normal, is it possible to replace the temperature sensor on the outside unit.?
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Seem my post here
http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=30689.new#new (http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=30689.new#new)
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Thanks will take a look at the sensors when I get a free moment.
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(...) is it possible to replace the temperature sensor on the outside unit.?
Both stations use WH24 and WH24A (external) and WH25 and WH25A (internal) sensors - both are interchangeable. Important to be configured for the same frequency of 433 MHz or 866 MHz or 915 MHz. Typically, the sensors carry all three bands simultaneously.
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mine doesnt its a sht31 package temp/humidity and its a maplin N23DQ
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SENSIRION-SHT31-DIS-B-Humidity-Sensor-2-3-3-V-0-to-100-Relative-Hum-/172196302822?epid=1467966912&hash=item2817b30fe6:g:OdMAAOSwYmZXLMMe (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SENSIRION-SHT31-DIS-B-Humidity-Sensor-2-3-3-V-0-to-100-Relative-Hum-/172196302822?epid=1467966912&hash=item2817b30fe6:g:OdMAAOSwYmZXLMMe)
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After the Ophelia 'storm' my humidity and temperature readings went totally mad.
From my Maplin N23DQ, the sensor looks very different to others pictured.
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I replaced it with a "SHT30-D Temperature Humidity Sensor Breakout 3.3v 5v For Arduino Arm RPi ESP8266" I found on eBay. The pins are not in the same order.
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Very pleased it is up and running - just hoping I have silicone sealed it well enough, although the sensor itself is exposed.
Should the little circuit board be sprayed with something inert but water-repellent ?
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Can you give the Ebay link, my reading have gone haywire too.
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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272493116297 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272493116297)
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After the Ophelia 'storm' my humidity and temperature readings went totally mad.
From my Maplin N23DQ, the sensor looks very different to others pictured.
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I replaced it with a "SHT30-D Temperature Humidity Sensor Breakout 3.3v 5v For Arduino Arm RPi ESP8266" I found on eBay. The pins are not in the same order.
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Very pleased it is up and running - just hoping I have silicone sealed it well enough, although the sensor itself is exposed.
Should the little circuit board be sprayed with something inert but water-repellent ?
at the top of the radiation shield where it meets the rest of the unit apply silicon this also where the water tends to leak through , and can be problematic during dense fog.. self amalgamating tape from b&q or some plumbing shop in the uk or even maplins might sell it .just wrap a small piece around the circuit board leaving the sensor exposed..basically condensation does build up and sends your reading awol ..dew,water all act as a conductor !...brian
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Thanks for the detailed advice.
I have sealed the hole where the shield is attached to the main body of the PWS, and the hole through which the wire goes. So I hope that water cannot be blown through the shield up into the batteries/electronics.
It was quite noticeable how dirty the old sensor was, but even after I had gently removed the grime with isopropanol, I could see apparent corrosion damage to the circuit board tracks (see my cleaned up picture showing where I had checked for continuity under the corrosion)
I suppose it is a perpetual problem - the sensor has to be in free flowing air, so it will get contaminated eventually (18 months in this case).
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If you look the photo you can see the exposed solder points so only need a small amount of water or condensation across the solder points and it will go erratic , when I owned one I particularly paid attention to that area after addressing that area I had no more erratic readings regardless of heavy rain in our case flash floods and heavy dense fog I live 150 meters from the sea so prone to dense fog during the cooling months , in fact you can watch the fog flow through the air at times when it is really dense . I would definitely address that circuit board area .
Have fun and if you live in high UV area like here in Istanbul the wind vane will eventually break mine crumbled in my hand when I took it down a month ago..the plastic is not uv resistant and it just turned in a Bakelite powder literally as I touched it, if a bird sat on it would have broken long before.
Expected life of these models 3 years max and trash it sadly but they give you a good insight into the hobby.if I hadn’t gave it away I would have salvaged the solar panel for another project ..
Brian
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Should the little circuit board be sprayed with something inert but water-repellent ?
I use Conformal Coating Spray to seal my circuit boards and solder joints. You also get it in brush on which is great, as you don't have to mask items that must be left open such as the sensor opening.
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Hi.
I have an Ambient Weather Clone (sold as MiSol).
For more than a month my outdoor unit is not reading the humidity correctly, always shows higher values than any other unit close to it, and at night it usually shows 99% humidity until sunrise, and sometimes the display shows - - %.
I read some topics about this problem, but it seems that Ambient Weather (and Fine Offset) doesn't sell spare parts (sensors). And I'm not going to buy a new outdoor unit just because one bad sensor.
Does anyone know if it's possible to find the sensor (OEM) to replace the bad one, or if there is a way to replace the sensor with another one, a "generic" sensor with the same specs?
I tried to remove the batteries and cover the solar panel to "reset" the unit, but it didn’t make a difference. So, as the sensor is not working as it should, I tried to clean it by spraying clean water and let it dry, it didn't make a difference. So, I put three hygrometers close to the outdoor unit to know what the humidity was and I changed the calibration on the console, since the humidity today is something between 50% and 60% it seems to be "working", but I doubt it will read the correct humidity when it is really high.
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See my earlier posts.
Try to find the same little circuit board online - wherever you get it in the world it is so timy that the postage will only be the cost of a letter.
Good Luck !
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See my earlier posts.
Try to find the same little circuit board online - wherever you get it in the world it is so timy that the postage will only be the cost of a letter.
Good Luck !
Can I replace the original sensor with the SHT30 / SHT30-D board? Because the original sensor board I can't find it for sale.
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I replaced mine sucessfully.
But please see my cautionary note on the wires not being in the same order.
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I replaced mine sucessfully.
But please see my cautionary note on the wires not being in the same order.
I bought two of those little boards. Now is just a matter of waiting (a lot of time) to get it here and also to learn which wire goes to which connection on the new sensor. It was really cheap, but the problem is that it takes 40 to 60 days for the awful, slow and corrupt Brazilian customs to release it from "their hands" .... that is the price to pay for being born in a third world country. :?
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I would just like to thank everyone for the useful info my Maplin clone croaked earlier this week I bought a SHT31-D from Ebay
one of these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182116692919?ViewItem=&item=182116692919&clk_rvr_id=1505314044227&mfe=si_en-GB_itemClick&mpt=1524239464434
The version with RH connector already soldered on
Once connected it is a 100% compatible part and my weather station is 100% again
In fact the temp is now more accurate as well.
I also updated the Maplin firmware to V2.46 from the Ambient site probably no value in doing so but I wanted to use the "EasyWeatherIP" software rather than the screen buttons to configure the unit and assumed I best use their firmware as well
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My Maplin clone has also started reporting humidity 99% Temperature 60°. I'm really keen to replace the module but don't know which wire is which. Is it obvious when I strip the sensor down? Can anyone help, I'm sure it's easy but I'm nervous. Thanks in advance.
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Be brave.
Take pictures at each stage in case you want to show them on this forum.
Write down which wire was connected to which code on the old board.
If two wires have same colour, do something to make them unique before disconnecting.
Both the old and new circuit boards will hopefully have same codes. So easy then.
If you cannot match the codes, send the pix here !
Good luck.
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Thanks for the encouragement, it's up the ladder this weekend and I'll order the sensor now. Good to know there's help if it all goes wrong. I'll post photos when I'm done.
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Thanks for the encouragement, it's up the ladder this weekend and I'll order the sensor now. Good to know there's help if it all goes wrong. I'll post photos when I'm done.
Will be interested to see if this works, if it does then I will order one too. Taking some good photos would be good for us that still need to do this.
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Finally!! the sensors arrived.
I bought two, just in case..... and also bought a set of bars with pins and connectors.
Now is just a matter of disassembly the outdoor unit and try to find out how to solder the wires in the correct order...... let's see if I'm able to do it.
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So, here we go...
I removed the radiation shield to try to find out how to install the new sensor, since it has a completely different shape.
(https://i.imgur.com/awoDXMS.png)
First I thought that I would just to insert it in the slot that the old sensor was (I just had to cut the two little tabs that hold the original sensor in place) but it was a bad idea for two reasons, first because I accidentally broke a small plastic piece with one of the capacitors on the back of the new sensor board, damaging the board (luckily I bought two of them), the second the reason is that the sensor was too close to the top of the radiation shield.
(https://i.imgur.com/HENYKSm.png)
So, I used a flat piece of plastic to create an extension to install the sensor more or less in the same position as the original sensor was. I used hot glue to hold the piece of plastic in place and glued the top of the board to the piece of plastic. After soldering the wires I applied a coat of transparent nail lacquer to try to protect it from moisture.
Also, I was able to "save" the glue on the top, so I reused it to seal the top of the radiation shield (using hot glue to put it back in place).
(https://i.imgur.com/EKzezeK.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/jEHu0gA.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/5QxE2AD.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/5KhW4Kb.png)
Then I put everything back together ... and.... it worked! The sensor works really well, the readings seems to be very accurate.
(https://i.imgur.com/caVpULL.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/sWzDS2Z.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/54NtpqI.png)
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Thanks for the pics. :-) I might need them when mine stops working! I got the original unit replaced under warranty and so far (fingers crossed) the new one is still working. Mine is a Maplins ws1001 clone and the warranty is up in August. Maplins have now ceased trading anyway so I'm on my own for any back up. I'll just see how long I can keep it going by repairing it myself if it goes wrong.
I really bought it mainly for the anemometer function but I have found the rainfall data useful via WG when we are away to see if the garden is likely to be drying out.
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Oh, I forgot to mention. When I was opening the outdoor unit to replace the sensor I notice that it didn't turn off when I took the batteries out ..... yes, it has a supercapacitor inside, so mine is the same model sold as Ambient Weather 1002. Nice suprise. \:D/
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Have the N23DQ ( 3 years old )who had stopped working with his temperature, looked online and found this side, first thing what I like to say is that all the people like to help what I have read so far. I found my answer here, and like to THANK YOU for what need to do in the first place. The pictures helps, step by step. very nice. I have installed the SHT31 SHT31-D Temperature & Humidity Sensor Breakout Board Weather Module f G2G1, Ordered from ebay and installed, and works fine for now,. and thanks again.
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Hey all
i just want to ask if i can use another sensor than the one you all used, since it take a lot of time to reach my country..
For example can i use this :-SI7021 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Breakout
(https://www.robotistan.com/si7021-temperature-and-humidity-sensor-breakout-22288-41-B.jpg)
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The SHT31 works great in my HP1003 station !
I have to reset the outside unit and the sensor needed some time to show the correct values.
Thanks for the nice howto pictures !!!
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Sorry to revive an old thread but I have this same problem. I have a new SHT30 but the old sensor isn't labeled at all. On the board in the station the four connections are marked TH1 TH2 RH1 & RH2 with a red striped wire going to TH1. No indication of Vin or GRND. Could anyone tell me which of the four connections above relate to Vin GRND SDA & SCL? I've tried wiring it in but I'm getting 99% RH an -20c on the console now???
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Sorry to revive an old thread but I have this same problem. I have a new SHT30 but the old sensor isn't labeled at all. On the board in the station the four connections are marked TH1 TH2 RH1 & RH2 with a red striped wire going to TH1. No indication of Vin or GRND. Could anyone tell me which of the four connections above relate to Vin GRND SDA & SCL? I've tried wiring it in but I'm getting 99% RH an -20c on the console now???
Wow you are a member since 2016 and this is your first post! What took you so long? Just kidding with you and giving you a hard time. Good to hear from you and welcome.
Doesn't sound like you have the same weather station model being discussed in this thread. What brand and model weather station do you have?
The SHT30 is a serial digital device utilizing the I2C bus protocol. This means that both temperature and humidity get transmitted via the same 2 wires (the serial I2C bus). The other two wires on the SHT30 are for power. On your device based on the names of the 4 connections it seems like some other method that is not I2C is being used. To me TH1 and TH2 sounds like are wires used to transmit Temperature, and RH1 and RH2 sound like are used to transmit Relative Humidity. There is no dedicated power wires like in the SHT30 because I think your system is using an analog method of data transmission. This is all a guess. I could be wrong. We will know more once you give us your station brand and model. It could be that you may have a older version that didn't use digital and used analog yet it still looks like the pictures of the station in this thread. So it doesn't seem like the SHT30 would be compatible. They do make an analog version of the SHT30 but I'm not sure that will work either. I think you have something else all together.
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Thanks for the info. My station is a Maplin N23DQ. It's been okay up until now, although the rain gauge died last year. But now the temperature is over reading,I thought it was time to try and fix it. I think I've fixed the rain gauge by wiring in a new reed switch. I ordered the SHT30 after looking at this thread, but after opening up the station I found the temp/humidity sensor is a little different and not labelled. I tested the the board and appear to be getting about 2v off the TH2 pin and GRND from the RH1. So I wired those accordingly and put TH1 to SCL and RH2 to SAA but I'm getting temperatures of +58 and RH 99%.
So I guess it's either still wired wrong or the sensor is bad.
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freightdog,
Your Maplin N23DQ is of an older generation. It doesn't use the digital SHT30 SMD chip. Instead it uses an analog humidity resistor and a thermistor thermometer also analog. The pairs of wires are each for a separate sensor.
See this for a picture (you can see both sensors):
http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=30689.msg324655#msg324655
See here for reference to both parts:
http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=30689.msg326024#msg326024
Essentially these are the parts you need:
HR202L for humidity
NTC-MF52-103/3435 for temperature
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Ah.. well that would explain it then! I shall try and source those parts and see if they will make a difference.
Thank you Galfert for all your help, it's very much appreciated.
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There might be another solution. I say might because I don't know enough about this. So it might be possible to convert the output from the SHT30 to analog using an digital to analog converter. Perhaps this is not the correct device to use...but maybe something like it. Or maybe you need two of these since I only see one analog output pair...which might mean that you need two SHT30 and then each of the digital to analog converters one does themometer and the other does humidity.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/mcp4725-digital-to-analog-converter-hookup-guide?_ga=2.20162616.1823937908.1549569423-1074852380.1549081028
Probably not worth the trouble. But I just thought I'd mention it in case this was your sort of thing to figure out.
Another option is to realize that your weather station is pretty dated. The fact that you've kept it going this long is impressive. So you've fixed the rain gauge recently and now you need to fix the temperature and humidity sensor....so what will break next the wind? My point is that these are not expensive weather stations....Maybe you should consider a new WH2900 or WS-2902A that will have much better sensor parts and is more accurate in all respects. This newest generation is very good at wind direction and doesn't flap as much in the wind for direction. Also it uses a supercapacitor so you don't need to use rechargeable batteries. That and more. Your call. Just wanted to inform you that technology has advanced and that there is not just new stuff available but new better stuff as not always is new stuff really better.
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Well if I can fix it few a few quid then happy days! But if not, then I agree a new one will be the best option.
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Looks like it's my turn now.. I already have my Maplins N23DQ in bits to replace the wind cup bearings but I knew the temperature sensor had failed (as usual) so I am going to do it all together.
It seems I have the analogue sensors shown in dupreezd's link. One leg of the temperature sensor has actually come off! I would have quite liked to just replace the temp sensor because I'm worried about the four identical grey wires and the soldering for both sensors. I have done some soldering but I'm no radio ham!
I fear I may have to bite the bullet though because it all looks in such a state! Does anyone have a link for the two analogue sensors, and any clues about the wiring? If the sensors are identical I can mark the wires but If it's all upgraded I haven't a clue!
(https://i.imgur.com/Pe1XehS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3f6sD3i.jpg)
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It is not my intention to demean or tell anyone what they should do, but I just think at some point isn't it time to just replace the whole thing? I understand that everyone's budget is different. Also if you can fix what you have for very little then it makes sense to fix it. Unless you realize that there is much to gain from newer technology, especially when you have the analog version of a station. I still have some older computers that at one point ran Windows 98, XP and Vista. Some of these don't work and I could have fixed them cheaply with a new hard drive (even a free hard drive as I tend to amount them because of my work) or even a new cheap CMOS battery, but at some point the old device is just better being replaced. By all means fix your old station if you want or if that is your best option. I just want to inform that there is much to gain from a newer station as these aren't very expensive stations to begin with. Everyone fixes a Davis, but these Fine Offset stations are really just disposable, especially these older ones. I just want everyone to know that I just walked on egg shells. Please do not lash out. It is not my intention to instigate or start anything. I'm not all high and mighty either. By all means you are entitled to your opinion.
The pros of a new station:
- Digital sensors that are more accurate less prone to high temp bias and track humidity better and greater barometric precision
- Wind vane that tracks better and flaps around less
- Anemometer with lower pickup speeds
- Nicer newer displays
- Displays with extra features
- Ability to connect to new online services like Ecowitt.net and/or AmbientWeather.net and/or WeatherCloud, and/or Metoffice WOW (all without extra hardware depending on brand)
- Ability to through AmbientWeather.net enjoy Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant integration (for Ambient brand)
- Ability to add new extra temp/hum sensors; soil, PM2.5 and others coming soon
- ...and much more
Its a worthy upgrade is what I'm saying. Just weigh all your options with a clear picture of what new advances are available. The difference is like the old analog TV. If you knew someone that was still using an analog TV via some converter box and the TV stopped working would you advise them to just replace some cheap capacitors if they knew how to do the work and you knew that was the problem...or would you advise them that they don't know the world they are missing for not having a digital HD TV? That old station is not like an old classic car that you necessarily want to keep running. I bought an Ambient station knowing full well it wasn't a Davis and when it craps out I'll replace it if there is newer technology, and I'll fix it if it is still current technology. There is also the fun and challenge of fixing something that is broken especially if the parts are cheap, and I understand that as I'm a tinkerer. But maybe you can pass it down to someone starting off after fixing it and treat yourself to a new digital station. Everyone is different and I respect your thoughts. I feel like I've said all this before in another thread...not sure or if finally this is the time I get this off my head as I've held this thought back for some time in the past for fear of being chastised. I'm just trying to inform and help and make sure you are considering all the options with the most information as some people may think a new station is the same as the old station they already have.
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I'm certainly not offended. Interesting to hear your views. :-)
I can only speak for me.. I must say I don't consider my (replacement under warranty) weather station 'old' at two years! If I can fix it cheaply rather than chuck it out, I will. I always get a buzz if I can do that with anything. :grin:
I only bought a weather station originally because I wanted to see what strength the wind really was here in one of the windiest parts of England. I am on a headland and I don't think the nearby stations get quite the same conditions. I originally thought 80 UK pounds for the basic hard-wired wind meter I was considering was enough! Once I saw the possibilities of a wireless unit connected to the internet I started to think slightly bigger. At the time this Maplins station was my only real choice at around £200. The Davis wireless and internet capable equivalents were about £700 and had plenty of bad reviews for the same sort of failings as the Maplins unit.
If I can't fix this one, I might go up to £350 for something really bombproof but not for another load of trouble. I can't afford to keep replacing it every 3 years or so. Do you have any recommendations for a good station that is long-lasting, reliable but repairable gelfert? For what I need, I'm actually fairly happy with mine except that I wouldn't mind a touch screen and better software as you mentioned.
Btw- Re the analogue TV analogy, If the person I was fixing it for was happy with what they had, I would explain what they were missing, let them decide and be quite happy to fix it for them. I do have most of what I want already in a weather station and what I'm missing isn't that compelling for me, not compelling enough to outweigh the cost implications anyway.
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Hi Transporterman, I would echo what George (Galfert) has stated. I was in a similar place earlier this year with an old Maplin weather station that has become erratic after nearly 10 years.
I started investigating my options as in the UK we now don't have many options since Maplins demise.
In my case I e-mailed Fine Offset in Hong Kong and was contacted back by Lucy and she informed me that they can supply their kit via the Ecowitt brand which is their direct to users reseller.
After discussion I opted for a HP2550 station which is the equivalent of the Ambient Weather WS-2000.
You can see my review/story here:
https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/90735-ambient-weather-ws-2000-fineoffset-hp2550/page/3/
The beauty of Ecowitt/FO is that they will customise whatever you want and they obviously have the latest kit which the other global resellers or US based ones like Ambient don't always have.
You can have the newer individual weather sensor components or a all in one sensor array and place them with a HP2550 console. If you get a GW-1000 as well then all the data can upload to Ecowitt.net which is an online data repository/reporting website. This is truly excellent, and whilst it does not quite replace my Cumulus MX installation (another project) I do highly recommend it. How much kit you buy and go with initially can be totally configured and up to you.
Be warned that the Ecowitt website is not great but use it as reference of what kit is available and then ask Lucy what you would like.
I would suggest that you have a read of the forum's and contact Lucy and ask for a quote/initiate a discussion. She will give you a USD$ price including shipping to the UK and you can choose the frequency 433 or 868Mhz of the kit you want.
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I meant to add that if you are really wedded to your old console display you could probably get Lucy to sell you just a new sensor array if you wanted, though as Galfert states the newer sensor arrays are far superior and I would really recommend that you go down that route.
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I feel that the newest generation Fine Offset clones should last longer than the older generation. That said they still aren't to Davis quality, even though Davis temp/humidity sensors seem to last about 18 months (give or take and there are some lucky exceptions)...but at least with the VP2 that is simple reasonable fix (not so much with the Vue.) The good news also is that the newest generation Fine Offset is easier to maintain and replace parts as they are modular and easily replaced instead of replacing the whole thing. With the newest generation you wouldn't be replacing the whole thing because of how it was designed and built. Of course there is no guarantee.
For comparison take a look at these parts where you have available separate rain, wind direction, wind speed, and thermo/hygro sensor parts (easy), even a replacement base shell with solar panel and PCB and no sensors:
https://www.ambientweather.com/amwewsrepa5.html
For the older generation it was just replace the whole thing unless you knew how to handle a soldering iron and resorted to finding sensors and bearings..etc. on your own. (not easily serviceable):
https://www.ambientweather.com/amwewswestre1.html
A touchscreen does not exist, unless you use a tablet or phone (Android or iOS) with a weather template website running (which requires added software). But the WS-2000 (Ambient) or HP2551 (Ecowitt) or HP2550 (Fine Offset generic part#) display is almost identical to your current display but it is black and has a bit nicer software running on it with more features. Unfortunately your old display is not compatible with the newest sensor array. Maybe your old display is worth something on eBay to recover some cost of the new station.
I agree with Mandrake that Ecowitt is a great option to go with. They will customize exactly the station you want with the correct frequency for your country. You don't need to also get the GW1000 to get on Ecowitt.net as they have announced that pretty soon the HP2551 will gain that ability. But what is unknown at this point is if the HP2551 will also gain the API ability that the GW1000 has. The API allows other weather software to talk to your console and get the data. Much like Mandrakes experience running Cumulus on his old station. Although Cumulus 1 is not compatible you can use alternatives like Meteobridge easily with the API. Soon Ecowitt will release the API and other software will probably become compatible if those developers choose to adopt the API, like Cumulus MX, WeeWx and Weather-Display. But for now the GW1000 is the only one with the API. You can have and run both an HP2551 and a GW1000 and both getting data from the same outdoor sensor array. The HP2551 display might be a bit pricey so you could start with just an GW1000 and a new outdoor sensor array, then add the HP2551 display later, you might miss the display that you are used to but you could see the GW1000 live data on your mobile device (phone or tablet) using the WS View app or pull up Ecowitt.net on a browser. Another future upgrade to do more with the data would be a Meteobridge or other software once they gain the ability to use the GW1000 API.
For completeness it is also possible to today run other weather software than the Meteobridge with the GW1000. Another popular choice is to run WeeWx with the Interceptor driver and this works with any Fine Offset console pretty much so you don't need the GW1000, but it also requires some network changes but it is doable with a Raspberry Pi easily and there is plenty of help regarding this. You can also run Weather-Display software via the Meteobridge. But if you already then have the Meteobridge then it might not make so much sense...unless there is a feature you really like about Weather-Display and so there are options.
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A lot of stuff to take in! For now I am going to repair it myself, if it works I might give it away or stick it on Ebay. Here in the UK they are asking a ridiculous £100 just for a second hand array with no console.
I only mentioned wanting a touch screen because of the time it takes to enter a router password using buttons and if you get one character wrong you have to do it all again! ](*,)
I still think the costs are high, even if I buy a Davis VP2 at £650, I will still have to be replacing parts every 18 months.
The real truth is I don't care about data in the way you guys do, and I don't really mind what the screen layout looks like either as long as it works to give me fairly accurate wind speed and direction. I like the rainfall totals too. All of this being online is great for when I'm away for a few weeks to see if my exposed (and needy) house is either flooding, baking or bits are being blown off!
One thing that does tempt me with HP2551 is the option of the soil sensors. 8-) It would be great to know when parts of the garden are drying out in Summer if we are away.
So if I can't fix my station I may well yet be seduced by your excellent recommendations!
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If you are really worried about sensor array components failing regularly then go for the new individual sensor arrays from the Ecowitt HP3501 and combine that with the HP2551 screen.
Just drop Lucy an e-mail at sales@ecowitt.com and say that you've been directed to them. Lucy will give you a UK shipped price.
The new individual sensors are only 6 months old in terms of release and would give you that flexibility you desire should components fail. The costs are not that bad and you may be pleasantly surprised. Currently there is no other way to get this tech in the UK.
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A lot of stuff to take in! For now I am going to repair it myself, if it works I might give it away or stick it on Ebay. Here in the UK they are asking a ridiculous £100 just for a second hand array with no console.
I only mentioned wanting a touch screen because of the time it takes to enter a router password using buttons and if you get one character wrong you have to do it all again! ](*,)
I still think the costs are high, even if I buy a Davis VP2 at £650, I will still have to be replacing parts every 18 months.
The real truth is I don't care about data in the way you guys do, and I don't really mind what the screen layout looks like either as long as it works to give me fairly accurate wind speed and direction. I like the rainfall totals too. All of this being online is great for when I'm away for a few weeks to see if my exposed (and needy) house is either flooding, baking or bits are being blown off!
One thing that does tempt me with HP2551 is the option of the soil sensors. 8-) It would be great to know when parts of the garden are drying out in Summer if we are away.
So if I can't fix my station I may well yet be seduced by your excellent recommendations!
Hello
i read your experiences of WS1001(or Maplin version N23DQ) it all sounded so familiar my maplin version lasted less than a year right from the offset it developed problems and after one summer of high UV here in istanbul it began to turn yellow and the rim of the rain bucket began to break off three months late the wind vane crumbled into dust ! it required constant maintenance some serious issues in design and component use , under heavy fog
the condensation or dew build on the temperature circuit board was very visible when taking apart ,this caused open circuit as dew or condensation becomes conductor across various solder points its the poorly designed circuit board and lack of thought in design.
so if you can justify the cost of a Davis VP2 and do what I did prior to purchase. find a reliable human seller thats contactable via phone there are numerous good resellers and dedicated companies in the UK and present on this forum. So being abroad but I wanted to buy through a native english
speaker supplier (nothing prejudice just when it comes to being technical its good to be fluent and localized). Wherever I chose to buy through I was
going to get hit with a 35% import duty no fault of supplier , so here is what i ddi having same concerns about temperature sensor replacement and being abroad its never going to be a next day fix (shipment) . I contacted a supplier reliable one in the UK before purchasing and negotiated (haggled) if I buy the Davis VP2 would they give me a price reduction on a replacement sensor board (which is take out and plug new one in solution) it wasnt a
bad requests and neither was trying to get the best price I just wanted to buy from a reliable seller and it was more of a reassurance to me and having a spare to hand if and when needed.I got 50% off on the replacement sensor when I ordered at the same time..and its this is easy to install
https://www.davisinstruments.com/product_documents/weather/manuals/07395-243_IM_06930.pdf
i could have got everything cheaper through amazon if I had money savings best price as my motive but i wanted that reassurance in the event of issues arising , all electronics are prone to develop defects and more so due to the nature of this hobby but I can honestly say the £650 is buying you a totally different piece of equipment from the fine offset brands be it old or new ones there is a big difference .
having been exactly where you are now and yes the N23DQ is totally repairable if you have the knowledge there all regular components often can be found through RS or Farnell and a bit of solder , my old N23DQ is still functional after many many repairs (note functional) but its data is not trustworthy by a long way ..
Its all down to the disposable income and justifying the cost and I honestly say there is a massive difference in build quality and durability .
whats the uk comparison i remember commonly heard the volvo will last forever but the fiat might fall apart after a few years but it looks prettier ..
good luck in your outcome and if you do decide to repair the ND23q youll learn how bad it was actually manufactured but its a hobby and I always take the view when Im ready to throw it away one mans junk is another mans gold ...so I actually never throw it away..brian
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I notice my Maplins unit has turned yellow, but so far it's not degrading. I did look on RS Components site the other day for the parts but I couldn't find the two analogue sensors I need. I'll keep trying..
I have emailed Lucy at Ecowitt to see what the costs for their station will work out delivered to the UK. (Thanks all!) I haven't chosen one specifically but just told her what I need and see what she comes up with.
I would like a Davis if it is more reliable but I just can't justify that cost.
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I notice my Maplins unit has turned yellow, but so far it's not degrading. I did look on RS Components site the other day for the parts but I couldn't find the two analogue sensors I need. I'll keep trying..
I have emailed Lucy at Ecowitt to see what the costs for their station will work out delivered to the UK. (Thanks all!) I haven't chosen one specifically but just told her what I need and see what she comes up with.
I would like a Davis if it is more reliable but I just can't justify that cost.
no worries m8 :-) i think under UK uv strengths you are probably ok but i used to think like that about buying a Davis then thought am I going to spend another 200-300 quid in a couple years or just find another interest..but yes I understand not everyone has the flexible disposable income and understanding wifes (i normally offer to take her shoe shopping prior to delivery :grin: ) good luck hope you make the right choice....brian
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Tons of those analog parts available on eBay from multiple sellers (all from China - no surprise). Very cheap too it's less than a $10 fix for both parts including shipping. I just searched. Fix it and sell it or donate it. Get a friend hooked and then show them how much better your new station is.
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Can you give me any direct links galfert? I'm not sure of what I'm looking at with electrical parts. I found the new bearings easily enough by measuring and searching.
My email to Lucy got bounced. Can someone please check it for me?
Address not found
Your message wasn't delivered to sales@ecowitt.com because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail.
The response from the remote server was:
552 no such user: sales@ecowitt.com
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I listed the analog parts in this post above:
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=32189.msg370209#msg370209
And in that message I also linked to MrM1's post where he found the parts on eBay. Now MrM1's post though were direct links to a particular seller. I suggest instead to just search for the parts on eBay. Then pick the seller you like that has the best shipping for your country....etc.
Essentially these are the parts you need:
HR202L for humidity
NTC-MF52-103/3435 for temperature
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=HR202L
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=NTC-MF52-103%2F3435
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Can you give me any direct links galfert? I'm not sure of what I'm looking at with electrical parts. I found the new bearings easily enough by measuring and searching.
My email to Lucy got bounced. Can someone please check it for me?
Address not found
Your message wasn't delivered to sales@ecowitt.com because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail.
The response from the remote server was:
552 no such user: sales@ecowitt.com
Apologies, my bad!
Try support@ecowitt.com
Lucy normally responds within 24 hours.
The other tip I have is you can sometimes get spare parts you need for the older kit made by Fine Offset from Froggit in Germany. Their website has a English language option.
https://www.froggit.de/?cat=c24_spare-parts-spare-parts.html
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Thanks galfert for taking the time and Mandrake too. [tup] I've ordered the parts including the bearings for less than £10. I had looked at all the links to the other threads and all the links from those but of course most had expired and without being sure of the part numbers I didn't want risk guessing at the 'similar items' offerers. I got the thermistor from the UK since I found one that had the +/-1% accuracy rating mentioned.
I'll email Lucy and see what she can come up with. Thanks again!
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Had a helpful response from Lucy. [tup] Thanks all. I get it now (I know you said) :oops: It's a modular thing. As long as you buy the main parts of a weather station, you can choose what you want in terms of sensors, and if anything goes wrong you can buy the part you need, plug'n play style. I like that, it means that us lesser mortals can learn more about the truly complicated subject of weather whilst avoiding the vagaries (and burns!) of a hot soldering iron.
I'm still going to risk the soldering iron to try to fix my current Maplin's disaster. So far I have some of the parts, I have the analogue humidity sensor and a small packet of minuscule E clips (since I accidentally lost one by unwisely attempting to dismantle the station in situ on the roof!) Only the bearings and thermistor to come.
I understand not everyone has the flexible disposable income and understanding wifes (i normally offer to take her shoe shopping prior to delivery :grin: ) good luck hope you make the right choice....brian
Lol, but no shoes or handbag shopping etc necessary with Mrs T. It was the soil sensors that clinched it! She loves gardening and technical, functional gadgets and is far better than me at understanding them. :grin: In fact, if anyone knows of a remotely controlled device that can switch on a garden hose/sprinkler, it could be worth a Davis V2 to me. ;)
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Glad you got the modular thing. [tup] That is a big improvement apart from moving from analog to digital. That is why I said it would be worth the upgrade. Wife here was also not to keen on a weather station ruining her view of the garden. But now is the first one looking up the weather and discussing rainfall. She also wasn't too keen on network security cams but now wants me to add a camera for her vegetable garden and soil sensor.
As for automatic sprinkler control look no further than Hydrawise or Rachio. I use Hydrawise because I think the software is better. But Rachio is more popular.
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Strangely I just got an IP camera. It took a short video clip of the a badger in my garden on the first night! What form of online security do people use for cameras and weather stations come to that? All I've done with mine so far is change the passwords which isn't good enough. It is connected by wifi to he router, I don't want to get hacked!
Thanks for the Hydrawise link galfert, a clever bit of kit. Does it cope with freezing temperatures do you know? Being a permanent fixture you can't bring it inside winter when you are not using it.
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Weather station camera can be any camera really. From a full fledged NVR/DVR system with cameras to individual cameras that are wireless or Ethernet. What differentiates a security camera from a weather camera is not necessarily what the camera is but rather how you position it. You'd want a weather camera to capture nature and at least some sky. Some people set up sky only cameras and I think that is not right either because you are not capturing the effects of wind with trees. The camera doesn't have to be outdoor proof if you can manage to put one looking out of a window. A camera for security is naturally aimed at surveillance and are usually mounted high and looking down and often have no sky as they focus on building perimeter. For now I'm cheating and using a security setup as a weather camera but it gets just a wee bit of sky and some trees. I'll fix that hopefully soon with a dedicated weather camera.
That said there are some dedicated weather cameras like Bloomsky with wide angle lens and designed to capture more sky and some ground.
You don't need to be worried about your WiFi camera getting hacked as long as you don't open up and direct firewall ports. Even then if the camera supports https authentication then you are okay if you use a good password.
Hydrawise or any other smart irrigation controller I recommend not installing outdoors. For a couple reasons, namely weather as you stated and secondly for better WiFi reception. I put mine in the garage. I did have to buy sprinkler solinoid cable and extend the connection point from outside (old controller location) into my garage. It was simple to do. They do make a hydrawise model for outdoor use with a weatherproof cabinet but it is more expensive and you still have the potential WiFi connectivity issue. As for dealing with freezing temps you just treat it like any other sprinkler system and purge before winter. I don't have to deal with that in Florida so I wouldn't know much more.
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Does it cope with freezing temperatures do you know? Being a permanent fixture you can't bring it inside winter when you are not using it.
I installed an irrigation system last year with Hydrowise controller. The controller is outside. I had my lines blown out before winter and that's it. The controller stayed outside and I had unplugged the power to it. When my contractor came this spring to get everything back turned on and fine-tuned he suggested that I should not have unplugged the power and it took quite a while for the controller to get setup again including firmware updates, etc. but no ill effect from having it in sub-zerro weather.
Enjoy,
Paul
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Interesting. :-) We live in one of the mildest parts of the UK and rarely even see frost, but occasionally (say every ten years) we get really cold temperatures (for us) overnight. We have had burst pipes here twice despite pipe lagging when the temp got down to -10c (14f). Nothing like Canada of course! I would install the control unit inside but it's always been the external pipework here that has been vulnerable whatever I did. There is no 'blowing out' service here that I know of (maybe they have that in Scotland!) but it sounds like a good idea to do yourself to be certain. We often leave the house for long periods in winter when high wind and sideways driving rain are the main problems.
I have only thought about my new camera so far as a wildlife thing. I guessed we had a badger in the garden but I wanted to see what else dug the smaller holes. However, my camera has a fisheye lens so it can't fail to see some sky when the Atlantic winter storms roll in next year. :grin: There isn't much really extreme weather here though apart from the odd big flood event. So far..
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Hi.
Just to give an idea of how long the replacement sensor lasted. It stopped working on September 27, 2020.
I Bought a new one and installed it on October 20, 2020.
It worked for a bit over 2 years, not bad.
Also discovered the reason why the batteries of the outdoor unit are not lasting more than 3 or 4 months. When I opened it to replace the sensor I found that the supercapacitor is leaking, bought a new supercapacitor to replace the old one (waiting for the delivery from China).
Other than this two problems the unit is working pretty well for its age (and price), the plastic is not brittle (kind of surprising) and all the other sensors seem to be working correctly.
The old sensor (already cutting the wires to remove it)
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The damaged supercapacitor
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So, here we go...
I removed the radiation shield to try to find out how to install the new sensor, since it has a completely different shape.
(https://i.imgur.com/awoDXMS.png)
First I thought that I would just to insert it in the slot that the old sensor was (I just had to cut the two little tabs that hold the original sensor in place) but it was a bad idea for two reasons, first because I accidentally broke a small plastic piece with one of the capacitors on the back of the new sensor board, damaging the board (luckily I bought two of them), the second the reason is that the sensor was too close to the top of the radiation shield.
(https://i.imgur.com/HENYKSm.png)
So, I used a flat piece of plastic to create an extension to install the sensor more or less in the same position as the original sensor was. I used hot glue to hold the piece of plastic in place and glued the top of the board to the piece of plastic. After soldering the wires I applied a coat of transparent nail lacquer to try to protect it from moisture.
Also, I was able to "save" the glue on the top, so I reused it to seal the top of the radiation shield (using hot glue to put it back in place).
(https://i.imgur.com/EKzezeK.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/jEHu0gA.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/5QxE2AD.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/5KhW4Kb.png)
Then I put everything back together ... and.... it worked! The sensor works really well, the readings seems to be very accurate.
(https://i.imgur.com/caVpULL.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/sWzDS2Z.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/54NtpqI.png)