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Weather Station Hardware => Ambient Weather and Ecowitt and other Fine Offset clones => Topic started by: tom850i on September 10, 2019, 05:51:53 PM
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My WS-1001 consistently shows humidity levels 20 - 30 percent less than all of the other weather stations in this area. Is there a way to service or calibrate the unit? It's 2.5 years old and still has the original batteries. Could that be causing a problem?
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Even if you can "calibrate" it, it'll only be good at that point. If you raise it it'll eventually be 20-30% too high. Most likely you need a new sensor, the battery will have nothing to do with it.
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Regarding the batteries, should I replace them since they are 2.5 years old or just wait until they fail?
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That's your call. I don't own an Ambient so really can't say, just advice on the sensor's bout' all I'm good for, and may not be at that either...
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CW2274 is correct. The battery is just used to power the sensor array when there isn't sufficient sunlight and the super capacitor is depleted. Your battery may be okay, but after 2 to 3 years it is recommended to replace it so that you don't miss out transmission of data if ever you are faced with the situation where the super capacitor is not enough on a long night and day when daytime is very overcast for extended periods that prevent the solar panel to charge the super capacitor. A new battery is not going to change the behavior of any sensor. The station is either powered or not.
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As for your WS-1001 with bad humidity, there are three ways to go about.
1. Buy a complete new station with newer technology sensors. The Ambient WS-2000 is a popular choice or Ecowitt HP2551. There are other models that may also be appealing. Your old WS-1001 display will not work with the new model stations. Or buy a different brand like Acurite or Davis.
2. Replace the complete outdoor sensor array. At $116 I don't think it is a very good investment in this older sensor technology. But it's an option and that is your call.
https://www.ambientweather.com/amws1002array.html
3. If you are a DIY type person and have a soldering iron. You can order replacement sensors from eBay (new) for a few dollars (less than $10). But you have to determine (by taking apart and inspecting) if you have the digital I2C type sensors or the analog sensors. There are two versions and you won't know till you open it. Even if you have the digital version the newer models have even better digital sensors.
Analog parts:
HR202L for humidity
NTC-MF52-103/3435 for temperature
Digital parts:
SHT30-D Temperature Humidity Sensor Breakout 3.3v 5v For Arduino Arm RPi ESP8266
Really it can be any SHT30 (digital I2C version) that is mounted with soldering points.
If you have digital then it actually came with an SHT20 or SHT21, but the SHT30 will work better. Which is what is in the new models, but the new models also have better wind vanes and anemometers.
Warning - The pins on these SHT30 breakout boards are not in the same order so match labeling.
See this thread for more detailed information with pictures and discussing both the analog and digital versions.
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=32189.0