Topic: AcuRite parts

[Beaudog]

Well my 5 in 1 had been up since Sep 2013 on the same batteries. I go to change them and properly break the wind cups.

Off to the AcuRite site for parts.  They got the cups for $5 and the whole cup assembly with bearings and solar panel for 14.95.   

So got  a new assembly in route.   Easy peasy thanks AcuRite.

[daman]

Wow 3 years on batteries? that's great!

[DoctorKnow]

My fan with the new motor is failing. I am running up to 8 F degrees high again, and the temp is up and down as the fan stops and starts... I am not planning to put any more cash on this one. Time to start looking...

[thomas]

Same here, took the unit down to replace the batteries and broke the cups.  My fan is not working, temps off by 10 degrees, I do not see much value in trying to keep this up and running.

[SufferinSuccotash]

Doc sorry to hear that your new dual panel has bit the dust.  (Is this the *new* one sent out by Acurite last fall?... the one with the red and white wiring?... the one that was supposed to FIX the problem)
I have had this one running since I got it in the fall and so far it is still keeping reasonable agreement with my other Acurite sensor in a sheltered location.   
TILL NOW!   I think that it too has bit the big one. 


I have not been watching it too closely until today, plus we have not had a nice sunny morning without clouds for a while.
I, like you, use the meteobridge and send an amalgamation of data, so my broadcasted temp is the sheltered one.


What is interesting to see is the difference between the single panel and the dual panel.  The "PRO" Dual panel performs worse than the plebeian Single panel it is supposed to replace.  The single panel is struggling to keep up with the sheltered temp sensor, but the dual is way off!

[DoctorKnow]

Doc sorry to hear that your new dual panel has bit the dust.  (Is this the *new* one sent out by Acurite last fall?... the one with the red and white wiring?... the one that was supposed to FIX the problem)
I have had this one running since I got it in the fall and so far it is still keeping reasonable agreement with my other Acurite sensor in a sheltered location.   
TILL NOW!   I think that it too has bit the big one. 


I have not been watching it too closely until today, plus we have not had a nice sunny morning without clouds for a while.
I, like you, use the meteobridge and send an amalgamation of data, so my broadcasted temp is the sheltered one.


What is interesting to see is the difference between the single panel and the dual panel.  The "PRO" Dual panel performs worse than the plebeian Single panel it is supposed to replace.  The single panel is struggling to keep up with the sheltered temp sensor, but the dual is way off!

Yes, this is the one with the red and white wires. We had a ton of rain and very high winds for a couple of days, and after that period is when I notice a problem... It kept getting worse over the course of several days. I think the high winds must have stripped the motor. (Maybe) ? Either that or moisture ingress.

The dual panel system is just not robust enough for it's purpose, at least that's the way it appears to me. If you install it near the ground, maybe winds won't tear it up, but that defeats the purpose of a wind meter.

[SufferinSuccotash]

Doc sorry to hear that your new dual panel has bit the dust.  (Is this the *new* one sent out by Acurite last fall?... the one with the red and white wiring?... the one that was supposed to FIX the problem)
I have had this one running since I got it in the fall and so far it is still keeping reasonable agreement with my other Acurite sensor in a sheltered location.   
TILL NOW!   I think that it too has bit the big one. 


I have not been watching it too closely until today, plus we have not had a nice sunny morning without clouds for a while.
I, like you, use the meteobridge and send an amalgamation of data, so my broadcasted temp is the sheltered one.


What is interesting to see is the difference between the single panel and the dual panel.  The "PRO" Dual panel performs worse than the plebeian Single panel it is supposed to replace.  The single panel is struggling to keep up with the sheltered temp sensor, but the dual is way off!

Yes, this is the one with the red and white wires. We had a ton of rain and very high winds for a couple of days, and after that period is when I notice a problem... It kept getting worse over the course of several days. I think the high winds must have stripped the motor. (Maybe) ? Either that or moisture ingress.

The dual panel system is just not robust enough for it's purpose, at least that's the way it appears to me. If you install it near the ground, maybe winds won't tear it up, but that defeats the purpose of a wind meter.

I wonder if the Davis all in one units with forced aspiration for temp reading have the same issues?  I get the sense that their sensor enclosure is more protected.  Having said that, the times when the fan would be running and the wind and rain conditions so severe are few.


The Acurite design for the 5in1 motor does leave the motor components very exposed and prone to corrosion.  They could isolate the fan motor by blocking it off more... hmm  I see a mod soon.

[DoctorKnow]

Doc sorry to hear that your new dual panel has bit the dust.  (Is this the *new* one sent out by Acurite last fall?... the one with the red and white wiring?... the one that was supposed to FIX the problem)
I have had this one running since I got it in the fall and so far it is still keeping reasonable agreement with my other Acurite sensor in a sheltered location.   
TILL NOW!   I think that it too has bit the big one. 


I have not been watching it too closely until today, plus we have not had a nice sunny morning without clouds for a while.
I, like you, use the meteobridge and send an amalgamation of data, so my broadcasted temp is the sheltered one.


What is interesting to see is the difference between the single panel and the dual panel.  The "PRO" Dual panel performs worse than the plebeian Single panel it is supposed to replace.  The single panel is struggling to keep up with the sheltered temp sensor, but the dual is way off!

Yes, this is the one with the red and white wires. We had a ton of rain and very high winds for a couple of days, and after that period is when I notice a problem... It kept getting worse over the course of several days. I think the high winds must have stripped the motor. (Maybe) ? Either that or moisture ingress.

The dual panel system is just not robust enough for it's purpose, at least that's the way it appears to me. If you install it near the ground, maybe winds won't tear it up, but that defeats the purpose of a wind meter.

I wonder if the Davis all in one units with forced aspiration for temp reading have the same issues?  I get the sense that their sensor enclosure is more protected.  Having said that, the times when the fan would be running and the wind and rain conditions so severe are few.


The Acurite design for the 5in1 motor does leave the motor components very exposed and prone to corrosion.  They could isolate the fan motor by blocking it off more... hmm  I see a mod soon.

The Davis vantage vue has no fan, but the VP 2 does offer DFARS or 24 hr FARS, and people say the motors slow down like ours are doing. Dirt, moisture and wind force are likely the issue with these motors, stressing the mechanism. I have a motor I took from the very first single panel unit I owned, and put it in the first dual panel I had, and that motor is still singing nicely, but it is noisy. It must have good brushes. I could put it up there, but the wind bearings are gone in that panel... Not really worth messing with.

What kind of mod would allow enough air flow? You can't put a radiation shield under the sensor because of the stupid wx vane. I wanted to do this mod a long while back. They need to do a redesign.

[daman]

Mine has been up since Dec. things are fine as of now, but not sure if anyone else noticed but to me it seems like when the fan is running it's not turning/running fast enough witch in turn IMO doesn't draw/move enough air up through the sensor to produce real accurate temps. Has anyone else noticed this? Or doesn't it matter as long as it's turning it's sufficient?

[ctccbc]

Mine seems to running fine, even on sunny days. It is extremely quiet, however, I cannot hear it at all unless I actually take the 5-in-1 apart. I'll still be interested how it does this week since we are expecting much warmer temperatures and sunny skies. This was normally the time that the single panel did poorly.

[DoctorKnow]

Mine has been up since Dec. things are fine as of now, but not sure if anyone else noticed but to me it seems like when the fan is running it's not turning/running fast enough witch in turn IMO doesn't draw/move enough air up through the sensor to produce real accurate temps. Has anyone else noticed this? Or doesn't it matter as long as it's turning it's sufficient?

The fan running continuously at the same speed certainly matters. Mine is running fine in the first part of the day, and the last several hours of the afternoon. Now that I have studied it a bit more, I believe the solar panels are too far east and west. My temperature starts easing up around the mid day to as much as 8* too much before coming back down to 1 or 2 F higher than my remote sensor. I don't believe the motor is entirely to blame. I think we would do just as well, or better with the single panel fan. These dual solar panels are not worth the risk.

[nincehelser]

Mine has been up since Dec. things are fine as of now, but not sure if anyone else noticed but to me it seems like when the fan is running it's not turning/running fast enough witch in turn IMO doesn't draw/move enough air up through the sensor to produce real accurate temps. Has anyone else noticed this? Or doesn't it matter as long as it's turning it's sufficient?

It doesn't matter as long as it's turning fast enough to draw sufficient outside air over the temp/humidity sensor chip at the bottom of the wind tunnel.  It's not necessary to "cool" the upper part of the chassis.

Applying excessive voltage to the motor just burns it out faster.

[DoctorKnow]

It doesn't matter as long as it's turning fast enough to draw sufficient outside air over the temp/humidity sensor chip at the bottom of the wind tunnel.

And keeping it "fast enough" is the issue. When it starts loosing power around 11 AM EST to 2 PM I am seeing the higher than ambient reading. I have switched over to the 5 n 1 thermometer for today, and will show the graph tonight at how it behaves for me. We are to be in the mid 70s today.

[daman]

Mine has been up since Dec. things are fine as of now, but not sure if anyone else noticed but to me it seems like when the fan is running it's not turning/running fast enough witch in turn IMO doesn't draw/move enough air up through the sensor to produce real accurate temps. Has anyone else noticed this? Or doesn't it matter as long as it's turning it's sufficient?

It doesn't matter as long as it's turning fast enough to draw sufficient outside air over the temp/humidity sensor chip at the bottom of the wind tunnel.  It's not necessary to "cool" the upper part of the chassis.

Applying excessive voltage to the motor just burns it out faster.

Ok well I wasn't sure if speed/RPM mattered as much because I do know the fan is running during the day when the sun hits it I've checked it, but temps are still up slightly some days compared to others not bad maybe about 2-4deg. I was thinking maybe it wasn't drawing enough air up through the sensor.

[nincehelser]

Ok well I wasn't sure if speed/RPM mattered as much because I do know the fan is running during the day when the sun hits it I've checked it, but temps are still up slightly some days compared to others not bad maybe about 2-4deg. I was thinking maybe it wasn't drawing enough air up through the sensor.

One thing to watch out for are bugs/spiders nesting in the wind tunnel.  Sometimes they just block the wind tunnel.  Other times they can totally gum up and stop the fan.

[daman]

Ok well I wasn't sure if speed/RPM mattered as much because I do know the fan is running during the day when the sun hits it I've checked it, but temps are still up slightly some days compared to others not bad maybe about 2-4deg. I was thinking maybe it wasn't drawing enough air up through the sensor.

One thing to watch out for are bugs/spiders nesting in the wind tunnel.  Sometimes they just block the wind tunnel.  Other times they can totally gum up and stop the fan.

Noted thanks! but the unit has only been up since Dec. so hopefully nothing hasn't got in there in that short of time. Ill keep an eye on it.

[haroldashe]

I cleaned mine out last month and had to battle a spider the size of a small turkey that had built a heavy-duty web around the wind vane.  I chased him/her away (I swear it hissed at me), knocked it to the ground and cleared the web.  The vane locked up again a few days later and, yep, same spider (I named it Boris) had climbed back up and did it again.  Boris is now in spider heaven.

[daman]

Lol

[nincehelser]

You should compare actual data from two sensors at the same location rather than what some other "analysis" tells you what it thinks it should be.

[DoctorKnow]

You should compare actual data from two sensors at the same location rather than what some other "analysis" tells you what it thinks it should be.

My other sensor is spot on, that is why I use it, and why I don't like the all in one since the accuracy suffers with the thermometer in all that plastic with poor ventilation.

[nincehelser]

You missed the point.  The analysis isn't an actual temperature reading at your site.

You also have a discrepancy at night.  How are you explaining that?

Since you have two sensors, it's fairly straightforward to compare one against the other and figure out what the problem really is.

For example, here's my tower and 5n1 over the day.  They run very close, even 100 feet away from each other.

Maybe you're having a fan problem, or maybe you're just not comparing apples and oranges.

Didn't you recently move your 5n1 to be on your roof?

[DoctorKnow]

At night, I have stations on the water that contribute to the average of the analysis... They stay warmer, or cooler depending on the time of year. I also have stations inland, where the thermometers are very close to mine in daily highs. In the daytime, I run usually 1 F warmer than the average. One station in a Forest to my north typically runs too warm. The forestry service maintains it I believe. It also drops way off at night.

The acurite tower thermometers IMO are very accurate when they are shielded properly from the sun. If you just stick it out in a tree or on the side of a building, it will run high.

The 5 n 1 is on the roof now, but it is high enough over the roof to not be affected by it, and how I know this is the temperature sensor acts the same way it did before I moved it! No difference, still 3 - 5 typically high by day, and up to 8 F high I have seen the other day when the sun was in and out. Everything is stable and level. The wind speed is much more constant and steady on the roof for me, since this is as far from trees as possible, and wide open for rainfall, so this is the optimum location for the install.

[nincehelser]

Again, you missed the point.

[DoctorKnow]

I didn't miss anything... you did.

[haroldashe]

I modified my 5in1 sensor to run from household power using a cheap ac/dc converter with selectable output from 3v to 9v.  The motor I picked  to replace the original AcuRite motor is rated for 3v-6v.  Using a strobe tach, I found that the fan turns at just under 1650 rpm at 3 volts and 2470 rpm at 4.5 volts.  I determined that a faster speed than 1650 is not needed to give accurate results, so I just let it run at 3v.  The original AcuRite motor, running from solar power in full sunlight, spins at around 1550 to 1600 rpm (when it actually works) which also seems to be good enough on sunny days.

You can see the motor I selected (Amazon) in the thread "Alternate Fan Motor?".