Davis Vantage Pro console-battery corrosion

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You pair need to go and check up on your facts, I'll give you both a chance to correct yourselves.

As you requested, I've posted what the 5.9.3 help file says.  Before I correct myself, please answer the following questions:

1.  What console firmware version is on the console that you tested?
2.  What were your test results (diagnostic display of battery voltage, with and without AC adapter properly connected)

When you answer my questions (rather than pontificating), I'll post the results of my tests.

1. Anything from 5.5 to 5.9.3 over WMII through VP1's including console & sensor links to VP2's including up to FW1.90 plus WDTU 1.1 & 8X's and quite frankly it makes absolutely no difference to the console battery voltage, console battery volatage is console battery voltage, NOT adapter voltage.

2. Repeating myself for what reason I'm really not sure

Another example discovered end of last month was a station Console Battery voltage of 3.99 volts and typical of the main solar power failing, replace the battery (6.5 volts) on the solar system and console battery then rises to 4.01 volts as one would expect since it is no longer underload.

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If you run the console diagnostic then it shows inside console battery power.
Alarm and battery under Windows file menu shows both. Inside and station power if low or OK.
 
Thank you
 
Technical Support
Davis Instruments

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If you have batteries in the devices (Console and Envoy) then that is what is being shown in the console diag. If you have no batteries in the devices then what is being shown is not valid.
It should not show the 6610 battery at all.
All that is shown is the 3 AA and the 3 C's
 
Thx.
 
Technical Support
Davis Instruments

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Console reports in weatherlink should show just the battery power in that device.
Also the console diag. give the same report. Press and hold the temp key and the Hum key then release then. On the bottom of the screen the battery volts are the 3 C batteries in the console.
 
Thx.
 
Technical Support
Davis Instruments

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.... When you answer my questions (rather than pontificating), I'll post the results of my tests.

Yes you do that you post your test results, just nake sure you post the correct ones. Talk about ponificating, some can't even correct their own misguided statements.

[dalecoy]

.... When you answer my questions (rather than pontificating), I'll post the results of my tests.

Yes you do that you post your test results, just nake sure you post the correct ones. Talk about ponificating, some can't even correct their own misguided statements.

Test results, this afternoon.  I have two VP2 consoles.  Both are taking weather data from the same VP2 ISS.

Console #2, Firmware version 1.82 -- the following were read from the console panel (I don't have a logger connected to this console)
AC Power Only --- Low Battery
Battery Power Only -- 4.72 Volts  (These batteries were recently replaced)
Battery + AC Power -- 4.72 Volts

Console #1, Firmware version 1.90 -- the following were read from WeatherLink 5.9.3 Console Diagnostics (Console Battery line)
AC Power Only --- 5.20 Volts 
Battery Power Only -- 4.63 Volts (Reading verified on the console panel)
Battery + AC Power -- 4.94 Volts (Reading verified on the console panel)

The 5.20 above is not a misprint. 

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Another example discovered end of last month was a station Console Battery voltage of 3.99 volts and typical of the main solar power failing, replace the battery (6.5 volts) on the solar system and console battery then rises to 4.01 volts as one would expect since it is no longer underload.

As some are trying madly to justify their thinking I've just been out and replaced the backup batteries on the above station. Downloaded things before I left and Console Battery Voltage was 4.06 volts, external battery pack checked at 6.15 volts as it has not been connected back to the failed solar power since I replaced it last Tuesday night. Replaced the 3*C cells, checked external battery pack still at 6.15 volts (no surprise there), get back here download things again and Console Battery Voltage now 4.76 volts (no surprise there) and all as expected.

If as some claim the opposite then the Console Battery Voltage should in fact be showing 6.15 volts   but that thinking is simply rubbish. Lets not confuse others here with that type of BS and thinking.

    

[dalecoy]

Console firmware version?

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The 5.20 above is not a misprint. 

In fact I know it is not a misprint but it is in fact a meaningless figure, means absolutely nothing and certianly not 5.2 volts


http://www.vantagevue.com/product_documents/weather/app_notes/AN_31-vantage-console-diagnostic-screen.pdf

See point 14

14. Current console battery voltage. If no batteries are installed, this number is meaningless.

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Console firmware version?

1.90

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  Now I'm just waiting for someone to claim external AC adapter power is different to 6 volt external battery charger/solar 

[dalecoy]

Battery Power Only -- 4.63 Volts (Reading verified on the console panel)
Battery + AC Power -- 4.94 Volts (Reading verified on the console panel)

[d_l]

I have a 1.90 Envoy with fresh batteries and on AC that reads 5.50V right now.  On occasion it reads 192.0V and the other info is sometimes incomplete.  I think that might be due to interaction with Meteohub LOOPing, but the other Envoy never has that problem.

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I have a 1.90 Envoy with fresh batteries and on AC that reads 5.50V right now.  On occasion it reads 192.0V and the other info is sometimes incomplete.  I think that might be due to interaction with Meteohub LOOPing, but the other Envoy never has that problem.

Out of interest next time you open the Envoy case note the position of the Black battery wire where it is soldered to the board. There are three holes, which hole is it soldered in?

[C5250]

The 5.20 above is not a misprint. 

I don't doubt it, oddly my Envoy (AC powered) recently went up to 5.99V. It was always about 4.95-4.99V before. That includes when the batteries were dead.

[C5250]

As some are trying madly to justify their thinking I've just been out and replaced the backup batteries on the above station. Downloaded things before I left and Console Battery Voltage was 4.06 volts, external battery pack checked at 6.15 volts as it has not been connected back to the failed solar power since I replaced it last Tuesday night. Replaced the 3*C cells, checked external battery pack still at 6.15 volts (no surprise there), get back here download things again and Console Battery Voltage now 4.76 volts (no surprise there) and all as expected.

Measure your battery pack under load.

[dalecoy]

Perhaps my two VP2 consoles are different hardware "minor versions".  And/Or perhaps there is a difference between firmware 1.82 and 1.90.

All I can do is report the test results.

I don't have another console to test.  Perhaps someone else will do that.

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Those with Envoy's, open the case and check where the Black batt wire is soldered to the main board, which hole?

[Andy Thompson]

My home VP2 hasn't needed changing in the 3-4 years I've owned it.

[ed2kayak]

I had to disassemble to access complete battery compartment.

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Those with Envoy's, open the case and check where the Black batt wire is soldered to the main board, which hole?

Any takers? Might even be an indication why some haven't noticed any changes in the console backup battery for years   

[C5250]

Those with Envoy's, open the case and check where the Black batt wire is soldered to the main board, which hole?

Any takers? Might even be an indication why some haven't noticed any changes in the console backup battery for years   

OK:

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C5250, Let me guess, the internal batteries always run down to bacially no volts and the Console Battery Voltage is always consistently higher than around 4.75 volts and always the same?

[C5250]

Fail

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Fail

That response is ..... incorrect

Let me fill you in on exactly what that incorrectly (yes that is an incorrectly) wired Envoy is doing. The primary source of power is actually coming from the backup batteries and the backup circuit is powered from the external AC adapter, in affect the primary and backup circuits are switched.

Given time the internal so called backup batteries will definately run totally flat (as they are in affect the primary power source in this case), when flat then the circuit switches over to what it thinks is the backup batteries but which is actually power coming from the AC adapter. 

Yes there was a bit of a slip up with some hardware but hey I'm just the messenger and by the sounds of it what you don't know won't hurt you.