Elembytes
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« on: May 07, 2012, 09:31:46 PM » |
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Hello:
I have a ISS on a Vantage Vue and it is now saying "Low transmitter battery" This battery hasn't even lasted 12 months. The first one did. This battery was installed last October. Does this mean maybe my solar panel is failing? How do you know if that is the problem? (Without a bunch of electrical know how and testing?)
Would I be wise to just by a new ISS Sensor cluster? This goes up on my roof and I have to get my brother out here to get up there to retrieve it.
Any insight or thoughts let me know. It was a Radio Shack battery I put in there last. Thank you!
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2012, 08:30:23 AM » |
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It might be the supercap going bad.
The cap is designed to run the ISS overnight (almost but not quite depending on how long your nights are). Once the cap is depleted, the battery takes over. If the cap is draining quicker than it should, it would cause the battery to work longer and therefore run out quicker. All the panel does is charge the cap and the panel is most likely OK.
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP   |
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George Richardson
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« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2012, 09:01:45 AM » |
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"It was a Radio Shack battery I put in there last."
Radio Shack sells a battery for the product my company sells. In fact, it sells two different Brands under the same part number. One Brand lasts the two years it is suppose to. the other brand lasts only a few months. Checking the manufacturer's specs, the voltage and physical size are the same but the mAh rating is substantially different.
I don't know what battery the "Vue" uses but the only battery I use in my Davis equipment is the Duracell Ultra Lithium #123..
Long and Short: Try another battery first.
FWIW
George
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Johnny25
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« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2012, 11:39:53 AM » |
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From memory, I think the battery (according to Davis) should last up to a year. But that depends on placement of the ISS ie more to the sun, it should last longer.
Changing the battery to a good quality one and seeing how long it lasts is your best option (I use Duracell). If the battery fails again after 6/7 months then it could be the supercap as already mentioned.
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2012, 11:40:52 AM » |
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My first one lasted two years.
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2012, 11:41:41 AM » |
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According to Davis, you should be able to run on the battery alone for 8 months.
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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Bushman
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« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2012, 11:43:01 AM » |
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According to Davis, you should be able to run on the battery alone for 8 months.
As long as the supercrap does not die and take the battery with it. |
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2012, 11:43:26 AM » |
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Yes.  |
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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Elembytes
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« Reply #8 on: May 08, 2012, 02:02:33 PM » |
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Thanks for the help- will try a Duracell first I suppose. I wish Davis had made it so that the solar panel could also recharge a (Rechargable) battery as well. That would make a lot of sense to me. Make it so it can power the super capacitor and recharge the onboard battery. The unit is in full sun up on the roof about 3 feet above the roofline. I know it gets HOT up there too and being plastic, never know how long and durable things are.
I shall press onwards with a better quality battery. I know when I bought it Davis used a Duracell battery and it lasted a year. So, so much for Radio Shack!
Thank you again!
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2012, 02:15:42 PM » |
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Yes, I don't know why they decided to not charge the battery too other than cost and one more thing to go bad. I'm sure they have a good reason, maybe JohnD has some insight for us!
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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dalecoy
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« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2012, 03:06:11 PM » |
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Yes, I don't know why they decided to not charge the battery too other than cost and one more thing to go bad. I'm sure they have a good reason, maybe JohnD has some insight for us!
They charge the supercap, which is essentially a small rechargeable battery. That approach means that there are three sources of power rather than two (and of course three things that can go wrong). |
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Bushman
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« Reply #11 on: May 08, 2012, 04:04:41 PM » |
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There are only three sources of power if you leave in a place where there is no dark.
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dalecoy
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« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2012, 04:10:49 PM » |
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There are only three sources of power if you leave in a place where there is no dark.
...and one source if it's always dark. A battery recharged by the solar panel would not change that situation. Perhaps I missed your point, though. |
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2012, 04:47:01 PM » |
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I aws kinda surprised that they didn't size the cap a little larger so that it would hold a charge longer. They told me that it was designed to "almost" last all night. Why not "all" night? I don't know.
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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Bushman
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« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2012, 04:53:31 PM » |
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SLOweather
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« Reply #15 on: May 08, 2012, 05:10:42 PM » |
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I aws kinda surprised that they didn't size the cap a little larger so that it would hold a charge longer. They told me that it was designed to "almost" last all night. Why not "all" night? I don't know.
It's all a system. The solar panel physical size and efficiency may be the actual limiting factor, not the cap capacity. |
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kaymann
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« Reply #16 on: May 08, 2012, 10:59:49 PM » |
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Bushman, thanks for the excellent read! from an engineering stand point the supercap makes so much sense - chargable from -40 to 149F vs. a LI unchargable below 32F and above 113.
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 Davis Vantage Pro 2, WL6.0, MS Excel Pivot Tables, CWOPs DW4959, WU KAZMARAN7, NWS Mesonet D4959. |
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Bushman
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« Reply #17 on: May 08, 2012, 11:17:09 PM » |
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The recommended Li-based battery is the wrong choice though.
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Elembytes
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« Reply #18 on: May 09, 2012, 02:19:16 PM » |
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So, watching my unit more closely now,
When my first battery started to fail, after a whole year of use, it would give me a low transmitter message during the night time but when the sun was out it would stop.
This time around I get this message 24/7----so is it the super cap failing???? Or do you still think the Radio Shack Battery (Lithium) is the culprit?
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #19 on: May 09, 2012, 02:30:33 PM » |
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Battery, the supercap will provide enough power to ALMOST go through the night. You would see the message in the AM (or sooner) after the cap had run out.
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« Last Edit: May 09, 2012, 03:07:30 PM by DaculaWeather »
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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moehoward4
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« Reply #20 on: May 09, 2012, 02:36:52 PM » |
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Davis put Duracells' in there for a reason.....Not HackShacks
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Davis 7440CS, WL 5.7.1 Davis 6152 with ALL kinds of extras/add- ons, WL 6.0.3, VWS v14.01p48 Davis 6351/6322 combo, WL 6.0.3, Cumulus 1.9.4b1076 VVP, VPLive
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Elembytes
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« Reply #21 on: May 09, 2012, 05:36:31 PM » |
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Battery, the supercap will provide enough power to ALMOST go through the night. You would see the message in the AM (or sooner) after the cap had run out.
So you are sure it is the battery? To clarify- This time around the "Low Transmitter battery" message is on there 24/7- NOT like it was the first time around when the original battery started to fail, that message would ONLY come on in the evenings---during the day it was gone---which made me think the solar panel and super cap was working fine. Now that this is there 24/7 makes me wonder. |
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DaculaWeather
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« Reply #22 on: May 09, 2012, 05:55:06 PM » |
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Does it die overnight or keep working?
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Steve Davis Vue, VWS, WDisplay, VVP, StartWatch CWOP |
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Elembytes
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« Reply #23 on: May 10, 2012, 11:53:56 AM » |
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Does it die overnight or keep working?
It works over night and daytime but the low transmitter battery message is running continuously this time around. Where as before on my last battery the message would go off once the sun came up and would show back up over night.
This one is acting a little differently so that is why I am wondering if my solar panel, super cap, or battery is the main issue. Think I'll start with a better battery. Just hard to get to up on the roof and my brother is the only one to go up and retrieve if for me. He is a meteorologist so good for him to play with weather equipment too. LOL |
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johnd
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« Reply #24 on: May 10, 2012, 12:00:10 PM » |
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Is the Vue console firmware definitely at v2.14? It needs to be to minimise the possibility of false low battery warnings.
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