Topic: WN32CP battery voltage

[Rocketman]

I decided to refresh the batteries in the unit ( they were Alkaline and I replaced with energizer ultimate lithium ) I noticed the barometer reading change by -1.4 hpa ( it this normal ) ?
Seem like the unit needs a stable DC power supply

measured voltage ( Fluke true RMS calibrated )
alkaline battery voltage  3.01  V
Energizer Ultimate lithium 3.59 V

[Rocketman]

Temperature also decreases by -0.7 degrees with the Energizer Ultimate lithium batteries - anyone else noticed this ?
Please try with a new set of batteries and report back

[Platokidd]

YES! Somewhere on here, I posted different barometer reading with different type of batteries.

I'll have to look for that post later..

[Platokidd]

found it

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=46287.msg468124#msg468124

[Rocketman]

Thanks Platokidd WN32CP shows a problem with higher voltage battery ( Energizer Ultimate lithium ) I'm sticking to Alkaline batteries for this unit

[Gyvate]

Thanks Platokidd WN32CP shows a problem with higher voltage battery ( Energizer Ultimete lithium ) I'm sticking to Alkaline batteries for this unit

there a very few use cases where the WN32P would be exposed to temperatures below -10° C (I can think of one with a WS6210) - so there there's no need for using Lithium batteries in it. Indoors my Alkaline batteries for the WN32P hold for ages.

[Rocketman]

Maybe they should have a note on the unit

Alkaline batteries only

[Rocketman]

I wonder if this unit requires constant calibration as the DC voltage decreases .
If we run the unit on a stable DC voltage using a DC-DC regulated voltage convertor ( set at 3.20 volts ) would we need to calibrate any further ?
My guess it would make the unit more accurate etc... as there no variation in DC voltage

I was thinking I could do this easily using a 12 volt GEL battery and a DC-DC regulated supply ( bit of an over-kill I know ) but the advantage of having a electronic store

any thoughts ?

[Platokidd]

I have been running my wh32B T/H/P next to my Starpath Baro for over a year now. Same batteries installed with no noticeable drift.
Basically, still spot on / or holding nicely to off-set on consoles.

I check my calibration often and can't remember the last time any adjustments were needed on my consoles.

[Gyvate]

I have been running my wh32B T/H/P next to my Starpath Baro for over a year now. Same batteries installed with no noticeable drift.
Basically, still spot on / or holding nicely to off-set on consoles.

I check my calibration often and can't remember the last time any adjustments were needed on my consoles.

Same here, only not Starpath but Dracal (no 25% tariffs  ) - battery exchange is every 2 years
 conclusion: the voltage changes, if any, don't have an impact here during that period

[Dirk27]

I have been running my wh32B T/H/P next to my Starpath Baro for over a year now. Same batteries installed with no noticeable drift.
Basically, still spot on / or holding nicely to off-set on consoles.

I check my calibration often and can't remember the last time any adjustments were needed on my consoles.

Would be really interesting, to measure the actual voltage of your batteries in the WH32B after that 1 year ...

[gszlag]

I wonder if this unit requires constant calibration as the DC voltage decreases .
If we run the unit on a stable DC voltage using a DC-DC regulated voltage convertor ( set at 3.20 volts ) would we need to calibrate any further ?
My guess it would make the unit more accurate etc... as there no variation in DC voltage

I was thinking I could do this easily using a 12 volt GEL battery and a DC-DC regulated supply ( bit of an over-kill I know ) but the advantage of having a electronic store

any thoughts ?

Not sure what conclusions we can draw..
Platokidd's original Jan 4/2024 post indicated a 0.05 - 0.06 inHg (about 2 hPa) diffference in pressure between the three various battery types but more than a year later, pressure has been rock solid.
Rocketman also reported pressure fluctuations.
Dirk27 experiment clearly indicates a 4+ hPa pressure variance between a range of different voltages.

It could be Platokidd's steady lithium voltage that kept pressures stable over the past year.

I agree with Rocketman suggestion that  using a DC power supply delivering a constant voltage would help things. There's all kinds of cheap battery eliminators and a number of 3v DC power supplies on-line. Haven't used any of these, so I can't comment if they would provide a decent stable voltage or not.

In the meantime, using 2X AA disposable lithium batteries would keep voltage quite steady until the voltage falls off a cliff when it dies.

As suggested, at a scheduled battery change would be the ideal time to do a check/re-calibration.

[Rocketman]

I was going to use one of these DC -DC regulator as a cheap option ( about $12 )
https://www.jaycar.co.nz/arduino-compatible-dc-voltage-regulator-module/p/XC4514

What voltage should I set it to ? ( ideal voltage ) 

[Platokidd]

I wonder if this unit requires constant calibration as the DC voltage decreases .
If we run the unit on a stable DC voltage using a DC-DC regulated voltage convertor ( set at 3.20 volts ) would we need to calibrate any further ?
My guess it would make the unit more accurate etc... as there no variation in DC voltage

I was thinking I could do this easily using a 12 volt GEL battery and a DC-DC regulated supply ( bit of an over-kill I know ) but the advantage of having a electronic store

any thoughts ?

Not sure what conclusions we can draw..
Platokidd's original Jan 4/2024 post indicated a 0.05 - 0.06 inHg (about 2 hPa) diffference in pressure between the three various battery types but more than a year later, pressure has been rock solid.
Rocketman also reported pressure fluctuations.
Dirk27 experiment clearly indicates a 4+ hPa pressure variance between a range of different voltages.

It could be Platokidd's steady lithium voltage that kept pressures stable over the past year.

I agree with Rocketman suggestion that  using a DC power supply delivering a constant voltage would help things. There's all kinds of cheap battery eliminators and a number of 3v DC power supplies on-line. Haven't used any of these, so I can't comment if they would provide a decent stable voltage or not.

In the meantime, using 2X AA disposable lithium batteries would keep voltage quite steady until the voltage falls off a cliff when it dies.

As suggested, at a scheduled battery change would be the ideal time to do a check/re-calibration.

Actually, I change the batteries and went with the Energizer max batteries. This was about a week or so after the post stating I went with lithium's.  Never updated that post as there wasn't much interest on the topic.   Anyway.. =Energizer max 1.5v both batteries at start. Today 1.45v.
I'm sure I made an adjustment after installing the Energizer max batteries.