Topic: Atlas Has Arrived

[WonderWX]

I pulled the SD card from my Atlas HD display and popped it into my PC to look at. The card contains one CSV file for each day. Data every 10 minutes. I copied one day’s file to my Dropbox if anyone wants to view it. Viewable using Excel. Each file was 2,659 KB in size.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/arudx0zkcshsfhh/20180930.csv?dl=0

Thanks worachj!  I forgot about the SD card data. I will use it to compare with what I am getting out of the Access.  Particularly the lightning readings - I have notice the console has indicated interference at times, but interference has always been 0 in data from the Access.

[KK7X]

Thank you but that appears to be every 10 seconds, not 10 minutes 

[worachj]

opps! and fixed.

[worachj]

First for me, seeing 100% humidity on my Atlas HD display, WU and MyAcuRite. Never saw it from my 5-N-1.

[DoctorKnow]

The 5n1 only goes to 99%, but when the sensor chip gets dirty, the reading starts becoming less than it should be at night, and more than it should by day. The Atlas has a fine screen surrounding the air sensor chip to prevent a lot of the junk in the air from getting on the chip. I have 100% almost every night in this humid area.

[Inverno]

How do the Atlas temperatures compare to other sensors in your surrounding areas and compare to your 5 in 1 during sunny days?  Are night temps still cooler by a couple degrees on the Atlas? 

[DoctorKnow]

The Atlas beats my 5n1 both for daytime highs and lows. Nighttime is usually a degree higher. My 5n1 died before Florence unfortunately. It was nearly 4 yrs old, and been through a lot of bad weather, and wetness. It ate batteries also.

[worachj]

I’m running both stations on the same pole, atlas@12ft and 5-N-1@6ft.  The 5-N-1 runs hotter during the day and cooler at night when compared to the Atlas. For me the cooler at night problem of the 5-N-1 is fixed on the Atlas. Still undecided on direct sunlight due to a week of overcast & drizzly weather. In direct sunlight the Atlas runs 1-2 degrees cooler than the 5-N-1.
 
I bought the Atlas because I was unhappy with the 5-N-1 temperature readings. For the most part my Atlas seems to be spot on. I’m happy I switched.

[Inverno]

The Atlas beats my 5n1 both for daytime highs and lows. Nighttime is usually a degree higher. My 5n1 died before Florence unfortunately. It was nearly 4 yrs old, and been through a lot of bad weather, and wetness. It ate batteries also.

I was just checking your two gauges, one said 85 and one said 88.  I assume the 85 was the Atlas?

[abusuzuki]

So, a temperature of 60.1 will show as a rounded up daily high of 61.

Shouldn't be that way, 0.5F always rounds up just as 0.4F rounds down.

Agreed. The HD display for the Atlas rounds down for the daily low and rounds up for the daily high. The HD display for the 5-N-1 works correctly and works as you state above. Not sure about the 5-N-1 HD display.

I was wondering today why the high temperature recorded in Atlas display 44 while in my acurite 43 , But why do they program it in such a misleading way? I wish the display was showing high and low temperatures with decimal numbers.

[DoctorKnow]

The Atlas beats my 5n1 both for daytime highs and lows. Nighttime is usually a degree higher. My 5n1 died before Florence unfortunately. It was nearly 4 yrs old, and been through a lot of bad weather, and wetness. It ate batteries also.

I was just checking your two gauges, one said 85 and one said 88.  I assume the 85 was the Atlas?

KNCJACKS23 is the atlas. KCNCJACKS12 is a Fine Offset. The fine offset is screwed up since the solar pod is broken, so now the thermometer is jumping too high in the mid 80s... It didn't do that before when the solar light was working.

[worachj]

The Atlas HD display has an Storm alert. What event(s) trigger the storm alert?

[Mirwin275]

The Atlas HD display has an Storm alert. What event(s) trigger the storm alert?

I suspect a rapid decrease in pressure? Based off of previous displays, I think it was a rapid decrease in pressure within a 3 hour period. Not sure if other variables are used to set off this storm alert?

[worachj]

The Atlas HD display has an Storm alert. What event(s) trigger the storm alert?

I suspect a rapid decrease in pressure? Based off of previous displays, I think it was a rapid decrease in pressure within a 3 hour period. Not sure if other variables are used to set off this storm alert?

You are right. After seeing your response I went and looked at the 5-N-1 HD Display manual and found this one line for storm alarm "(activated when barometric pressure drops)". I had a fast moving storm blow though my area and the storm alert went off 30 minutes after the rain and wind stopped. Not too helpful for that storm!

The Atlas manual is fine for general information but really lacking in detail.

Rain Gauge Calibration:
My rain gauge is under reporting and needs to be calibrated. So I'm following the calibration instructions for the 5-N-1 since it's undocumented for the Atlas. I've been turning the adjusting screws under the tip bucket a quarter turn clockwise each storm. I've now turned both screws a total of a 1/2 turn clockwise. Waiting for the next storm to check it again. A calibration procedure should be in the manual.

[MacGarage]

I agree about the manual...not much information there. I adjusted mine with the help found here.

When dealing with the lightning strikes, I asked about the rain gauge adjustment and never got an anwer...this is all they said:

(06:13:02 PM) Johnson, Ph.D.: Will remove batteries and detector. If it still happens, what is the next step? Also, I noticed the rain buckets probably need to be adjusted. I could not find anything in the manual. How do you do that?
(06:13:43 PM) Meghan: They are calibrated in the factory
(06:14:20 PM) Johnson, Ph.D.: My rain is off about about .05" (I have two other rain gauges)
(06:15:29 PM) Meghan: Just a moment
(06:19:29 PM) Meghan: Did you remove all Styrofoam and tab

[worachj]

I agree about the manual...not much information there. I adjusted mine with the help found here.

When dealing with the lightning strikes, I asked about the rain gauge adjustment and never got an anwer...this is all they said:

(06:13:02 PM) Johnson, Ph.D.: Will remove batteries and detector. If it still happens, what is the next step? Also, I noticed the rain buckets probably need to be adjusted. I could not find anything in the manual. How do you do that?
(06:13:43 PM) Meghan: They are calibrated in the factory
(06:14:20 PM) Johnson, Ph.D.: My rain is off about about .05" (I have two other rain gauges)
(06:15:29 PM) Meghan: Just a moment
(06:19:29 PM) Meghan: Did you remove all Styrofoam and tab

That's why I post here, for the great help and more accurate information.

[nincehelser]

Rain Gauge Calibration:
My rain gauge is under reporting and needs to be calibrated. So I'm following the calibration instructions for the 5-N-1 since it's undocumented for the Atlas. I've been turning the adjusting screws under the tip bucket a quarter turn clockwise each storm. I've now turned both screws a total of a 1/2 turn clockwise. Waiting for the next storm to check it again. A calibration procedure should be in the manual.

I suspect we will see written instructions and perhaps a video later.

With the 5n1, somehow some folks got the idea that they MUST calibrate the rain gauge before trying to use it.  Support is now trying to push the idea that the units are sufficiently calibrated from the factory.  There's no harm in calibration, but beginners tend to mess it up, particularly on the 5n1.

Also remember that different gauges mounted at different heights and locations might disagree due to wind effects.  I only trust a well-mounted CoCoRaHS gauge for "truth".

[Mirwin275]

So, a temperature of 60.1 will show as a rounded up daily high of 61.

Shouldn't be that way, 0.5F always rounds up just as 0.4F rounds down.

Yea, same thing with my display. It just read 72.0 and then it went to 72.2 and the recorded high went from 72 to 73. It did not hit 72.5 yet at that moment to bring the recorded high to 73.

[worachj]

Rain Gauge Calibration:
My rain gauge is under reporting and needs to be calibrated. So I'm following the calibration instructions for the 5-N-1 since it's undocumented for the Atlas. I've been turning the adjusting screws under the tip bucket a quarter turn clockwise each storm. I've now turned both screws a total of a 1/2 turn clockwise. Waiting for the next storm to check it again. A calibration procedure should be in the manual.

I suspect we will see written instructions and perhaps a video later.

With the 5n1, somehow some folks got the idea that they MUST calibrate the rain gauge before trying to use it.  Support is now trying to push the idea that the units are sufficiently calibrated from the factory.  There's no harm in calibration, but beginners tend to mess it up, particularly on the 5n1.

Also remember that different gauges mounted at different heights and locations might disagree due to wind effects.  I only trust a well-mounted CoCoRaHS gauge for "truth".

The only thing that really matters is what I think is accurate and what makes me happy.

[beamd]

Completely new to this forum, found this thread searching lightning and AcuRite 01007M. I have had weather stations for about 6-7 years now, started with ambient weather 1080 I think connected to laptop with was it sanday? Anyways I read in here that someone else seems to have the lightning issue I am with the constant false lightning strikes and theirs too was much worse/only happening with sunlight.

Biggest thing I have to share is I borrowed my moms AcuRite 02020 Portable Lightning Detector and sat it with in 10 feet of ws and over the course of hours it did no record one false strike. This detector has prove reliable for us in past. I believe issue is with new weather station, not my location.

I put my AcuRite 01007M up yesterday and started getting false strikes/interference readings immediately, tried some other locations in the front yard with no success. Moved it to the back yard and had no issues so I blamed it on power lines in the front yard. Put the ws on one of my sheds just above the metal roof (quickest easiest set up) at around 5:30 to 6 pm and had not false strikes until 8:30 AM this morning when it started going off every few seconds and saying interference. Tried moving it around yard, using alkaline batteries (was using energizer lithium) and still had same problem. Later on read information in this thread, got me thinking about the solar panels/maybe the fan, so tried putting in heavy shade. No issues in heavy shade. Put back in sun on certain side and very quickly got false strikes. Covered up solar panels and no more false strikes (last test was not very thorough, it was already past 3:00 pm and there was not a lot of time given for test).

I am really starting to think problem lies in the solar panels or fan.

[Neil_O]

Thanks for the post.  You might want to make any future posts in a thread dedicated to this topic: https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35162.0

[beamd]

Thank you, posting it there now.

[miraculon]

Completely new to this forum, found this thread searching lightning and AcuRite 01007M. I have had weather stations for about 6-7 years now, started with ambient weather 1080 I think connected to laptop with was it sanday? Anyways I read in here that someone else seems to have the lightning issue I am with the constant false lightning strikes and theirs too was much worse/only happening with sunlight.

Biggest thing I have to share is I borrowed my moms AcuRite 02020 Portable Lightning Detector and sat it with in 10 feet of ws and over the course of hours it did no record one false strike. This detector has prove reliable for us in past. I believe issue is with new weather station, not my location.

I put my AcuRite 01007M up yesterday and started getting false strikes/interference readings immediately, tried some other locations in the front yard with no success. Moved it to the back yard and had no issues so I blamed it on power lines in the front yard. Put the ws on one of my sheds just above the metal roof (quickest easiest set up) at around 5:30 to 6 pm and had not false strikes until 8:30 AM this morning when it started going off every few seconds and saying interference. Tried moving it around yard, using alkaline batteries (was using energizer lithium) and still had same problem. Later on read information in this thread, got me thinking about the solar panels/maybe the fan, so tried putting in heavy shade. No issues in heavy shade. Put back in sun on certain side and very quickly got false strikes. Covered up solar panels and no more false strikes (last test was not very thorough, it was already past 3:00 pm and there was not a lot of time given for test).

I am really starting to think problem lies in the solar panels or fan.

Your A-B-A experiment is valuable and seems to support the fan hypothesis.

My guess would be that it is electrical noise from the motor brushes. Or, possible PWM if they control the speed. I sort of doubt the later though.

I am wondering if there was a supplier change in the motor that has noisier motor brushes. (assuming that this is typical DC brush-type motor)

Possibly the battery impedance acts as a filtering capacitor for this noise in some cases. (if that is what is going on...)

Not throwing darts at Acu-Rite here. As a Davis VP2 owner, I think that the Davis DFARS fan leaves a lot to be desired also.

My AS3935 interfaced to my Blitzortung controller has not seen any strikes in several days and is quiet. It is in the same cabinet as two Blitzortung controllers and a TOA Systems controller, so there is potentially plenty of CPU noise nearby.

Greg H.

[jimmy1913]

My Atlas was messed up out of the box!The UV sensor never did work at all never went above a 3 on sunny complete days!I noticed after putting it up it was overcast for 3 days no false lighting strikes after the 3rd day complete sunshine and no false lighting strikes but it was running +4 degrees warmer than my Davis aspirated and nimbus aspirated could not here the fan at all!Than pulled of the bottom cage and guess what fan was not running at all in complete sunshine solar panels dead south east and west.Pulled the fan down started running and it was pretty noticeable when running.Thats when the lighting detector went crazy pulled out the lighting detector three times and batteries and snapped it back in still all messed up.Pulled it off the pole boxed it up took it back to UPS next day shipped it back to Amazon for that much money this should not be happening at all.I have a Davis Vue now for over 10 years not one problem just the regular battery changes.My aspirated Davis Vantage pro I have had 5 years no problems.I was still running about +2 degrees warmer than my 2 other stations same height and in a row!I am done with Acurite.

[beamd]

Miraculon, did another test today where I left the solar panels covered all day and registered 0 strikes until a thunderstorm came through tonight and it picked up legitimate strikes. Still only a little over 2 days of testing but I feel pretty confident the solar/fan system is the culprit.