Author Topic: WH32 issue - warning on console.  (Read 457 times)

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Offline GeeEmm

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WH32 issue - warning on console.
« on: May 27, 2022, 07:20:06 AM »
My 2550 has been operating for just on a month, no issues at all.

In the last few days my console has started flashing a warning for my WH32, seems to be saying the battery is low.  I was surprised at this, expecting better battery life than that, but as I had some spare fresh AAs I threw them in.  No effect.  The warning continues to flash.  The data is still being collected by the console and uploaded, and the WH32 shows no distress at all, cycling between its two screens and showing no warnings at all.  On the surface it looks like I can ignore the warning on the console (except the cycling of that part of the console screen is rather annoying), but I wonder if there is a problem somewhere that I should attend to?

The WH32 has been sitting within a few cms of the console, so I don't think it is a RF transmission issue.

Does anyone have any thoughts, anyone had anything similar?

Offline Gyvate

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2022, 07:56:40 AM »
what's exactly the warning indicator ?
- a (red) battery symbol ?
- a red exclamation mark
- or the transmission packet counter ("signal strength") ?
Can you post a picture ?
And I'm wondering how a WH32 sensor would cycle ...  :roll:
« Last Edit: May 27, 2022, 07:58:29 AM by Gyvate »
WS2350 1.6.7, GW1000(3) 1.7.7,WH2650 WiFi (2) 1.7.7 (test/backup), GW1100 2.3.1, GW2000(3) 3.1.1, HP2551 1.9.5,5.1.5;HP3500 1.7.2,WS3800 1.2.8, WN1910 1.2.3,WN1980 1.2.3;
Ecowitt WS90(2)1.3.5/1.4.0, WS80(2)1.2.5, WS68, WS69, WH40, WH31, WH31-EP, WN30, WN34L, WN35, WH32, WH32-EP, WH32B, WH57 [Lightning], WH41 [PM2.5], WH51, WH45, WH55
MeteobridgePro(2)[test,prod] 5.8 Mar 01 2024, 15185 - Blake-Larsen Sun Recorder - RPi4/weewx 4.8.0/4.10.2/CumulusMX 3283/Meteobridge RPi4B-2GB(3169)
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Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2022, 10:26:45 AM »
what's exactly the warning indicator ?
- a (red) battery symbol ?
YES, there is another symbol beside it which I think is a down arrow.  Are these devices sensitive to different battery brands/types?  It did have Energiser Max, now has Duracell Ultra, both alkaline I believe.  The manual just says 'AA'.
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- a red exclamation mark
NO
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- or the transmission packet counter ("signal strength") ?
NO, that is showing four or five bars.
Quote
Can you post a picture ?   
YES, exactly what would you like to see? Console or WH32?
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And I'm wondering how a WH32 sensor would cycle ...  :roll:
As I said, the LCD screen cycles between temp and humidity, and barometric pressure - is that not normal, would that be part of the issue?  As far as I can recall, it has done that since day one.
Quote

Offline Gyvate

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2022, 03:56:49 PM »
a picture of the console screen showing the warning symbol.

Cycling does not happen on a HP2550 console with the main (one and only) outdoor temperature/humidity icons whose readings come either from an outdoor array or a WH32.
Only with the Indoor (=WH32B, the "B" is important !!), extra T/H (=WH31) and the WH45 T/H sensors cycling happens on the right hand side of the console.

What you are talking about is probably the WH32B indoor sensor (which is different from a WH32 sensor !!), which has also a little display which cycles betweeen T/H and P(ressure).
The battery brand is usually not important - alkaline AA batteries are usually ok.

By the way, "B" stands here for Barometer (see also https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=40730.0 - please read and digest fully !)
« Last Edit: May 27, 2022, 04:07:23 PM by Gyvate »
WS2350 1.6.7, GW1000(3) 1.7.7,WH2650 WiFi (2) 1.7.7 (test/backup), GW1100 2.3.1, GW2000(3) 3.1.1, HP2551 1.9.5,5.1.5;HP3500 1.7.2,WS3800 1.2.8, WN1910 1.2.3,WN1980 1.2.3;
Ecowitt WS90(2)1.3.5/1.4.0, WS80(2)1.2.5, WS68, WS69, WH40, WH31, WH31-EP, WN30, WN34L, WN35, WH32, WH32-EP, WH32B, WH57 [Lightning], WH41 [PM2.5], WH51, WH45, WH55
MeteobridgePro(2)[test,prod] 5.8 Mar 01 2024, 15185 - Blake-Larsen Sun Recorder - RPi4/weewx 4.8.0/4.10.2/CumulusMX 3283/Meteobridge RPi4B-2GB(3169)
Barani Meteoshield Pro, MetSpec Rad02 - Ecowitt 5763,34418;WU ISAARB3(WH4000SE),ISAARB22(HP2553), http://meshka.eu

Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2022, 10:46:38 PM »
With warning


Without warning


Yes, the sensor says WH32 on the back, and shows temp, pressure and humidity.

I hope that helps.

Online olicat

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2022, 02:14:07 AM »
Hi!

Quote
Yes, the sensor says WH32 on the back, and shows temp, pressure and humidity.
If the sensor shows also the pressure it is a WH32B - the internal T/H/P Sensor of the HP2551C.
Please do not confuse the WH32 (external T/H sensor with the WH32B (internal T/H/P sensor).
Same housing - different task.

Oliver

Offline alfmk

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2022, 04:03:43 AM »
Hi

Quote
With warning
Searching for a sensor on CH7, which is obviously not there.

When the indoor sensor is displayed, press the channel-key button to stop the automatic scrolling mode


Alf

Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2022, 04:20:05 AM »
Well, I'm not confused, it says it is a WH32. 

Further, a search on the Ecowitt site does not give any result for 'WH32B', and finally the same site lists a WH32 as providing temperature, pressure and humidity.  Looks to me that the manufacturer has made a running change and simply upgraded the sensor capabilities without reflecting this in its product identification, but the user community has assigned a differentiating product identifier to the upgraded product.  Regardless the posts to which I have been referred are incomplete, and need to be updated to state that what is called a 32B  is actually sold as a 32.

While this is an entertaining diversion, it is not getting me any closer to why I seem to have a battery/power problem (presumably) with that sensor...

Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2022, 04:21:32 AM »
Thanks Alf, I think you are on the money.  Will try and report back

Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2022, 04:57:55 AM »
... and Alf wins the gold!

Thanks Alf, that fixed it.  I'm now wondering how this all started, I hadn't been fiddling prior to the 'battery' icon showing up so it will be interesting to see what if anything happens next.

Offline Gyvate

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2022, 05:39:02 AM »
would be interesting to know what exactly got fixed.

Just stopping scrolling would normally not solve any issue - it will only not show the other sensors.
That's like you go through a hospital and the doors are open and you see sick people in their beds.
By closing the door they usually don't recover and become healthy.

The picture shows clearly that the Extra Temperature/Humidity (WH31) sensor channel 7 has low battery and doesn't show any reading.
=> it has nothing to do with a WH32 or WH32B.
And there is no point in arguing whether Ecowitt on their web page show WH32B or not. Ecowitt calls it now WH32 indoor T/H/P and WH32 outdoor T/H for the average person to understand better.
Here, in the forum, you are with the expert users. If you read the central post on Ambient/FO/WEcowitt stations as I suggested earlier, ( https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=40730.0 ) you go more into the details - and we have explained that the indoor sensor is named WH32B and that the B stands for barometer - this is Ecowitt insider information which we share here.
We didn't invent that.

Actually you misinterpreted the symptom - your post subject should have been - "WH31 sensor showing battery warning" or the like.

Now, if you don't have a WH31 Extra T/H sensor registered on channel 7, you should disable this sensor in the console.
setup --> more --> sensorsID
Again, there is a chapter in this central thread which deals with the HP2550 console, and there it says that it is good practice  to deactivate all sensors in the console (HP25x0 or any other) which you do not possess or do not want to be connected to your console. This avoids stray sensors from the environment being picked up or other signals from RF band (433, 868, 915 MHz depending) to be misinterpreted by the console.

If you have a WH31 on channel 7, then your battery is probably down.
WS2350 1.6.7, GW1000(3) 1.7.7,WH2650 WiFi (2) 1.7.7 (test/backup), GW1100 2.3.1, GW2000(3) 3.1.1, HP2551 1.9.5,5.1.5;HP3500 1.7.2,WS3800 1.2.8, WN1910 1.2.3,WN1980 1.2.3;
Ecowitt WS90(2)1.3.5/1.4.0, WS80(2)1.2.5, WS68, WS69, WH40, WH31, WH31-EP, WN30, WN34L, WN35, WH32, WH32-EP, WH32B, WH57 [Lightning], WH41 [PM2.5], WH51, WH45, WH55
MeteobridgePro(2)[test,prod] 5.8 Mar 01 2024, 15185 - Blake-Larsen Sun Recorder - RPi4/weewx 4.8.0/4.10.2/CumulusMX 3283/Meteobridge RPi4B-2GB(3169)
Barani Meteoshield Pro, MetSpec Rad02 - Ecowitt 5763,34418;WU ISAARB3(WH4000SE),ISAARB22(HP2553), http://meshka.eu

Offline GeeEmm

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Re: WH32 issue - warning on console.
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2022, 08:34:26 AM »
Thanks Gyvate.  I agree, what the hell happened?  What got fixed?  Unfortunately I cannot remember what initially triggered my intervention, I presume it had to do with batteries as my first action was to replace the batteries in the WH32/B/THP.  When that didn't fix the problem, I then went into the console and apparently created the Ch7 sensor error message  :oops:  That error has now been rectified, but exactly what was the initial 'problem'.  At this point I think that all I can do is watch and see what if anything shows itself.

Yes, disabling those non used channels is a good idea.  I have no additional sensors connected (as yet anyway), and that seems like good housekeeping. 

Thanks again for all your assistance.