Topic: WH31 w/ID FF will not connect...

[kwalsh74]

This is just an informational post for others that might search in the future.  I bought four WH31 sensors and one of them would not connect to the gateway no matter what channel I put it on.  Eventually I noticed its ID, which it displays on the LCD when you first insert the batteries, was FF.  I suspect FF is actually not a valid ID (usually things like 00 and FF are reserved in communications protocols) and that the sensor was accidentally configured as FF in the factory or there as some other defect in the configuration.  The sensor appeared to work fine otherwise as far as displaying the temperature and humidity, it just would not connect to the gateway.

I exchanged it for a new sensor (which had an ID other than FF) and the new sensor connected just fine.

This seemed a subtle issue and I only noticed the likely root cause because I happened to have three other sensors that worked fine.  Naturally there is the possibility FF is a valid ID and it was just a coincidence that this WH31 couldn't communicate.

Anyway, just posting this here so the search engines can find it such that it might help someone in the future if they encounter a similar issue.  And of course if someone has an sensor with an ID of FF that connects just fine then post a correction here!

[Rover1822]

Could you also add the console model you are using, and from whom whom (Ecowitt, AmbientWeather), also , what was the brand of the WH31. This will assist others.

The FF is interesting

Thanks,
Rover

[kwalsh74]

Could you also add the console model you are using, and from whom whom (Ecowitt, AmbientWeather), also , what was the brand of the WH31. This will assist others.

Oh, of course!  Should have done that in the first place.

Gateway is an Ecowitt branded GW1100 and the WH31 sensor is also Ecowitt branded (and all using 915 MHz).  I was using the Ecowitt app on iOS to check if the gateway was connecting and showing the sensor ID.
 

[Rover1822]

Who knows , you may be on to something. I expected the ID to be passed as data within the radio packet, in my limited knowledge I think it is an issue with the console and whatever they are using to interpret the data, for some reason as you described. I mean it is just a hex value that shows up  everywhere .

It is interesting, and we may never know, lol, too bad you exchanged the unit , as that was the only test unit I/we know about, but I get it, better to have a functioning unit

I changed the topic on my response, see if anyone just checks.

[davidefa]

If you have one of those SDR usb receiver you could use it to check if sensor is transmitting the rf signal.