Topic: Is Ambient a low end choice?

[Rocketman]

Might be better to get a refund   

[Gyvate]

I did call Ambient after the first one failed and goot a real nice lady on the phone. Today I didn't get any real help and they just said deal with Amazon. They do say three's a charm so maybe that's what I need is a 3rd one. At least I saved the box to put it in. I did give it a fresh water rinse and covered solar and will see tomorrow if it works. It's already stopped sending any data to console and red light on Y wing is dead so I assume solar batteries are dead already.

Maybe slow down a bit with assumptions and don't jump the gun.
Stating in another thread here in the forum that the outdoor conditions are responsible for your station(s) to fail has not been properly verified yet (maybe just a connector got loose during transport and the wind and resulting vibrations did the rest, who knows - that's for missing outdoor T/RH readings) and might be pre-mature. You'd better say "I assume, I suspect" rather than "it is" until the cause has really been found - if ever.
The only thing which is clear is that either your console or your array (or both) don't behave properly.
For the console to misbehave the outer conditions cannot be a reason.
If the array is really faulty you don't know as you don't have another console to compare.
When the LED on the array is off now the batteries which are meant to be backup only will have expired.
And should be replaced for any further investigation.
You didn't post a picture from the console display as requested ! 
This could have given some more indications - now too late - except after exchanging the batteries the array starts working again and the console starts receiving again. Then you could/should make a picture of the console display and post it.
There's too much speculation involved without systematic error search ....
Lack of pressure data indicates something wrong with the console !

But, given the general experience, I'd suggest, you get yourself a refund from Amazon (the whole lot/batch in the Amazon store might be faulty - and we still don't know where exactly the issue is located), and get yourself a HP2553 from Ecowitt instead - either via their Amazon store or directly from Ecowitt in China - they ship reliably. In addition, get yourself a GW1100 displayless console (30 USD only). It will be very helpful for you in many ways (not only for diagnostic purposes) and many users get themselves a GW1100 in addition to a HP2553 station.
The HP2553 comes with the HP2551 console, a 6-in-1 sensor array with an ultrasonic anemometer, a separate rain gauge and it has already shown resistance to coast exposure with some forum users (even though noone can gurantee anything).

It's a very solid station with a lot of additional potential functionality and known hardware failures are comparatively rarely reported here.
Even though we rather rarely get complaints for the WH2910 and WS2320E stations here (WH2910 = Ambient WS-2902) either.

[DoctorKnow]

Maybe take apart the radiation shield, and make sure the temp/humid sensor is plugged in correctly? It may have come loose. Is this too simple an answer? lol I mean all the bars are showing on the console with no readings.

[Kwaj]

@gyvate, I did post a pic of the console. And there was no change after letting batteries reset in the Y wing. I would take your advise on the Ecowitt HP2553 but Amazom.com doesn't have it. And the Ecowitt.com no worky. I even had my wife try from Texas since our internet is a bit lame out here with the one pipe to Guam. If you have any other ideas where to get then let please let me know??

[Rover1822]

As an FYI,  the Ecowitt.com site, right now , seems to be experiencing issues, which is strange as I was on that earlier. I know it is not a DNS issue, it just doesn't go anywhere, so something on the routing or host, more than likely the host

Give it 24 hours, these things happen

[Gyvate]

@gyvate, I did post a pic of the console. And there was no change after letting batteries reset in the Y wing. I would take your advise on the Ecowitt HP2553 but Amazom.com doesn't have it. And the Ecowitt.com no worky. I even had my wife try from Texas since our internet is a bit lame out here with the one pipe to Guam. If you have any other ideas where to get then let please let me know??

didn't see the pic - sorry, must have missed it - some issue with my browser cache 

however you cannot order the HP2553 from the US as there is a contract with Ambient which doesn't allow that.

You have to order from your place - I think the Marshall Islands are independent and not U.S. territory.
Of course you can order it sitting in the U.S. and having it delivered to somewhere outside the U.S.

order from shop.ecowitt.com  !!!   - not from www.ecowitt.com/shop

[Rover1822]

I deleted my prior post, the subdomain of https://shop.ecowitt.com appears to work

[Kwaj]

Perfect guys!! I was going to order from Amazon.ca and have it sent to my wife to send me. But this is much better!!

Thanks so much!

[henry]

Ok thanks kheller2. I’ll take it down this afternoon and inspect it. I doubt the array is covered. The last one certainly wasn’t and we regularly get rain. About 120” a year. Here’s a pic of the setup. But I’ll post Y wing later.

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I don't think the sensor will survive in your location: the salt and water will short-circuit the sensor.  I simply don't think this sensor is suitable for seaside use. If you change to Davis, I think it will lead to the same problem.

[slybarman]

however you cannot order the HP2553 from the US as there is a contract with Ambient which doesn't allow that.

You can, however, order each of the components that comprise the 2553. 

[Gyvate]

It's not that simple - the WS80 is part of the agreement - everything else you can order as single parts from within the U.S.

[Kwaj]

Ok thanks kheller2. I’ll take it down this afternoon and inspect it. I doubt the array is covered. The last one certainly wasn’t and we regularly get rain. About 120” a year. Here’s a pic of the setup. But I’ll post Y wing later.

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I don't think the sensor will survive in your location: the salt and water will short-circuit the sensor.  I simply don't think this sensor is suitable for seaside use. If you change to Davis, I think it will lead to the same problem.

If that’s true then it’s pretty pathetic that this weather station can’t handle a costal environment. I’d consider their product as junk…. Not just low end.

[CW2274]

Ok thanks kheller2. I’ll take it down this afternoon and inspect it. I doubt the array is covered. The last one certainly wasn’t and we regularly get rain. About 120” a year. Here’s a pic of the setup. But I’ll post Y wing later.

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I don't think the sensor will survive in your location: the salt and water will short-circuit the sensor.  I simply don't think this sensor is suitable for seaside use. If you change to Davis, I think it will lead to the same problem.

If that’s true then it’s pretty pathetic that this weather station can’t handle a costal environment. I’d consider their product as junk…. Not just low end.

Then you're in for a rude awakening if you think a PWS that is in a corrosive environment won't show accelerated wear. You'll need to get into thousands of $ to get something that isn't. 

[Kwaj]

Then you're in for a rude awakening if you think a PWS that is in a corrosive environment won't show accelerated wear. You'll need to get into thousands of $ to get something that isn't.

Admittedly, I don't have a lot of experience with weather stations. I do know there is an active working Tempest station that has been here on this 3 mile island for 4 years and that's $300. That Tempest is located at a crappy location and cant get accurate winds. I woulda bought one of those but read some advice here not to. Ive bought an Ecowitt and waiting on that based on suggestions here. I'll ship that back if it stops working.... 

[CW2274]

Then you're in for a rude awakening if you think a PWS that is in a corrosive environment won't show accelerated wear. You'll need to get into thousands of $ to get something that isn't.

I'll that back if it stops working....

I don't care whether you "back" it or not. It's fact. Just like cars corrode in snowy climates that use road salt. It's not rocket surgery...

[henry]

Ok thanks kheller2. I’ll take it down this afternoon and inspect it. I doubt the array is covered. The last one certainly wasn’t and we regularly get rain. About 120” a year. Here’s a pic of the setup. But I’ll post Y wing later.

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I don't think the sensor will survive in your location: the salt and water will short-circuit the sensor.  I simply don't think this sensor is suitable for seaside use. If you change to Davis, I think it will lead to the same problem.

If that’s true then it’s pretty pathetic that this weather station can’t handle a costal environment. I’d consider their product as junk…. Not just low end.

The current design won't survive. Please send email to support@ecowitt.com for a possilbe new testing kit that might be helpful in protecting the sensor from salt and high humidity. No guarantee it will work, but it mibht be a possible solution for htis issue available from Ecowitt.

[henry]

Then you're in for a rude awakening if you think a PWS that is in a corrosive environment won't show accelerated wear. You'll need to get into thousands of $ to get something that isn't.

Admittedly, I don't have a lot of experience with weather stations. I do know there is an active working Tempest station that has been here on this 3 mile island for 4 years and that's $300. That Tempest is located at a crappy location and cant get accurate winds. I woulda bought one of those but read some advice here not to. Ive bought an Ecowitt and waiting on that based on suggestions here. I'll that back if it stops working....

4 miles of inner land and directly at the seaside will make a huge difference. If you believe Tempest will survive in your location for 4 years, then that will be amazing indeed.  Also, you don't know how many failures happened with this Tempest? YOu don't know, right？

[Kwaj]

4 miles of inner land and directly at the seaside will make a huge difference. If you believe Tempest will survive in your location for 4 years, then that will be amazing indeed.  Also, you don't know how many failures happened with this Tempest? YOu don't know, right？

1 mile inland would seem to be a huge difference. The Tempest is located maybe 100 yards from the windward side of island and it's down low in his yard so the salt should be pretty evident vs mine was at 30' elevation. I did email ecowitt about protecting sensor. Thanks for that. And I have read bad things about Tempest. That's why I didn't buy one. And yes, I'm fully aware of what salt does out here. This is a 3 month old bike chain on a crappy Walmart Mongoose bike that the guy didn't bother maintaining.

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[Transporterman]

I wouldn't let any bike that I cared about get into that state but I don't think most people realise what living in a 'marine' environment is really like.  I live on a headland in Cornwall England 50 yards from the Atlantic (next stop Canada 2000 miles to the West!)  It has stunning views and we absolutely love the natural beauty of the place but it is very windy indeed and the air is salt-laden.  Everything exposed corrodes and anything that is either not very heavy or not nailed down in the garden will fly about in the 40-90 mph winter storms. 

The roof part of my Ecowitt station (WS 68) has suffered.  First the solar sensor failed and after discussion with Ecowitt they kindly sent me a complete new WS68 despite it being out of warranty.  A few weeks ago the wind direction vane stuck and more recently no direction or anemometer readings are showing on either the Ecowitt site or anywhere else.  I of course have my nice new free array to replace it with but if that struggles in the same way it will only last another 15 months.  All of the other sensors (Rain/outdoor temp/indoor temp/soil are still fine.   

[Kwaj]

I wouldn't let any bike that I cared about get into that state but I don't think most people realise what living in a 'marine' environment is really like.  I live on a headland in Cornwall England 50 yards from the Atlantic (next stop Canada 2000 miles to the West!)  It has stunning views and we absolutely love the natural beauty of the place but it is very windy indeed and the air is salt-laden.  Everything exposed corrodes and anything that is either not very heavy or not nailed down in the garden will fly about in the 40-90 mph winter storms. 

The roof part of my Ecowitt station (WS 68) has suffered.  First the solar sensor failed and after discussion with Ecowitt they kindly sent me a complete new WS68 despite it being out of warranty.  A few weeks ago the wind direction vane stuck and more recently no direction or anemometer readings are showing on either the Ecowitt site or anywhere else.  I of course have my nice new free array to replace it with but if that struggles in the same way it will only last another 15 months.  All of the other sensors (Rain/outdoor temp/indoor temp/soil are still fine.   

I would be perfectly happy to have a station last one year. Both Ambients only lasted 2 weeks.

[Rocketman]

Probably have to get an Industrial type logging weather station for your enviromental . I have some contacts etc....

[Transporterman]

I would be perfectly happy to have a station last one year. Both Ambients only lasted 2 weeks.

Well, a two week life can't be blamed on corrosion or high winds. 

[Kwaj]

I would be perfectly happy to have a station last one year. Both Ambients only lasted 2 weeks.

Well, a two week life can't be blamed on corrosion or high winds.

I hope so... The first part of this thread responses were like it should work fine but I was blaming the salt. Then someone said buy an Ecowitt since they last in marine environment so I did. Now people are saying no way its gonna work where I live  I already bought it so it's in the mail. And by the way Transporterman, I visited your world a few years ago. Mostly Scotland but some of England. I was really surprised at how windy it is there. I race sailboats and was like this could be some scary sh!t on a sailboat in the Atlantic!!!

[slybarman]

It looks like ecowitt offered you to test out some environmental shielding. Are you going to do that?

[kheller2]

I would be perfectly happy to have a station last one year. Both Ambients only lasted 2 weeks.

Well, a two week life can't be blamed on corrosion or high winds.

I hope so... The first part of this thread responses were like it should work fine but I was blaming the salt. Then someone said buy an Ecowitt since they last in marine environment so I did. Now people are saying no way its gonna work where I live  I already bought it so it's in the mail. And by the way Transporterman, I visited your world a few years ago. Mostly Scotland but some of England. I was really surprised at how windy it is there. I race sailboats and was like this could be some scary sh!t on a sailboat in the Atlantic!!!

You have a very specific problem that was reproduced twice:
Outdoor T/H AND solar vanish.

We also read that someone else had a similar problem with their unit.

Until we know more I'm chalking this up to a problem with these units.  You should not have these problems, it should last you at least one year.  If you have problems with the Ecowitt unit, Ecowitt is more likely to help and investigate the issue.  We've seen them do this several times and help out and investigate the root problem.