The WeatherLink Console does not have a local interface like the WeatherLink Live. WeatherCat, nor any other PWS software can connect to a WLC.

You need a WeatherLink Live 6100 to enable local connectivity. Or the software needs to be able to connect to weatherlink.com, but that also needs a working Pro subscription. (Too many things called WeatherLink!)

There was an update to the console overnight.

When I got in this evening, the console had been frozen for nearly 12 hours. I had to do a soft reset, and then it spent about an hour catching up on the values. The console has become slow and unresponsive again, and keeps crashing if I tap various options. Of course, this deletes all the daily highs and lows 

I just don't get how people can defend this crap?!

I've purchased a WH32 EP to override the outdoor temp/humidity on my WS-5000 (it is a North American-915 mhz sensor). I want to test before purchasing an expensive shield... looking at Barani, Siap+Micros, and Metspec. It will be obvious that the new sensor is overriding "outdoor" on my console because I will be doing this indoors and the temp/humidity will be considerably different than outdoors.  I also have a regular "channel" sensor in an outdoor room for a live comparison. My question is, do I just insert the batteries into the WH32 EP and in a couple of minutes the console recognizes the WH32 EP and lists its temp/humidity as "outdoor", or do I have to do something at the console first? Also, can I just remove the batteries from the WH32 EP, and everything goes back to normal (i.e. the console will begin reading the WS-5000 temp/humidity sensor after I remove the batteries from the WH32 EP)?

I have implemented an ecowitt 1100 gateway with 2 WH51 soil probes.

1) In the Ecowitt App, I see the soil moistures correctly. I also see indoor temperature, humidity, and pressure, presumably from the GW1100.

However, I also see outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, wind speed, and rainfall. Where are these numbers coming from?

if you do not own outdoor T/RH, wind and rainfall sensors, they will come from sensors in your neighbourhood - so-called ghost or phantom sensors.
You have two options:
1. benefit from the "free-of-charge" contribution of your neighbour
2. de-activate ("disable") the respective sensors in the GW1100 sensor ID page - http://IP-address-of-your-GW1100
--> SensorsID - you will find there the sensorID or IDs of the sensors providing these data

2) Is the only reason for not burying the wh51 sensor below ground (say, 12") because the transmission to the gateway is blocked?

yes, for such scenarios the WH51L has been made

3) Similarly, if I install a wh51L sensor
a) How do you dig the hole? Do people use these long auger drill bits, which are 2-3" in diameter? Just drop the probe in and cover with the dirt, leaving the top piece exposed?
b) how do I get it back out? Just pull on the cable? I am worried that compacted soil will lock it in, and I will break something pulling it up. The auger will destroy the cable...

you could use a pipe with a wider (5-10") diameter and fill it loosely with earth/soil

3) The values read from the meter do not seem to be any particular units; the AD values look like the output from an Analog to Digital converter chip. I calibrated my WH51 withe values Wet=1000 Dry=10. This scales the sensor readings so they match the gravimetric soil water % values (I prepared several samples of the same soil with measured amounts of water to get the appropriate gravimetric soil %). Any problem with doing it this way?

whatever you like - the procedure is described in our WiKi
https://meshka.eu/Ecowitt/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=start#wh51_wh51l

4) I am in Phoenix, with temperatures around 115 degF and lots of UV (11-13 UV Index). The sun destroys everything outside - plastic, cloth, metal plumbing, cars. Anyone have problems with sun destroying the WH51 or WH51L plastic  casing? I put glass jars over mine, but maybe that is a problem? Transmission seems ok.

so far mine have survived the solar exposure, but I don't live in the desert
You can of course protect the sensors - as long as the protective measures do not impact the data transmission

Thanks,
Robert Brewington
eridanibrew@gmail.com
Casa Grande, AZ

I have implemented an ecowitt 1100 gateway with 2 WH51 soil probes.

1) In the Ecowitt App, I see the soil moistures correctly. I also see indoor temperature, humidity, and pressure, presumably from the GW1100.

However, I also see outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, wind speed, and rainfall. Where are these numbers coming from?

2) Is the only reason for not burying the wh51 sensor below ground (say, 12") because the transmission to the gateway is blocked?

3) Similarly, if I install a wh51L sensor
a) How do you dig the hole? Do people use these long auger drill bits, which are 2-3" in diameter? Just drop the probe in and cover with the dirt, leaving the top piece exposed?
b) how do I get it back out? Just pull on the cable? I am worried that compacted soil will lock it in, and I will break something pulling it up. The auger will destroy the cable...

3) The values read from the meter do not seem to be any particular units; the AD values look like the output from an Analog to Digital converter chip. I calibrated my WH51 withe values Wet=1000 Dry=10. This scales the sensor readings so they match the gravimetric soil water % values (I prepared several samples of the same soil with measured amounts of water to get the appropriate gravimetric soil %). Any problem with doing it this way?

4) I am in Phoenix, with temperatures around 115 degF and lots of UV (11-13 UV Index). The sun destroys everything outside - plastic, cloth, metal plumbing, cars. Anyone have problems with sun destroying the WH51 or WH51L plastic  casing? I put glass jars over mine, but maybe that is a problem? Transmission seems ok.


Thanks,
Robert Brewington
eridanibrew@gmail.com
Casa Grande, AZ