Topic: Best method for regular maintenance

[Merc41]

I am wondering what you guys do in order to do regular maintenance to your VP2 stations. Do you put your console in setup mode before you mess with the unit or just disconnect the modular jack wires from the iss before you do anything. I would like to do the maintenance without effecting my readings.

[Mark / Ohio]

If I remember I put mine in setup mode before messing with the ISS.   

More often then not I don't seem remember to do it (my excuse being that I'm too focused on what I'm going to do outside  ) until I go back in the house and find the screw ball reading I'd just created. 

[Merc41]

So Mark if I put it in setup mode, the unit won't sent any data to the console?

[92merc]

I believe if you put the console in setup mode, the console won't be listening for the ISS.  The ISS will transmit, but no body is home.  So you can mess with the ISS all you want, nothing is recorded in the console.

[lddaly]

Any recommendation for a Weather Envoy?

[talbert1952]

Putting the console in setup does not prevent recording of false tips of the rain collector tipping bucket. Unplug the rain collector from the SIM before you work on the ISS.

[Merc41]

Ok, so just unplug the rain collector and put the console in setup mode, and that should take care of any information being "recorded"....that will work, thanks everyone.

Mark

[Mark / Ohio]

Putting the console in setup does not prevent recording of false tips of the rain collector tipping bucket. ....

I had forgot about that.     There's some memory cache in the ISS for the bucket tips.

[casa manana]

just curious, what particular type of maintenance are you planning, or is recommended?  the only things that I have done over the past year have been cleaning the solar panel, and cleaning the dust out of the rain collector filter and "tippers".  anything else I should be doing on a regular basis?

thanks!

[Merc41]

Well, this time last year I had a lot of beetle type bugs inside the top cover that I had to take out...that and the dust that gathers inside there is about all I have had to clean. However, I may want to move the unit to another place or adjust it to a different position, and just wanted to make sure it would register anything.

As far as that, I can't think of any other maintenance I would need to do.

Mark

[sam2004gp]

There's the post-Spring pollen cleaning of the rain collector, the periodic bird crap extraction, the mid-Summer wasp nest removal, the mid- and late-Fall leaf removal, and the Winter post-ice-storm ice melt. 

Don't forget about the Fall Spider eviction as well.

[JOE]

I will be doing my maintenance this weekend if the weather is "dull".  Nice weather for most people.

I am hoping my DFARS comes in tomorrow via the UPS girl....

My station has only been up since mid-September ought-8, so I'm hoping it's not too dirty or spidery.

Happy Easter.

[SlowModem]

I will be doing my maintenance this weekend if the weather is "dull".  Nice weather for most people.

Strong to severe storms coming through here Friday and Monday.  I'll bet you get some of that action, too.   

I am hoping my DFARS comes in tomorrow via the UPS girl....

Yeah, I'll bet!

My station has only been up since mid-September ought-8, so I'm hoping it's not too dirty or spidery.

I uncovered my bushhog today during a "cleanup" around the farm-ette and found a sprayer for the sevin spray for the garden.  I had left the pump out of it so that it wouldn't freeze and burst.  I thought it looked kind of brownish (it's a white plastic sprayer) and when I looked inside, it was full of sticks and leaves.  A bird was up in the trees squawking at me.  So, big hearted guy that I am, I put it back and pulled the tarp over it.  I hope the bird will go back to it.  You would think that the bug spray would smell, but I guess it didn't bother them.  I donno.

[JOE]

I will be doing my maintenance this weekend if the weather is "dull".  Nice weather for most people.

Strong to severe storms coming through here Friday and Monday.  I'll bet you get some of that action, too.   

I am hoping my DFARS comes in tomorrow via the UPS girl....

Yeah, I'll bet!

My station has only been up since mid-September ought-8, so I'm hoping it's not too dirty or spidery.

I uncovered my bushhog today during a "cleanup" around the farm-ette and found a sprayer for the sevin spray for the garden.  I had left the pump out of it so that it wouldn't freeze and burst.  I thought it looked kind of brownish (it's a white plastic sprayer) and when I looked inside, it was full of sticks and leaves.  A bird was up in the trees squawking at me.  So, big hearted guy that I am, I put it back and pulled the tarp over it.  I hope the bird will go back to it.  You would think that the bug spray would smell, but I guess it didn't bother them.  I donno.

Not a cloud in the sky this morning, comfortably cool, but warming quickly. Very little wind.

Excellent day to do the maintenance on the ISS.

Yes. UPS girl brought the FARS yesterday.

I shut down and retrieved the whole thing off the roof.  Brought it inside and "tested" the rainfall a bit.  I'm coming up a little short, but decided to leave it be for now.  Not 100% sure of my testing methods.

Took it all apart and installed the FARS and put it back together and back to the roof I went.

All seems to be back up and working.  I could even hear the little fan whirling around.

I "aimed" it more to the southwest in hopes of catching the last rays of summertime sun.  I hope I didn't go too far and the rest of it quits working, but I think it will get enough sunlight.

Oh yeah.  Only 3 little spiders and 2 dead flies.

Now to move onto another Saturday project.

[GregJ]

Let me share my experience.... I had to replace the reed switch in my rain collector.  I put the console in setup mode, pulled the ISS and soldered in the new switch.  Then I took the ISS back up and installed it.  Came back downstairs and took the console out of setup mode.  To test the switch, I went back up and did one tip.  I came back downstairs and looked at the console.  I had .74" of daily rain.......   I went back upstairs and looked at the ISS.  I had not put the collector cover back on and left the buckets exposed.  We were in the middle of a fairly decent blow from the north and the buckets were going back and forth like hummigbird wings  ...... Lesson learned.... DON'T leave the rain collector off during a wind storm......

Greg