Author Topic: Old Fashioned Weather Station  (Read 66634 times)

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Offline rookie1973

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #75 on: April 08, 2014, 02:24:47 PM »
Lift one lead of the buzzer and setup your meter for current.
Connect one lead to the buzzer and one to the circuit board where the lifted lead was then make it buzz.
Wxtechs idea of putting a resistor in it's place will definitively tell if it's "sound" pressure or a circuit/component problem.

Thanks
Steve
Thanks
Steve

Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #76 on: April 08, 2014, 02:54:45 PM »
It's soldered flush with the board so I'll have to remove it. No chance of getting just one lead out. I'm working with a guy to order a couple buzzers just in case. Let me know if your friend sees the same issue with his. I also sent an email to the guy selling one on eBay asking if he will grab the outdoor temperature sensor in his hand to set off the buzzer and see if his does it. I don't know if he'll bother with it or not. If it's normal operation, then I'll leave it alone but that's what I want to try and confirm. I'll try and get to Radio Shack this weekend and pick up a 100 Ohm resistor.

Now let me add this into the mix. Maybe this is the same as removing the buzzer from the circuit. What triggers the buzzer is an alert. I use the wind speed to set it off. Once it goes over 35 mph, it triggers the ALERT on the display and sets the buzzer off. You can disable the buzzer from the keypad and still trigger the ALERT on the display. The barometer does not change when you do this.
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Offline rookie1973

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #77 on: April 08, 2014, 03:04:41 PM »
As wxtech pointed out the buzzer may be bad in the sense it's drawing more current than it's supposed to which is taxing the 15vdc supply and will change the voltage on the calibration resistors for the baro sensor.
The 100 ohm resistor is a really good idea since it allows the circuit to operate as "if" the buzzer was really still there AND eliminates the sound pressure issue.

The more you post the more the scales are tipping in the direction of a bad buzzer or other component in the "buzzer" circuit. IMHO.

Thanks
Steve
Thanks
Steve

Offline wxtech

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #78 on: April 08, 2014, 03:37:19 PM »
I would just remove & replace the transducer to see if that fixes it.  The 100 Ohm that I suggested is just 'ball park' value.  Calculated is 83 Ohms and 82 is a standard value easy to find.
Quoted earlier that .02" pressure change is only 1mv change from the sensor.  The problem could be that your DC voltage regulator isn't tight enough regulation and your DC supply varies too much when the buzzer loads the DC line.  Some 'decoupling' capacitors may be needed at the sensor or the regulator.
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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #79 on: April 08, 2014, 04:54:22 PM »
I'll start with replacing the buzzer if I get confirmation from another unit that it's not normal operation. I don't want to take it all apart if there's nothing wrong with it.
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Offline DaleReid

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #80 on: April 08, 2014, 06:16:59 PM »
I have three of these units around here somewhere, but I think they are all stored in a box out in my shed, hoping some day before I die to get one of them on line again.  If the wx holds, I'll get one up and running as much as it will to see if my unit does this too.

The best thing would be to lift a lead on the buzzer/speaker and see if it quits.  But I sure would stick my scope on it if/when I get one to do this.

I can see the noise increasing pressure... for 1/2 the cycle, then it sucks, so to speak.

The statement from the gentleman at D8pro would indicate that this is a common behavior amongst these devices.

I agree, this should NOT have been acceptable to the engineer signing off on the design and production of this elegant, cool looking unit that was held in high esteem back in it's day, and if ONLY the VP3 pro would have such a snazzy display!

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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #81 on: April 13, 2014, 01:04:02 PM »
The reed switches are availible on mouser.com or digikey.com or Jameco.com
I will measure the original switches and post it here. Then I will look in my parts bin for the supplier and part number since I'm pretty sure I bought new ones.
Thanks
Steve

Did you ever get a chance to look for these? I've talked to several people that have found switches the exact same size but they don't work. Either stay open or closed. The one guy has tried 12 different switches and none of them worked. Put the Heathkit switches back in and worked fine. I'd like to get a couple for my 1790.
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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #82 on: August 17, 2014, 12:21:19 PM »
Here's the F420C now retired from the weather office.






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« Last Edit: February 14, 2016, 12:43:46 AM by kcidwx »
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Offline Randall Kayfes

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #83 on: August 29, 2014, 10:56:36 AM »
I can bring nothing to any of these conversations.  However I have absolutely loved reading through all the memories and stories about past jobs, builds, weather equipment setups, and expertise.

I absolutely love analog in anything.  I am completely dyslexic, so analog fits me like a glove and the polished look of an analog instrument is just classic.

Gentlemen, it has been a pure pleasure to read through this post and the pictures are phenomenal.

Randall



Offline blizzardof78

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #84 on: September 11, 2014, 06:30:34 PM »
Someone has some money .....

Not anymore he doesn't. He spent it all on his 'toys' lol.

Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #85 on: May 20, 2015, 09:58:05 AM »
I think this is probably the original 11" rain gauge. I can't find a date anywhere on it but I know it's old.



« Last Edit: February 14, 2016, 01:22:41 PM by kcidwx »
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Offline DaleReid

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #86 on: May 20, 2015, 11:03:19 AM »
I'm guessing the 60s.

Dale
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Offline miraculon

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #87 on: May 20, 2015, 01:56:01 PM »
I wonder if that Taylor gauge is the direct ancestor of the current "Stratus" CoCoRaHS gauge. It sure looks like it, except for the bracket.

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Offline ValentineWeather

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #88 on: May 20, 2015, 02:30:07 PM »
It could be, when I started just out of HS 1976, NWS sent that exact rain gauge along with official NWS MAX/Min thermometers to go into my cotton region shelter purchased. We used an instrument called a pencil for keeping records back then.   
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Offline CW2274

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #89 on: May 20, 2015, 03:14:44 PM »
First time I've seen this thread. Wow, does that equipment bring back memories. I used much of it professionally for the better part 30 years, until digital took over, especially the Kollsman altimeter. Blast from the past. Thanks for sharing! =D>

Offline DaleReid

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #90 on: May 20, 2015, 09:00:21 PM »
Randy,
A pencil?  #2 Ticanderoga or wasn't it that high class?

How did you do backups?  And generate spreadsheets?


As an aside, my uncle, now dead over 20 years at age 93 was one who would record the max and min temps from overnight on an old Taylor Max/Min U-shaped with the red magnet for resetting that I got as a Christmas present, along with how much rain we had at the home place, along with significant storms or hail and such.

We found some of his old notebooks while cleaning out his stuff and it was pretty neat he took that good of care to record the conditions.

I wonder if we're better off now, or were even more in touch back then having to make the notations rather than watch the data dumps.

Dale
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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #91 on: May 20, 2015, 11:18:11 PM »
I honestly don't enjoy weather observing like I used to. Technology has taken the fun out of it. I really liked going outside every hour to read the instruments at the airport and writing down the readings on the NWS form. This automated crap is for the dogs. Although when there's a blizzard going on outside I'm not complaining about the automated instruments then.  :lol:
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Offline blizzardof78

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #92 on: May 20, 2015, 11:26:33 PM »
I honestly don't enjoy weather observing like I used to. Technology has taken the fun out of it. I really liked going outside every hour to read the instruments at the airport and writing down the readings on the NWS form. This automated crap is for the dogs. Although when there's a blizzard going on outside I'm not complaining about the automated instruments then.  :lol:

That F420C looks very appealing.  :lol: Have you ever considered selling some of your equipment you do not use?

Offline DaleReid

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #93 on: May 21, 2015, 06:49:35 AM »
KCIDWX:

Sorry to not address you by surname,

It is interesting to have someone who did live in the era of going to take readings 'manually' and to hear about that. 

I had a couple of guys I knew who, when I arrived here in 1976, who worked for the Flight Service Station, and did similar and then recorded the loop that was broadcast to the pilot advisory frequency, and also as a real human behind the mic, would give updates on demand over the air to the pilots and also you could call and get a wx briefing before a flight.  I sure learned a lot from their interactions.  But with consolidation, the station at KEAU was closed and they remotely did their work from across the state at Green Bay, plus the demand was down with all the computer stuff available, too, for information.  But there was nothing like a one on one briefing.  Too bad some pilots didn't make use of it.

The other thought I had was if you have ever read a book called The Children's Blizzard?  The time frame was 1888, I believe, and I was astounded at the sophistication of weather observation at the time, when the guys entrusted with doing it, did it.

There was a series of stations and relays from the Midwest all the way up towards Canada, I believe, and those were forwarded by telegraph to Washington, DC, if I recollect, correctly.

The observer in St. Paul was known for his dedication going out even in heavy rain or bad winter weather to get very careful observations, without fail, and also was interested enough to study the data that he was seeing come down from further out stations.  Part of the problem was that some of the 'observers' were dry lab-ing it, and falsified or observed poorly. 

The thought that prediction was being done based on upstream areas, and that the patterns seen based on data collected were used to predict what might be coming was astounding to me.  At best, I thought at that time someone might make some wild assed guess and maybe make a few notes.  This was a century and a half ago and very earnest attempts were being made by dedicated chaps to undertake the study of weather and prediction.

If you're familiar with the book, you'll know how well the author writes.  If you're not familiar, it is WELL worth getting and reading of the blizzard and the terrible price that the pioneers paid for their trying to settle and farm the area.

Dale

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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #94 on: May 21, 2015, 02:53:48 PM »
I remember going out to take readings one evening in 1993 and it was hailing. I grabbed the Federal Meteorological Handbook off the office desk and put it over my head and went outside.

I kept a ream of the weather forms we had to fill in every hour. I'll have to look for them and scan them. In 1994, all the digital stuff started coming into the office.   
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Offline CW2274

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #95 on: May 21, 2015, 03:20:51 PM »
I remember going out to take readings one evening in 1993 and it was hailing. I grabbed the Federal Meteorological Handbook off the office desk and put it over my head and went outside.

I kept a ream of the weather forms we had to fill in every hour. I'll have to look for them and scan them. In 1994, all the digital stuff started coming into the office.
Did you guys have to send your obs. to Asheville, NC. for review? If I remember, some insane number was required to pass, like 98%? It's been a long time so I may be out in left field.

Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #96 on: May 21, 2015, 03:56:28 PM »
Yes, we had to send all our weather data to Asheville for quality control. Your station as a whole had to maintain above 98%. I was consistently above 99%, usually around 99.2%. I guess that's why everybody in the office liked me so much. They could slack off knowing that I would pull the stations quality control numbers up above the minimum threshold. Jerks! hahaha!!!

The weather office was a one man show. It was nice having the entire office to yourself to work your shift. We had a staff of six to rotate shifts 24/7/365. I always worked 2nd shift, 4:00 to midnight.
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Offline kcidwx

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #97 on: May 21, 2015, 06:25:46 PM »
We had a guy that had just passed his certification test and was coming in to work his first shift. The forecast was for freezing precipitation and fog. I asked the station manager if he was going to have that guy work his very first shift with bad weather predicted. He's like, yeah why not? I said, work all by himself even? He said, I'll be at home watching the local on 8's on the weather channel so I'll be able to see if he's doing OK.

The next day I came into work and I checked over his data and it wasn't good. I was surprised the NWS WFO office didn't call him during his shift and ask him what the hell he was doing. He was sending out things like an obscured ceiling with vertical vsby with 3/4 mile prevailing vsby and an RVR of 700. That's a no-no! :lol:

He said while working his shift one of the air traffic controllers called him and asked what they were supposed to make of that weather data. Well, you can make a hat or a broach or a pterodactyl. LOL!! (airplane movie reference)
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Offline CW2274

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #98 on: May 21, 2015, 07:22:19 PM »
Back in my Navy days, an Electrowriter was use to send the obs up to us in the tower. We could always tell which weather guesser was working by it's legibility, or lack thereof. :lol: Resends were common.

Offline wxtech

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Re: Old Fashioned Weather Station
« Reply #99 on: May 21, 2015, 09:43:32 PM »
In 1978 the Air Force replaced the Electrowriter with the Talos Telenote.  It was a modern technology system based on a touch pad similar to that used now on laptops.  The system main transmitters at Kirtland AFB/Albuquerque International Airport was National Wx Service and the Kirtland Wx Station.  Other sites (Airport Tower) had transceivers also in case they needed to put out a notice.  There were more than 10 stations on the dedicated telephone line network, most were receivers only.  Base Ops, Munitions Control, Continental Airlines, etc.
Al 
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