Topic: new WeatherLink 5.8.0

[rjkeller]

I found the new version on Davis website and installed it but it does not upgrade the 5.7.1 version, it just installs a separate program. Now I have to do a complete setup in the new version. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING!?

I am going to just uninstall the new version and keep 5.7.1 until they get their head on straight.
Richard

[kray1000]

I've heard that the 5.8.0 version installs in the Program Files directory, rather than the root directory as in previous versions.  You could try copying the old version folder into the Program Files directory, then reinstalling the new version to see if the settings will carry over.

[SteveFitz1]

I had previously installed WeatherLink 5.7.1 into it's on directory (C:\WeatherLink). I installed WeatherLink 5.8.0 in this same directory and it worked right away. I didn't have to do any customization or setup at all.

Steve

[ocala]

Same with Steve, mine worked right away.

[edpnjax]

No problems here either.

I think the mistake you may have made is not installing 5.8.0 in the same directory as your previous version. WeatherLink has always done a perfect upgrade for me.

[Mark / Ohio]

Ditto what the others said.  I did not catch it on the first install and it went into the C:Programs/weatherlink directory.  I also noticed I had two versions of 5.7, 5.7a in the old directory.  So I just uninstalled all three, then reinstalled 5.8 into the old C:WeatherLink directory and all was well again including the settings.

[Cienega32]

I take it that you users with successful installs do not have need for the IP aspect of the software?

Anything better for non-IP installs?

[Mark / Ohio]

I already have VirtualVP setup on my main and laptop computer so no, I'm not using nor have tried the new IP feature of WeatherLink 5.8 yet.

[tinplate]

You can use the IP feature of WeatherLink 5.8 with VirtualVP.

[rjkeller]

Ok, I found out what happened. Same as what Mark said. It installed in Programs. I just uninstalled it and reinstalled it in the root. Only problem is remnents of 5.7.1 remained. I just deleted them from the W/L directory and then ran RegistryBooster to clean up the registry. All is well that ends well.

I see that the USB driver is new so maybe that will solve my connect failures. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Richard

[rjkeller]

Well, 5.8.0 did nothing to stop the "connect lost" problem. Davis was no help. Said it must be my computer.

Do not know if anyone noticed but the log just fills with errors now with 5.8.0, saying CRC error detected in loop packet. My log has about 200 of these same errors in just one day. Davis says pay no attention to it. It is not important.

Is there any other software I can use and totally do away with WeatherLink? Sure hate to lose $150 though. That hurts! I have not even set up a website yet and under the circumstances I will not if this connect trouble is not solved. Oh, by the way, I am now using the straight USB choice in the connection setup. Now it will not let even go back to the serial adapter config.
Richard

[tweatherman1]

I would've definitly stuck with serial port vs. usb anyday with weatherlink.

Tim

[tinplate]

Someone on another forum said that once you have selected USB in WeatherLink 5.8, it changes something permanently that prevents you from going back to using serial via the virtual COM port. He said Davis told him it was a known problem. He said it changes something in the data logger, but I wonder if that is correct. Possibly it changes something in the driver. If I were you, I would completely uninstall the davis driver, reboot, and then reinstall the driver and try to use the COM connection like you used to do. Once you get it back, my suggestion is still one I made earlier. Try VirtualVP. It's a 30 day free trial. It has solved the USB disconnect problem for many people.

I also don't think it's your computer. Too many people have had the problem on enough different computers that that explanation doesn't work for me.

Steve

[oregonalex]

> Someone on another forum said that once you have selected USB in WeatherLink 5.8, it changes something permanently that prevents you from going back to using serial via the virtual COM port.

There is now a utility that fixes it up:

WeatherLink Utility: CP210X USB to Serial Converter, v2.0
This utility ships with WeatherLink 5.8.0, but will not run due to a compile error. This update, version 2.0, works properly.

Note: This download only applies to users of WeatherLink 5.8.0 and a USB WeatherLink datalogger.

Platform: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP/Vista
File name: CP210X_USB_Serial_Converter_ver2.exe
Released: 25-Jan-08
File size: 112 KB

http://www.davisnet.com/support/weather/software_driver.asp

It has to be copied into the folder where the WL program is. Worked for me.

I switched back from direct USB because it was a horrendous PC resource hog - it hit the disk every second while the CPU usage hovered between 20-50% for the WL process alone - even when minimized.

Alex Khain
Portland, Oregon, USA

[roakey]

Actually if you've setup WL selecting the USB communication option, there are a number of steps that need to be followed to go back to serial communication, this is the process (figuring this out with Davis was my penance for being an early adopter of 5.8.0 ):

Ambient VWS General Questions forum
Ambient Wiki

Roak

[ncpilot]

Is there any other software I can use and totally do away with WeatherLink? Sure hate to lose $150 though. That hurts!
Richard

Think of it as having spent the money on the data logger itself, the WL software was free... there's no way to connect to a computer without the logger... so you're not losing $150...