WXforum.net
Weather Station Hardware => Ambient Weather and Ecowitt and other Fine Offset clones => Topic started by: etaf on May 29, 2020, 02:19:52 PM
-
i thought i might provide some info / update on the new Weather station i have just received
I spent a few days doing a lot of research and had some great advice and links to information from members here.
And certainly was seriously considering the Davis Plus Pro2 but various reason stopped that
So i decided on the Watson W8686 , a clone of the HP 2550 from Fine-offset / Ecowitt
Ordered the Watson W8686 from nevada Thursday 28th May around 10pm
https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/product/watson-w-8686/
And it arrived today around 2pm (although expectations were set it may take 2-3 days given covid situation.
Wiped down, and cleaned all the box/weather station and took out the weather station
I will be honest first impressions, were not that great as it seemed a bit cheap and plastically with a screen, smaller than i had expected. BUT that's because i had been looking at £1500 worth of kit on youtube etc, i had watched a youtube video on the HP2550 and for some reason had an impression the screen was larger
The unit went together verywell, once i got a magnify glass out to make sure i got the wind direction vane aligned.
The mounting bracket is inserted into some small plastic lugs, pointed out on the youtube video.
I also added some nylon locking nuts and also used tie-wraps so if the thing does break away it tithed to the pole.
Added the batteries & immediately got the flashing LED and then pulsing every 16 secs, the indoor sensor gives 3 readings on its own display and worked immediately
The console display I thought had battery backup , but it does not.
powered up the console and immediately started to get a reading from the outside array and then a few minutes later received the indoor sensor.
All worked straight away, I have NOT tested the rain sensor yet, will do that tomorrow.
Went into setup and started entering the parameters I wanted , longitude/latitude had difficulty setting that as every website seemed to quote a - number, but sorted out in the end with help from google.
connected to the wifi straight away, internet time etc , so very easy to setup.
looking at the manual, i can also add additional sensors , Soil moisture WH51, air quality PM2.5 WH41 & additional Temp/humidity sensors WH31
and shows where on the display those items would appear, However, those extra sensors do not appear to be available in UK and shipping to UK is very expensive at the moment according to Ecowitt. Hopefully, Navada will get some in on their next shipment.
really pleased with setup now its all up and running,
Put the inside sensor in the garden in the shade and the difference in temp was 0.1C between it and the sensor 4.5M in the sky.
Wind direction is great and also shows a 10min average pointer and reading.
Not sure what timescale the Hpa weather forecast differeence reads, its seems to be the difference from a maximum and was making sense compared to the MAX for the day , but now its changed , so will have to look into that further
I will have a play over the coming days and see how it all works and then connect the unti to some websites and see how that all goes
I have attached a couple of images, one where it is now on a pole in centre of garden for testing
and then hopefully attached to a 6' 4x4 post about 2m above the conservator, should be rigid and the pole is in parts so i can remove for maintenance
I may put some pins around the rain trap to stop birds sitting on it
Hopefully these re the images
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Thanks
-
"I may put some pins around the rain trap to stop birds sitting on it"
There is a product available to that has that purpose. Not sure if it is available from your vendor.
Enjoy :)
-
thanks Rover1822
I was thinking of taping some tooth picks around the removable funnel
But, I will look into that, although i suspect those accessories will be difficult to get, I have accepted the fact that its not really expanabel with lots of vendors making patent parts
Maybe some cable ties or fishing wire /
I have loads of cable ties and old streamer wire
https://www.campbellsci.co.uk/blog/protect-weather-station-from-birds
-
Check this out for zip tie DIY solution:
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=35387.0
Went into setup and started entering the parameters I wanted , longitude/latitude had difficulty setting that as every website seemed to quote a - number, but sorted out in the end with help from google.
The negative number you saw on some websites is because they are on the other half of the Earth. You are to the East (right) of the Prime Meridian so your Longitude is positive.
looking at the manual, i can also add additional sensors , Soil moisture WH51, air quality PM2.5 WH41 & additional Temp/humidity sensors WH31
and shows where on the display those items would appear, However, those extra sensors do not appear to be available in UK and shipping to UK is very expensive at the moment according to Ecowitt. Hopefully, Navada will get some in on their next shipment.
Yeah, don't bank on it. Most resellers just carry what they carry and they probably will not bring in additional extra stuff. I suppose anything is possible but from my observance over the years of Froggit, Maplin, Misol, Conrad, Nevada, Aercus....and more....they just seldom expand their catalog of parts. Every few years they will start to carry the newer consoles and sensors is all. None of them have ever carried a full catalog. Ambient recently has impressed me in that they have stared to carry more than they used to but even still they have passed up on many sensors (for various reasons). My contention is...if you want an extra sensor, then order it directly from Ecowitt. Sure you'll pay more than if Nevada had it but if you keep waiting you could be waiting forever. That is unless you are an Ambient customer, because then you are SOL because Ambient consoles only work with Ambient sensors. Just putting in that last bit of detail for others that may read this, as I would not want anyone with an Ambient to learn the hard way and dare to order something incompatible.
-
Thanks for that info, useful to know
Figures for Long/Lat seem to alter a bit as well, used google maps to pinpoint the exact location. checked the sunrise/set times on other websites and they match mine, so thats good news
The tie-wraps seems like a good way to go, i'll look into further
Navada did mention they planned to get some sensors in on the next shipment, so i may be lucky.
meanwhile i did write to Ecowitt, who said cost for delivery at the moment is very high
Quote
The shipping cost is really high in this special time.
But now i have the correct part numbers, I have written again for a standard delivery price
-
I will probably move the Sensor unit later today to its final position.
I have connected to the Ecowitt.net site, and that ws very very easy , simply created an account on ecowitt.net, added a device with the MAC ID and in the console went to weather servers and setup to Ecowitt.net
Immediately started to update the site
https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19787
You will need to register an account on the site to see the info , even though set to public
I'm still playing, will try out the rain sensor, once i work out the water calibration, so i put a set amount through and see readings,
try out a bird deterrent ,
Indoor sensor in fridge and will move to the garage freezer later to see how that all works
The indoor sensor is quite slow in response been in fridge 20mins and still going down
Once setup , i will add the other weather services
But I like ecowitt.net and exports all the data to excel in one button push - Export.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
Hi
I have ordered one too from Nevada, you did well to get it delivered that quick. I placed my order on Wednesday and still waiting for delivery lol.
I'm going to purchase the lightning detector from ecowitt too once i have received it. What frequency is it 433mhz or 868mhz?
Cheers.
-
Mine has 868MHz on the back
yes, my expectations had been set to expect delivery the following week as late as Wednesday, they also said it would only take any driver sickness to delay that timescale, so really impressed I got it the next day. They do say, they ship 1-2 days if ordered before 3pm on the navada Site (Under normal circumstances)
I ordered around 10am on thursday , and got a text from the courier at 17:00 that Express24 would deliver 29th
I had a few email exchanges before I ordered, and Mike is planning on getting some sensors in on his next containing, no timescale for that, Also Lucy at Ecowitt did email to say courier costs are very high at the moment. Plus you may get a bill later form HRMC re VAT & Import Duty bill , as mentioned on the forums.
-
Thanks, i will wait a while then and see what they bring in first. I currently have the maplin N23DQ which still works but is looking old now outside.
Its a shame they ship the 868mhz version, as i believe my maplin console would of picked up the outdoor sensor if it had been 433mhz and i would have two displays. Nevermind though.
Cheers.
-
Shame, not sure they have different units available , 433 would make more sense, as thats legal in Europe & Asia given more customer base, whereas the 868 is just Europe
@galfert thanks for the link
I just made a bird deterrent out of cable ties, may possibly impact the rain figures now , as mentioned on the thread you linked to
anyway
thought I would share
Just about to try the rain test as mentioned in a new thread here
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=39587
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
You will find that Froggit in Germany (www.froggit.de) carries many of the sensors and spare parts that you may use and operates at 868Mhz.
They have a English button to translate and will happily ship to the UK.
They don't carry everything yet and may never carry all options but they are a useful source that's more local than Ecowitt for now.
-
Thanks Mandrake, I will go and have a look
The Unit is now in position, not as high as i planned as the post moved a lot as did the pole, so i need rethink that , about 2m lower than planned.
I cleared all the history / max-min settings
Deleted the device from ecowitt.net
and reset all up
https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
will now play and add the other web services for fun
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
with the help of galfert
i now have weathercloud site working, missed typed the key, checked it quite a few times but had 3 entered twice
anywhay here are the sites
PWS
Ecowitt.net https://tinyurl.com/ydhbdqhv
Weathercloud https://tinyurl.com/yatfdmx7
Weathercloud, you can just see the info , whereas on ecowitt you need an account to view the public info
-
Hi!
whereas on ecowitt you need an account to view the public info
Will there ever be a way to see "public" values without logging in? Are there any plans at Ecowitt?
Anybody knows?
Regards, Oliver
-
Ambientweather.net is built on the same source code as Ecowitt.net. The two sites share some similarities but as time has progressed they have evolved a bit differently. Ambientweather.net does not require an account but Ecowitt.net does. Ambientweather.net has made their map a center focus, and Ecowitt.net hasn't. I suppose anything is possible as to what happens next. But by Ambient not requiring an account there are some features missing. You get a better experience with Ambientweather.net if you used an account. Perhaps it is Ecowitt's mentality that everyone get the full experience hence they require the account creation.
I don't see Ecowitt.net requiring a free account creation as too much trouble (no station ownership required). It is the same thing with Davis Weatherlink.com where anyone can have a free account. You can always send Ecowitt an email with your thoughts and ideas.
-
Amongst some DIY , I also played around with the weather servers
The console has settings for 4 servers
- Wunderground
- Weathercloud
- Ecowitt
- Met Office WOW
of which I have setup and have working, see tinyurl links in signature , PWS name ID = E-Witt-W8686-ETAF
- Ecowitt
- Weathercloud
- Met Office WOW
Set up and waiting to see just
- Wunderground - which reports as Offline, see if another 24 hours makes any difference
- The WOW site keeps reporting issues, so not that impressed
-
WU should work pretty much instantaneously or within a few hours. If it isn't working then you should revisit and make sure both ID and key are correct. Remember you don't use your password as you need the key instead. Also check for case as that matters and check for stray spaces before or after your entry.
You can also send data to PWSweather or AWEKAS using the "Customized" server feature. But you need to pick one as "Customized" server upload can only accept one destination.
-
WU should work pretty much instantaneously or within a few hours. If it isn't working then you should revisit and make sure both ID and key are correct. Remember you don't use your password as you need the key instead. Also check for case as that matters and check for stray spaces before or after your entry.
You can also send data to PWSweather or AWEKAS using the "Customized" server feature. But you need to pick one as "Customized" server upload can only accept one destination.
One of the biggest issues I've had in the past is recognizing Zeroes, from O's in your station ID, Other words make sure that the value is either a 0 or O. Especially in the last digits.
For instance my WU ID is KVANORFO42 , if yours is similar, you might assume that the O42, is zero four two. In my case its not , its "O" , four two
-
When I hand write serial numbers or other alphanumeric series of characters I always put a slash through my zeros. I put a slash through my sevens to not confuse with ones because my ones have a top tick mark that needs to be there so that I don't confuse ones and lower case L. On a computer screen I've never had difficulty distinguishing zero from letter O because the letter O is noticeably fat to me and the zero is always tall and skinny. I don't even need to see them side by side as at least to me they are very different. Maybe I'm just more attentive to this detail than others. I think the problem for most people occurs as they transcribe what they see on the screen and then they don't decipher their own handwriting.
-
When I hand write serial numbers or other alphanumeric series of characters I always put a slash through my zeros. I put a slash through my sevens to not confuse with ones because my ones have a top tick mark that needs to be there so that I don't confuse ones and lower case L. On a computer screen I've never had difficulty distinguishing zero from letter O because the letter O is noticeably fat to me and the zero is always skinny. I don't even need to see them side by side as at least to me they are very different. Maybe I'm just more attentive to this detail than others. I think the problem for most people occurs as they transcribe what they see on the screen and then they don't decipher their own handwriting.
I do the same, but when presented with a 0 or O depending on the receiving font (browser/email) , might not look so different. Also , one just make an assumption that is should be a zero. I do the same on strike through on 0's and cross on 7's , as my handwriting needs every advantage it can get for someone to understand :)
-
Thanks ,
The ID was ICHICH49 and no O oe 0 in the Key
I setup another device and that had an ID of ICHICH50
Which i took to be a zero
and relooked again at all the codes , as i have made mistakes a few times so far in setting this up
I did not know the custom feature was there for another service , interesting, i may look into that tomorrow , thanks so much
Wunderground
ID & Key looks OK for Wunderground
I do the same with 0's having been brought up in the 70's with electroncs & Computers got used to seeing the zero with a slash
Although I usually can see the difference on screens
So not the ID / Key issue - will have to see what else i may need to do
PWS
Ecowitt.net: https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
Weathercloud: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ICHICH51
WOW: https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details?site_id=feda8d77-15a3-ea11-8b71-0003ff59b0d7
Wunderground: https://app.weathercloud.net/d3476715338
-
Thanks to all
i managed to get it to work
re-created a new device
check the settings, also the Interval changed to 5mins, I had read or was a post here about the interval time
Which i thought was setup correctly at 5 mins
PWS
Ecowitt.net: https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
Weathercloud: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ICHICH51
WOW: https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details?site_id=feda8d77-15a3-ea11-8b71-0003ff59b0d7
Wunderground: https://app.weathercloud.net/d3476715338
-
i thought a little update here again
With a lot of help from galfert i have now setup the Pressure Calibration
ABS = pressure at location
REL = converted to sea-level based on elevation, which allows comparsions between stations regardless of location.
I used 2 sites to calculate my pressure offset based on my elevation , and for a bit a fun worked out the elevation based on the pressures.
https://www.mide.com/air-pressure-at-altitude-calculator
https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224585971
https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224579725
My location has an elevation of 6m (the sensor is at console level , and not in the tri sensors, as i thought)
which means my offset is 0.72 hpa
i then went into the calibration screen on the console and changed the REL reading to be 0.7 above current reading (Note at this point ABS & REL are the same)
I then found my local airfield information METAR METeorological Aerodrome Reports (METARs) which happens to be at Goodwood airfield
they happen to report both current pressure and adjusted for Sea level
QNH is sea-level pressure.
QFE is air pressure at the current ground level.
Then using the QNH figure given by the airfield - I adjusted the ABS calibration, so that my REL result matched the QNH figure from Goodwood
(As the reading compensated to sea-level should be the same - sea-level at 15C = 1013.25)
Goodwood is reported at an Elevation of 34M , so i was able to have a play with the calculators and using the 2 pressures on my device work out the Elevation , same for goodwood
I just thought that may help anyone with a HP2550 clone (Watson W8686) setup correctly, having spent a lot of today working on it and misunderstanding quite a few things.
-
Now got the customise server to also work for
PWSweather
now on
Services
Ecowitt.net: https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
Weathercloud: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ICHICH51
WOW: https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details?site_id=feda8d77-15a3-ea11-8b71-0003ff59b0d7
Wunderground: https://app.weathercloud.net/d3476715338
PWSweather: https://www.pwsweather.com/station/pws/EWITTW8686ETAF - showing inactive for some reason
I setup an account on PWSweather.com
Setup the Device, it used my login email as the URL for the setting
Also on the Long/Lat it used the - setting for my Longitude
Your station's longitude. For locations in the western hemisphere, this value should be negative. (decimal): *
I gave the Unit an ID , but could only use alphaNumeric characters not - etc
Then on the Device I went to weather server setup
Customized
Enabled
Set to same as ecowitt.com, to get the display of a ID & Key
in IP/HOST , i entered
https://www.pwsweather.com
because i read it needed the full URL address
then in ID
i put the Unit ID created on PWSweather.com , note case sensitive
Key - i used the actual account password
and set an interval of 300 seconds
and after a couple of hours it saw the unit and displayed some figures
Just as i found info all across the internet, i thought i would add here as a review of the Watson W8686
update I did not add the negative for position and ended up in moddle of channel
So i could edit, but did not seem to update - suggested that i create another device with correct position settings
Which i have done
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
You should use more precision with your Station ID creation on the various services. I like to use 5 or 6 decimal places for both Latitude and Longitude. Your PWSstation is in the middle of the English Channel.
You can't edit it. But since you just created it just delete it and create a new ID.
UPDATE: You can update your Latitude and Longitude. I tried doing this before and it wasn't available. Interesting.
-
Thanks , I did manage to edit and added the negative to the - on the longitude, as mentioned in the i
You should use more precision with your Station ID creation on the various services.
Sorry not sure I understand what your suggesting re the Station ID
E-Witt for East Wittering
W8686 for model
ETAF - is my User name across most internet sites and forums, used since about 1999
E-Witt-W8688-ETAF
But not able to use - in pwsweather
So its the same ID on all sites
Very kind of for all the suggestions & help
thanks
-
When creating a station ID you provide your Latitude and Longitude as part of the process. You should provide Latitude and Longitude coordinates that use 5 or 6 decimals to more precisely put your station on the map.
-
Oh, I thought you meant my Device ID
Yep, I moved the reference on the system and the map change
But does not seem to make any difference when live
will updated now with a better reference
50.767522, -0.865232
But cannot delete the Old ID on the site
-
updated all the ones i can now,
just waiting for PWSweather to go live
Thanks again for all the help
-
Had emails form PWS support and the location can be changed on the site, but it takes a few days to update, so i have gone back to use the OLD ID
but not updating for some reason , played all day , disable the customise, re-entered , left disabled for some time
anyway I resetup for PWSweather at 16:00 BST UK and still now 19:19 inactive
Services
Ecowitt.net: https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
Weathercloud: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ICHICH51
WOW: https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details?site_id=feda8d77-15a3-ea11-8b71-0003ff59b0d7
Wunderground: https://app.weathercloud.net/d3476715338
PWSweather: https://www.pwsweather.com/station/pws/EWITTW8686ETAF - showing "inactive" even though been on console since 16:00 wait and see
we are forecast rain ALL day tomorrow, which the garden needs badly although because of where we are , we dont often get the forecast rain and it misses us arriving abiut a mile up the road, frequently had that
Anyway , I'm looking forward to the rain and see how the W8686 performs
for the rain
Rate:
Hour:
Event:(which is a 24 hours period i think, from the test i did the other day)
-
Hi, received and setup mine yesterday. All working good, i already had wunderground running with the previous station so setup was easy.
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ITAMWORT22 (https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ITAMWORT22)
Also using the customized server setting with my website using the ecowitt protocol with wvdkuil PWS Dashboard. Displaying the dashboard on a old tablet as a second display [tup]
https://www.tamworthweatherstation.co.uk/pws/ (https://www.tamworthweatherstation.co.uk/pws/)
Hope to add the lightning sensor at some point.
Cheers.
-
Had emails form PWS support and the location can be changed on the site, but it takes a few days to update, so i have gone back to use the OLD ID
but not updating for some reason , played all day , disable the customise, re-entered , left disabled for some time
anyway I resetup for PWSweather at 16:00 BST UK and still now 19:19
Just a thought, but if your still on the firmware that came with the 8686 (1.57? if I remember right) then the protocols are shown swapped on the unit when using customised server i.e. ecowitt shows as wundeground and vica versa - if set up using WS View then correct protocol is used, but other one is displayed on unit.
Latest firmware v1.60 cures that problem 👍🏻
-
@navzptc, thanks for replying
Yes the firmware is PRO_V1.5.7 on the device
The WS Tool does not see the Customise , not tried WS View wanted different settings to setup then i had , i thought.
The Ecowitt setting gives fileds for IP/host , Station ID & Key
The WU only ip/host
But originally the Ecowitt setup for PWSweather was working OK and feeding the station on PWSweather.
It was only when i made changes to add another station because the location was wrong, that its stopped
I'll have to get a microSD card , i only have spare SD cards
Where do i get the firmware update from ?
EDIT
I had another go using WSView and it connected to the device straight away and also used WU to display
I went to the settings and ECOWITT only needed a IP/HOST as you say opposite to the device itself
SO i put the path to the device
https://www.pwsweather.com/station/pws/EWITTW8686ETAF
Not what i had before , but as its not working worth a try
The firmware update on the WS View is for V1.5
Thanks for the prompt, i had webpages saved on the iphone, now i can just use the WS View APP
-
@souldrifter798
Thanks for the update , glad your unit arrived.
Love the website info , added as a bookmark
Do you have the Air Quality sensor attached to the W8686 or is that data from the old unit
I hasve an OLD samsung andriod tablet that never gets used now , as its OS is old , perhaps i'll look into having that setup up , but i suspect i need a webserver on a pc running all the time, I do have some old Windows 7 laptops laying around i could use. and have a play at setting up.
-
Where do i get the firmware update from ?
The firmware update on the WS View is for V1.5
The update on WS View is for EasyWeather (feeds the data to all the weather sites).
Main firmware for unit is available here: http://www.ecowitt.com/weather_station/70.html
Firmware is the same for our units [tup]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
Thanks found it ,
do you recommend any specific type of MicroSD card
For camera and computer recover partition copies , I have used kingstone
was planning on getting this one
Kingston Micro SD Micro SDHC MicroSD Memory Card Class 4 - 8GB - 7day shop
Also found on amazon
Kingston Canvas Select Plus microSD Card SDCS2/16 GB Class 10 (SD Adapter Included)
-
@souldrifter798
Thanks for the update , glad your unit arrived.
Love the website info , added as a bookmark
Do you have the Air Quality sensor attached to the W8686 or is that data from the old unit
I hasve an OLD samsung andriod tablet that never gets used now , as its OS is old , perhaps i'll look into having that setup up , but i suspect i need a webserver on a pc running all the time, I do have some old Windows 7 laptops laying around i could use. and have a play at setting up.
You don't need a pc/laptop running 24/7 to use that dashboard. It grabs the data from ecowitt or wunderground api.
You will just need some web hosting. I believe you can use the free plan from https://www.000webhost.com (https://www.000webhost.com) to run the dashboard on.
I have a business website on a hosting account already, so i just purchased a new domain and run it on the same account.
Download for the dashboard is:https://pwsdashboard.com (https://pwsdashboard.com)url
If you want help setting it up PM me and i will gladly help [tup]
-
do you recommend any specific type of MicroSD card
Any decent card should do - the 8gb one will be fine [tup]
-
@souldrifter798
I have used that Web service before
Setup a new site
https://e-witt-w8686-etaf.000webhostapp.com/
available if needed
Been playing with the PWSdashboard on windows 7 laptop https://pwsdashboard.com/
and Cumulus https://cumuluswiki.org/a/About_Cumulus
I like the link you have to
http://meteox.com/h.aspx?r=&jaar=-3&soort=loop3uur
so now at a bit of a loss, so I will PM
Maybe should start a new thread here
thanks again
-
thanks to @souldrifter798 i have been able to get a dashboard up on a server [tup] [tup] =D> =D>
https://e-witt-w8686-etaf.000webhostapp.com/pwsWD/index.php
running on a freehosting site, so may have uptime issues as most free sites tend to, time will tell
I'm using the info from Weatherunderground to update the site rather than the customise settings, BUT i understand that those do work
so will we see how that goes, now have an old laptop able to display on my OLD TV , which is not so great given the amount of info on the page.
-
etaf, you can monitor your websites uptime by going here:
https://uptimerobot.com/
register and accout, then setup a monitor type "http(s)" and monitor the site for free. it will email you if it goes down and/or back up again. free account checks every 5 minutes minimum.
nice dashboard btw!
-
Thanks for that @ConligWX, Simon
Setup , see how that goes
Cheers
-
Sites closed now for the dashboard , i exceded the TOS >31,000 hits , they allow 1500 /day
i had a laptop running 24x7 on a TV pc input with a full screen F11 browser - so thats one session
Then on my mac playing , then on safari browser , probably open on a couple of chrome tabs
anyway , reading his
https://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,68752.msg555340.html#msg555340
5 minute CRON = 288 updates/day
temp_c_block.php = 110 seconds/update= 785.5 updates/day
wind_c_block.php = 40 seconds/update= 2160 updates/day
baro_c_block.php = 190 seconds/update= 454.8 updates/day
rainfull ?
METAR ?
SUN
SOLAR
UV
plus video link , uptime monitor etc etc 10,000+
x3 browsers
30,000 easy
oh well, looking at a couple of other sites now
https://it.altervista.org/ recommended by www.weather-watch.com
and for $12 a year, https://www.freewebhostingarea.com/
who say it will work, but i have asked for a try before i buy, dont want to go through all the effort and help again to setup , only to have it crash again
just thought worth an update
-
FIRMWARE UPDATE
I now have the microSD card Scandisk Ultra 16GB SDHC
I also have the BIN file copied from the site posted above thanks
and just wanted to check the order process , to be really sure
Backup to the card first , then copy the backup file onto a PC
reformat the card FAT32 again, copy the BIN file onto card
I update the Easyweather V1.5.0 using WSView App on my phone, making sure its on the same wireless network, I have 2.4 & 5, i may move closer to the router to be sure , and not use the repeaters i have
so i will put the phone onto 2.4
once that updates
I just put the SD card into the slot and the unti will detect and automatically update the firmware and delete the BIN file off the card
@mandrake
Make sure the file is named user.bin when you copy it over to the SD card from your PC.
When you insert the card into the HP2550/1 it will automatically reboot and install the firmware. When done the system will start automatically and normal service is resumed.
Its worth leaving the card in the station as it will use this for backups.
After the firmware update is done the console deletes the user.bin file from the SD card if in the future you wonder where its gone!
OR can i have backups and the BIN on the same card ?
so once backedup - take the card out and then copy the BIN file - and replugin the SD card
-
You keep the backups on the same card.
When you have a main software update you just remove the SD Card from the console pop it into your PC and write the BIN file to the root of the card.
Dismount the SD Card and then pop back into the console.
The Console usually auto detects the new BIN file and starts the upgrade process.
When complete the Console restarts and reacquires its sensor sources.
Note the BIN file is deleted from the SD card during the upgrade process leaving it ready for the next time.
I leave the SD card in the console at all times.
-
thanks for the fast reply
should i do the 1.5 easyweather first or after bin firmware 1.6
-
thanks for the fast reply
should i do the 1.5 easyweather first or after bin firmware 1.6
Either way, doesn't matter [tup]
-
Thanks you so much , that was much easier then expected
and now I can get out of the history Edit, previous I could not use OK/Cancel
Brilliant , thanks for all the help again
-
setup a new pwsWD dashboard on another free site, thought i would try again
http://ewittw8686etaf.vastserve.com/pwsWD/
This site may go down in the next few days, if they did not mean what they advertiser
using the aeris weather API now, as i got a free one for having a PWS setupon pwsweather.com for over 24hrs and free providing i keep it updated, so we will see how that goes, they say unlimited bandwidth
http://www.uhostall.com/index.php
just need to work out where all the little links get the data from on each block, mixture of various sites
-
Hi all, I took delivery of my W8686 today (replacing an old Netatmo setup) and have just spent the evening configuring it. Thanks for all the great info in this thread, it’s been a real help, especially @etaf.
One question I have is around updating the EasyWeather firmware. I’ve downloaded the WS View app but the Watson console isn’t pictured under Configure New Device. I’ve gathered that I need to put the console into Wi-Fi broadcast mode but can’t work out how to do this. There’s no Connection WiFi option under Factory either. Does anyone know how?
Thanks.
-
One question I have is around updating the EasyWeather firmware. I’ve downloaded the WS View app but the Watson console isn’t pictured under Configure New Device. I’ve gathered that I need to put the console into Wi-Fi broadcast mode but can’t work out how to do this. There’s no Connection WiFi option under Factory either. Does anyone know how?
You don't need to do any set up with the 8686 - just make sure it's on the same wifi as your phone and it will eventually get 'found' by WS View and show up under 'Device List' in the menu.
-
I went to the device list, left it for 30 seconds and it appeared. Easy :oops: Thanks for your help.
-
@WXDA
Just be careful with the MicroSD card, i managed to miss the actual slot and the card is now inside the actual machine.
have a read here, with images
Not sure if its the same on all units or just mine
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=39672
Even knowing the gap is there , its seems so easy to misalign , so now i use tweezers to take the SD card in/out
-
@etaf
Oh no! Glad you were able to get a new card and carry on. It’s strange as the unit seems really well built, I was expecting something a bit more flimsy. My SD card comes today so will do the updates then and be extra careful putting it in. Thanks for the heads-up.
-
Just updated my firmware, @etaf I see what you mean, I almost dropped the SD card through the gap at the front, had to get a torch to see what I was doing.
Question: has anyone has any issues deleting rain data from the console? I’m still in the testing phase before mounting in it’s final position and am able to clear all data apart from rain. May have to do a factory reset and start from scratch.
-
you can change the rain in the calibration settings
settings - last button with a cog
then settings again - 2nd to last button with a cog
then settings again - 2nd to last button with a cog
to open calibration page
then you can change
Daily Rain
Weekly Rain
Monthly rain
Yearly rain
You also change the Pressure settings there based on your Height - see the posts before on how i set that up - with a lot and i mean a lot of help from galfert
reply 22
-
Thanks. That seems a really strange way of deleting the data, but it works.
For pressure, I just added the pressure value from my Netatmo station into the REL category on the calibration screen as it’s always been reliable and matched London City Airport’s value (which is only 5 miles away). Seems to have worked out ok.
-
Well 8 months on
Really pleased with the Unit, pretty much use the info every day now.
And the majority of the info on the screen is referred to.
even the sunset time on a few occasions.
The original batteries are still in the unit, so i'm just waiting for a warning from the unit of those being low and will take down and clean and replace with Lithium Batteries I have, since on researching they apparently work better in when its cold, although not had a problem and been -4C here over last few weeks.
The temp bird tiewraps , seem to have done a good job, never seen a bird on the unit.
Unit held up in some of the strong winds , although the highest has been 34MPH
Pretty much standardised on using the ecowitt site most days to look at the trends max etc on the graphs.
So all in all really pleased with the unit, and to be honest if it was removed would miss the info, so thats good , not a 5 min wonder
I have thought about the extra sensors, but with lockdown and Brexit , haven't tried to get any additional sensors yet.
Thanks to everyone again here for all there help in setting up.
-
Hi. New member here.
I have just ordered one of these from Nevada Radio. Placed the order about two hours ago - already had an email with tracking info that it will be delivered tomorrow, which hopefully gives me the Easter weekend to get it all set up and running.
Might be dropping back in here for some advice!
-
enjoy, had mine almost a year, and we look at it almost every day
-
I ordered exactly the same from Nevada 10 months ago, also thanks to this thread. I was very impressed with the speed of Nevada’s service. I love everything about the kit and was surprised how much I use the console, definitely more than on my phone.
@etaf have you done anything else with your station? I bought a Raspberry Pi to install WeeWX, installed it but then got stuck on how to connect it all up and gave up #-o Also bought the PM12 sensor and bird spikes from Ecowitt direct.
-
@WXDA, no done nothing , I made the bird spikes from tie-wraps when i first got it. Otherwise not a thing, but like you surprised just how much I use it. I use Ecowitt Website pretty much now the only site i use https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826 having originally setup quite a few of the different sites.
I was thinking about some more sensors - which is the PM12 , but with lockdown, and Brexit not really bothered.
I look at most of the stats on the display, But I like to see the previous 24hours on the Ecowitt site, Also the forecast has been quite good on the machine, And recently the FeelsLike
-
I ordered exactly the same from Nevada 10 months ago, also thanks to this thread. I was very impressed with the speed of Nevada’s service. I love everything about the kit and was surprised how much I use the console, definitely more than on my phone.
@etaf have you done anything else with your station? I bought a Raspberry Pi to install WeeWX, installed it but then got stuck on how to connect it all up and gave up #-o Also bought the PM12 sensor and bird spikes from Ecowitt direct.
I have not tried WeeWx, but I recommend that you try CumulusMX on your Pi. Could not be easier. They even have a prepared image with OS and MX all installed if you are not technically minded
-
I ordered exactly the same from Nevada 10 months ago, also thanks to this thread. I was very impressed with the speed of Nevada’s service. I love everything about the kit and was surprised how much I use the console, definitely more than on my phone.
@etaf have you done anything else with your station? I bought a Raspberry Pi to install WeeWX, installed it but then got stuck on how to connect it all up and gave up #-o Also bought the PM12 sensor and bird spikes from Ecowitt direct.
Because there have been repeatedly issues (due to little things missing or not properly done), I have created a respective post on how to connect FineOffset clone consoles with weewx - especially on a Raspberry Pi.
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=41800.0
With this it should work in 99% of the cases.
Should you be among the 1%ers, feel free to PM me.
But CumulusMX is definitely simple to install. I have installed both - weewx and CumulusMX. Both are great pieces of software.
-
Afternoon all.
Parcelforce delivered the station less than 24 hours after I ordered it. Very well packaged and protected from Nevada Radio.
All unpacked, set up and running very quickly. Fortuantely had a length of metal pole lying around which will do the trick for now. Fetched a couple of U Bolts from Screwfix and it is all set up. It could probably do with being a bit higher but I'll let my neighbour get used to it first!
Console set up and logged in to Ecowitt.
Very happy so far! I can see it from my conservatory window and it is very satisfying to see the anenometer and vane spinning around!
-
any photos, we can see ours and often look at it in garden/lounge to get an idea of wind speed , before putting washing out
some good advice here on setting up the pressure reading , based on your height and an airfield reading
-
@stripeyfox glad it’s all set up and working well, just in time for a blast of Easter Arctic air.
@Mandrake Thanks for the Cumulus tip. I’ve heard of it but must admit I’d never considered it on the Pi.
@Gyvate thanks for penning that post, I’ll dig into it over the long weekend and may take you up on that offer of a PM.
@etaf I got the PM12 PM2.5 directly from Ecowitt’s website. I dealt on email with Lucy who was very helpful, the only thing is it took about 12 weeks. How do your readings hold up in full sun? I did a non-destructive mod to give a bit of extra shielding around the temp/humidity sensor as I noticed some temp spikes. Used a plastic bowl from Lidl :lol: but it has worked out really well. I’ll post some pics if you’re interested.
-
@etaf I’ll post some pics if you’re interested.
Yes Please
you can see the data from about May 2020 here
https://www.ecowitt.net/home/index?id=19826
Not really noticed to much
-
I bought a small bowl from Lidl and cut an oval shaped hole in the bottom so it fits over the radiation shield.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
I added a few air holes on what would become the the N and S sides for ventilation and spray painted it gloss white on the outside, matt black on the inside.
To install I put it up over the rad shield, rotated it 90° so it sits on it, then wedged a couple of tooth picks between the bowl and the rain gauge to hold it in position and to create a gap at the top to let out any stale air.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
It’s a bit Heath Robinson but I didn’t want to do anything that would invalidate the warranty. So far it’s been great and held its own during the crazy heat last summer.
-
I'll post some pics once my backyard looks a bit less like a bomb site!
Couple of questions
1) is it possible to get a second console? When I was in bed this morning I was thinking it would be nice to have a console upstairs?
2) Is there an app for Ecowitt? Or any of the other weather servers so I could view the data on my phone
3) is the radiation shield necessary. The bowl solution looks a good, inexpensive solution, but do I need to do it?
4) If I unplug the console to move it to another room, am I going to "lose" any data while it is unplugged - or is the station still polling the data?
-
Hi!
1) is it possible to get a second console? When I was in bed this morning I was thinking it would be nice to have a console upstairs?
Yes. This is possible. You could probably also operate 5 or more consoles in parallel. All of them listen in parallel to the transmissions of the sensors.
2) Is there an app for Ecowitt? Or any of the other weather servers so I could view the data on my phone
There's a app planned by Ecowitt. So far you have to use another solution like Personal Weather Tablet or the Weather Underground app.
3) is the radiation shield necessary. The bowl solution looks a good, inexpensive solution, but do I need to do it?
A radiation shield is necessary. But you should try the built-in solution first.
4) If I unplug the console to move it to another room, am I going to "lose" any data while it is unplugged - or is the station still polling the data?
Yes. Unfortunately, when you switch off the device or after a power loss, you lose the data from the last lightning (if you also have a WH57).
In my experience, all other data is retained.
Regards, Oliver
-
2) Is there an app for Ecowitt? Or any of the other weather servers so I could view the data on my phone
I just setup a link to the Ecowitt Website on my home screen on the iphone, works fine
Also I have setup shortcuts to websites on Andriod as well for people.
But I have all the free sites on my phone as well -
App = wundergroundpws = https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ICHICH51
App = Mypws = uses wunderground.com data
App = Weather Underground = uses wunderground.com data
App = WSView = = uses wunderground.com data
but i like just the website ecowitt on phone , resolves ok for phone display
3) is the radiation shield necessary. The bowl solution looks a good, inexpensive solution, but do I need to do it?
I have left mine as supplied , NOT sure what the issue maybe
https://app.weathercloud.net/d3476715338#evolution
4) If I unplug the console to move it to another room, am I going to "lose" any data while it is unplugged - or is the station still polling the data?
I have only unplugged for a short while, and do not lose the existing data - NOT sure about the polled data, I would not expect it to see this info , as the station does not store - just transmits the results , so if the console is off for a day - I would expect to lose that info. Cant remember how often it updates the console
i have also used clearsky app for solar output, as a comparrison
METAR Site - on PWSWeather
Welling Kent is City Airport - https://www.pwsweather.com/station/eglc
I have used a few airports locally as a setup
As a lad I used to have a Saturday job in a HIFI (1972-75) shop Bottom of Highstreet Welling, one of the best in SE UK, Many people used to come in for demo's and then we knew they would go up to tottenham court road, LAskys etc for the discounts , loved working there over xmas so busy, can't remember its name - used to be 3 shops wide, carried out a lot of repairs, had its own workshop with 3 staff , bus stop outside , opposite a pub/fish&chip shop, near a petrol garage, Blackfen end , I think the shops have split up again , part is an italian restaurant now looking at google street view, really good fun.
-
3) is the radiation shield necessary. The bowl solution looks a good, inexpensive solution, but do I need to do it?
I have left mine as supplied , NOT sure what the issue maybe
That's a smart approach [tup]- my only concern would have been that hot air would be stuck in the bowl when there's no wind and impact the sensor readings.
But it seems as if you put (at least two) holes in the bowl for the hot air to escape [tup] - (4 - 8 would have been "ideal", but maybe I just can't see the others due to the photo angle) that would have been an additional suggestion.
EDIT: you already mentioned the holes - should have read the text properly ... #-o
-
3) is the radiation shield necessary. The bowl solution looks a good, inexpensive solution, but do I need to do it?
It’s not necessary as there is already a very good built-in radiation shield (the white louvered plastic casing underneath the rain gauge). My issue was that I was noticing an increase of 2-3°C when in full sun, especially on windless days so I used the bowl mod to give a bit of extra protection.
That's a smart approach [tup]- my only concern would have been that hot air would be stuck in the bowl when there's no wind and impact the sensor readings.
But it seems as if you put (at least two) holes in the bowl for the hot air to escape [tup] - (4 - 8 would have been "ideal", but maybe I just can't see the others due to the photo angle) that would have been an additional suggestion.
EDIT: you already mentioned the holes - should have read the text properly ... #-o
I have 3 holes on the N side (facing away from the sun) and 3 holes on the S side (sheltered by the rest of the unit). I also put extra holes on the bottom (top) of the bowl that sits next to the rain gauge and there’s a slight gap there too.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
It’s not necessary as there is already a very good built-in radiation shield (the white louvered plastic casing underneath the rain gauge). My issue was that I was noticing an increase of 2-3°C when in full sun, especially on windless days so I used the bowl mod to give a bit of extra protection.
Ok, I don't have a reference way of measuring the actual temp near the device - BUT it is in Direct sunlight , so far today, most of the day. just because is up on a pole and nothing putting the sun in shade , until late afternoon/early evening I guess when the sun is below the house - but never checked really, interesting observation, although doesn't the temp in the shade change with cloud cover anyway I notice a lot of difference in the room when in direct sunlight - verses when cloudy, as we have today
have you noticed any change with the new shield ?
-
Not sure that this is a good idea. What you are really trying to do is measure the air temperature and for that you need to have good air flow but shielding the actual sensor from direct sunlight.
You also need ideally to avoid strong sources of convective heat nearby as that will distort the local air temperature value. By this I mean placing the sensor over a surface that will warm up with the sun or retain cold as well. The ideal surface is greenery.
-
I’ve tried to give it as much airflow as possible with the mod. I do also have a siting issue: the only suitable location is near to some asphalt and fencing, but I’ve just accepted that this is the microclimate I have.
Eventually I’ll upgrade to separate sensors all linked to the console so I can place each in the best sites.
-
Hi sorry to jump on your post like this. I have just purchased this weather station to replace my old bresser5-1 due to rubbish rain readings. Just wondering the only issue i see if the wind speed seems quite low. Highest gust was 30mph i live by the north sea and my bresser got high gusts than that. Either bresser was over reading or this one is currently under reading, Other than that i love the console on the W8686
-
Hi sorry to jump on your post like this. I have just purchased this weather station to replace my old bresser5-1 due to rubbish rain readings. Just wondering the only issue i see if the wind speed seems quite low. Highest gust was 30mph i live by the north sea and my bresser got high gusts than that. Either bresser was over reading or this one is currently under reading, Other than that i love the console on the W8686
I guess you get the wind readings from the WH65 outdoor sensor array (see also: https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=40730.0).
In my observation the Ecowitt WS80 outdoor sensor array with an ultrasonic anemometer picks up winds earlier and tends to have a higher reading than the WH65 cups.
Compared to stations around me, also some Davis Pro VP2, the WS80 wind readings seem to be more accurate (but it's another investment ;)). So I'd say the WH65 is under reading.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] WS80 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] WH65 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Also, the positioning plays quite a role. The 7-in-1 is always a compromise between Temperature, wind and rain, whereas the WS80 separates wind and rain, and if you also want to separate outdoor temperature reading to have all three main sensors in their optimal position, you get yourself an extra WH32 outdoor T/H sensor. I've done the latter, and have the WH65 in parallel (as backup and for comparison).
The optimal combination as far as I can tell (and what my measurements support) is: wind from WS80, temperature/humidity from either WS80 or WH32 and rain from WH65.
[The absolute enthusiast will put a WH32-EP into a Meteoshield Pro 8-) - the -EP is the extra precision version].
The WH65 rain gauge provides better readings than the WH40 single rain gauge (many discussions about this in this board). It needs to be improved, design-wise and firmware-wise (and Ecowitt are aware of it).
While the W8686 is a good start, and probably for many sufficient to satisfy their weather enthusiasm needs, if you have higher standards for accuracy, a setup with separate sensors will be your target configuration (and necessitates bigger investments, too :roll: ;)). The good thing is that the WS8686 console (an Ecowitt HP2551 clone) works with all recent Ecowitt sensors. See the table/matrix at the above mentioned link.