Topic: How to Improve Communication WS3083 and its Display

[Trevor Dennis]

My WS3083 is about 15 metres from its display.  The station is at a good height and well clear of the building, and while I can't quite see the station through the window that the display lives in, it is not far off from being an uninterrupted line of sight.  To be fair, the display does live behind my three big monitors among drives and router.

I live in the Wairau valley in Marlborough, New Zealand.  One of the sunniest places in the country, but on nasty days after a night of rain (it doesn't happen often) the display loses coms with the station.  I can't remember if I put new batteries in the station last time I had the mast down.

Are there tips to improve coms between station and display?  Does it use the USB lead as an antenna?  I don't even know what the rf frequency is, but if it uses an internal antenna, is it possible to rig up an external antenna?  I guess I could use a longer USB cable and place the display in the window to be as close to line-of-sight as is practical, but I'd welcome any ideas?



Thanks

[DanS]

Hi. I don't personally own that type of PWS but it appears similar to the LaCrosse type. Some suggestions that may help would be, position the thermo/hygro sensor on its mount so the battery side is pointed directly away or toward the console/display. This will position its internal antenna (assuming its a circuit board trace antenna) for optimum range to the display. If you can position the display so its back points toward the sensor also. Lithium batteries may help as well.
Dan

[Trevor Dennis]

Thanks Dan.  I'll take the mast down early morning when the batteries are at their lowest charge and check voltage.  OK,  I have just read the station PDF file and see that the transmission frequency is 433Mhz, so a PCB mounted antenna is going to be too short for a quarter wave.

I have also found that the transmitter can use NiMH rechargeable batteries, but I am fairly sure that's what are currently fitted.  It has been cold here for the last couple of days, but we are a bit soft when it comes to feeling the cold here in Marlborough, and count anything below 8°C  as an end of species event!    But it is certainly cold enough to reduce battery efficiency.  Come to think of it, I have not seen the low transmitter battery warning icon on the display, but I generally pick it up and take a battery out of the display to reset it, without studying it carefully.  Hmmm now I feel embarrassed.

Your suggestion regards the transmitter is good — but the mast is located due west of the display, and being New Zealand, the solar sensor is pointed due north placing the PCB edge on to the display.  I wonder if I can rotate the solar sensor relative to the battery housing?  I shall try and find information about both antennas to see if I can rig something up, although I probably shouldn't need to if I get everything else right.

Thanks again for your help.

[DanS]

Yeah, the LaCosse 433Mhz stations use what looks to be closer to an eighth wave PCB antenna in the therm/hygro sensor.
Looking at the WS3083 manual it appears the solar sensor rotates in relation to the sensor shield it's mounted on top of. If so then you should be able to get the directions of both where you want them. Good luck.

[mwall]

trevor,

you can extend the antenna in the console with some simple soldering.  we did this on a ws2080 console with instrument cluster located about 300 feet from console and granite slab, 4 wood-framed walls with sheetrock, and a few rose bushes between.  before extending the antenna the console would lose contact about 50-60% of the time.  now it never loses contact, even when temperate gets below -10C.  lithium batteries in both sensor and console.  replaced once each year.

see the 17sep2013 entry on this page:

http://lancet.mit.edu/mwall/projects/weather/

the ws3083 is a fine offset device.

m