Author Topic: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity  (Read 1418 times)

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Offline kba293

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I have a new Vantage Pro 2 weather station with both a new Weatherlink console and a legacy Vantage Pro 2 console.  I kept the Vantage Pro 2 console from my previous setup, and use both in different rooms of my house.

I noticed that the outdoor temperature and humidity sometimes do not display on the Weatherlink console.  A dashed line appears instead.  These values continue to update and display on the Vantage Pro 2 console however.  After a short time, the Weatherlink console starts displaying these again.

What would cause this?  I don't think it's an issue with the outdoor unit, because the old console still receives and displays these parameters.


Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2024, 02:46:28 PM »
So only outside Temp/Humidity not showing at times on the new Weatherlink console, Wind speed/direction (& rain) are 100% across both displays?

Is there any specific or consistent times this occurs? What is the proximity/distance of the new display compared to the VP2 console? However if it is signal/distance related then one would expect no reception across all sensors? 

Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2024, 08:19:47 PM »
Yes, just the outside temperature and humidity go away.  Outside wind speed and rain continue to display. 

The old Vantage Pro 2 console is actually located further away from the outdoor unit compared to the Weatherlink console.

Offline RichG

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2024, 03:51:31 AM »
Have you checked the console diagnostic screen to see what the reception is like? The old console is detailed here.

https://support.davisinstruments.com/article/jpddhzwlwu-console-diagnostic-mode

I'd be surprised if the new style console doesn't have something similar?

Edit: device information screen on newer console.

https://www.manula.com/manuals/pws/davis-kb/1/en/topic/6313-console-set-up-and-tweaks
« Last Edit: December 14, 2024, 03:57:42 AM by RichG »

Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2024, 11:25:10 AM »
I don't think that signal reception is the issue.  If it were a signal issue, the wind speed and direction would also be lost. I'm seeing those fine.  Just the outsite temperature and humidity intermittently aren't being dispayed.

The old Vantage Pro 2 console is actually located further away from the outdoor unit compared to the Weatherlink console.

Offline RichG

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2024, 11:54:53 AM »
You're almost certainly correct but I thought that the sensors were carried in different packets, the wind being sent much more often (2sec?) than the rain or temp/humidity? If you lost 75% of the wind packets you may not notice but you may on the slower temperature packets, just a thought? The new console could generate more electrical noise, it has a much faster processor, WiFi and is the backlight on all the time which could make it slightly less sensitive? If both RF diagnostic screens show exactly the same packet loss then it must be something else but personally I would want to confirm it.

Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2024, 03:24:53 PM »
There just appears issue after issue with these new Weatherlink consoles compared to the well proven and stable VP2 console. After all the years of complained about the old VP2 console, lack of a colour console etc this is what they got to replace it, a colour console that is inferior, doesn't work half the time, lower reception levels and modeled around a pure subscription base with a deliberate lack of local external connectability  =D>.       

Offline johnd

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2024, 03:29:34 PM »
Let's not go on guesswork. The 6313 console has a perfectly good screen for monitoring reception (much better than the legacy console actually).

Go to the Device Information screen and click the right arrow beside the ISS transmitter. See what the RSSI and packet reception stats look like. From memory I think you can call up an RSSI graph vs time from there. Is there any sign of dropout?
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Includes many details on 6313 Weatherlink console.
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Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2024, 04:24:40 PM »
Here are diagnostic screenshots from both consoles. 

« Last Edit: December 14, 2024, 04:33:21 PM by kba293 »

Offline johnd

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2024, 06:45:43 PM »
Thanks. So reception is relatively weak, at least at times. I really like to see better (ie less negative) than -90dBm. Not sure why the RSSI improved in the afternoon, unless the sun came out brightly or some source of interference disappeared. This is just looking back 24 hours I think. What happens if you look at a graph of outside temperature over that same period. Were there any dropouts? And, if so, when please?

And sorry but I've no idea where Cross Plains is. Is the temperature unusually low at present?
« Last Edit: December 14, 2024, 06:47:52 PM by johnd »
Prodata Weather Systems
Prodata's FAQ/support site for Davis stations
Includes many details on 6313 Weatherlink console.
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Cambridge UK

Sorry, but I don't usually have time to help with individual issues by email unless you are a Prodata customer. Please post your issue in the relevant forum section here & I will comment there if I have anything useful to add.

Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2024, 08:17:12 PM »
Cross Plains is in southern Wisconsin, and the temperature was low.

I don't see any missing data in the outdoor temperature graph, but maybe the graph view is too coarse?  The Weatherlink console only stopped displaying outdoor temperature (and related) data for a few minutes.  The dropout doesn't seem to correspond to a low RSSI level.

Offline davidmc36

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2024, 09:29:40 PM »
The graph IS a bit coarse. But I think I can see "Flatlines" corresponding to very poor RSSI.

Offline RichG

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2024, 03:23:22 AM »
Is the console located on the cork board as shown? If so have you tried moving it away from the metal edges for a few hours and then check the reception again, just wondered if they could be upsetting the antenna? Where is the antenna on the console?

Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2024, 04:22:55 AM »
I believe it has been established the 6313 antenna is inferior to the well proven 6312 or 6316 so one would be expecting the 6313 reception to be down in any case.   

Offline Shady_Acres

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2024, 04:43:58 AM »
Is the console located on the cork board as shown? If so have you tried moving it away from the metal edges for a few hours and then check the reception again, just wondered if they could be upsetting the antenna? Where is the antenna on the console?
Good call.

These consoles can be a bit ‘hit-and-miss’ reception-wise and sensitive to their mounting location. Internal photos are shown here for interest’s sake: https://fccid.io/IR2DWW6313U/Internal-Photos/Internal-Photos-6307515

I had issues myself a while ago with RSSI on my wall-mounted WLC so thought I’d also link this post of my findings:

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=45032.msg477809#msg477809

The improvement in my RSSI readings made back then ended up being a permanent one so I’m hoping this helps? Strangely, like yours, my temp/humidity readings seem to always the first to suffer whenever trouble arises and the last to re-appear whenever I have had to perform a reset etc…

Good Luck!


Cheers,

Shady
Shady Acres Wx.
(b. 23/04/24)

Hardware: Davis Vantage Vue + WeatherLink Console (6242AU Bundle) + WeatherLink Live (6100AU), Davis AirLink (7210USB)
Hardware (anemometer upgrade- construction pending): Davis Sensor Transmitter (6332AU), Davis Vantage Pro Anemometer (6410), Davis Rain Collector (6466M)

Software: Cumulus MX 4.3.3 b4070 on macOS via WeatherLink Live (6100AU)
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Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2024, 11:35:47 AM »
Update:  This has happened a few more times now, so I've been able to observe more closely what is happening.

First, a correction to my original post, it is only the outdoor humidity (and the related THW and Dew point) indications that are intermittent.  The outdoor temperature continues to display.

Also, when the humidity related indications disappear, the wind speed and direction continue to update.  I checked the RSSI during this time and it was good.

So, do I perhaps have an intermittent humidity sensor?  If so, is this something that is user-replaceable?

Offline 92merc

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2024, 12:53:40 PM »
Easily replaceable.  Only issue is Davis switched up the sensor to a different model. I forget what year.  But if your unit is like 10 years old, you'll need to offset the temp a bit.

If your unit is only maybe 5 years old, should plug and play.
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Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2024, 02:34:54 PM »
.... So, do I perhaps have an intermittent humidity sensor?  If so, is this something that is user-replaceable?

The humidity component is combined in the Temp/Humidity sensor, easily replaced.

Offline kba293

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2024, 08:53:57 PM »
I emailed Davis technical support, and the first thing they want me to try is changing the station number from the default of #1 to something else.  They are wondering if another station nearby, such as from a neighbor, is interfering. 

I live in a rural area with no close houses, but I did change the station number anyway.  Reception/RSSI seems the same.

Does changing the station number shift the transmit and receive frequency band, or does it just encode the bits differently within the same bandwidth?

Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2024, 09:44:50 PM »
.... Does changing the station number shift the transmit and receive frequency band, or does it just encode the bits differently within the same bandwidth?

Changes the freq within the region's spread spectrum band.

Offline johnd

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2024, 05:32:36 AM »
.... Does changing the station number shift the transmit and receive frequency band, or does it just encode the bits differently within the same bandwidth?

Changes the freq within the region's spread spectrum band.

A common misconception. AIUI the frequency schedule/sequence remains the same whatever the channel number, as does the encoding.

What changes is the delay from some master clock reference before each data packet is sent, which is increased by 1/16 second for each channel increment. It's not well-explained exactly how the clock timing works (except presumably in the documentation from TI, who I believe are the chip makers for the CC series of wireless chips) but it seems like all transmitters within range of one another can somehow synchronise their signal timings to each other. (hence the syncs, resyncs etc stats in the wireless diagnostics).

The effect is similar to if each transmitter were broadcasting on a different frequency, ie if 2 transmitters are attempting to use the same time slot then the signals could interfere and is a common cause of apparently poor reception, but moving to different time slots will clear the problem.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2024, 05:47:48 AM by johnd »
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Prodata's FAQ/support site for Davis stations
Includes many details on 6313 Weatherlink console.
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Sorry, but I don't usually have time to help with individual issues by email unless you are a Prodata customer. Please post your issue in the relevant forum section here & I will comment there if I have anything useful to add.

Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2024, 06:04:20 AM »
Obviously some don't really understand the generic functioning in regard spread spectrum. 

Offline johnd

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2024, 06:25:10 AM »
Obviously some don't really understand the generic functioning in regard spread spectrum.

Yes, so it would seem.  [tup]

@mattk: Was there something in my explanation that you don't agree with? If so what is it? Always happy to learn and be corrected. Some aspects of the VP2 stations are not well documented by Davis and the wireless protocol is one example.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2024, 03:19:28 PM by johnd »
Prodata Weather Systems
Prodata's FAQ/support site for Davis stations
Includes many details on 6313 Weatherlink console.
UK Davis Premier Dealer - All Davis stations, accessories and spares
Cambridge UK

Sorry, but I don't usually have time to help with individual issues by email unless you are a Prodata customer. Please post your issue in the relevant forum section here & I will comment there if I have anything useful to add.

Offline Mattk

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Re: Weatherlink console - intermittent loss of outdoor temperature / humidity
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2024, 05:26:51 PM »
@johnd yes the question was does the Freq change and the very simple answer is yes it does and without getting into the complexities of FHSS that is the simple answer. 900Mhz Spread Spectrum which Davis uses which includes the US 915MHz, EU 868MHz, AU 915MHz and NZ 921MHz bands uses Frequency Hopping which changes frequencies within a specific range.

Freewave systems for example make extensive use of 900MHz Spread Spectrum technology with the hopping patterns controlled by a FreqKey, hop table size and number of separate channels. One can see a very similar basic setup with Davis and the Point-to-Point and Point-to-MultiPoint repeater network design.

Just a note regard Davis US/AU 915. The US 915MHz and AU 915MHz were both once the same (similar) 902-928MHz range then AU sold half the spectrum to a Telco and the unlicensed AU component left was 915-928MHz and that created all sorts of crap.           

 

anything