Author Topic: Sniff . . da' darn "mellar-drama" continues!! (Read 35524 times)

elagache · « **Reply #45 on:** April 01, 2015, 12:51:34 AM »

Dear WeatherCat subscribers to this darn "mellar-drama,"

Well the hope that the new board from Davis would solve the problem . . . . . has gone down in flames . . . .

Look what I found on my computer this morning:

Once more a very uniform pattern of errors:

However, there is something interesting. This time the errors started at 11:48 pm. This is the first time the errors started before midnight.

That suggested to me that perhaps I have been barking up the wrong tree.

Over the summer, I replaced the Time Machine hard drive and added a second drive to store media away from my MacBook Pro's SSD. The Weather Envoy was now close to two conventional hard drives. This problem didn't start immediately after I added the second drive, but EFI phenomena changes by the season and we are having problems with wireless music relay from my computer to the nook stereo. When I bought my console next to my computer to see if the Weather Envoy was the problem unfortunately, I put it next to the hard drives - I had no other spot to put it. So It is possible EFI interference from these drives is the culprit. I was wondering if Time Machine would be running some indexing or pruning old files to make more space around midnight and that would explain when the problem starts and why the problem lasts roughly the same amount of time.

It is a hunch, but I moved the Weather Envoy a good 5-6 feet away from the hard drives on a tall shelf. We'll see . . . . . .

Stay tuned . . . .

Cheers, Edouard

Bull Winkus · « **Reply #46 on:** April 01, 2015, 02:49:07 AM »

Well now? that's a horse of a different color! I didn't think about interference coming from your own system, but it could be that you're onto something. I read somewhere that USB 3.0 is very leaky in the 802.11 band. I suppose any communications bus could be leaking, depending on the cable shielding and grounding scheme.

I'm starting to get all positive about the outcome, now. I think you've narrowed it down.

Blicj11 · « **Reply #47 on:** April 01, 2015, 05:21:50 AM »

Waiting for the next update in this saga.

Felix · « **Reply #48 on:** April 01, 2015, 11:36:08 AM »

This would be amazing if it turns out to have been an interference problem all along!

xairbusdriver · « **Reply #49 on:** April 01, 2015, 03:48:27 PM »

I once used the aluminum foil hat I wear as a temporary shield for some electrical equipment. I didn't leave it off my head for long, however... you can't be too safe!! BTW, do you live near any military bases? They often do thing in the middle of the night, thinking no one else is up! They probably don't know about these 24/7 monitors! They aren't as smart as they want us to think they are.

Also, be careful what you post here about your findings! They can be nasty when they discover you've discovered their activities!!! I'm new here, but I'd hate to see your post end... prematurely!

Just remember, even paranoid people have enemies!

elagache · « **Reply #50 on:** April 01, 2015, 11:43:10 PM »

Dear Blick, Felix, xairbusdriver, and WeatherCat subscribers to this darn "mellar-drama,"

Well, my attempt to relocate the Weather Envoy has definitely indicated something but not what I expected. At about 11am once more the station "disappeared" from the Weather Envoy. Alas, I had some errands so I didn't find it until mid-afternoon. However, once found I could immediately troubleshoot. The signal was reaching the console, so the problem was clearly in between the console in the nook and the computer room. It seems that the location I thought was better for reception was probably instead worse. I relocated the Envoy in the center of the room and once more it was possible to receive the retransmitted signal.

Quote from: Felix on April 01, 2015, 11:36:08 AM

This would be amazing if it turns out to have been an interference problem all along!

I'm certain it cannot just be interference. Before I moved the transmitter the 123 batteries were clearly getting burned at an outrageous rate. However, clearly I had multiple problems going on at the same time. One thing that is very strange is why this all started in the past 6 months. I'll have to check to see what other devices we might have added at that time which could be the cause.

Progress . . . . perhaps!

Cheers, Edouard

xairbusdriver · « **Reply #51 on:** April 02, 2015, 12:27:45 AM »

Termites?!

If there is a light fixture hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room (where it helped to put in "middle of the room"), perhaps you could get one of those outlet with a light bulb socket and hang the Envoy ther. At least it wouldn't be a trip hazard sitting in the middle of the floor!!

Bull Winkus · « **Reply #52 on:** April 02, 2015, 04:47:16 AM »

Make you a foil hat and start shielding one suspect device at a time.

Bull Winkus · « **Reply #53 on:** April 02, 2015, 06:10:44 PM »

Apparently, you're not the only one with the problem of mysterious radio frequency emitters.

Are Aliens Behind Mysterious Radio Bursts? Scientists Weigh In

Where's my foil hat?

Blicj11 · « **Reply #54 on:** April 02, 2015, 06:37:07 PM »

Now we are on to something!

elagache · « **Reply #55 on:** April 02, 2015, 11:22:42 PM »

Dear xairbusdriver, Herb, Blick and subscribers to this darn "mellar-drama,"

Well there was another outage while we were watching our evening television. Once more only the Weather Envoy was effected as I could check on the console and the data was still being displayed there. I had to power-cycle the Envoy before it finally started receiving a signal once more.

There probably are some radio frequency interference issues, but now that I'm retransmitting the signal from the console it really should be strong enough to overcome the interference. I'm back to suspecting the Envoy. I'll see what happens over the weekend, but if the outages increase and continue to happen at random times, that suggests a piece of electronic equipment that is dying.

Stay tuned . . . . .

Cheers, Edouard

elagache · « **Reply #56 on:** April 03, 2015, 10:52:55 PM »

Dear WeatherCat subscribers to this darn "mellar-drama"

Guess what? I get up this morning and again there are sensor errors according to WeatherCat. I walk over to the console in the nook and . . . . no data there either!

So the problem isn't simply with the signal from the console to the Weather Envoy. Rather than jumping on a ladder at 7am, I had my breakfast first and in that time the console and Envoy got a signal once more.

So da' plot has definitely thickened.

Worst still, when I finally got to the transmitter board, the battery is once more discharging.

Since I tried using the higher transmitter IDs and faintly recall having more problems with that I changed tack. I put the transmitter board on #2, the console retransmit on ID #3, and I moved the temperature/humidity station to #4.

I decided to try some more change. I removed the AC adapter. The transmitter board can work fine on the battery alone. Davis doesn't seem to know much about using these boards on AC adapter. Perhaps there is something seriously wrong with the circuitry under those conditions and Davis doesn't know it because apparently it essentially has never been used in the field.

Oh well, . . . . . .

Edouard

P.S. There is one more twist to the plot. This afternoon when I changed the setting on the console it was finding a Davis transmitter at station ID #1. So there is a neighbor in the area with a Davis station - perhaps a new one that is the reason for my miseries . . . .

Randall75 · « **Reply #57 on:** April 03, 2015, 11:47:16 PM »

Hi Edouard
I thinks it is time for a wal;k to see if you can find that new station
Then talk with the owner and see what settings he is using

cheer

xairbusdriver · « **Reply #58 on:** April 04, 2015, 12:01:49 AM »

Another transmitter with the same ID is definitely a problem, unless the two of you want to "combine" your data...

If you want Davis to do something it would be great to at least have a database of station locations that you could have them check for possible conflicts. I'm not sure they'd want to invest the time, money, or security, much less updating, to do that, of course. They don't even have a registration process that I could find (although I would have sworn I saw a link on their site weeks ago!

).

elagache · « **Reply #59 on:** April 04, 2015, 11:21:56 PM »

Dear Randall, xairbusdriver, and WeatherCat subscribers to this darn "mellar-drama"

First the good news. Everything has worked perfectly for a day.

Quote from: Randall75 on April 03, 2015, 11:47:16 PM

I thinks it is time for a wal;k to see if you can find that new station

I have been looking around, but the closest station that I've been able to spot is like 1/8 of mile. It could be that station but if it is the signal should be extremely weak.

Quote from: xairbusdriver on April 04, 2015, 12:01:49 AM

Another transmitter with the same ID is definitely a problem, unless the two of you want to "combine" your data...

It appears to me that there is no station ID conflicts. The other station appears to be using ID #1 as you would expect virtually everyone do to. What could be a problem is EFI because there is more noise in that general range of frequencies with a second station around.

We'll see, but I'm back to the hunch the problem is with the AC adapter causing problems somehow. Time will tell.

Cheers, Edouard

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