VP2 w/ Weather Envoy Power Questions...

[jg]

Over the past two weeks I have seen my Envoy stop receiving data (usually in the early AM) from the ISS.  It is fully loaded with UV & Solar.  This time of year it gets about 2.5 hours of direct sun because of shadows.

WC is saying the voltage is low at 1.15V and it shows Good on all the transmitter batteries.  I called Davis to ask them what the correct voltages are and they said that neither the Envoy nor the Console can tell you the status of the VP2/ISS power levels.  He said that if I am connected to the Envoy then WC must be pulling the values from the Envoy, not the ISS.

Is the guy misinformed?  What do all the all the numbers mean (8-2/ISS)? Is the Console Voltage the amount of juice going into the ISS from the solar panel?  It fluctuates a lot (maybe because of the amount of light).  The manual is pretty light in this area.

I'm wondering if the drops in data have to do with low voltage; the console display doesn't seem to lose the data like the Envoy has been doing.

The VP2 is relatively new, installed in September so I can't imagine it needs a new Lithium battery already.

[elagache]

Hi JG and WeatherCat fans,

WC is saying the voltage is low at 1.15V and it shows Good on all the transmitter batteries.  I called Davis to ask them what the correct voltages are and they said that neither the Envoy nor the Console can tell you the status of the VP2/ISS power levels.  He said that if I am connected to the Envoy then WC must be pulling the values from the Envoy, not the ISS.

I hate to report but the Davis tech support guy was mistaken.  WeatherCat does collect data on transmitter batteries and generates errors based on them.

Is the Console Voltage the amount of juice going into the ISS from the solar panel?  It fluctuates a lot (maybe because of the amount of light).  The manual is pretty light in this area.

According to what we've heard, the solar panel is only a secondary source of power for the ISS.  When there is sunlight is uses that power, otherwise it uses the Lithium battery.  So the Lithium battery will discharge eventually.  I make a point of replacing them every year to avoid trouble.

I'm wondering if the drops in data have to do with low voltage; the console display doesn't seem to lose the data like the Envoy has been doing.

If the distance between the ISS and Weather Envoy is substantially different, it could be possible that one is effected and not the other.  You could test this by temporarily moving the console to the same location as the Envoy and running the data packet test that is part of the console diagnostics.

The VP2 is relatively new, installed in September so I can't imagine it needs a new Lithium battery already.

Well, you are right that you - shouldn't - need another battery, but it could be a defective battery.  These batteries aren't that expensive.  If it isn't too much of a hassle, I would try a fresh battery and see if that makes the problem go away.

Good luck!

Cheers, Edouard 

[jg]

I didn't realize that the envoy had slots for batteries.  I just put three AA lithium's in and now the voltage is reading 5.43 volts.  Keep in mind that it has always been connected to AC power.  Its dark out now, so maybe the guy from Davis is right otherwise how could there be any real voltage coming from the ISS.

What about the 8-2 and ISS boxes?

[WCDev]

Hi JG,
The bar that displays the console voltage is the voltage in your console/Envoy and ranges from 0 to 5 volts; typically 4.5 volts or better with new batteries. The eight status indicators indicate the state of the batteries in the 8 transmitting stations - these are either good or bad, where the ISS is station 1 and the other 7 correspond to the settings on the dip switches in the stations themselves.

[jg]

Hi JG,
The bar that displays the console voltage is the voltage in your console/Envoy and ranges from 0 to 5 volts; typically 4.5 volts or better with new batteries. The eight status indicators indicate the state of the batteries in the 8 transmitting stations - these are either good or bad, where the ISS is station 1 and the other 7 correspond to the settings on the dip switches in the stations themselves.

Thanks.  Any idea why it is so much lower without batteries if connected to AC power?

[jg]

This morning I reset the Envoy (pulled out batteries, AC power and disconnected the module from the logic board) and still had an issue.

Then I went outside and changed the lithium battery and everything fired right up.  I did clean some snow off the solar panels as well.

[wurzelmac]

Sorry for hijacking your thread... no question to the power of the Weather Envoy but a general question:
Can anyone tell me the difference between the Monitor and the Envoy (except the display ) - does the Envoy feed WeatherCat with exact the same data incl. forecast, solar, uv, ... as the Monitor does?
I ask, because I want to position a Monitor into the living room - and the Envoy is ? 100 cheaper than a second Monitor.

Thanks in advance,
Reinhard

Monitor Envoy

[elagache]

Hi Reinhard and WeatherCat Davis owners,

Can anyone tell me the difference between the Monitor and the Envoy (except the display ) - does the Envoy feed WeatherCat with exact the same data incl. forecast, solar, uv, ... as the Monitor does?

Yes, the Weather Envoy is basically a "faceless" console.  It does all the work of the console but doesn't display anything.  That is how I have my computer set up and like you, I did this so my console could be in another part of the house instead of right next to the computer where WeatherCat is running.

The only difference is that you cannot use the console buttons to make adjustments.  You need to use Davis's WeatherLink software at the moment.  Stu has promised us a way to handle even these chores using WeatherCat eventually.

Cheers, Edouard 

[wurzelmac]

The only difference is that you cannot use the console buttons to make adjustments.

Thanks, Edouard - that leaded me to a second monitor.

Cheers,
Reinhard

[elagache]

Hi Reinhard and WeatherCat Davis owners,

The only difference is that you cannot use the console buttons to make adjustments.

Thanks, Edouard - that leaded me to a second monitor.

At least in my experience you need to adjust your Weather Envoy once and it takes care of itself from then on.  When my Envoy first arrived, I used Davis WeatherLink software to adjust the barometric pressure and probably one or two other things.  I haven't had to adjust it since.  Since WeatherCat corrects the time automatically on the Envoy, so as long it doesn't completely lose power - you should never have to change a setting again.

So come on in - the water's fine!! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[Steve]

I initially had mine set up with the Console hanging in the kitchen and an Envoy on my desk connected to my iMac. As Edouard noted, after initial setup, I never touched the Envoy again. While testing the Davis Soil Station, they also included a Console in the package, so I used it on my desk instead of the Envoy. I don't think I could go back now, being used to just glancing at it to see the wind speed or temp.

Steve

[jg]

The errors starting happening again, so I relocated the Envoy closer to the outside (it was in my basement about 3' from the ceiling.  I moved it into the basement plenum and all has been good for about 3 days.  It was in the same spot for 3 years so I'm not sure what caused the problem.

[elagache]

Hi JG and WeatherCat fans,

The errors starting happening again, so I relocated the Envoy closer to the outside (it was in my basement about 3' from the ceiling.  I moved it into the basement plenum and all has been good for about 3 days.  It was in the same spot for 3 years so I'm not sure what caused the problem.

What are your basement walls made of?  If this is a good old-fashioned basement with concrete foundation walls, that could be much more of an obstacle for the radio waves to get though.  That might explain your problem.

Cheers, Edouard 

[jg]

Hi JG and WeatherCat fans,

The errors starting happening again, so I relocated the Envoy closer to the outside (it was in my basement about 3' from the ceiling.  I moved it into the basement plenum and all has been good for about 3 days.  It was in the same spot for 3 years so I'm not sure what caused the problem.

What are your basement walls made of?  If this is a good old-fashioned basement with concrete foundation walls, that could be much more of an obstacle for the radio waves to get though.  That might explain your problem.

Cheers, Edouard 

Nice thick concrete, no windows, nine foot height. Envoy was about 4 feet from the top of the concrete, about 2 feet from the edge.  Now its on top of the concrete base in the plenum.

[elagache]

Dear JG and WeatherCat fans,

Nice thick concrete, no windows, nine foot height. Envoy was about 4 feet from the top of the concrete, about 2 feet from the edge.  Now its on top of the concrete base in the plenum.

If that concrete is properly reinforced with rebar then it would indeed pose quite an obstacle to radio waves.  That certainly could explain your problem.

Cheers, Edouard