Author Topic: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?  (Read 3066 times)

Naby

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WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« on: January 09, 2019, 04:55:48 PM »
I have a Vantage Pro2. Three times now I have had issues where starting at midnight the data the console displays and sends to WxCat is incorrect. The temp outside may be 50 and right up until midnight it's correct. After midnight it'll be 64 or whatever, it just jumps to a completely different value. The most recent occurrence was on the 8th. Everything was fine on the 7th, then at midnight the data wasn't right. Then at midnight the next night, between the 8th and 9th, it corrected itself. The other two times I noticed the issue and corrected it by removing power to the console and starting it back up. This time I didn't notice there had been an issue on the 8th until just a little while ago. You can see my station data at the link below.

Could WeatherCat be causing this? One idea from another forum was that the issue could be occurring when WxCat sets the time on the console, presumably this happens at midnight?

Thanks,
Chris

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLFREEP4

Blicj11

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2019, 05:20:25 PM »
Naby:

WeatherCat has no impact whatsoever on your console. The console sends weather data to WC. WC does not send weather data to the console.

WeatherCat processes daily information and resets itself for the next day, starting at midnight. This process takes several minutes to complete. If you are looking at WeatherCat reports or WeatherCat data or WeatherCat gauges at midnight, you will see some erroneous data until the daily processing scripts have all run. My suggestion is to wait until 12:15 to look at WeatherCat. By then everything has processed and you should see correct data. Of course, another suggestion, which is absolutely none of my business, would be to go to bed earlier and then you would not even be aware that this is happening.  :)
Blick


Naby

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2019, 05:51:53 PM »
Naby:

WeatherCat has no impact whatsoever on your console. The console sends weather data to WC. WC does not send weather data to the console.

WeatherCat processes daily information and resets itself for the next day, starting at midnight. This process takes several minutes to complete. If you are looking at WeatherCat reports or WeatherCat data or WeatherCat gauges at midnight, you will see some erroneous data until the daily processing scripts have all run. My suggestion is to wait until 12:15 to look at WeatherCat. By then everything has processed and you should see correct data. Of course, another suggestion, which is absolutely none of my business, would be to go to bed earlier and then you would not even be aware that this is happening.  :)

Thanks for the reply. No, I don't actually witness this occurring, I just see it the next day when I look at my station data  :). Where I'm seeing the data anomalies is on WeatherUnderground.

I understand that WxCat isn't sending weather data to the console. WxCat can, if the option is enabled, send a daily time correction to the console. It was supposed that perhaps this could be causing the issue. Perhaps when this occurs the console reverts to some data that is stored in memory or a cache. The thing is that this isn't just a software issue. The data the software displays is the same that is showing on the console, the console is sending data that isn't accurate relative to actual conditions. So something is causing the console to not display the correct data until I either reset it or in the most recent case the next day starts.

Chris

 

JosBaz

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2019, 09:10:49 PM »
Interesting problem... Bit of a long shot but could it be that there is another Davis wireless transmitter operating in the same area and on the same channel (typically the default channel #1)? Interference can occur, meaning it will sometimes pick up the signal of 'your' transmitter and sometimes the one from your neighbour. :) Maybe worth to try and change your ISS channel to #2?

I would also recommend replacing the batteries; both in the ISS and Console.

Good luck!

Jos

elagache

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Pattern to errors? (Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?)
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2019, 10:31:47 PM »
Dear Chris, Blick, Jos, and WeatherCat troubleshooters,

I have a Vantage Pro2. Three times now I have had issues where starting at midnight the data the console displays and sends to WxCat is incorrect. The temp outside may be 50 and right up until midnight it's correct. After midnight it'll be 64 or whatever, it just jumps to a completely different value. The most recent occurrence was on the 8th. Everything was fine on the 7th, then at midnight the data wasn't right. Then at midnight the next night, between the 8th and 9th, it corrected itself.

As a general rule, I second Jos recommendation to change your station transmitter ID.  My console picked up another station that I didn't know existed.  So unless you are so remote that you are sure there are no other Davis stations around, it is a prudent precaution.

Is there any pattern to the erroneous data you are observing?  If you were picking up data from another station, the values would be comparable.  Your example of 50˚ jumping to 64˚ wouldn't represent that.  I just made a quick glance at your data the long shot that came to my mind was if the console was somehow replacing the indoor temperature with the outdoor temperature.

The other two times I noticed the issue and corrected it by removing power to the console and starting it back up. This time I didn't notice there had been an issue on the 8th until just a little while ago. You can see my station data at the link below.

Solving a problem by power-cycling a device is an indication that is suffering from some sort of hang-up in the firmware code that it executes.  See if you can get a handle on what the errant temperature value is coming from.  Unless you can establish an external source like another Davis station, I have to suspect that you have a problem with your console.  In that case you really should get in touch with Davis technical support:

https://support.davisinstruments.com/

If you need answers it is best to carve out some time and wait in line on the phone for a technical support person.

Sorry you find yourself in this predicament.  By all means keep us posted and let us know what you discover.

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

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Dad's Vantage Vue? (Re: Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?)
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2019, 12:51:17 AM »
Dear Chris and WeatherCat troubleshooters,

A bit of reflection and I think I've located the source of your errant data:

I have a Vantage Pro2 and my dad just gifted me his old Vantage Vue. Can I run two instances of WeatherCat or is there a way WeatherCat supports two weather stations?

It is extremely likely that your Dad's Vantage Vue and your Vantage Pro-2 station are both on transmitter ID #1.  Would you have stored your Dad's Vue in a garage or other structure that remains warmer than the surroundings?  Our garage can easily be 15˚ F warmer than the outside.  Try changing the transmitter ID of your Vantage Pro-2 ISS and I'll bet all your problems will go away.

Keep us posted!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Naby

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Re: Dad's Vantage Vue? (Re: Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?)
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2019, 12:29:31 PM »
Dear Chris and WeatherCat troubleshooters,

A bit of reflection and I think I've located the source of your errant data:

I have a Vantage Pro2 and my dad just gifted me his old Vantage Vue. Can I run two instances of WeatherCat or is there a way WeatherCat supports two weather stations?

It is extremely likely that your Dad's Vantage Vue and your Vantage Pro-2 station are both on transmitter ID #1.  Would you have stored your Dad's Vue in a garage or other structure that remains warmer than the surroundings?  Our garage can easily be 15˚ F warmer than the outside.  Try changing the transmitter ID of your Vantage Pro-2 ISS and I'll bet all your problems will go away.

Keep us posted!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

I think you all are correct. I have been keeping the Vantage Vue in the garage, which through a wall is only a few feet from the Vantage Pro2 console. This explains why the data is significantly different as the garage is generally going to be warmer than outside this time of year. I'll change the channel for one or the other this evening.

Thank you for all of the help!

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2019, 06:57:27 AM »
I love it when WeatherCatters are able to come up with a solution that works. Nice work Jos and Edouard. Jos, your long shot turned out to be the right shot.
Blick


jennajon

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2019, 02:50:00 PM »
"...Of course, another suggestion, which is absolutely none of my business, would be to go to bed earlier and then you would not even be aware that this is happening.  :)"

Quite possibly the best reply I have ever read....i am still wiping the spittle off my screen. Many thanks for the laugh.  ThU5:-)

Jenna lol(1)

Blicj11

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Re: WxCat Causing Davis Vantage Pro2 Console Issues?
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 03:30:33 PM »
[Quite possibly the best reply I have ever read....i am still wiping the spittle off my screen. Many thanks for the laugh.  ThU5:-)
/quote]

Hahaha. Thank you. My spouse frequently reminds me that not everyone thinks I am as clever as I do.
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