Strange WC "New Monthly Weather Record Set!"

[xairbusdriver]

I can't figure out how this report started nor how to stop it. The Manual says it is enabled by checking a box in Misc2 in the WC Prefs.

When I looked at that pref I did find that box checked! It got checked either accidentally by me (likely ) or by an update to WC (doubt it). It should not matter now, since I UN-checked the box, since I have never had a solar radiation/U.V. sensor connected to my ISS. Changing the pref had no immediate effect on the reports. I then Quit WC, waited for the electrons to drain and restarted WC on Mar 2, 21. I am already getting more 'record setting' reports a day later.

The Data Viewer/Editor shows that the UV value changed from 0.0 to 16.0 on Feb 27 at midnight. The Solar value changed from 0.0 to 1,716.0 the same day but not until 4:36pm. The fact that there are values there now and that the solar value changes, is the reason there are reports.

My question is: Why did any values get collected and how can I prevent it in the future? Did Stu find a way to use the solar panel on the ISS to calculate a "solar" value? Did Davis make a stealth hardware update while I wasn't watching?

I have double-checked all applicable WC Prefs (there are several that affect emails) and can find none that should be reporting this un-installed sensor. I do find two WC tags that report Solar Radiation (S$) and UV (U$) [deltas for those values can be included by adding a "d" in front of either tag]. None of my three Custom Alerts have those tags.

I assume I will now need to edit all the data for those two values, probably with BBEdit's Find and Replace function.

[Blicj11]

Sounds like a good time to try flushing your pfile.

https://wiki.trixology.com/index.php?title=How_to_create_and_use_a_backup_of_your_WeatherCat_preferences_file

[xairbusdriver]

According to The Manual (p.13):

WeatherCat knows what channels are available from your station – for example a Vantage can provide more than 50 channels, but typically many are not actually active as they don’t have any sensors attached. WeatherCat knows which channels are actually valid and only records those channels.

So, like the mystery of how a thermos knows whether to keep something cold or warm; "How do it know?!" I'm looking for a plist that holds a list of valid (or invalid) channels. No luck in the 16 WeatherCatData plist files.

• I'm thinking the actual source of the problem is the ISS. I think WC will record just about any value that comes into the Davis Console. The last 'record' for Solar Radiation came at "00:50:00 04-Mar-21". I'm pretty sure that's local time and that the Moon was not reflecting that much light at ~1am, even if the sky was clear! Inspection of the innards of the ISS is scheduled. Pictures at 10!

[Steve]

So, like the mystery of how a thermos knows whether to keep something cold or warm; "How do it know?!"

In 1980, a friend of mine married a young women with minimal life experiences. One morning early in their marriage, she gave him his Thermos of coffee to take to work, which she'd just removed from the refrigerator. When he asked her why, she said that that is how the Thermos knows to keep the coffee hot? She clarified "coffee is always hotter when you drink it on a cold day!" Seriously. This actually happened. (She also had a great deal of trouble putting together a puzzle map of the USA with the pieces shaped like states.)

[xairbusdriver]

I cleaned the sockets for the UV and Solar inputs on the ISS. There was some orangish, waxy, oily material in all the sockets. I can't remember the exact condition when unboxed. I might have put some anti-corrosive paste in there back in 1915?
... Or maybe it was my wife!!!

Yeah! That's the ticket!

I bet my wife kindly wanted to protect the contacts, especially during our below zero weather minutes!! After all, she was only 18 when I married her... talk about "minimal life experiences"!! That's a great story, Steve! I suppose your wife is much more experienced now?

Also edited the WeatherCatData.cat files for the last few days. We'll see how the invalid reports survive.

[xairbusdriver]

Just checked the WeatherCatData.cat and found some "extra" data that must have occurred when I was cleaning the Cat 5 sockets. The ISS sent all the T1 thru T8, H1 thru H8, Sm1 thru Sm4, St1 thru St4 and Lt1 thru Lt4 auxiliary sensors.

Looks normal for the last 20 minutes; no Solar nor UV inputs. :fingers-crossed:

[xairbusdriver]

Still working without erroneous Solar & UV data for ~24 hours. I think cleaning up the cat 5 sockets helped. Will add that to my 'service procedures'.

EDIT Mar 7, 2021: No erroneous data in last ~80 hrs. Calling the problem solved. Always check empty sockets for cleanliness!

[Blicj11]

I love it when a WeatherCatter figures out a solution.