AcuRite 5-in-1 daytime dropout

[Drew Latta]

Hi WeeWx users,

I have a working WeeWx install on a Pi Zero W connected to an AcuRite 01036 via USB.

I have been having some issues with data dropout during the daytime. Which you can see here: http://173.29.136.66/weewx/

My assumption is that because the data for inside temperature are being shown that this is a communication issue between the AcuRite display and the 5-in-1 station rather than the AcuRite display and the Pi.

The interesting twist here is that the data drop-outs are now worse since I put in 4 new lithium AA batteries in the 5-in-1 to replace 4 new alkaline AA's I had in it. I generally use lithium AA's in the 5-in-1 since we often get winter lows < -20C (-5F). 

Any thought on why lithium batteries would degrade the signal quality during the daytime worse than alkaline batteries? 

Does switching channels from A to B or C ever help this problem?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Drew

[p q]

   I have a similar setup.  

Here's what's weird. The barometric pressure is also from the display unit (I'm pretty sure) and it's dropping out too.

Can you check to see what's in your database? Is the problem in the display or in recording the data? Are you getting any error messages in the log?

I don't think switching settings is going to help, but I don't know.

Lithium batteries used to be 1.3 volts vs 1.5 volts for alkaline. I don't know if yours are that way. It might even be worse than nominal voltage when it's cold.

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Peter Quinn
(415)794-2264

[Drew Latta]

I am getting a lot of no data error messages in the log, like:

Jan 27 01:56:00 raspberrypi weewx[565]: acurite: R1: ignoring stale data (rssi indicates no communication from sensors): 01 c8 7c 71 00 00 00 03 00 00

Jan 27 01:56:18 raspberrypi weewx[565]: acurite: R1: ignoring stale data (rssi indicates no communication from sensors): 01 c8 7c 71 00 00 00 03 00 00

 ....

Yes, I agree that the barometric pressure bit is weird.

However, the AcuRite display unit is also "searching for a signal" when it isn't working correctly as there is a signal icon on the display that is flashing rather than showing bars. So that seems to suggest to me that it is a true signal issue. 

Based on the Energizer datasheet, the lithium primary batteries are supposed to have an nominal voltage of 1.5 V. At 100 mA drain they have a pretty flat discharge curve at 1.4 V for a long time. I don't think it is undervoltage from the batteries.

One thought is that the extra metal (Li) in there is causing some signal propagation issue, but it doesn't seem to explain the day/night difference. Seems like a stretch.

Drew

On Monday, January 27, 2020 at 2:10:30 PM UTC-6, p q wrote:

   I have a similar setup.  

Here's what's weird. The barometric pressure is also from the display unit (I'm pretty sure) and it's dropping out too.

Can you check to see what's in your database? Is the problem in the display or in recording the data? Are you getting any error messages in the log?

I don't think switching settings is going to help, but I don't know.

Lithium batteries used to be 1.3 volts vs 1.5 volts for alkaline. I don't know if yours are that way. It might even be worse than nominal voltage when it's cold.

On Mon, Jan 27, 2020 at 10:34 AM Drew Latta <drew....@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi WeeWx users,

I have a working WeeWx install on a Pi Zero W connected to an AcuRite 01036 via USB.

I have been having some issues with data dropout during the daytime. Which you can see here: http://173.29.136.66/weewx/

My assumption is that because the data for inside temperature are being shown that this is a communication issue between the AcuRite display and the 5-in-1 station rather than the AcuRite display and the Pi.

The interesting twist here is that the data drop-outs are now worse since I put in 4 new lithium AA batteries in the 5-in-1 to replace 4 new alkaline AA's I had in it. I generally use lithium AA's in the 5-in-1 since we often get winter lows < -20C (-5F). 

Any thought on why lithium batteries would degrade the signal quality during the daytime worse than alkaline batteries? 

Does switching channels from A to B or C ever help this problem?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Drew

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Peter Quinn
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[Andrew Milner]

well u could check by just changing the batteries for alkaline and see if the issue goes away again!!

[Drew Latta]

I changed the "channel" from A to C on both units and seem to be having many fewer data drop-outs with the Li batteries still in.

It is a bit odd, but I am guessing there is some interference on the A channel that was messing with my reception.

I wonder if the channels are just a code that is transmitted on a set frequency or if they are truly different channels in frequency.

[Greg Troxel]

Drew Latta <drew.e...@gmail.com> writes:

> I changed the "channel" from A to C on both units and seem to be having
> many fewer data drop-outs with the Li batteries still in.
>
> It is a bit odd, but I am guessing there is some interference on the A
> channel that was messing with my reception.
>
> I wonder if the channels are just a code that is transmitted on a set
> frequency or if they are truly different channels in frequency.

I believe they are just codes and that everything is on 433.92 MHz (in
the US). Try using rtl_433 (you'll need an RTL-SDR dongle).

It could well be coincidence.