New to weewx, AW WS-2000

[George Morgan]

Hi All,

I received a weather station for Christmas and realized really quickly that I want / need something like weewx to make it much more capable.

I saw in the list archives that others are using weewx with the WS-2000, intercepting WU data.   Is there another method where weewx polls the WS-2000 or receives data directly from the WS-2000?  I noticed the telnet protocol info on the AW website but haven't figured out which port the WS-2000 is using for this communication?  If I am barking up the wrong tree, please let me know.

BTW, I have a background in computer networking, software development (day job), system administration (day job), and have been doing automation for many years.

Please let me know if this is a more appropriate question for the dev list.

Happy New Year!

[galfert]

The best way is to buy the GW1000 and then it will pick up al your WS-2000 sensors. Then you install WeeWX with the GW1000 API driver.

https://github.com/gjr80/weewx-gw1000

There is not telnet with the WS-2000. The Interceptor driver will not pick up all your sensors....if you have added optional sensors. Besides with the WS-2000 it is too convoluted to get the Interceptor working because there is no "Customized" server option with the supported protocol for the Interceptor driver. The WS-2000 newly gained "Customized" server upload option but it is Ambient protocol which is different than what the Interceptor expects.

[George Morgan]

Is there an effort to support the AW protocol for the WS-2000 server?  As a developer I would be interested in working on this if it is documented (and maybe even if it is not).  My WS-2000 has the latest wifi and base firmware installed.

I will also look into the GW-1000 and RTL SDR options.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "weewx-user" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to weewx-user+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/a4f2febd-177e-4160-aef2-23d0f3a064d3n%40googlegroups.com.

[galfert]

Well there is a way to get from WS-2000 AW protocol to WeeWX...but you need a translator. You can use FOSHKplugin and that will convert AW protocol to Ecowitt protocol and then you can use the WeeWX Interceptor driver.

[George Morgan]

Does the GW1000 work with all the AW sensors?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/26ac7b65-73ef-4991-856e-7e3b979d3e9bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Rainer Lang]

It works with all Ambient Weather sensors which are clones of Fine Offset sensors.

(Ambient also sells non-Fine Offset clone sensors and weather stations)

What sensors these are, you can see at

https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=40730.0

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/CAJ%2B0VHzg5APMmRJnbV6ubLfG%3DvpJFWsk9vwLwR%3DrfAz0-V0Lrg%40mail.gmail.com.

[vince]

That is a great summary link.  Thanks !

[George Morgan]

Thanks for the link to the chart...I need to look at it closer but I think my WS-2000 supports more sensors than the GW1000 so I may be looking at integrating FOSHK plug-in into weewx directly...unless I'm missing something...

I also need to look at the license for FOSHK plug-in as that may make this impossible (legally, that is)

[galfert]

The WS-2000 does not support more sensors than the GW1000. Its the other way around. The GW1000 supports every single sensor that the WS-2000 support, plus it supports sensors from Ecowitt that Ambient doesn't sell, WH32-EP, WH31-EP, WH45 to name a few, and Ecowitt is working on some sensors that they will have before Ambient gets them (new soil moisture with temperature). The GW1000 also had support for water lead and lightning many months before the WS-2000.

[galfert]

I meant to say water leak ....not water lead sensor.

[George Morgan]

Well I ordered a GW1000.  Now I'm thinking about how to power it.  The USB connector is only used for power, right?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/a19d5b76-15de-4b03-aa72-0d23f425ee72n%40googlegroups.com.

[Rainer Lang]

Correct, for power only. You can use any phone charger, USB hub etc. to keep it running. Even plug it into a USB port of a Raspberry Pi if you have one ...
A good idea will be to have the power source connected to a UPS, as well as your weather computer :-), or have it connected to a power-bank which you keep on charging - many possibilities.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/CAJ%2B0VHzgtzuVEjK9NidP1v3Ejh84xfzoX%2Btrf7Q65jMd3d%2B2xQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Bill Arthur]

I use a three foot USB extension cord on the GW1000. I had one instance where the phone-charger-type power supply generated enough trash to hamper the GW1000 reception.

[George Morgan]

I finally received my GW1000 last night.  Got it powered up and connected to my network but I'm having some difficulty configuring the sensors.

The sensor ID page seems to have all sensors enabled and I only have the inside sensor (THP) and one TH sensor deployed so far.  I tried looking at the sensor ID page from the WS-2000 console and manually pick the channels detected on that screen but not sure if the GW1000 is picking them up or not.  I still need to get the GW1000 on a USB extension.  I have it plugged into a banana pi m1 USB port right now for power. (I plan to install weewx on the banana pi m1 soon...need a few more pieces of hardware before I can finish getting that set up)

Hopefully when I get the GW1000 on a USB extension cable it will be able to pick up the sensors.  Or I may have to find a different power source / location for it.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/9d5ae0c9-8394-4852-8b20-996b16f53c27n%40googlegroups.com.

[Bill Arthur]

The GW1000 is configured with the WS View app. Are you using it?

[George Morgan]

Yes, I used ws view on Android from the Play Store.  After a little while the app asked if I wanted to update the firmware to 1.6.3 and I did. That seemed to work fine.

The GW1000 is joined to my network but I don't think it is picking up any sensors yet.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/e2a358c0-c5e6-4fbb-acc6-8a2716419fb2n%40googlegroups.com.

[Rainer Lang]

Whether the GW1000 picks up your sensors or not, you can very simply verify by choosing your GW1000 from the WSView Device list. One entry will read GW1000-WIFIxxxx. That's the one to press. As a result you will see the live data of the connected sensors.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/CAJ%2B0VHyf1XkNfV%2B4zRhZ_S64ZEk9JpZzBjqJ3py8onah1xX_7g%40mail.gmail.com.

[George Morgan]

Yes, I was able to view the live data page but it only shows the sensors directly attached to the GW1000 so I figure it is getting too much RF interference to pick up my T&H (WH-31?) and THP (WH-32B) sensors.  I still haven't decided where to mount the main sensor array from the WS-2000...I really need to put up a comms mast but that will take much more planning and time.  My home has primarily a hip roof which presents very little unobstructed opportunities for mounting.  I do know which channels they show up on from the WS-2000 console...

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/57vrgdx21k2kr3b8wn9o7g6o.1610406850507%40email.android.com.

[galfert]

The only sensor that will not work with the GW1000 is the WH32B....and there is no need for it. Because the GW1000 already has this sensor built in. If you are having problems picking up the WH31, then that would be a distance/interference issue. But compared to the WS-2000 the GW1000 is actually capable of detecting sensors further away.

[Rainer Lang]

A few more thing - some might sound sort of a bit stupid, but ...

are the sensors you are missing activated in the WSView app ?

The best way to test is
a) look into the WSView app (Device list --> GW1000 --> More --> SensorIDs)
the sensor should be active and a (hexadecimal) sensor ID should be visible together with a reception indicator.

b) take your WH31 sensors and put them 1-2 meters (yards) away from the GW1000 and check again.
Then there shouldn't be any interference.

the following is just for the principle, to make the check list complete - I read from your post that the console receives your WH31 sensors.

(If you have more than one, make sure they send on different channels. The display shows what channel you use (there are DIP switches for that - on the newer ones the meaning is printed inside; if not, check the manual :-) ).
Check the batteries. Check what the WH31 display shows. If you don't see anything on the display, there is a power problem. Exchange the batteries resp. verify if you have put them according to the needed polarity.)

That the WH32B of the WS2000/5000 console can't be read by the GW1000, galfert has already said.

By the way - you can also already power up (i.e. put the batteries into) your sensor array. It should show next to the array symbol on the very top in the WSView app.

And one more, maybe too trivial thing. When you come from the device list to the live data, you cannot see the WH31 sensors at first glance.
You have to page down in order to see them.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/87047ec9-40af-4ee5-a3dd-ddcad22905cdn%40googlegroups.com.

[vince]

I have a GW1000, the outside WH32, a couple inside WH31, and a WH51 soil sensor, and had no problems with setup on mine.

The new WH31 sensors have the dip switch settings (nicely) on the back of the unit, and they also display which channel they're on via the little screen on the sensor  (another nice feature).   What I did here was set the switches 'before' putting the batteries in.  Then when I put the batteries in, they just showed up in the WS View app.   For the soil sensor it just autoselects a channel so when I put the batteries in, that sensor also just magically appeared. I was perhaps 10 feet away max at the time.

The only other thing I can think of is to check that your sensors aren't on different frequency bands from the gateway.  My gear here is 915 MHz, but I know EcoWitt sells 868 MHz and 433 MHz hardware also.   Depending on where/how you bought, you might have ordered the wrong product and purchased sensors for the wrong frequency gateway.  Might be worth checking.

[George Morgan]

Thanks for all the info!

- Good to know that the WH32B is not supported by the GW1000...makes sense.

- I will try moving things around to check RF performance.

- My GW1000 is 915 MHz.   I checked the WS-2000 console and it is also 915 MHz.

- I'm planning to order a short USB extension cable to move the GW1000 away from the power supply (and maybe a dedicated power supply too).

- I finished the OS install on the box where I plan to install weewx but don't have it on my network yet...gotta get that fixed up before I move forward on that front...

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/17db2ba5-e139-4abd-bc1a-14fc13a62a6cn%40googlegroups.com.

[vince]

Until you get your WS View app (ie, your gateway) seeing the sensors, weewx isn't going to be able to display anything from those sensors.    Once you 'do' get them working, weewx will just pick them up right away.  Cool feature of the driver.

You might want to consult the Ecowitt forums as well as wxforum.net for more help.  Maybe somebody there has seen your problem.

[George Morgan]

Well, I found an USB charger from an old phone that supplies up to 5V 2A and moved the GW1000 to that supply (instead of the USB port on my Banana PI.  The WH31 popped right up on the live view screen.  Guessing the Banana Pi was just too noisy for proper reception? (I only moved it about 2 ft from where it was originally).

Thanks for everyone's help thus far. Next I need to figure out which software to use...I assume weewx so I can start collecting data and then work with plug-ins to get my desired web based visualization. Originally I had thought of rolling my own solution with a TIG stack but am glad I found this community first.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/28bf477d-4a96-4fd5-ba19-e05cb4990765n%40googlegroups.com.