acurite lightning detector

[mwall]

>    From:     Clay Jackson
>    Subject:     Acurite Lighning Sensor
>    Date:     13 February 2017 23:21:23 EST
>
> Hi, Matthew – new topic/question.   I have one of the Acurite Lighting sensors and would like to
> integrate it into the weewx SDR.  It looks right now as if it’s not really supported. I tried just
> mapping the senors and got some screwy results (see an earlier post).  Then I went back
> and read the code; and it looks like the RTL driver is just dumping data, rather than doing
> a “real” decode.   I’d be happy to work with you on seeing if we can get it working – let me
> know if you’d like to try that.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Clay Jackson

clay,

this is typical output from the lightning detector, as returned by rtl_433:

2016-11-04 04:34:58 Acurite lightning 0x536F Ch A Msg Type 0x51: 15 C 58 % RH Strikes 50 Distance 69 - c0  53  6f  3a  d1  0f  b2  c5  13*
2016-11-04 04:43:14 Acurite lightning 0x536F Ch A Msg Type 0x51: 15 C 58 % RH Strikes 55 Distance 5 - c0  53  6f  3a  d1  0f  b7  05  58*

with a SDR configuration and sensor_map like this:

[SDR]
    driver = user.sdr
    cmd = rtl_433 -q -U -G -F json
    [[sensor_map]]
        windDir = wind_dir.0BFA.Acurite5n1Packet
        windSpeed = wind_speed.0BFA.Acurite5n1Packet
        outTemp = temperature.0BFA.Acurite5n1Packet
        outHumidity = humidity.0BFA.Acurite5n1Packet
        outTempBatteryStatus = battery.0BFA.Acurite5n1Packet
        inTemp = temperature.24A4.AcuriteTowerPacket
        inHumidity = humidity.24A4.AcuriteTowerPacket
        txBatteryStatus = battery.24A4.AcuriteTowerPacket
        extraTemp2 = temperature.526F.AcuriteLightningPacket
        extraHumid2 = humidity.526F.AcuriteLightningPacket
        distance = distance.526F.AcuriteLightningPacket
        strikes_total = strikes_total.526F.AcuriteLightningPacket
    [[deltas]]
        strikes = strikes_total

the weewx-sdr driver parses lightning sensor output into packets something like this:

LOOP:   2017-02-14 09:50:31 EST (1487083831) altimeter: None, appTemp: None, barometer: None, cloudbase: None, dateTime: 1487083831, dewpoint: None, distance: 15.0, extraHumid2: 35.0, extraTemp2: 55.4, heatindex: None, humidex: None, inDewpoint: None, maxSolarRad: None, rainRate: 0, strikes: 0.0, strikes_total: 61.0, usUnits: 1, windchill: None

is that what you see?

m

[Clay Jackson]

Actually, no - what I'm seeing is just the string I sent in the message.  Will try some more debugging tomorrow nite or Thursday.

Sent from my iPhone

Clay Jackson

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[Clay Jackson]

Hi, Matt – so, here’s what I see in weewx.log

 

Feb 16 12:18:41 Weather weewx[14361]: sdr: MainThread: AcuriteLightningPacket: unrecognized data: '2017-02-16 20:18:41 Acurite lightning 0x2B6F Ch A Msg Type 0x4f: 67 C 66 % RH Strikes 3 Distance 31 - c0  2b  6f  42  cf  c3  03  9f  d0*#012'

 

And here’s the SDR part of my config

[SDR]

    # This section is for the software-defined radio driver.

 

    # The driver to use

    driver = user.sdr

    path = /usr/local/bin

    [[sensor_map]]

        windDir = wind_dir.04C9.Acurite5n1Packet

        windSpeed = wind_speed.04C9.Acurite5n1Packet

        outTemp = temperature.04C9.Acurite5n1Packet

        outHumidity = humidity.04C9.Acurite5n1Packet

        rain_total = rain_total.04C9.Acurite5n1Packet

        extraTemp1 = temperature.2B6F.AcuriteLightningPacket

        extraHumid1 = humidity.2B6F.AcuriteLightningPacket

        strikes = strikes_total.2B6F.AcuriteLightningPacket

    [[deltas]]

        strikes = strikes_total

Haven’t done a debug yet;  but will report that next.

--

[mwall]

On Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 3:21:34 PM UTC-5, Clay Jackson wrote:

Hi, Matt – so, here’s what I see in weewx.log

 

Feb 16 12:18:41 Weather weewx[14361]: sdr: MainThread: AcuriteLightningPacket: unrecognized data: '2017-02-16 20:18:41 Acurite lightning 0x2B6F Ch A Msg Type 0x4f: 67 C 66 % RH Strikes 3 Distance 31 - c0  2b  6f  42  cf  c3  03  9f  d0*#012'

clay,

this is fixed in version 0.22 of weewx-sdr.  your sensor emits a hex message type of 0x47, but the previous parser was looking for only digits, not hex.

m

[Clay Jackson]

Downloaded and it's now capturing - temp is way off (30+ degrees high); but I suspect that's either an RTL or Acurite issue

Sent from my iPhone

Clay Jackson

[Clay Jackson]

Just did the “hard reset” routine – left batteries out for several hours.   The sensor is in a room where the tempo ranges from about 64-75.   Last night, for about 2 hours, it APPEARED to be reading OK – fluctuating right around 65, in line with a mercury thermometer I use for testing.   Came in this morning, it started a few degrees low (61 – mercury was 66) but has since climbed WAY above, mercury reading 75, sensor reading 87.8

 

Other than a bad sensor, anyone have any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance!

Clay Jackson

[Clay Jackson]

And I just talked to Acurite – read them the “QC” number off the battery cover and they said “we’re sending you a new one”.  J