Using rtl_433 to receive transmissions from a Davis VantagePro

[Walter Smith]

Hi, I'm trying to get the data transmitted by my weather station using rtl_433.  I know there's not a built in decoder for VantagePros in rtl_433 yet, and I'm not getting anything that makes sense to me.  Does anyone have the -X parameters for an "on the fly" decoder?  Or can anyone shed any light on the correct parameters to capture the signal?

I have an original VantagePro, not a Pro2.  I'm pretty sure I've located the signal at 916.620 mhz (close to published spec of 916.5).  This old VantagePro doesn't signal hop and I get a signal every 2.5 seconds, as expected.  But using -a and -A does not give me anything that I can understand.  I've looked at the format of the transmission at

https://github.com/dekay/DavisRFM69/wiki

and don't get anything close to that.  The output is pretty much Greek to me.  I've looked for documentation for understanding what -a and -A print out,

but I haven't found any.  Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Walt

Here's a typical output from rtl_433 with the -a parameter:

Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Exact sample rate is: 250000.000414 Hz
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Sample rate set to 250000 S/s.
Tuner gain set to Auto.
Tuned to 916.620MHz.
*** signal_start = 173391, signal_end = 196411, signal_len = 23020, pulses_found = 14
Iteration 1. t: 152    min: 71 (10)    max: 233 (4)    delta 6525
Iteration 2. t: 139    min: 62 (9)    max: 217 (5)    delta 337
Iteration 3. t: 139    min: 62 (9)    max: 217 (5)    delta 0
Pulse coding: Short pulse length 62 - Long pulse length 217

Short distance: 67, long distance: 157, packet distance: 470

p_limit: 139
bitbuffer:: Number of rows: 2
[00] { 8} 8e        : 10001110
[01] { 6} 10        : 000100
*** signal_start = 798481, signal_end = 821553, signal_len = 23072, pulses_found = 16
Iteration 1. t: 174    min: 90 (13)    max: 258 (3)    delta 4409
Iteration 2. t: 174    min: 90 (13)    max: 258 (3)    delta 0
Pulse coding: Short pulse length 90 - Long pulse length 258

Short distance: 53, long distance: 105, packet distance: 158

p_limit: 174
bitbuffer:: Number of rows: 2
[00] { 2} 80        : 10
[01] {14} 50 00     : 01010000 000000
*** signal_start = 1423363, signal_end = 1446331, signal_len = 22968, pulses_found = 12
Iteration 1. t: 195    min: 80 (7)    max: 311 (5)    delta 3545
Iteration 2. t: 195    min: 80 (7)    max: 311 (5)    delta 0
Pulse coding: Short pulse length 80 - Long pulse length 311

Short distance: 53, long distance: 105, packet distance: 157

p_limit: 195
bitbuffer:: Number of rows: 2
[00] { 1} 80        : 1
[01] {11} 5a 00     : 01011010 000
*** signal_start = 2048349, signal_end = 2071421, signal_len = 23072, pulses_found = 15
Iteration 1. t: 171    min: 83 (11)    max: 259 (4)    delta 11905
Iteration 2. t: 171    min: 83 (11)    max: 259 (4)    delta 0
Pulse coding: Short pulse length 83 - Long pulse length 259

And a typical output using the -A parameter:

Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Exact sample rate is: 250000.000414 Hz
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Sample rate set to 250000 S/s.
Tuner gain set to Auto.
Tuned to 916.620MHz.
Detected OOK package    2019-06-17 11:49:20
Analyzing pulses...
Total count:   12,  width: 12.31 ms             ( 3077 S)
Pulse width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    3,  width:  836 us [828;848]    ( 209 S)
 [ 1] count:    6,  width:  204 us [204;212]    (  51 S)
 [ 2] count:    1,  width: 1452 us [1452;1452]  ( 363 S)
 [ 3] count:    2,  width:  620 us [616;624]    ( 155 S)
Gap width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    6,  width:  208 us [208;216]    (  52 S)
 [ 1] count:    2,  width:  420 us [420;424]    ( 105 S)
 [ 2] count:    1,  width: 1876 us [1876;1876]  ( 469 S)
 [ 3] count:    1,  width:  832 us [832;832]    ( 208 S)
 [ 4] count:    1,  width: 1044 us [1044;1044]  ( 261 S)
Pulse period distribution:
 [ 0] count:    4,  width: 1096 us [1036;1252]  ( 274 S)
 [ 1] count:    3,  width:  416 us [416;420]    ( 104 S)
 [ 2] count:    1,  width:  624 us [624;624]    ( 156 S)
 [ 3] count:    2,  width: 1664 us [1664;1668]  ( 416 S)
 [ 4] count:    1,  width: 2088 us [2088;2088]  ( 522 S)
Level estimates [high, low]:  15960,      2
RSSI: -0.1 dB SNR: 37.3 dB Noise: -37.4 dB
Frequency offsets [F1, F2]:    1062,      0     (+4.1 kHz, +0.0 kHz)
Guessing modulation: No clue...

Detected OOK package    2019-06-17 11:49:23
Analyzing pulses...
Total count:   14,  width: 12.31 ms             ( 3077 S)
Pulse width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    1,  width: 1264 us [1264;1264]  ( 316 S)
 [ 1] count:    1,  width: 1876 us [1876;1876]  ( 469 S)
 [ 2] count:    2,  width:  620 us [620;624]    ( 155 S)
 [ 3] count:    2,  width:  832 us [832;836]    ( 208 S)
 [ 4] count:    7,  width:  204 us [204;212]    (  51 S)
 [ 5] count:    1,  width:  412 us [412;412]    ( 103 S)
Gap width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    2,  width:  832 us [832;836]    ( 208 S)
 [ 1] count:    9,  width:  208 us [204;216]    (  52 S)
 [ 2] count:    2,  width:  416 us [416;420]    ( 104 S)
Pulse period distribution:
 [ 0] count:    2,  width: 2092 us [2084;2100]  ( 523 S)
 [ 1] count:    4,  width: 1092 us [1040;1244]  ( 273 S)
 [ 2] count:    1,  width:  624 us [624;624]    ( 156 S)
 [ 3] count:    5,  width:  416 us [416;420]    ( 104 S)
 [ 4] count:    1,  width:  828 us [828;828]    ( 207 S)
Level estimates [high, low]:  15897,      2
RSSI: -0.1 dB SNR: 37.2 dB Noise: -37.4 dB
Frequency offsets [F1, F2]:    1042,      0     (+4.0 kHz, +0.0 kHz)
Guessing modulation: No clue...

Detected OOK package    2019-06-17 11:49:25
Analyzing pulses...
Total count:   12,  width: 11.89 ms             ( 2972 S)
Pulse width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    4,  width: 1352 us [1248;1472]  ( 338 S)
 [ 1] count:    4,  width:  204 us [204;212]    (  51 S)
 [ 2] count:    1,  width:  620 us [620;620]    ( 155 S)
 [ 3] count:    1,  width:  832 us [832;832]    ( 208 S)
 [ 4] count:    2,  width:  412 us [412;416]    ( 103 S)
Gap width distribution:
 [ 0] count:    1,  width:  628 us [628;628]    ( 157 S)
 [ 1] count:    7,  width:  212 us [208;216]    (  53 S)
 [ 2] count:    3,  width:  416 us [416;420]    ( 104 S)
Pulse period distribution:
 [ 0] count:    1,  width: 2100 us [2100;2100]  ( 525 S)
 [ 1] count:    3,  width:  416 us [416;420]    ( 104 S)
 [ 2] count:    3,  width: 1596 us [1460;1668]  ( 399 S)
 [ 3] count:    2,  width: 1040 us [1036;1044]  ( 260 S)
 [ 4] count:    2,  width:  624 us [624;624]    ( 156 S)
Level estimates [high, low]:  15904,      5
RSSI: -0.1 dB SNR: 34.2 dB Noise: -34.4 dB
Frequency offsets [F1, F2]:     726,      0     (+2.8 kHz, +0.0 kHz)
Guessing modulation: Pulse Code Modulation (Not Return to Zero)
Attempting demodulation... short_width: 204, long_width: 204, reset_limit: 208896, sync_width: 0
Use a flex decoder with -X 'n=name,m=FSK_PCM,s=204,l=204,r=208896'

(PS I did try that suggested -X parameter above but it did not catch anything.)

[rich T]

Walter

You also might want to post the question in the 433 forum.   https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rtl_433