"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
Technical Support Desk
ULTIMETER Weather Stations
are exceptionally rugged and reliable. But in the event of a problem, we stand
ready to assist you, and in many cases, can resolve problems over the telephone.
In this section of our website, we offer some basic troubleshooting information
to help you pinpoint the nature of the problem, and when possible, correct a problem
yourself.
Our
technical support staff is also available by phone (1-866-446-1216) during the
hours of 9am-5pm EST, Monday-Friday, by fax (321-206-6220), or by e-mail. For
Tech Support calls from outside the USA and Canada, please call 321-206-6215.
For Customer Service from the USA and Canada, please call 1-866-446-1216.
| CUSTOMER SERVICE
HELP CATEGORIES |
|
"Keep a weather eye
on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING WIND SENSOR
OPERATION |
The ULTIMETER wind
sensor design is elegantly simple. There is not much to go wrong and it is relatively
easy to check, as outlined below. If you need to contact our service department
about your wind sensor operation, information from these checks will help us resolve
any difficulty correctly and quickly.
BE
SURE THE CUPS ARE TURNING FREELY
If the cups are able to turn freely, they must rotate according to the velocity
of the wind actually reaching them. Wind velocity at the cups may differ from
that at nearby locations because of intervening trees, terrain contours, turbulence
from the side walls or roof, sensor height, etc.
Once in a great while a misguided spider or such may try to make a home in a wind
sensor. This can slow down or even stop the cups entirely. On all ULTIMETER 2000,
800, and 100 stations you can easily remove the anemometer rotor and wind vane
for cleaning. Simple instructions are included in your owner's manual. No tools
are required. To clean out cob webs or such from older wind sensors, use a pipe
cleaner without removing the rotating housings. |
"Keep a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING TEMPERATURE
FUNCTION |
We use the same temperature sensors for
indoor and outdoor measurement. The sensors are so accurate and reliable that
no temperature adjustments are required or provided, not even factory adjustments.
If you suspect temperature readings are off a little, see whether readings some
external factor may be influencing the readings. For example, if your control
unit is mounted on an outside wall, the wall temperature may be affecting your
indoor temperature readings. You might wish to review keyboard and temperature
sensor mounting guidelines in your owners manual. If mounting location doesn't
seem to answer your question, perhaps one of the simple checks below will. If
you need to contact our service department about your temperature operation, information
from applicable checks will help us resolve any difficulty correctly and quickly.
TEMPERATURE READS 150 F
A temperature reading of about 150 degrees
F indicates a short circuit. Unplug the temperature sensor from the junction box.
The temperature display should change to -49 degrees F or all dashes, depending
upon which weather station you have. If it does, the problem is definitely not
in the control unit. Probably something has damaged the temperature cable - perhaps
it has rubbed against a sharp object or an animal has chewed on it.
TEMPERATURE READS -49 F
OR ALL DASHES
A temperature reading of - 49 degrees F
or all dashes indicates an open circuit. If you own or can borrow an ohmmeter,
it's easy to test the temperature sensor and its cable. The male modular plug
on the end of the temperature cable has 4 gold plated contact wires. The gold
plated wires are recessed slightly within the modular plug. Most test meter leads
are a little too thick to make contact with the gold plated wires. A simple technique
is to tape a straight pin to each meter lead and use the straight pins to contact
the gold plated wires.
There should be less than 5 ohms resistance
between the two terminals on the left side of the plug. There should also be less
than 5 ohms between the two terminals on the right side of the plug. If the meter
shows an open circuit between either of the two left terminals and either of the
right terminals, something has probably damaged the temperature cable and it should
be repaired or replaced. Be sure to waterproof any outdoor splice.
INDOOR TEMPERATURE READINGS
ARE A LITTLE HIGH
The indoor temperature sensor is located
next to the modular phone receptacle on theright side of the instrument, far from
the backlight lamps. Even so, if there is not good ventilation around the instrument,
leaving the lamps on full time may increase readings slightly.
OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE
READINGS ARE A LITTLE LOW
About the only way this can happen is if
you're using an extension cable and there is corrosion where the extension cable
connects to the temperature sensor cable. Clean or replace corroded connectors
and be sure to completely waterproof the joint.
HIGH AND/OR LOW TEMPERATURE
VALUES ARE WAY OFF
This is almost always an indication of
electrical interference from a nearby source such as a powerful radio transmitter.
The cure is to separate the temperature sensor cable further from the source of
interference if possible. or to install an optional RFI filter. If only the highest
or only the lowest reading is abnormal, the problem might be an intermittent shorted
or open circuit. Because the problem is intermittent, the current reading may
be ok, yet when no one is watching, the problem may occur briefly, which throws
off the highest or lowest reading. An intermittent problem is most likely to be
in an outside sensor or cable. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING
THE RAIN FUNCTION |
The rain sensor mechanism is very simple,
both mechanically and electrically, so it is relatively easy to check its operation,
as explained below. But first, an uncommon and baffling symptom:
If your ULTIMETER shows increasing rain readings when
there is no rain or when no rain gauge is connected, the cause is almost surely
a crossed wire in one of the 8 conductor receptacles, at the keyboard, junction
box, or signal splitter, if used. Check the 8 conductor receptacles. If one of
the gold plated wires is out of its grove and touching the adjacent wire, gently
ease it back into place with a wooden toothpick or such.
FUNCTION CHECK
To test whether a rain gauge is functioning,
remove its cover. Note the rain reading on the display, then touching only the
side of the bucket, slowly tip the see-saw mechanism to the opposite position.
Wait 5 seconds, then tip it back. Again wait 5 seconds and repeat. Continue in
this fashion until you have tipped the mechanism 10 times in each direction. The
displayed total should have increased by 20 counts.
If your rain gauge appears not to be working
at all or if it appears to be working intermittently, something may have damaged
the rain gauge cable. If you can't find any fault in the cable, or if you have
a wireless rain gauge, please contact our service department for further assistance.
ELECTRICAL CHECK
If your rain gauge is not functioning,
an electrical check can frequently help pinpoint the problem. If you own or can
borrow a continuity tester or an ohmmeter, it's easy to test the rain gauge and
its cable. The male modular plug on the end of the rain cable has 4 gold plated
contact wires. The gold plated wires are recessed slightly within the modular
plug. Most test meter leads are a little too thick to make contact with the gold
plated wires. A simple technique is to tape a straight pin to each meter lead
and use the straight pins to contact the gold plated wires.
There should be continuity (less than 5
ohms resistance) between the two terminals on the left side of the plug. There
should also be continuity between the two terminals on the right side of the plug.
If those readings are ok, touch one meter lead to one of the two left terminals
and the other lead to one of the two right terminals. Have someone very slowly
tip the rain gauge mechanism to the opposite position. As the gauge goes through
the midpoint, your tester should briefly indicate electrical connection between
the two leads. If it does not, something has probably damaged the temperature
cable and it should be repaired or replaced. Be sure to waterproof any outdoor
splice.
ACCURACY CHECK
If there is any question about the accuracy
of one of our 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) or 0.01 inch 0.25 mm) rain gauges, you can verify
its accuracy by dripping water into it very slowly. Either size gauge should tip
from one direction to the other after you have put in between 9 and 11 cubic centimeters
of water. Most pharmacies sell an inexpensive 10 milliliter (10 cubic centimeter)
liquid medicine dispenser that is ideal for this calibration check. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING THE WIND
CHILL FUNCTION |
The ULTIMETER II calculates wind chill
for ambient temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees F. and for wind speeds from 0
to 125 mph. At temperatures above 50 degrees F, the indicated wind chill temperature
will be the same as the current temperature, regardless of wind speed. There is
an anomaly in the equation used for wind chill, such that for wind speed below
4 miles per hour, the calculated wind chill may be a few degrees higher than the
ambient temperature. The best bet with the ULTIMETER II is to ignore wind chill
when the wind velocity is 4 mph or less.
If the ULTIMETER II temperature sensor is disconnected
or if the temperature cable has been damaged, the instrument may think the outside
temperature is -55 degrees F. In this case, when it registers a wind of 15 mph
wind or more, it will calculate and retain a low wind chill of below -100 degrees
F, which it cannot display. Instead, when you attempt to display the lowest wind
chill, the ULTIMETER II will flash the display rather frantically. If this happens,
first be sure the temperature sensor cable is undamaged and is properly plugged
in. Then press the clear key and keep it pressed for about 5 seconds, until the
flashing stops. If you anticipate wind chill readings below -99 degrees F., you
may wish to switch the ULTIMETER II to Celsius, then convert readings back to
Fahrenheit.
The ULTIMETER 2000, 800 and 100 calculate
wind chill for ambient temperatures from -50 to +91.4 degrees F. and for wind
speeds from 5 mph to 125 mph. Also, the ambient temperature wind chill temperature
displayed for winds less than 4 mph are equal (no wind chill effect occurs).
Within the above bounds, if the temperature
and wind functions are working correctly, it is almost impossible for the wind
chill temperature to be wrong. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING THE HUMIDITY
FUNCTION |
| It would be very difficult for most customers
to check the accuracy of a humidity sensor. There are no readily available, easy-to-use
humidity standards. Considerable care and experience are needed to obtain reliable
results even from seemingly straightforward approaches, such as sling psychrometers
or saturated salt solutions.
Probably
the best opportunity to verify outdoor humidity readings is when there is heavy
ground fog. The humidity reading then should be at or close to 100%. You could
also verify the indoor sensor on such a day by temporarily setting it outside
in a sheltered spot.
CAUTION: THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR HUMIDITY
SENSORS ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY AND MUST NOT BE INTERCHANGED. DAMAGE CAN RESULT.
The humidity sensor we selected for ULTIMETER systems employs new technology that provides exceptional accuracy. We believe
the sensor will also prove to be very reliable. The few problems we have seen
resulted in gross errors, so there was really no doubt as to a malfunction.
If you believe there is a problem with
your humidity sensor, please contact our technical support group. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| VERIFYING THE PRESSURE
FUNCTION |
Please contact Peet Bros. if you believe
there is a problem with your pressure readings - to date none have been reported.
Remember that if you remove all power from the instrument,
it will lose the necessary calibration for your location and will display dashes
instead of a pressure reading, until you enter the known sea level pressure. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| NOTES CONCERNING THE
KEYBOARD OPERATION |
ULTIMETER keyboard/display units have
proven extremely reliable, especially our newer Models 2000, 800, and 100, with
their built-in static electricity protection and near "bullet proof"
design. Below are a few conditions, particularly on the ULTIMETER II, that you
can correct at once.
One very important note of caution: Regulated power
is brought to at least one pin of almost ever receptacle in the the ULTIMETER 2000, 800, and 100 keyboard, junction box and signal splitter. Only insert the
intended plug into any of these receptacles. If you intend to make up any cables
of your own, be sure to follow exactly the guidance in our FAQ
pages, which you can also access from our Showroom and Customer's Corner.
ULTIMETER II DISPLAY -
NONE OF THE KEYS CAUSE ANY CHANGE
The microprocessor is probably "hung
up", from a static electricity build up on an outdoor sensor cable. This
can happen during an electrical storm but also during other conditions such as
when there is a strong, dry warm wind blowing or when there is no electrical storm,
but falling rain drops are electrically charged.
To fix the problem, unplug the battery
and unplug the cable from the back of the keyboard/display unit, wait 5 or 10
seconds. Then reconnect the AC adapter plug. The instrument will probable now
be fine. Remember to reenter time, date and your wind direction calibration number.
Peet Bros. offers a Static Electricity
Discharge Unit that can help protect the keyboard from static electricity build
up on the anemometer/wind vane cable. It plugs into the junction box and has a
threaded ground terminal on the side.
ULTIMETER II DISPLAY -
IT IS FLASHING
If just the Compass Rose is flashing, this
is the low battery/no battery indication. A battery check is made each midnight
and also whenever you press the rain key. Press the clear key to stop the flashing
temporarily and insert or replace the battery as soon as you conveniently can
to protect against ac power outages.
If the whole display flashes when you try
to display wind chill or lowest wind chill, the temperature sensor may be unplugged
or have a damaged cable. Please refer to VERIFYING THE WIND CHILL FUNCTION.
If the whole display starts flashing periodically
on its own, there may be a crossed wire in an 8 conductor receptacle on the junction
box or the keyboard or on the splitter box, if used. This can cause wind signals
to increment the rain total. Eventually the rain display capacity can be exceeded
and the keyboard will flash to alert you.
To restore normal operation, ease the wire
back into its proper groove, using a wooden toothpick or such.
ANY ULTIMETER KEYBOARD/DISPLAY
UP AND DOWN ARROWS KEYS DON'T SEEM TO WORK
The instrument will display the current
readings, but it will not display the highest or lowest temperature values. This
is not really a problem. What has happened is that someone started to select data
to be included in the automatic scan sequence, but did not finish the process.
Since highest and lowest values can not be scanned, the instrument ignores the
up and down arrows until you complete the scan selection process.
To restore normal operation, press and
release the scan key and all should be well again. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| NOTES CONCERNING
THE AC ADAPTER AND BATTERY |
The ac adapter supplied with our systems
is rated at 12 volt dc output. Under no load or the rather light load of our system,
these adapters will typically put out about 13v or 14 volts dc. This is not a
problem; the instruments can operate directly from the output of an automobile
alternator, which is about 14.6 volts.
CAUTION: Do not use an ac adapter rated higher than 12 volt dc output. Under light load
it might put out 18 to 20 volts, which could damage the instrument.
The function of the backup battery is,
during brief power outages, to maintain full operation of an ULTIMETER system,
while retaining calibrations, units selections and stored data. A fresh 9 volt
alkaline battery should power a basic ULTIMETER 2000 for more than 24 hours and
power an ULTIMETER II for more than a week. There should be almost no drain on
the backup battery while external power is being supplied to the instrument. Although
a backup battery is obviously very desirable, it is not required for proper operation
of an ULTIMETER Weather Station.
If any aspect of your system's operation
appears inconsistent with the above description, please contact our customer service
department for guidance. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
| NOTES CONCERNING
THE JUNCTION BOX |
The ULTIMETER II junction box only serves
to interconnect cables attached to it; there are no working components inside.
The ULTIMETER 2000 and 500 junction boxes include devices that protect each of
the outside sensors from static electricity build-up. A 3 prong grounded ac adapter
is provided with these newer systems so excessive static electricity can be run
off to earth ground. |
"Keep
a weather eye on Peet Bros."
|
Articles