Cumulus 1 and SDR radio
Posted: Sun 28 Aug 2016 11:19 am
I have used the WH1081 for 4 years, with little trouble (usual sensor wear and tear and bird poop). Recently, a new radio signal popped up on 433.92. This repeatedly sent a 250ms burst every 10 seconds or so, starting at around bedtime. Due to the Fine Offset communications protocol, this didn't give problems until typically around 2-3am when it knocked my sensors out of synch with the console. This resulted in an 'outage' of up to 12 hours until the pair re-synchronised.
I tried fitting an external antenna and making it directional but because the console itself is not screened, I couldn't prevent the disruption from the interfering signal.
So next, I tried a WH3080 on 868 MHz. I checked that the frequency was clear before purchase (smart move, eh?) and installed the new station last weekend. First disappointment - 868MHz only seems to carry half the distance of 433MHz, which in my case is to the bottom of the mast but not indoors. I eventually found a windowsill where I could perch the console and get synchronisation and then began the physical migration of the associated PC to that location. However, in the meantime, Second disappointment - the WH3080 stopped sending wind direction - a fault eventually traced by substitution of parts to the sender transmitter, so that's now on it's way back for replacement. That's the end of 868 for me, for now.
Anyway, apologies for the lengthy background but it explains why I am considering another option.
The Fine Offset stations are known for two problems (apart from batteries, sensors and transmitters), namely 'loss of the sensor' and 'breakdown of the USB'. I was considering whether the console could be eliminated completely by the use of a USB TV Stick operating as an SDR radio receiver, plugged directly into the stations PC.
My theory is that by having better control of the receiver and not having to worry about power supply, I could implement a more sophisticated interference handling regime, allowing me to return to the longer range 433MHz band. Instead of waiting for the 12 hours for the two parties to drift back into alignment, a more intelligent algorithm could be used to determine the timing drift between console and transmitter, predicting better when the transmitter is on, thus reducing the relocking time. Also, by having the receiver in the PC, there is no console to PC USB link to fail, thus eliminating that problem as well.
So, to the two questions that I have (and these may belong in two threads):
Has anyone implemented an SDR receiver for the Fine Offset series of stations (and are they willing to share that?)
Is there a way of inputting the extracted data from the 'receiver' into Cumulus, bypassing the USB input (for example, can it be done using the EasyWeather file?)
Would appreciate any input before I launch myself into this quest..
As another approach, I am also considering the use of passive radio repeaters to reflect the 868MHz signal from the mast into the room where the console is - if I get a working 868MHz system back!
Currently off line
John
Rothwell NN14
I tried fitting an external antenna and making it directional but because the console itself is not screened, I couldn't prevent the disruption from the interfering signal.
So next, I tried a WH3080 on 868 MHz. I checked that the frequency was clear before purchase (smart move, eh?) and installed the new station last weekend. First disappointment - 868MHz only seems to carry half the distance of 433MHz, which in my case is to the bottom of the mast but not indoors. I eventually found a windowsill where I could perch the console and get synchronisation and then began the physical migration of the associated PC to that location. However, in the meantime, Second disappointment - the WH3080 stopped sending wind direction - a fault eventually traced by substitution of parts to the sender transmitter, so that's now on it's way back for replacement. That's the end of 868 for me, for now.
Anyway, apologies for the lengthy background but it explains why I am considering another option.
The Fine Offset stations are known for two problems (apart from batteries, sensors and transmitters), namely 'loss of the sensor' and 'breakdown of the USB'. I was considering whether the console could be eliminated completely by the use of a USB TV Stick operating as an SDR radio receiver, plugged directly into the stations PC.
My theory is that by having better control of the receiver and not having to worry about power supply, I could implement a more sophisticated interference handling regime, allowing me to return to the longer range 433MHz band. Instead of waiting for the 12 hours for the two parties to drift back into alignment, a more intelligent algorithm could be used to determine the timing drift between console and transmitter, predicting better when the transmitter is on, thus reducing the relocking time. Also, by having the receiver in the PC, there is no console to PC USB link to fail, thus eliminating that problem as well.
So, to the two questions that I have (and these may belong in two threads):
Has anyone implemented an SDR receiver for the Fine Offset series of stations (and are they willing to share that?)
Is there a way of inputting the extracted data from the 'receiver' into Cumulus, bypassing the USB input (for example, can it be done using the EasyWeather file?)
Would appreciate any input before I launch myself into this quest..
As another approach, I am also considering the use of passive radio repeaters to reflect the 868MHz signal from the mast into the room where the console is - if I get a working 868MHz system back!
Currently off line
John
Rothwell NN14