Weather Station Teardown (Cleaning Out Desert Grit)

[@randyfarris775]

I knew if I searched long enough and used the right words I would find someone who took one of these apart. The outdoor temperature reading on mine started to read higher than actual by 3º to 3.5º about six months ago. Checked mine tonight and found that it was built up with dirt/dust on the circuit board from the road we live on and there was some corrosion on the antenna. Used a Q tip and some alcohol to reach in to clean it and it does read closer now. I will completely disassemble and clean to see if I can get it better. Thank you for the video! Enjoy if your down south now, cold and snowy in Canada..

[@phillipmorris1334]

another very informative detailed tutorial in a no nonsense way. if you want the rainbow, you have to tolerate the rain Ray. have a safe healthy and joyful journey ahead

[@danh1202]

Thanks for the video . After replacing my batteries I dropped the unit. It wouldn't work. I disassembled the sensor and found i wire loose. I located it looking at your video and soldered it back. Now it works great. Except for the wind vanes that broke . I'll try reconstructing them with epoxy glue.

[@williamstevens4824]

Glad your settled down in New Mexico. Looks like a nice area for the price. Your video was very interesting. You made it look easy to tear it apart and clean it up. Glad it's working again. Stay safe in those high winds. Bill

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks, Bill, weathered the storm pretty well and beautiful sunny calm day today. :)

[@jeffbowles2202]

Always enjoy your videos. I would personally enjoy a video on the maintenance of your truck i.e. various fluids and filters.

[@LoveYourRV]

Just starting on the new truck, first oil change, and fuel filter is due on about a month, so not much to say yet. :)

[@projet2907]

Thank you for this video, always instructive and fun to see you take things apart. Be safe you two with those winds, and may your cougar and truck be protected as well.

[@jimschroeder1808]

hey ray, just got my halo view camera up and running can't wait to use it towing and see whats going on behind me ! so far I love it !

[@LoveYourRV]

Awesome! Mine is still performing well.

[@marketshare5273]

Thanks for the MPH Conversion. 👊👍😎

[@lycanchingon]

Looks like you’re on Caballo. Be careful. About 4 years ago a freak wind storm picked up and smashed a bunch of RVs including one belonging to a friend of mine. That was on elephant butte reservoir just north of there.

[@LoveYourRV]

Just looked up the news video on that, looks like it was July 2013 wild!

[@hiflyer1825]

I have too much trouble with La Cross clocks and two weather stations. I now use Acu Rite. It is more accurate. It also has a rain gauge and pressure. Last six years of use-no problems.

[@LoveYourRV]

My wife got me a new weather station for Christmas, called Ambient Weather :) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKSzo6GnZZqgg68

[@Road_Runner_1949]

@@LoveYourRV how has it been working do you like the features

[@LoveYourRV]

@@Road_Runner_1949 We’ve been using it for a year now and the weather station has performed well. This winter, it’s helping me keep tabs on the internal humidity so I can keep condensation at bay. It’s also interesting to monitor the powerful winter storms that are rolling through this time of year. Check out my online weather page that gets uploaded from my station every few minutes. ambientweather.net/dashboard/597ca285e8b933fa92574cc4e7427721

[@danielwalden-turek8035]

Hello Ray. Do you travel with the weather station permanently mounted, or do you take it off to travel so that the anemometer isn't subjected to highway speed winds all the time? Thanks.

[@LoveYourRV]

I remove, only takes a couple minutes then I don't have to worry about it coming off since its just plastic. It's noted on our depart checklist so I don't forget.

[@sgtevmckay]

Just caught the weather. I am sure ya know, as you have anchored your trailer. I assume you're in southern New Mexico by the background...that being the case batten down the hatches and hold on tight. Apparently, everything south of I-40 is going to get battered by wind, with gusts 50 to 70 MPH. Y'all be careful!

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks, should be OK, we've weathered some big winds in the past. Worse was the tail end of a hurricane camped oceanside up on Newfoundland. Our trailer is pretty loaded being full-timers and have lots of water onboard so the center of gravity is low. The wind shifted this AM coming from the side so decided to unhook the truck and use it as a windbreak. If it gets bad we'll get in and go for lunch. ;) Cheers, Ray

[@sgtevmckay]

@@LoveYourRV good deal then. I probably not say anything, but folks are saying that these winds will be unusualy high for NM. it is windy season for us as we transitition from Winter to Spring. Of course we were to have s high wind event last week that never came to fruition 😛 Just this time of year for us. With the possible weather mix we are about to get, it maybe something to see.

[@LoveYourRV]

Two years ago around this time, we were up at Angel Peak near Farmington and Bisti Badlands saw some huge winds up there! I use this Windy app, pretty cool. New Mexico is lit up and a lot of purple come this afternoon. www.windy.com/?33.473,-105.546,7

[@mainemotorhomeadventures4173]

So many gadgets out there! Two simple things I want to get is a thermometer and a backup camera.Any suggestions?

[@rickdees251]

Why do you have water filters on the back of your RV, exposed like it is? Couldn't that have been done differently. Forgive me but I didn't see a video on you installing that, was there one? Cheers.

[@LoveYourRV]

Have done a couple videos - www.loveyourrv.com/clearsource-rv-water-filter-review-install-mod/ This filter system is designed to sit outside. To save storage space, not much to be had fulltiming in a 30-foot fiver and make it easy for me I mounted them on the bumper also I mostly use them when filling up for dry camping. Has worked out great. Cheers, Ray

[@Rphasmid]

I somehow managed to break off one of the three cups while climbing up the ladder to place the thing in place on top of my trailer. What to do? I tried ordering a replacement but to no avail. A friend of mine helped me fix it with shimmed down Popsicle stick and a drollop of Crazy glue. I worried that that the repaired cup would be out of sync and skew the results but it seems to work just fine.

[@LoveYourRV]

I'm wondering if the newer version wind cups may work - www.lacrossetechnology.com/wctx144w

[@katphyre]

Hey Ray, do you have an app or some other source for weather warnings that you use? For instance when you know you may be driving through windy areas, is there a place to see what the wind forecast is?

[@LoveYourRV]

These are three sites I like: www.windy.com/ www.usairnet.com/weather/maps/current/wind-speed/ digital.weather.gov/ Windy is great to visualize the winds and there are phone apps for it. Cheers, Ray play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.windyty.android&hl=en_US

[@katphyre]

@@LoveYourRV Awesome! I knew you'd have some clever resource. Thank you!

[@BobKeefe]

Very timely, I’ve been meaning to ask you about your weather station. I’m obsessed with the weather and want to get one. 😀 Looks like you leave it installed full time even while driving, is that correct?

[@LoveYourRV]

No, Bob, I take it down each time, I just don't trust that it may come off being made of plastic. Takes no time to remove, we have it added to our depart checklist. Cheers, Ray

[@BobKeefe]

Oh, makes sense - I wouldn’t want it to blow away. Thanks for the clarification!

[@thunderbird97]

@@BobKeefe do you think that old RAM can pull that cougar that fast

[@bigjimflying7195]

thunderbird97; I’m confident the Ram can bury the speedometer or hit the speed limiter WITH the Cougar attached.

[@Road_Runner_1949]

Go for a Davis weather station it has alot of info quick transmission about two seconds and alot of people say they last many years there are tree models that I know of the Vantage Vue the pro the pro2 and the pro2 plus and if those are to expensive then just got for the basic weater monitor by davis just wind speed and direction and also wired

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks, ended up getting the Ambient Weather Wi-Fi Osprey about a year ago. Has been pretty good. Cheers, Ray

[@jayjohannechowhan3443]

Ray. Do you remove the outside weather unit when traveling? You could get 100 km winds while travelling.

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, it's on our depart checklist to remove it, only takes a minute.

[@klyonsden]

Do you keep the weather station connected while driving, or, do you store it?

[@LoveYourRV]

I take it down each time, I just don't trust that it may come off being made of plastic. Takes no time to remove, we have it added to our depart checklist.

[@marshallpoe8087]

Funny that the wind speed graphic on the main screen runs backwards.

[@LoveYourRV]

haha, yeah, never noticed that bet some programmer or engineer got in trouble for that one. :)

[@boborain5776]

Ray, do you retract your slides in wind like that?

[@LoveYourRV]

So far I've never had to, we just have the one. No slide topper on it so that's not a problem and my slide is large and has a motor brake on it. But never say never. :)

[@mssixty3426]

Yay, you all are near me, but boo hoo, not a good time of year! Don't blow away 😲

[@vanlyda]

Is there anyone know any 3d print file for windcups?

[@markclark787]

If you want rechargeable, (as long as the unit will work on lower voltage) you can buy (or make with PVC and tape) AA to C Battery Adapter.

[@LoveYourRV]

I have 12 volts in up there in the junction box I have it mounted on. So my plan is to install a buck DC-DC converter inside the junction box and be able to just plug the weather station into it. Then it will run off the rigs battery system, Cheers, Ray

[@timf6916]

Good information, 👻👻

[@MichelPoirier-Mipo]

Hi, the switch enclosed in glass activated by the rotating magnet is a standard Reed switch used mainly for Alarm systems magnetic contacts. If it ever needs to be changed the cost is very low. Just be carefull to use the proper "Normaly closed" type. More here: www.explainthatstuff.com/howreedswitcheswork.html

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks, used to see them a lot in mechanical things like VCRs and audio tape decks as counters. Cheers, Ray

[@i.hunter3627]

do you ever plan on trying a wind turbine?

[@LoveYourRV]

No, Solar panels are much cheaper and less complex, no setup and maintenance required other than cleaning the glass once in a while. Also, the panels make no noise or vibration like a wind turbine would. I usually only see wind turbines used on small rigs like truck campers or tiny trailers with limited roof space for solar or if someone is at the same spot for a long time, they may set up a pole away from the RV. I rarely see them on larger RVs. If they were viable many boondockers would have them. I would take the money I'd spend on a turbine and add more battery storage. Cheers! Ray

[@TheBuddy1939]

Thanks for the information. @@LoveYourRV

[@bruceh3786]

Curious what you used to clean the bearings and if you then used a dry lube of some kind on them? Glad to see it all worked when put back together!

[@LoveYourRV]

Washed with hot soapy water, then dried everything and applied some 3-in-One Slide Out silicone lube - amzn.to/2VS00mZ

[@cyndifoore7743]

This would be extra nice if it had barometric pressure too.

[@leighsheppard8614]

Hey Ray! re: Amazon Affiliate program. I buy LOTS of stuff from Amazon and would be happy to purchase through your affiliate links. However, since I live in Canada, I purchase from Amazon.ca which I don't think you are affiliated with. That brings me to my question. Can you have affiliate links to both the US Amazon site as well as the Canadian site? Does Amazon.ca even have an affiliate program? PS. Thanks for today's post by the way. I have exactly the same model that I bought just a couple of months ago from Canadian Tire (on sale at a pretty irresistible price) so they are obviously still around. Also available on Amazon.ca at a ridiculously high price!

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks, you can find my Amazon Canada link here - www.loveyourrv.com/love-rv-affiliate-links/ Cheers, Ray

[@stickermigtigger]

To bad they couldn’t use a rechargeable batterie and make the windmill charge it. :-)

[@cyndifoore7743]

StickerMigTigger that would put drag on it and throw off the wind speed. Solar would be great for the power source.

[@stickermigtigger]

@@cyndifoore7743 I did think about that but with the right coding that effect could be taken into account, no?