(back to main WiKi) FAQs

FAQs overview

1. what is a rain event ?
2. how to use more than 4 or 8 or 16 sensors of the same type ?
3. how do I connect/register new sensors to my console/gateway ?
4. how do I make my own weather website ?
5. can I show an extra temperature/humidity sensor as the outdoor temperature/humidity sensor ?
6. why do I see sometimes very high solar peaks ? - is my sensor broken ?
7. my WS90 (Wittboy) rain readings are horrible - can I switch them off ? - or what can I do about it ?
8. how do I know that my rain gauge (WS69, WH40) reads properly ? And how to handle possible issues ...
9. Feels Like, Wind Chill, Heat Index, Apparent Temperature etc. - which definitions are used by Ecowitt ?
10. how to send data to weather services like Ecowitt, Wunderground, WeatherCloud, WoW and others
11. are historical data saved by my gateway/console ?
12. do the consoles/gateways store records (min/max values) ?
13. what's the difference between the WSView Plus app and the Ecowitt app ?
14. how to find the installed firmware version of the WS85 or WS90 ?
15. how to connect my gateway using its LAN interface (e.g. GW2000, GW3000 ...)
16. how to connect sensors to multiple gateways or channels using their sensor ID
17. what different types of temperature sensors exist and how can they be used and how many of them
18. can I remove the metal mesh at the bottom of the wind reading section of my WS80/WS85/WS90 ?
19. How many Megabytes does one post of a WS6210 per minute generate per month ?
20. How can I see that the external power supply works with my WS80/WS90 ?
21. can I add missing data or delete wrong data at/from ecowitt.net ?
22. how do I post data to Wunderground with my Ambient console ?
23. how to backup and restore my calibration settings on/from a computer ?
24. my console shows unreasonably high UVI values - what's wrong with it ?
25. how to send data from my Ambient Weather dashboard (AWN) to Weather Underground
26. what do all the different array names in the Ecowitt dashboard battery tile mean ?
27. where do I find the SensorID of my sensors ?
28. can I improve the reception of my HP25x0/Ambient WS-2000/4000/5000 console ?
29. how to replace the temperature/humidity sensor in my outdoor array ?
30. what Weather Service like WU, CWOP, PWS etc. can I send data to ?
31. what's the difference between Ambient and Ecowitt Weather Stations ?
32. how to upgrade the console/gateway firmware ?
33. why are the min/max values on the Ecowitt dashboard (ecowitt.net) different from the values shown in the graphs ?
34. what to enter into the REL altitude field ?
35. I've upgraded my Ambient/Ecowitt/clone console to the new SLP algorithm (REL via altitude). The readings seem to be matching the airport with pretty good accuracy, but I noticed that the new REL readings are much higher in value compared to my old REL values. Why is that?
36. I've upgraded my Ambient/Ecowitt/clone console to the new SLP algorithm and even after several days my new REL readings (relative pressure) never come close to matching the airport. How do I fix this?
37. In order to calibrate, I used to set my barometer to the Altimeter (setting) from a close-by airport but with Ecowitt's new firmware update, I understand that this update can only calculate SLP. What about my Altimeter (setting)?
38. Why do I need to calibrate the barometer? All my other sensors don't require calibrating. Why should I bother?
39. what is the Custom Server or Customized Server in the Ecowitt universe ?

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

what is a rain event ? - click on link
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

there are two ways how to register new sensors
1. automatic
2. manual (recommended)

1. automatic registration
just bring the sensor close (~1 m, 3 feet) to your console and insert the batteries. The console should find it and register it in the sensor type section. For a sensor whose type can only be one per console (e.g. T&H, T%HP, WH45/46, WH57 …) or if it's the first sensor of a sensor type group, this is simple. However, you do not know in what position/channel of a sensor type (two groups WH41/43 and WH55 can have four, others up to eight sensors of the same type) and the console may register it anywhere - and you may not like that, because you want to assign a meaning to each sensor (like place, position etc.).

An exception are the sensors of the WH31 family (WH31, WN30, WN36) - they have dip switches for the channel to be used inside the battery compartment (see reverse side of the sensor housing - open the battery cover).

2. manual registration (recommended)
first of all, deactivate/disable all sensors which you do not have/use.
There are two types of consoles:
a. consoles with the local network API
(they can be configured with the WS View Plus app or with their WebUI in a web browser [https://IP-address-of-your-console] )
b. consoles without the local network API (WS2320*, WH2910, WS6006, HP25x0, HP350x)
they have to be configured on the SensorID page in the console setup
*) cannot have extra sensors beyond the outdoor array

in either case the deactivation (and later on the active registration) will be done on this SensorID page
for the consoles with API it can be found at WS View Plus “More”–> SensorsID, WebUI –> SensorsID.
For the deactivation click/tap on the “Edit” button or pen symbol for the sensor, choose “disable” and “save”. A “success” message should show.

for the registration of the new sensor (if you have more than one to register, repeat the procedure step by step) bring the sensor close (~ 1 m, 3 feet) to the console/gateway and tap/click on “Re-Register” for the place (channel) you want the sensor to be registered to. Then insert the battery. Now the sensor should be registered by the console at the desired position.
If it doesn't work and the sensor has its sensorID printed on a sticker, click on the “Edit” button, enter the sensor ID into the entry field and press “save”. A “success” message should pop up and after some time a battery symbol and reception bars should become visible.

see also how to connect sensors to multiple gateways or channels using their sensor ID

the number of sensors you can receive with a single console is limited (see maximum number of sensors)
if you want to use more than 4 WH41, WH55 or more than 8 WH31, WN34, WN35 or more than 16 WH51 sensors, you will have to use a second console/gateway and register the new (e.g. #9 - #16 of a WH31 extra temperature/humidity) sensor to the second console.

Only the IoT enabled consoles support 16 WH51 (Soil Moisture) sensors - the others remain limited to eight.
Therefore the above WH31 example may also apply to WH51 sensors regarding the maximum number.

A smart way to do this is to deactivate/disable all the sensors, e.g. WH51, and then connect them one after the other by entering their sensor ID on the sensor ID page of the console, WebUI or WS View Plus app. The sensorID is usually printed on a label which is glued to the sensor.

We recommend to make a copy of the SensorID page afterwards to be able to restore the sensors to the proper console and in the proper (chosen by you) sequence in case this configuration gets lost (e.g. factory reset)
the different readings from the different consoles can be integrated into one view by using datalogger software like e.g. Meteobridge, weewx or Homeassistant (listing not complete).


A different approach which can even allow you to have multiple e.g. WH57 lightning sensors or the data of different sensor arrays in parallel (WH69, WS80, WS85, WS68, WS90) which are usually excluded by the sensor hierarchy (see Sensor Hierarchy is to use an SDR (software defined radio).
We know of an extreme case of a user who with this approach depicts 56 WH51 soil mositure sensors in his HomeAssistant installation without using a (second) Ecwoitt console.

this approach needs some deeper knowledge, will need to install and to run the software portion of the SDR, collect the data and transfer it to the archive and presentation place (e.g. HomeAssistant). There are also weewx solutions existing for that - at least in principle. They are likely needed to be extended and adapted to the number and type of sensors
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

there are many ways how to create your own weather web pages on your own website

1. use an existing ready-made weather website template
2. use a customizable weather website template from widgets, blocks, plugins
3. create your own weather web pages (website) from scratch
4. embed a weather service page (e.g. your Ecowitt.net dashboard) into your website

a selection of customizable weather websites fed with data from an Ecowitt station covering points 1 and 2 from the above list - 3. and 4. are for people with programming skills and experience only

3. you will need to know web programming (php, Java, Python etc.)

4. you will need to know that much programming that you know how to embed other web pages into your own webpage and keep them updated

in any case you will need your data to be sent/posted to your website, whether this website is located locally (on your NAS, on a RaspberryPi, …) or on a server in the internet provided by a web hosting provider.

for a general overview see Data Flow

Ways how to do this are:

• have your console do this (use the customized server option)
• have a data logging program do this (e.g. CumulusMX, Meteobridge, weewx, …)
• have an information broker do this (e.g. FOSHKplug, a self- or web-hosted MQTT broker, …)
• do it yourself (send data e.g. via (S)FTP, http requests etc.)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

on your console display, your dashboard on ecowitt.net, in the Ecowitt or WS View Plus app: NO

Background:
with respect to the outdoor temperature/humidity (T&H) the Ecowitt ecosystem is governed by the “Highlander Principle” - there can only be one. Which one is described in the Sensor Hierarchy

If you (want to) display your weather data on your own website, e.g. using a ready-made or customizable template, this is usually done by special applications/programs which are often at the same time data logging and archiving programs (e.g. CumulusMX, Meteobridge, weewx, HomeAssistant, FOSHKplugin), you can re-assign any other sensor values to the Outdoor T&H display.

With the proper programming skills you can also do this yourself, be it locally or on the website by using scripts or self-written programs with PHP, Java, Python ….

The same (Highlander) principle applies to weather observations like rain, wind, solar (see also sensor hierarchy, link above).

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sometimes one can observe very high peaks in solar readings which are much higher than the theoretical maximum of solar irradiation/irradiance (sometimes also called insolation) at that time of the year in your geographical latitude.


example at 49° N latitude - 21-Apr-2024
(the bell shaped yellow curve is the theoretical maximum, the orange peaks are the actual readings, UV index is depicted blue)

There are two main reasons for this effect:

1. nano water droplets are on top of your solar sensor/light sensor can act as a magnifying lense
(after rainfall or due to dew)

2. the so-called cloud-edge effect* and cloud-lensing

*) the real-life phenomenon is sometimes also referred to as “Edge-of-Cloud-Event”

especially in smaller clouds the distribution of water droplets is such that the bigger droplet clusters are closer to the edge than the smaller ones which are mainly located in the center. Therefore the edges of a cloud can reflect the solar irradiance and add to the energy which arrives on a cloud-free day at the surface of the solar sensor - or of a photovoltaic (PV) solar array. Light refraction can also occur due to frozen water molecules in the outer cloud areas. In fact the cloud-edge effect is well known in PV contexts. The electrical elements have to take such bursts into account to limit the electricity generated for e.g. the inverter not to be damaged.

This is noticed because the solar sensor of the Ecowitt outdoor arrays are light sensors rather than energy sensors. They do not only read the direct solar irradiance (as a Pyranometer would do) but the global irradiance composed of direct and indirect components of the sunlight photometrically.
A pyranometer would “suppress” (i.e. either not notice or eliminate) the cloud-edge effect.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

NO, you cannot switch them off unless you want to disassemble the array and disconnect cables/wires.

However, you can calibrate the WS90 rainfall reasonably well using its five-tier calibration facility.

see How to calibrate the WS90 rainfall

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

proper and regular maintenance is key - we recommend to check and clean your traditional rain gauge every six months or when you encounter suspicious readings

if you want to avoid wrong readings caused by cleaning activities which may make the measuring spoon tilt, disconnect the sensor from all consoles it may be registered to (inside WSV+ where applicable (consoles with local Ecowitt API), inside the HP25x0, HP350x console sensor ID page or make the console powerless (WS2320, WS2910) and remove the batteries. For a WH40 it will be enough just to remove the battery from the sensor during maintenance time.

• Check to see if any debris has fallen into the funnel and ended up in the spoon, such as leaves, bird droppings, etc.
  If any debris has fallen into the rainfall funnel, please remove it; also algae, Sahara sand etc.
  Also spiders and other insects consider a rain gauge to be their new home and can obstruct the rain gauge function.
  The spiral which comes with a WH40 inserted in the funnel can reduce the effect of leaves.
  This spiral is available as accessory for a WH40 (shop.ecowitt.com), but can also be used in the WS69 funnel
• If there is no debris in the funnel, you can use a manual rain gauge, put it close (1 m, 3 ft) to the funnel of the sensor, and compare (in Europe TFA sell fit for purpose models, in the US/CDN Stratus is a well-respected brand)
• we do NOT recommend to look up nearby weather stations in the Ecowitt weather station map (or Weather Underground or Weather Cloud) as often proposed as rainfall can be a very inhomogeneous event - 50 m away from you it may not rain at all - for an order of magnitude check a service like “compare adjecent stations in a radius of 10, 20, 50, 100 km” as offered by AWEKAS (example: https://www.awekas.at/en/qualcheck.php?id=16544) could still be indicative - but the manual rain gauge method is the simplest and most accurate.
• you can test the counting function by the help of a syringe or measuring cup to let a small amount of water slowly drip directly into the tipping bucket, hear a slight ringing sound, see whether the rainfall counter in the console has increased by 0.2mmor 0.1mm (WS69 for 0.2 mm/0.3 mm, WH40 for 0.1 mm). Do not pour in water quickly, as it will cause the tipping bucket/spoon not to go back properly into the starting position and rainfall will not be measured - the water will just flow through. (here the rain gauge has to be connected to at least one console - to avoid wrong data at the weather sites [Ecowitt, WU, WC] interrupt your router/internet connection for the test period)
  
• You can also manually simulate rainfall and drop in a defined amount of the water slowly which you then collect and measure when dropping out from the rain gauge (be aware that some water will be retained inside the mechanism).
  You can use different amounts to simulate different rainfall strength. This simulation should be done with the rain gauge fully assembled: pour the water into the funnel, collect the water from under the funnel and cross-check against the console readings.

it has been noticed (based on several user observations), that the WH40 rain gauge can have a distorted transmission when the battery compartment points towards the receiving console. Therefore, it is recommended to position the WH40 rain gauge such that the battery compartment points in the opposite direction.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

quote from Ecowitt:

Feels like temperature reading is defined according to NoAA’s definition, it is American Standard. We combined Heat index, Windchill into one: Feels like. You may find the definition here: https://www.ecowitt.com/shop/forum/forumDetails/242

Apparent Temperature is a newly added temperature asked by the Australian. They have a different algorithm. We followed their definition. https://www.ecowitt.com/shop/forum/forumDetails/574

So we allow user from Australia to select “apparent temperature” to be displayed under the feels like.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Each Ecowitt console can post your weather data to ecowitt.net, wunderground.com, weathercloud.net and wow.metoffice.gov.uk, provided you have activated that option and entered the necessary credentials - these sites accept your data for free after you have registered with them and set up an account.

a list and comparision of different weather service providers including ecowitt.net, wunderground, WeatherCloud and WOW created by wxforum.net user @olicat is available here: Weather Services

Ambient branded consoles cannot post data to ecowitt.net but post data to their own network, the Ambient Weather Network (AWN) and Ecowitt (clone other than Ambient) consoles cannot post to AWN (they use different transmission protocols).

For Ambient consoles to post to WU a special "tweak" is needed

There are many more Weather Services available in the internet where you may want to send your weather data to for free, but you will also give away the control over these data - as a compensation for offering the display and storage “for free” they will use/process/sell your data - it's part of their Terms and Conditions - and their business plan.
There are also paid plans where the same Terms and conditions apply. As a rule you can store you data longer, can post in shorter intervals and use some other services they provide if you choose a paid plan.

As far as we are aware, Ecowitt do not use or sell customer weather data, but the retention time and resolution of the data stored for free also has certain conditions or restrictions you should be aware of (see link).

These other “free” weather sites can be divided into two groups
1. websites where you can send your data there using the custom server capability of your Ecowitt console choosing Wunderground protocol for the data transfer.
examples see above link to custom server section

2. websites where you have to modify your console data before being able to post them.
(e.g. windy.com, CWOP …)

Some applications (e.g. FOSHKplugin, CumulusMX, Meteobridge, weewx …) offer ready-made posting strings which you can use along with these applications
(see also the sections for these applications here in the WiKi)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The HP25x0 and HP350x consoles store data internally - and on a microSD card when plugged in. The microSD card can only be manually accessed i.e. taken out copied to a omputer and processed there. At the same time these consoles keep all time records for the classical sensors (wind, rain, T/RH indoor, T/RH outdoor, dewpoint, pressure, solar) on a separate page of their display. These data will survive a power-cycling but not a factory reset. You can also reset the records inside the console. More details see HP25x0 consoles and the console manuals. For data export see HP25x0 data export.

The new GW3000 and WS6210 consoles have a microSD card which can be accessed and data downloaded via the local network. The same applies to the Ambient Weather Network Hub 2.0 (new revision; “IP3”)

The WS2320E can record 3,600 records before the oldest is overwritten. It is provided with a Windows software (WeatherSmartIP, WeatherSmartWiFi) which can retrieve and save these data in a MS Access database on the PC. The interface software also allows for graphical and table-based reporting (see WS2320)

When activated in the console, 5-minute based historical data of all registered sensors are sent and diplayed and stored for 90 days on ecowitt.net (see ecowitt.net dashboard). For retention times and archiving intervals see Retention time and Intervals.

For a (also internet independent) long time archiving of your weather station data we recommend one of the data logger programs.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

yes and no

The HP25x0 and HP350x consoles store alltime records which can be display on their “min/max” page.

The WS2320 console displays daily (on the current day only) and alltime records for each sensor field on the console display. The values will cycle in the two bottom lines of the diplay. Alltime records are also shown in the PC interface (see WS2320).

The WN19x0, WN182x, WN2810, WS3800, WS3900 consoles display the min/max values of the current day. They will be reset at midnight. With the WN2810 console you can choose if you want a midnight reset or alltime values.

On the ecowitt.net dashboard the min/max values of the current day are shown in the tile view and in the chart view (graphics). They are reset at midnight.
For historical data they will also be shown in the chart view. In the table view min/max values are not explicitly shown.

For a continuous follow up of daily records (min/max values) we recommend to use one of the data logging programs.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

in the early time of Fine Offset weather stations there was only one app to pair or to configure a console. It's history goes from WS Tools –> WS View –> WS View Plus. In the course of history the app became more and more powerful and functional and today WS View Plus is the most recent.

Once the ecowitt.net website for archiving and using user data was created, along with it a new app appeared by the name Ecowitt app which in the beginning was just the implementation of the ecowitt.net web browser dashboard in an app for for mobile devices on Android or iOS. Over time it also gained more functionality, but the features and use cases of the Ecowitt app and WS View Plus are not the same.

Simply speaking:
the focus of the Ecowitt app is the internet and the ecowitt.net website - with local options,
whereas
the focus of the WS View Plus app lies on the local network - with internet options. *)

As the Ecowitt app carries the Ecowitt brand name, it is preferred in manuals, but this doesn't do justice to its capabilities - and incapabilities vs. the WSV+ app !

*) some people don't want to have an Ecowitt account and use their data only locally - for them the WS View Plus app is the perfect tool

the below table will reveal the details - and differences

*) in the absence of an internet connection only the WSV+ app can operate the IoT devices locally (manual mode only - July 2024) - scheduled and smart plans can only be created by the Ecowitt app (WSV+ is planned to be able to do so too in the future)
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

the below article originates from a post in the Ecowitt forum: https://www.ecowitt.com/shop/forum/forumDetails/899 and has undergone some editing by @gyvate:

Sensors can be registered (“learned”) on an Ecowitt gateway or console automatically when your console is started from fresh. For sensors with multiple occurrances (e.g. WH31, WH51 …) it will establish a sequence represented by the channel number. However, if you have a new sensor replacing the old one, or if you want a particular sensor to be registered on a dedicated gateway under the wanted channel number, you can manage this via the “Sensor ID” page.

This “SensorID” page can be found at different places depending on which tool or device you use.

1. in the embedded WEbUI (http://IP-address-of-the-console) - SensorsID menu item
2. in the WS View Plus app (Live Data –> More –> SensorsID)
3. in the Ecowitt app
4. in the console itself (HP25x0: gear wheel –> More [Setup] –> SensorsID, HP350x: 7 x Menu –> Sensors info)

Below you can an example using the Ecowitt app leading you through the necessary steps:

use case 1 - you want a sensor which is now registered to channel 6 to be registered to channel

1. Make sure your phone's Wi-Fi is connected to the same network as the gateway/console.

2. Run the “Ecowitt” APP; you may tap on “<” or “>” at the top of the dashboard to switch between gateway/consoles if you have more than one. Alternative choose Hamburger menu (top left) and then My Devices.

3. Tap on the three dots from the upper right corner of the dashboard, then select “Sensor ID”. If it is grayed out, you may have close the APP, remove it from the RAM (NOT uninstall !), and try again. On the “Sensor ID” page opened you can view the types of sensors connected as well as the ID of the sensor in hexadecimal notation.

the below example shows the view for the WH51 sensors and the WN34 sensors

4. If you want a soil sensor with sensor ID: C4C6 to be registered at channel 8 (CH8), in this case to be moved from channel 6 where it formerly registered, please do the following:

A: tap on the CH6 edit button, a pop-up window appears - now you note down the sensorID and move the status switch to the left so that the sensor registration place for channel 6 is disabled. Tap “Save” !

B: tap on CH8 edit button, fill “C4C6” ID, a pop-up window appears - here you make sure that the status switch is moved to the right. Now enter the noted down sensor ID (C4C6) into the filed and tap “Save” ! The sensor is now permanently assigned to channel 8 (until you may change this again).

use case 2 - you have more than maximum sensor number per console and you want to spread them over two consoles at the same time defining the registration place or channel

e.g. more than 8 WH31 extra temperature sensors, more than 4 PM2.5 air quality sensors etc.

You can manage this with applying the above steps.

Before you do this, make a plan and note down which sensors will be registered to which console and save this plan. You can later on, once completed, also make a photo or a screencopy. There may be situations where you have to reset your console to factory settings and then all the information will be lost.

use case 3 - Another phenomenon to be considered is the so-called sensor hierarchy - a set of rules which determine which sensor will have precedence of another of both are registered in the console but only one observation value can be used (wind, rain, outdoor temperature).

5.When multiple sets of data of the same type from different sensors appear simultaneously. The gateway/console will automatically display data from the sensor with the higher priority, based on a preset prioritization (sensor hierarchy). If you want the data from a specific sensor or sensor array with lower priority to be displayed, you cannot have them both registered to the same console.
In such a case please do the following:

A: make sure the specific sensor or sensor array is in the “Enable” position.

B: slide the buttons of other sensors or sensor arrays to the “Disable” position to turn off their status bars.

General remark:
it is good practice to disable all sensors you either don't have or don't want to be shown by your console/gateway.
This way you avoid your weather data display being messed up by so-called “ghost sensors” from your neighbourhood.

where to find the sensor ID of a sensor ?


Sensor ID location for WH51, WH65/WS69, WH40 (top)
Sensor ID location for WH41, WH43, WH45, WH46, WH46D (bottom)

Sensor ID location for WS80/WS85/WS90 - picture WS90
You may also want to have a look at the following topic: how do I connect/register new sensors to my console/gateway ?


Sensor ID for WN34, WN35, WH51L, LDS01

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

there are five types of temperature sensors in the Ecowitt ecosystem

1. outdoor temperature and humidity sensors (T/RH, T&H - array T/RH sensors, WH32[-EP])
2. indoor temperature and humidity sensors (inbuilt T&RH/P sensors or WH32B/WN32P)
3. extra temperature and humidity sensors (WH31 sensor family - T&H or T only - WN30, WN36)
4. user temperature sensors (T only, the WN34 sensor family)
5. other temperature / humidity sensors (e.g. WH45, WH46, WH46D)

for Ambient or other reseller companies with different sensor naming, see the translation table.
Not all resellers have all sensors mentioned here, some have given them different names (Ambient, Garni, Froggit)

1. outdoor temperature and humidity sensors

per console or gateway there is only ONE outdoor temperature and humidity sensor. If more than one outdoor temperature and humidity sensor is registered to the console, the console (or the app, the WebUI and the ecowitt.net dashboard) will only display one out of them. All connected outdoor T/RH sensors will be received and processed, but only one will be shown.

which one is shown is defined by the sensor hierarchy (left is preferred over right)
WN32/WH32 outdoor <<< WS90 <<< WS80 <<< WH65/WS69/WN67

The WN32/WH32 outdoor exists also in a high precision version WH32-EP (Extra Precision).
It's only sold by Ecowitt. Not by any reseller company (so far).

2. indoor temperature and humidity sensors

Usually the consoles have an inbuilt T&HP sensor (temperature, humidity and pressure). This is true for the WS2320, WS2910, WN19x0, WN182x, HP2560, WS3800, WS39x0 consoles.
Except for the WS2320, WS2910 and GW1000, the other consoles and gateways can also use an external T&HP sensor, the WH32B (B for Barometer) or the new name WN32P (P for Pressure), the WH32 indoor sensor.
The HP2550, HP350x and WH2650/2680 consoles and gateways plus the Ambient ObserverIP 1.0, 2.0 and the new Ambient Weather Network Hub 2.0 (IP3) have no inbuilt T&HP sensor and need an external T&HP sensor (WH32B/WN32P).

As for the inbuilt T&HP sensors, the T/RH sensor is usually either at the end of a cable set (GW1x00, GW2000) or at the end of a foldable stick (looks like an antenna but isn't one): HP2560, WN19x0, WN1820. Only for the WS2320, WS2910, WS3800 and wS39x0 consoles it is some place inside.
The pressure sensor is usually on the console mainboard (PCB, printed circuit board).

There can also only be ONE T&HP sensor per console which is displayed as indoor temperatur/humidity.
Either inbuilt or as WN32P/WH32B.

Therefore, also for the indoor T/RH/P sensors the sensor hierarchy applies when there is an option to choose between inbuilt and external T&HP sensor available:
WH32B/WN32P <<< inbuilt sensors

3. extra temperature and humidity sensors

For all consoles, except for the WS2320, WS2910 and WH28x0 consoles, there can be up to eight (8) extra temperature/humidity sensors registered to one console. With the WS2910 they can be registered but not shown on the display, however visible on the ecowitt.net dashboard.
The extra T/RH ensor form the WH31 family of sensors: WH31[-EP], WN30 and WN36, the last two possessing only a temperature and no humidity sensor. These sensors are displayed as extra T/RH sensors and can be used everywhere - indoors or outdoors. The channel number of the WH31 family is determined by inbuilt DIP switches. All three models share the eight availale channels.
There is an exception for the WH28x0 console.


As for the WH31 there is also a high precision version WH31-EP (Extra Precision).
It's only sold by Ecowitt. Not by any reseller company (so far).

4. user temperature sensors

The user temperature sensors form the WN34 family: WN34S (soil), WN34L (liquid) and WH34D (extreme temperature range with a probe at the end of a specially protected cable). They measure only temperature and no humidity. Eight sensors of the WN34 type can be registered per console. The channel number is either automatically determined by the console or the user registers each sensor with its specific sensor ID to a dedicated channel.

5. other temperature and humidity sensors

The WH45/WH46/WH46D 5-in-1/7-in-1 indoor Air Quality Combo sensor also comes with a T/RH sensor, but its data will be shown separately and not as the official indoor values.

The only consoles on which the WH45/46/46D T/RH sensor readings will be displayed are the HP25x0 and HP350x consoles. The WH46D (D=Display) comes with a display on the top - it can even be used independently from a console.
The values are also visible in the WS View Plus app or WebUI (when the console has the local Ecowitt network API), in the Ecowitt app and on the ecowitt.net dashboard.

below the WH45 example in the WS View Plus app.

that would not be a wise thing to do. The mesh is functional !
So, do not remove it !
The aluminium mesh is a surface tension conditioner layer - a patented cover that prevents the formation of water drops that interfere with wind measurements.

the post string of a GW2000 with rain and piezo, 7 WH31, 6 WH51, 2 WN34, 2 WH41, 1 WH55, 1 WN35, 1 WH45 and 1 WH57 has a size of about 2 kBytes (exactly 1,954 bytes) =⇒ 2 x 60 x 24 x 31 = 89,280 kbytes (~ 87 MB) - add about 30 bytes per additional sensor per post.

With the maximum number of sensors connected and a post every minute, a data usage of about 130 MBytes would be generated.

No. Not possible. For deletion you have to wait for the data to disappear due to the retention policy (see Ecowitt.net Dashboard).

If you have deleted your history on ecowitt.net by mistake, contact support@ecowitt.com
if you don't wait too long, the may be able to restore your data

If you want to use the inbuilt heater in a WS80/WS90 sensor array to have proper readings at temperature below 0° C / 32° F, you have to connect an external power supply. A cable for the DC power supply hangs out from the array. 10 and 20 m long cables are provided by Ecowitt as accessories. The recommended characteristic are 12 V / 1 A.

Now, often the question arises how to show that the arrays runs on the power supply (PS).

There are several approaches to show that

1. put the array in a freezer for some time with the exernal power supply connected and plugged into the mains
2. check the capacitor voltage over night - if it doesn't drop, it's an indication for an active external power supply
   (it's a 95% solution as exceptions exist - see also footnote* )
3. deplete/discharge the capacitor completely and remove batteries (LED goes off), then connect the PS and see if the array starts up
4. have the WS80/WS90 run for 24 hours with and for 24 hours without external power supply and compare voltage graphs
5. indirectly, you can use a AC1100 or another power consumption meter (e.g. a ShellyPlus© plug) and see if power is consumed

How come that with some WS90/WS80 array the capacitor voltage drops over night and with some not when an external power supply is connected ?

see pictures below which show the electrical power flow inside the WS90:

Due to the difference in each LDO output, if the output of 1 is greater than the output of 2, the voltage of the capacitor will not drop. (LDO = low-dropout) Conversely, if the output of 2 is greater than the output of 1, the voltage of the capacitor will drop.
However, neither of these two situations will cause the battery power to drop.

*) (status September 2024) as per Ecowitt engineering, future WS90 hardware will be designed such that no power from the super-cap will be used when external power supply is connected ⇒ the constant super-cap voltage shown in app or dashboard also during nightime will be an indictor for the WS90 running on external power

Ambient Weather Network (AWN) offers the option to forward your AWN data to Wunderground.

If you are not happy with the performance or for ther reasons want to have your console post directly to Wunderground, you can use the Customized Server option in your console
WS-2000/4000/5000: Setup –> Weather Server [Setup] –> Customized [Setup]
WS-1965, ObserverIP2, AWN Hub 2.0 (ObserverIP3): WebUI [http://IP-address-of-console-or-gateway], –> Weather Networks –> Customized)

and enter the data you find here: often used custom server addresses

works only with a Linux server (RaspberryPi, NAS server, Linux PC etc. for consoles/gateways with the local http API

a skilled windows user should be able to transform the Linux script into a Windows batch script (Windows console or PowerShell Script) - once available, it will be added here

courtesy wxforum.net user @olicat

Backup&restore of calibration settings for consoles supporting the http/JSON-API

Since there were once again problems with calibration settings being overwritten/lost during the last firmware update, here is a solution that might make things a little easier. Apart from the usual shell tools, it does not require any other prerequisites. It is not necessary to install FOSHKplugin. It's certainly not for the general user - but it also shows a few possibilities that may inspire you to develop your own.

The http/JSON API introduced with GW1100 and GW2000 is very versatile. Here I have already given a few hints on the possibilities of the interface, which is unfortunately not (yet) very well documented. However, you can not only use it to query real-time data but also to make changes to the settings. The basis is JSON, which is read via http/GET and written via http/POST.

The procedure here for a firmware update is as follows:

  backup the calibration data to a "before" directory
  carry out the firmware update
  backup the calibration data again in an "after" directory
  compare the "before" and "after" directories
  if there are significant differences between "before" and "after", write the data from "before" back to the console

As the files generated are ASCII files, the values they contain can easily be changed using a text editor.

The script FOSHKbackup.sh only runs under Linux as a console application - but it could also be ported to Windows relatively easily:

#!/bin/bash
# script to save all calibration data to files
# parameters are job (backup/restore/compare) and target directory/filename or before/after directories
# compatible with all consoles which support the http/JSON API (GW1100, GW1200, GW2000, WN1980C, WN3xx0
# Phantasoft, Oliver Engel - 27.01.2024, 04.02.2024
# v0.1 initial
# v0.2 additional 2. page for get_sensors_info
#
# define the address of weather station console - the IP address below is an example !
ipaddr=192.168.15.229

# #############################################
# dont change below
allGets=(get_calibration_data get_rain_totals get_sensors_info?page=1 get_sensors_info?page=2 get_piezo_rain get_units_info get_cli_co2 get_cli_multiCh get_cli_pm25 get_cli_soilad get_cli_wh34)

echo
echo Phantasoft FOSHKbackup v0.2
echo
if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
  echo "backup/restore/compare calibration data of FOSHK weather station supporting http/JSON-API"
  echo
  echo "usage:"
  echo
  echo "$0 backup [path]     - path defaults to current directory"
  echo "$0 restore config    - config file is mandatory"
  echo "$0 compare dir1 dir2 - compare all files of dir1 with files in dir2"
else
  job=`echo "$1" | tr a-z A-Z`
  if [ "${job}" == "BACKUP" ]; then
    path=$2
    if [ "$path" != "" ]; then mkdir -p ${path}; fi
    echo "save calibration data for station ${ipaddr}"
    for cmd in ${allGets[@]}; do
      curl -s http://${ipaddr}/${cmd} -o ${path}${cmd}.config
      echo wrote data to ${path}${cmd}.config
    done
  elif [ "${job}" == "RESTORE" ]; then
    file=$2
    if [ "${file}" == "" ]; then
      echo "you have to specify the config file to restore!"
    else
      cmd=${file##*/}
      cmd=`echo ${cmd%.config}|sed "s/get_/set_/g"`
      echo "restoring ${file} as ${cmd}"
      curl -d "@${file}" -X POST http://${ipaddr}/${cmd}
      echo
    fi
  elif [ "${job}" == "COMPARE" ]; then
    before=$2
    after=$3
    if [ "$after" == "" ]; then
      echo "you have to specify the directory to compare!"
    else
      echo "changes between files in ${before} and ${after}:"
      diff --unified=0 -r ${before} ${after}
    fi
  fi
fi
echo

For “installation” (it does not really have to be installed), it is sufficient to insert the lines contained here into a file FOSHKbackup.sh using a text editor and to adjust the IP address under “ipaddr”. The IP address of your own console must of course be entered there. After saving the newly created file, execution permissions must now be assigned to start the script:

chown ug+x FOSHKbackup.sh

Starting the script without parameters displays a help message. Otherwise it can be used immediately with the “correct” parameters.

The above mentioned workflow in commands is then:

  ./FOSHKbackup.sh backup before/
  perform firmware update
  ./FOSHKbackup.sh backup after/
  ./FOSHKbackup.sh compare before/ after/
  ./FOSHKbackup.sh restore before/get_calibration_data.config

Ecowitt console/gateway firmware calculates the UVI value (ultraviolet radiation index) by simply dividing the solar radiation wattage by 100. This is of course not very accurate and needs correction by adding a gain factor to the UVI Gain calibration field. A recommended factor for a 45° - 50° Northern latitude is 0.65

Optimally, you determine your own gain factor yourself. Take the UVI values produced by your console with UV Gain factor 1.0 during a cloudless summer day and compare these values with the UVI values of the nearest meteorological weather station. From there determine the factor by which you have to multiply your UVI value to get their results. That would then be your UV Gain to be entered into the UVI calbration.

1. in most cases there is a little sticker on the sensor with its sensorID printed on - see SensorID location

2. the WH31-family sensors (WH31, WN30, WN36), the WN32 and WN32P, come without a sticker. Some ID but NOT their sensorID is shown for about one second on their inbuilt display when in the batteries are (re-)inserted.
A WN32P/WH32 indoor doesn't show any number at start-up - starts with pressure readings.
A WH32 shows a number different from its sensor ID, it's a sensor type ID (26 for WH26, the WH32 pre-decessor model and the firmware is probably still the same).
The new WN32 models show at startup their sensor ID. That's so far the only sensor which does this.

Here one can only work with an experimental exclusion approach (register the sensor in question in a place out of reception range of the console and note down the ID - are deactivate the other “disturbing” sensors for the time of the detection (remove the battery).

3. the WN34 and WN35 sensors have a sticker inside their battery compartment - when their battery is inserted, only the sensor type is displayed at startup (34, 34d, 35).

4. the WH46D sensor doesn't come with a sticker. It's sensor ID is shown when connecting to the power adapter or after power-cycling.

it is good practice to note down the sensorIDs of your sensors and their place (channel number, sequence). like this you can easily re-install sensors when their channel assignment got lost for some reason. It is particularly useful when you use more than the maximum number of sensors per console and spread them over multiple consoles or want to organize your sensors with different consoles. It can also help to identify “ghost sensors”, sensors from somewhere in your neighbourhood within the reception range of your console (can be up to 500 meters, 1,500 feet), which you do not want to receive and have to exclude.
When your console(s) detect the available sensors anew (reboot, factory reset, other reasons), it is oblivious of what belongs to you and what not. It will simply try to register everything inside its reception range, and what it finds first will be registered if there are more sensors available than places to assign them.

there are three outdoor array, which have an inbuilt temperture/(relative) humidity (T/RH) sensor:

1. the WS69 or WH65 array
2. the WS80 array
3. the WS90 array

for more information about the different arrays click on the array name (green highlighted link)

for different naming of reseller models (e.g. Ambient, Froggit etc.) see model translation table

for 1. and 2. different procedures apply depending on the hardware revision of the array

you can get the replacement sensor from your vendor (e.g. Ambient, Froggit …) or from Ecowitt.
the array sensors provided by Ecowitt work with all brands and do not fall under certain hardware restrictions like with Ambient as the replacement occurs at a place in the chain of information flow before hardware restrictions come into play.

in any case you will have to open the solar shield of the array which sits under the rain bucket.
It is fixed with two long cross-head (Philips) screws. Once it is removed the sensor becomes visible and you can also see which sensor model applies:

new(er): the sensor can rather easily be pulled out
old: the sensor is connected with a longer ribbon cable leading farther up into the array body

for both versions replacement parts are available

WS69 (I-shape) and WH65 (Y-shape) array

note: the shape of the array, I or Y, is irrelevant for the T/RH sensor

older version


newer version
or

the WS69/80/90 arrays manufactured after October 2024 will all come with the salt protection around the T/RH sensor


WS80 array

type 1

ask support@ecowitt.com or support@ambientweather.com for spare parts

type 2

type 2 has a red ring

type 3

type three has a bluish connector

WS90 array

the T/RH sensor is an easily unpluggable sensor

All Ecowitt consoles (with the exception of the WH28x0, HP3000 and single sensor consoles) offer five standard Weather Services as posting targets:

1. Ecowitt Weather Cloud (ecowitt.net)
2. WU (Weather Underground, Wunderground)
3. Weather Cloud
4. WOW (official British Weather Observation Website)
5. a customer chosen site, local or in the internet (Customized Server option)

They can be found on the Weather Services console pages of the console, the WebUI of the console (if it has one) or in the different apps (see Weather Services

for Ambient console owners these options are different (Ambient Weather Network instead of Ecowitt Weather Cloud) or reduced.

the customer has the choice of Ecowitt or Wunderground (WU) protocol with which the data are posted For the Customized server option Ecowitt consoles or Customized server option Ambient consoles follow the links.

Other services like AWEKAS, CWOP, PWS etc. can be provided with your Weather Station data via the Customized server option or by the help of data logger or information broker software like CumulusMX, FOSHKplugin, Meteobridge, Weather Display, weewx etc. where there are preset posting options to the Weather Services available.

link to the description of the avove mentioned 3rd party man-in-the-middle software compatible with the Ecowitt Customized server to forward to not directly reachable weather services

in a nutshell:
those Ambient Weather stations which are manufactured by Fine Offset are a subset of the available FineOffset/Ecowitt stations (console and sensors) with an inbuilt access/display restriction.
(we say those …, because Ambient also offers weather stations produced by manufacturers other than Fine Offset)

in the detail:
even though the firmware as a whole is the same for all Fine Offset manufactured consoles of one type (see brand model translation table), the firmware recognizes an Ambient branded model and then starts being selective and restrictive.
The console firmware of the Ambient consoles checks for a piece information identifying the sensors which transmit signals (and data) as Ambient branded and only these are processed and displayed. Ecowitt “only” sensors of the same type are ignored. The exception is the Ecowitt WN32/WH32 outdoor which will be accepted instead of the Ambient-depreciated WH32E outdoor T/RH sensor.

On the other hand, all Ecowitt consoles will process also Ambient branded sensors and display them (exception is the WH48 8-channel Ambient CO2 sensor which is Ambient only).

Another difference are the cloud options:
Ecowitt consoles can connect and send your weather station data to the Ecowitt Weather Cloud (https://www.ecowitt.net - you need a free account) - and
Ambient consoles can post your weather station data to Ambient Weather network (AWN).

there are different procedures how to upgrade the console/gateway firmware.
Some models have two types of firmware (device / WiFi modem), some have an integrated firmware for both components.
For some consoles the firmware cannot be upgraded (WS2320, WS2910, WH28x0 and and the single sensor consoles)
For reseller (Ambient, froggit, …) console names see translation table

With most models the upgrade goes OTA (over the air, via WLAN) by the help of the WS View Plus app or via the WebUI which the consoles with the newer WiFi modem have. The HP25x0 and HP350x models can also be upgraded via SD card. The HP25x0 models with the newer WiFi modem also OTA from inside the console.

It is good to read through the full description of the firmware upgrade where all this is described in detail.

the firmware of the WH65/WS69/WN67 (WS-2000/WS-1965 ARRAY) arrays cannot not be upgraded.

The WS80, the WS85 and WS90 firmware can be upgraded - details see links

the WS80 firmware can be applied to a WS-5000-ARRAY, the WS0 firmware NOT (!) to a WS-4000-ARRAY (different chipset)
So far (January 2025) Ambient doesn't provide an upgrade procedure for their WS-4000-ARRAY nor a firmware upgrade.

By default your console posts to ecowitt.net (provided you have activated this option) once every minute (that's the default time interval - you can choose between 1 - 5 minutes in the Weather Services options).

The posted values within the last five minutes are accumulated/aggregated and averaged - the result is then archived on the Ecowitt Cloud server. Therefore the values in the graphs, which are drawn from the archived data, can be lower than what is shown in the tiles or on the console display or in the WS View Plus app.
(The Ecowitt app shows the same data as the Ecowitt dashboard).

you simply have to enter the altitude of your barometric sensor.
This is usually the location of your console/gateway or the WN34P/WH32B 3-in-1 T&HP sensor.
(exceptionally this can also be the location of a new WS69 sensor array with inbuilt barometer when used together with a WS6210 console/gateway - see also sensor hierarchy)
altitude = ground elevation plus height

I've upgraded my Ambient/Ecowitt/clone console to the new SLP algorithm (REL via altitude). The readings seem to be matching the airport with pretty good accuracy, but I noticed that the new REL readings are much higher in value compared to my old REL values. Why is that?

Although you did not specify your outside temperature, chances are that the new REL values are higher is because the new algorithm is adding extra pressure to compensate for cooler/cold air at your location. Cold air is heavier/denser, and the algorithm is compensating for the colder temperatures. In summer under warm/hot conditions, the algorithm may actually reduce your REL pressure because warm/hot air is less dense. In this case, the algorithm will reduce pressure to compensate.

There are some things to check for:

1. Double-check the altitude that you entered in for your console. If you used your phone's GPS to measure your altitude, it will likely be incorrect. Use Google Earth or a similar online tool to obtain a more accurate ground level measurement above sea level. Don't forget to add the extra height above ground level of your barometer. Combine the two measurements to get the altitude/station elevation of your barometer.

2. Verify if your ABS is close to being accurate by calculating an Altimeter (setting) value and comparing to your airport's Altimeter value.

Note. Anytime you are calibrating pressure values, you must be certain that both you and the airport are in the same pressure system. You can confirm this by checking METAR reports from close-by airport(s). You can use windy.com to get airport METAR info and check near term isobar forecasts to help confirm you are in the same pressure system. Keep in mind that windy.com only shows pressure forecasts from several atmospheric models. These isobars are not actual pressure values - they are forecasts. Do not enter them in your consoles. Use them as a guide only!

In the old firmware (fixed offset system) you could set your REL to estimate Altimeter (setting) or, possibly, SLP (for low elevations). However, there were major accuracy issues with under-reporting SLP pressures in winter. Much better results were obtained by setting our weather station's REL to the airport's Altimeter (setting). This enabled us to calibrate our barometer with better precision, but there were still issues with Altimeter accuracy “drift” at high or low pressures.

The new firmware barometer algorithm calculates SLP only. If necessary, you can still use the official NWS Altimeter (setting) online calculator https://www.weather.gov/epz/wxcalc_altimetersetting to get one-off Altimeter readings.

Since most electronic barometers drift continuously, they require occasional re-adjustment to restore their accuracy. Therefore, calibration or at least checking for accuracy at least once a year is recommended.

IMPORTANT: Do not assume that your new weather station barometer is calibrated at the factory.
Fine Offset (the manufacturer) states:
“This kind of correction [ABS correction] is entirely normal as during manufacturing small shifts in the pressure sensor readings can be introduced.” Ecowitt described a calibration correction of 3.8 hPa as a “normal” correction!

The Custom Server or Customized Server is an often read or found expression in the context of Ecowitt consoles/gateways and is can be confusing for some poeple.
Exactly speaking it is the Customized Server functionality of the Ecowitt consoles.

It is not a server i.e. computer of some kind that is customized by a user - even though such things do also exist. If you rent a server, physical or virtual, from an internet web hosting provider and have administrator or root rights on this server i.e. you can customize it at your convenience. But that's not what we are talking about here.

Ecowitt consoles can send their data to preconfigured Weather Services like the Ecowitt Weather Cloud (ecowitt.net), Wunderground (Weather Underground, WU), WeatherCloud and the British Government Meteorological Website (Weather Observation Website, WOW). And there is also the possibility to freely select one target server per console (local or in the internet) where you want to have the console post its data to. This target you can customize i.e. provide the server FQDN (fully qualified domain name ) or IP address, the path or data location on that server, the port where the data can be received on that server and the interval in which the console posts. You can also choose the format (protocol) in which the posting will take place. Choices are Wunderground protocol or Ecowitt protocol - or, with Ambient consoles, Wunderground protocolor Ambient protocol.

That's the customized server in the Ecowitt or Fine Offset (clone) context including Ambient.

more detailed information can be found in the respective WiKi chapters.