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<p>My experience with the SDR so far, in XTension, has not been
great. I'm have a lot of trouble reliably getting data, especially
the Acurite rain gauge data. I'm thinking this is NOT a radio
problem, or even a data stream parsing problem, but something
between the parsing of the data and the unit updates. I'm working
with the instrument and the receiver in the same room. (Of
course, I only resorted to that when it didn't work from outside.)<br>
</p>
<p>The reason for my suspicions is that all the data I want can be
viewed in debug mode, but I don't (always) get the corresponding
unit updates in the log.</p>
<p>For example, here I am starting the plug-in, just so you can see
I've configured it correctly, and what version I'm running. This
is the recommended RTL-SDR version 3:<br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p> <font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz:
plugin starting in debug mode</font><br>
<font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz: in
add command handler with command close<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz: Software Defined Radio
(rtl_433) plugin v0.4 Ready<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz: Final Command:
(/Users/jlomicka/Xtension/XTension.app/Contents/Resources/Plugins/rtl433.isf/rtl_433
-f 433.920Mhz -F json -M level -M time:none -d :00000002)<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz: rtl_433 version 20.11
(2020-11-13) inputs file rtl_tcp RTL-SDR SoapySDR with TLS<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:21 PM SDR 433Mhz: Registered 153 out of 183
device decoding protocols [ 1-4 8 11-12 15-17 19-21 23 25-26
29-36 38-60 63 67-71 73-100 102-105 108-116 119 121 124-128
130-149 151-161 163-168 170-175 177-183 ]<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:22 PM SDR 433Mhz: Found Rafael Micro R820T
tuner<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:22 PM SDR 433Mhz: Exact sample rate is:
250000.000414 Hz<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:22 PM SDR 433Mhz: Sample rate set to 250000
S/s.<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:22 PM SDR 433Mhz: Tuner gain set to Auto.<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:22 PM SDR 433Mhz: Tuned to 433.920MHz.<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:23 PM SDR 433Mhz: baseband_demod_FM: low
pass filter for 250000 Hz at cutoff 25000 Hz, 40.0 us</font></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Shortly after startup we get two readings for a THG122N that did
NOT get followed by an update to the corresponding unit<br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 4:54:25 PM SDR 433Mhz:
json({"brand": "OS", "model": "Oregon-THGR122N", "id": 201,
"channel": 1, "battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 29.8,
"humidity": 13, "mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.915, "rssi":
-10.818, "snr": 14.794, "noise": -25.612})<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:25 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"brand": "OS",
"model": "Oregon-THGR122N", "id": 201, "channel": 1,
"battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 29.8, "humidity": 13, "mod":
"ASK", "freq": 433.915, "rssi": -10.818, "snr": 14.794,
"noise": -25.612})</font><br>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But a short time later (skipping ahead a bit in the log), we get
values from an identical device with a different ID, and these
worked:<br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:29 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"brand": "OS",
"model": "Oregon-THGR122N", "id": 122, "channel": 2,
"battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 27.2, "humidity": 47, "mod":
"ASK", "freq": 433.926, "rssi": -1.691, "snr": 24.771,
"noise": -26.462})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:29 PM Received value for Cricket's Office
Temperature of 80.96<br>
<font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:29 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"brand": "OS",
"model": "Oregon-THGR122N", "id": 122, "channel": 2,
"battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 27.2, "humidity": 47, "mod":
"ASK", "freq": 433.925, "rssi": -1.612, "snr": 26.915,
"noise": -28.527})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:29 PM Received value for Cricket's Office
Temperature of 80.96</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My biggest problem, however, is that I've failed to reliably
replace the rain sensor, because these messages are fairly
consistently ignored:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0, "battery_ok": 0,
"rain_mm": 0.254, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq":
433.942, "rssi": -0.102, "snr": 25.81, "noise": -25.912})<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0, "battery_ok": 0,
"rain_mm": 0.254, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq":
433.942, "rssi": -0.102, "snr": 25.81, "noise": -25.912})<br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0, "battery_ok": 0,
"rain_mm": 0.254, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq":
433.942, "rssi": -0.102, "snr": 25.81, "noise": -25.912})</font></p>
</blockquote>
<p>That is, until certain values are reached. Some values get
through. After flipping the sea saw (changing nothing else), it's
now working:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 5:09:26 PM SDR 433Mhz:
json({"model": "Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0,
"battery_ok": 0, "rain_mm": 0.762, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod":
"ASK", "freq": 433.939, "rssi": -0.115, "snr": 24.869,
"noise": -24.984})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:26 PM Received value for Rainfall
Accumulation of 0.03<br>
<font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0, "battery_ok": 0,
"rain_mm": 0.762, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq":
433.939, "rssi": -0.115, "snr": 24.869, "noise": -24.984})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:26 PM Received value for Rainfall
Accumulation of 0.03<br>
<font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:27 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Rain899", "id": 291, "channel": 0, "battery_ok": 0,
"rain_mm": 0.762, "mic": "CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq":
433.939, "rssi": -0.115, "snr": 24.869, "noise": -24.984})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:27 PM Received value for Rainfall
Accumulation of 0.03</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I haven't discerned the pattern yet, but definitely some values
work okay, and some values don't, and it seems to depend on the
unit value, in this case 0.254 versus 0.762.</p>
<p>I'm observing the same behavior on other units, such as the
temperature sensor that came with the device. It usually works,
as shown here:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz:
json({"model": "Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A",
"battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 30.3, "humidity": 51, "mic":
"CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -1.293,
"snr": 25.938, "noise": -27.231})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM Received value for Kitchen Deck
Temperature of 86.54<br>
<font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A", "battery_ok": 1,
"temperature_C": 30.3, "humidity": 51, "mic": "CHECKSUM",
"mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -1.293, "snr": 25.938,
"noise": -27.231})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM Received value for Kitchen Deck
Temperature of 86.54<br>
<font color="#0000ff">
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A", "battery_ok": 1,
"temperature_C": 30.3, "humidity": 51, "mic": "CHECKSUM",
"mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -1.293, "snr": 25.938,
"noise": -27.231})</font><br>
Jul 11, 2023 4:54:26 PM Received value for Kitchen Deck
Temperature of 86.54</p>
</blockquote>
<p>but a few minutes later (when I went back to flip the sea saw on
the rain sensor), it stopped recording temperatures from the
temperature sensor:<br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p><font color="#0000ff">Jul 11, 2023 5:09:20 PM SDR 433Mhz:
json({"model": "Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A",
"battery_ok": 1, "temperature_C": 30.0, "humidity": 50, "mic":
"CHECKSUM", "mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -5.183,
"snr": 22.489, "noise": -27.673})<br>
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:20 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A", "battery_ok": 1,
"temperature_C": 30.0, "humidity": 50, "mic": "CHECKSUM",
"mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -5.183, "snr": 22.489,
"noise": -27.673})<br>
Jul 11, 2023 5:09:20 PM SDR 433Mhz: json({"model":
"Acurite-Tower", "id": 8359, "channel": "A", "battery_ok": 1,
"temperature_C": 30.0, "humidity": 50, "mic": "CHECKSUM",
"mod": "ASK", "freq": 433.945, "rssi": -5.183, "snr": 22.489,
"noise": -27.673})<br>
</font></p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, bottom line, I think it's broken, but in a way that wouldn't
be immediately obvious.<br>
</p>
<p> - Jeff</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p></p>
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