Ambient Weather WS-0800-IP ObserverBase User manual

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Ambient Weather WS-0800-IP ObserverBase Wireless
Internet Remote Monitoring Weather Station User Manual
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
2. Quick Start Guide............................................................................................................................2
3. Getting Started ................................................................................................................................2
3.1 Parts List.................................................................................................................................2
3.2 Recommend Tools..................................................................................................................3
3.3 Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer Sensor Set Up.........................................................................3
3.4 Mounting the Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer Sensor..............................................................4
3.5 Indoor Thermo-Hygrometer-Barometer Transmitter..............................................................5
3.5 Best Practices for Wireless Communication.................................................................................6
3.6 ObserverIP Receiver...............................................................................................................6
3.6.1 Hardware Requirements.....................................................................................................6
3.6.2 Software Requirements......................................................................................................7
3.6.3 ObserverIP Connections.....................................................................................................7
3.7 Finding the ObserverIP from your computer..........................................................................8
3.7.1 PC Users.............................................................................................................................8
3.7.2 Mac Users ..........................................................................................................................9
5.7.3 Linux Users..........................................................................................................................10
3.7.3 Local Device Network Settings........................................................................................ 11
3.8 Weather Network Settings....................................................................................................12
3.9 Viewing your Data on Wunderground.com..........................................................................14
3.9.1 Web Browser....................................................................................................................14
3.9.2 WunderStation iPad App..................................................................................................15
3.9.3 Mobile Apps.....................................................................................................................16
3.9.4 Station Settings.................................................................................................................17
3.9.5 Live Data..........................................................................................................................18
3.9.6 Calibration........................................................................................................................19
4. Updating Firmware .......................................................................................................................21
5. Glossary of Terms.........................................................................................................................23
6. Specifications................................................................................................................................24
6.1 Wireless Specifications ........................................................................................................24
6.2 Measurement Specifications.................................................................................................24
6.3 Power Consumption.............................................................................................................24
7. Troubleshooting Guide..................................................................................................................25
8. Liability Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................26
9. FCC Statement..............................................................................................................................27
10. Warranty Information ...............................................................................................................27
1. Introduction
Thank you for your purchase of the Ambient Weather WS-0800-IP ObserverBase Wireless Internet
Remote Monitoring Weather Station. The following user guide provides step by step instructions for
installation, operation and troubleshooting. To download the latest manual, firmware upgrades and IP

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Finder Tools, visit: http://www.ambientweather.com/observerip.html
2. Quick Start Guide
Although the manual is comprehensive, much of the information contained may be intuitive. In
addition, the manual does not flow properly because the sections are organized by components.
The following Quick Start Guide provides only the necessary steps to install, operate the weather
station, and upload to the internet, along with references to the pertinent sections.
Required
Step
Description
Section
1
Power up the outdoor thermo-hygrometer sensor
3.3
2
Power up the indoor thermometer-hygrometer-barometer sensor
3.4
3
Power up the ObserverIP, connect to your router and synchronize with the
indoor and outdoor sensors
3.6
4
Calibrate the relative pressure to sea-level conditions (local airport) on the
ObserverIP module
3.9.6
5
Register and upload to Weather Server
3.8
3. Getting Started
The WS-1000-WiFi weather station consists of a ObserverIP receiver, an outdoor thermos-hygrometer
sensor, and wireless thermo-hygrometer-barometer.
3.1 Parts List
QTY
Item
Image
1
ObserverIP Receiver
Dimensions (LxWxH): 3x2x1”
1
Indoor thermo-hygrometer-barometer
transmitter (WH32B)
Dimensions (LxWxH): 4.8” x 1.6” x 0.7”
(122 x 42 x 18 mm)

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QTY
Item
Image
1
Outdoor thermo-hygrometer transmitter
(WH32E)
Dimensions (LxWxH): 4.8” x 1.6” x 0.7”
(122 x 42 x 18 mm)
1
Sensor screw (for hanging sensor)
1
Zip Tie (for hanging sensor)
1
5V DC Adaptor
1
Ethernet Cable
1
User manual
3.2 Recommend Tools
Precision screwdriver (for small Phillips screw on battery cover door and mounting bracket)
Drill for mounting bracket
3.3 Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer Sensor Set Up
Note: To avoid permanent damage, please take note of the battery polarity before inserting the
batteries.
The outdoor thermometer-hygrometer measures and displays the outdoor temperature and humidity to
the ObserverIP receiver.

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Remove the battery door on the back of the sensor by sliding off the battery door. Insert two AA
batteries as shown in Figure 1, and close the battery door. Note that the temperature and humidity
will be displayed on the LCD display.
We recommend lithium batteries for cold weather climates, but alkaline batteries are sufficient for
most climates. We do not recommend rechargeable batteries. They have lower voltages, do not operate
well at wide temperature ranges, and do not last as long, resulting in poorer reception.
Figure 1
3.4 Mounting the Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer Sensor
It is recommended you mount the remote sensor on a north facing wall, in a shaded area, at a height at
or above the receiver. Direct sunlight and radiant heat sources will result in inaccurate temperature
readings. Although the sensor is weatherproof, it is best to mount in a well protected area, such as an
eve.
Use a small nail or screw (included) to mount to a vertical surface, as shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 2
The sensor can also be hung from a nylon zip tie (included) or string (not included).
Figure 3
3.5 Indoor Thermo-Hygrometer-Barometer Transmitter
The indoor thermometer, hygrometer and barometer measures and displays the indoor temperature,
humidity and pressure and transmits this data to the ObserverIP receiver.

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Note: Do not install the thermo-hygrometer-barometer transmitter outside. This will cause errors
in the barometric pressure due to large variations in temperature (barometric pressure is temperature
compensated for accuracy). Note that pressure readings made inside your home, business, or facility
will correspond closely to the actual barometric pressure outside.
Note: The thermo-hygrometer-transmitter transmits directly to the ObserverIP receiver. For best
results, place between 5 to 20 feet from the ObserverIP receiver.
Note: To avoid permanent damage, please take note of the battery polarity before inserting the
batteries.
Remove the battery door on the back of the sensor by sliding off the battery door. Insert two AA
batteries as shown in Figure 1, and close the battery door. Note that the temperature, humidity and
barometer will be displayed on the LCD display.
3.5 Best Practices for Wireless Communication
Note: To insure proper communication, mount the remote sensor(s) upright on a vertical surface,
such as a wall. Do not lay the sensor flat.
Wireless communication is susceptible to interference, distance, walls and metal barriers. We
recommend the following best practices for trouble free wireless communication.
1. Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). Keep the ObserverIP receiver several feet away from
computer monitors and TVs.
2. Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). If you have other 915 MHz devices and
communication is intermittent, try turning off these other devices for troubleshooting
purposes. You may need to relocate the transmitters or receivers to avoid intermittent
communication.
3. Line of Sight Rating. This device is rated at 300 feet line of sight (no interference, barriers or
walls) but typically you will get 100 feet maximum under most real-world installations,
which include passing through barriers or walls.
4. Metal Barriers. Radio frequency will not pass through metal barriers such as aluminum
siding. If you have metal siding, align the remote and ObserverIP receiver through a window
to get a clear line of sight.
The following is a table of reception loss vs. the transmission medium. Each “wall” or obstruction
decreases the transmission range by the factor shown below.
Medium
RF Signal Strength Reduction
Glass (untreated)
5-15%
Plastics
10-15%
Wood
10-40%
Brick
10-40%
Concrete
40-80%
Metal
90-100%
3.6 ObserverIP Receiver
3.6.1 Hardware Requirements
1. Broadband router

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2. An “always-on” connection to the Internet. A high speed DSL or cable internet connection
that maintains constant connection to the internet.
3.6.2 Software Requirements
An IP scan tool is required to locate the ObserverIP on the network.
Important Note: Download ObserverIP tools at the following location:
www.AmbientWeather.com/observerip.html
3.6.3 ObserverIP Connections
Connect the ObserverIP receiver power jack to AC power with the power adapter (included), as shown
in Figure 5, reference 10.
Connect the OberverIP receiver to your router using the Ethernet cable (included), as shown in Figure
5, reference 8.
Place the indoor and outdoor transmitters about 5 to 10 feet from the ObserverIP receiver and wait
several minutes for the remote sensors to synchronize with the receiver. Once synchronized, the
Indoor blue LED (Figure 4, reference 2) and Outdoor blue LED (Figure 4, reference 3) will be
illuminated.
Ref.
LED
Description
1
RF
On when radio frequency receiver is operating properly
2
Indoor
On when indoor sensor received
3
Outdoor
On when outdoor sensor received
4
Server
On when connected to Wunderground.com® internet hosting
service
5
ACT
Flashes when there is internet activity
6
Link
Connected to the Internet (or router)
7
Power
AC Power connected

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Figure 4
Ref.
Description
8
LAN connection (connect to router)
9
Reset button
10
AC Power connection
Figure 5
3.7 Finding the ObserverIP from your computer
3.7.1 PC Users
To find the ObserverIP receiver, launch the IP Tools application downloaded here:
www.AmbientWeather.com/observerip.html
The HostIP (your computers IP address) will be displayed. Press the OK button to continue.
Figure 6
Select the Search button to find the ObserverIP on your local area network.

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Figure 7
Select the ObseverIP module on your network as shown in Figure 8 (the field will be highlighted)
and select the Open button (or double click this field) to view the ObserverIP module’s webpage
within your browser. Alternately, you can type the IP address in your web browser address bar
(example, Figure 9):
Figure 8
Figure 9
You are now communicating directly to the ObserverIP and can proceed to Section 3.7.
3.7.2 Mac Users
To find the ObserverIP receiver, launch the IP Tools application downloaded here:
www.AmbientWeather.com/observerip.html
The file is compressed as a zip file and must be extracted to run.

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Select the Search button to find the ObserverIP on your local area network.
Figure 10
Select the ObseverIP module on your network as shown in Figure 10 (the field will be highlighted)
and select the Open button (or double click this field) to view the ObserverIP module’s webpage
within your browser. Alternately, you can type the IP address in your web browser address bar
(example, Figure 9):
Figure 11
You are now communicating directly to the ObserverIP and can proceed to Section 3.7.
5.7.3 Linux Users
If you use anApple or Linux operating system, download any commercially available IP scan tool,
such asAngryIP Scanner and find the MAC address of the ObserverIP. The MAC address is a unique
identifier for internet enabled devices.
The MAC address will be printed on the bottom of the ObseverIP receiver. An example MAC address
is 00:0E:C6:00:00:19.
We have included links to free IP Scan Tool applications here:
www.AmbientWeather.com/observerip.html

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Figure 12 shows typical scan results. Locate the IP address of the ObserverIP by cross referencing the
Mac address. In the example below, the IP address is 192.168.0.105.
Figure 12
Type the IP address you located from the IP Scan Tool into your web browser (example, Figure 13):
Figure 13
You are now communicating directly to the ObserverIP and can proceed to Section 3.7.
3.7.3 Local Device Network Settings
From your web browser, access the ObserverIP from the IP address obtained in the previous section.
Select the Local Network tab to program the local network settings. Reference Figure 14:
1. IP Address. The default setting is receive automatically (DCHP), which is recommended.
The network will assign an IP address. To statically assign an IP address, select Static from
the pull down menu. This will prevent the IP address from changing each time you power up
the ObserverIP receiver.
2. Static IP Address. If Static is selected as the IP address, enter the IP address you wish to
access the ObserverIP device.
3. Static Subnet Mask. Default is 255.255.255.0. This should not be changed unless you are
familiar with networking and subnet masking.
4. Static Default Gateway. This is typically the IP address of your router.
5. Static DNS Server. This is your DNS Server setting based on your router connection.
6. Server Listening Port. Default is 5000. Enter an integer between 1024 –65535.
If you made any Static IP Address changes (not recommended), to confirm these changes, select
Apply and Reboot.
Note: If you incorrectly set the static IP settings and can no longer access the ObserverIP, press the
reset button on the back of the module.

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Figure 14
3.8 Weather Network Settings
Select the Weather Network tab to program the Weather Underground station settings. Reference
Figure 15:
Figure 15
Enter the Station ID and password obtained from Wunderground.com®. Select the Apply button to
confirm changes.
Note: How to create a Wunderground.com® account and station ID.
1. Visit Wunderground.com, click on the person icon and create a free account.
2. Select the Basic –Free account. A paid account is not required.

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Figure 16
3. Select More | Register Your PWS.
4. Click Send Validation Email. Respond to the validation email from Wunderground (it may
take a few minutes).
Figure 17
5. Select More | Register Your PWS again and enter all of the information requested.
Figure 18
6. Once registered, you receive a station ID and password. Make a note of this. You will need to
enter it into your weather station (Figure 19 is an example, and your station ID and password

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will be different.
Figure 19
Note: Your station ID will have the form: KSSCCCC###, where K is for USA station (I for
international), SS is your state, CCCC is your city and ### is the station number in that city.
In the example above, KAZPHOEN424 is in the USA (K), State of Arizona (AZ), City of Phoenix
(PHOEN) and #424.
3.9 Viewing your Data on Wunderground.com
There are several ways to view your data on Wunderground:
3.9.1 Web Browser
Visit:
http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=STATIONID
where STATIONID is your personal station ID (example, KAZSEDON12).

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Figure 20
3.9.2 WunderStation iPad App
Visit:
http://www.WunderStation.com
to download the WunderStation iPad app.

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Figure 21
3.9.3 Mobile Apps
Visit:
http://www.wunderground.com/download/index.asp
for a complete list of Mobile apps for iOS and Android. Alternately, you can find your data on your
mobile device’s web browser.

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Figure 22
3.9.4 Station Settings
Select Apply to confirm any of the changes in this section.
3.9.4.1 Wireless Transmitter Settings
Weather Station Model Number: Enter our weather station model number.
3.9.4.2 Time Zone Setting
Enter your local time zone and daylight Savings Time.
3.9.4.3 Daylight Savings Time
Enter off if you live in Hawaii or Arizona, where DST is not observed. Enter on if you live anywhere
else, even if you are currently observing standard time.
3.9.4.4 Units of Measure
Enter your preferred units of measure for each parameter.

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Figure 23
3.9.5 Live Data
Select the Live Data tab to view your live data from the weather station. To freeze the live data
updates, select the Stop Refresh button.
Figure 24

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3.9.6 Calibration
Select the Calibration tab to view your calibration data from the weather station. Select the Apply
button to confirm changes.
Calibration of most parameters is not required, with the exception of Relative Pressure, which must be
calibrated to sea-level to account for altitude effects. For more information on sea-level pressure
calibration, please reference note (3) below.
3.9.6.1 Relative Barometric Pressure Calibration Example
The following is an example of calibrating the relative pressure. Your results will vary.
1. The local relative pressure from TV, the newspaper or the internet for the official station in
your area is 30.12 inHg.
2. From the Live Data panel, your absolute pressure (measured, and not corrected to sea-level)
reads 28.90 inHg.
3. Reference Figure 25. Enter the following offset in the Calibration panel for Relative
Pressure Offset:
Relative Pressure Offset = 30.12 –28.90 = 1.22
Figure 25

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Parameter
Type of
Calibration
Default
Typical Calibration Source
Temperature
Offset
Current Value
Red Spirit or Mercury
Thermometer (1)
Humidity
Offset
Current Value
Sling Psychrometer (2)
ABS
Barometer
Offset
Current Value
Calibrated laboratory grade
barometer
REL Barometer
Offset
Current Value
Local airport (3)
(1) Temperature errors can occur when a sensor is placed too close to a heat source (such as a
building structure, the ground or trees).
To calibrate temperature, we recommend a mercury or red spirit (fluid) thermometer. Bi-metal
(dial) and digital thermometers (from other weather stations) are not a good source and have
their own margin of error. Using a local weather station in your area is also a poor source due
to changes in location, timing (airport weather stations are only updated once per hour) and
possible calibration errors (many official weather stations are not properly installed and
calibrated).
Place the sensor in a shaded, controlled environment next to the fluid thermometer, and allow
the sensor to stabilize for 48 hours. Compare this temperature to the fluid thermometer and
adjust the ObserverIP receiver to match the fluid thermometer.
(2) Humidity is a difficult parameter to measure electronically and drifts over time due to
contamination. In addition, location has an adverse affect on humidity readings (installation
over dirt vs. lawn for example).
Official stations recalibrate or replace humidity sensors on a yearly basis. Due to
manufacturing tolerances, the humidity is accurate to ± 5%. To improve this accuracy, the
indoor and outdoor humidity can be calibrated using an accurate source, such as a sling
psychrometer.
(3) The ObserverIP receiver displays two different pressures: absolute (measured) and relative
(corrected to sea-level).
To compare pressure conditions from one location to another, meteorologists correct pressure
to sea-level conditions. Because the air pressure decreases as you rise in altitude, the sea-level
corrected pressure (the pressure your location would be at if located at sea-level) is generally
higher than your measured pressure.
Thus, your absolute pressure may read 28.62 inHg (969 mb) at an altitude of 1000 feet (305
m), but the relative pressure is 30.00 inHg (1016 mb).
The standard sea-level pressure is 29.92 in Hg (1013 mb). This is the average sea-level
pressure around the world. Relative pressure measurements greater than 29.92 inHg (1013
mb) are considered high pressure and relative pressure measurements less than 29.92 inHg are
considered low pressure.
To determine the relative pressure for your location, locate an official reporting station near
you (the internet is the best source for real time barometer conditions, such as Weather.com or
Wunderground.com®), and set your weather station to match the official reporting station.