I've been using my trusty heatermeter 4.0 for years. i tend toward the 20 hour brisket, so the ability to set up the smoke the night before and sleep uninterrupted has been a lifesaver. I have always been anxious about a freak thunderstorm damaging my tech... well last weekend i neglected to check the weather before setting up and going to bed. It spent several hours in the pouring rain before a thunderclap woke me up so i could frantically power down and muscle the whole barrel smoker and controls under the front porch amidst the downpour.
Amazingly, it never stopped working. It even continued to report its data to the web interface through the event, never losing its connection. That is one tough soldier.
The upshot is that the device still works (yay!) but the LCD and 4-direction switch do not appear to be working (boo). It can be controlled and configured through the web interface and basically works like it always did, just no local controls or display.
i have disassembled, dried completely, and inspected the boards for damage. The raspberry pi is clean but the HM board has several terminals that show cloudy patches indicating voltage discharge between those terminals. I've cleaned these areas with isopropyl alcohol but there is no change. I suspect the shift register is damaged, which would explain the LCD being powered but not functional (I tried adjusting the contrast pot). As for the 4-direction switch i have no idea. Internal corrosion due to moisture and stray voltage?
Any ideas? Time to upgrade to 4.2?
Bonus question: How do you guys protect your Heatermeter from the weather?
Amazingly, it never stopped working. It even continued to report its data to the web interface through the event, never losing its connection. That is one tough soldier.
The upshot is that the device still works (yay!) but the LCD and 4-direction switch do not appear to be working (boo). It can be controlled and configured through the web interface and basically works like it always did, just no local controls or display.
i have disassembled, dried completely, and inspected the boards for damage. The raspberry pi is clean but the HM board has several terminals that show cloudy patches indicating voltage discharge between those terminals. I've cleaned these areas with isopropyl alcohol but there is no change. I suspect the shift register is damaged, which would explain the LCD being powered but not functional (I tried adjusting the contrast pot). As for the 4-direction switch i have no idea. Internal corrosion due to moisture and stray voltage?
Any ideas? Time to upgrade to 4.2?
Bonus question: How do you guys protect your Heatermeter from the weather?