DataHog FAQs
1. Does the logger make a regular (every 10 seconds) beep noise when the RS232 cable is connected to the RS232 socket?
a) Yes – The logger itself is functioning, continue to question 2 to check the PC connection.
b) No – Press the ‘Reset’ button inside the logger, beside the batteries and try again.
c) Still no – Change the logger batteries, press the ‘PSU Reset’ button beside the batteries and try again. Tried this? Carry on to question 2.
2. Can you link the logger to the PC as normal? Using SkyeLynxComms with the ‘Advanced Interface’ selected, can you see the “ANY NUMERIC KEY TO WAKE UP” message appearing every 10 seconds?
a) Yes – Continue to question 3.
b) No – Try the following;
- Check you have chosen the right Comm Port in the PC software. To do this, check the COM ports in Device Manager on your PC.
- Check the USB to Serial Converter driver is up to date.
- Press the Escape (Esc) key 3 times to try to return the logger to Main Menu Mode.
- Try a different PC.
- Try a second datalead and USB to Serial Converter.
If you can wake up the logger to see Main Menu then the logger is now working correctly and you can proceed with your connection.
If you still have connection issues, please contact us for further support and we will do our best to get your DataLogger working again.
A: Instructions on how to complete this are available as a datasheet on our Technical Datasheets page.
A: Assuming the logger is working correctly and communicates with your PC as normal, there could be several causes:
1. Did you remember to press the Escape (Esc) key on the PC to “RETURN TO LOG MODE” last time you downloaded the logger? If not, then the logger will stay “awake” in Main Menu Mode and will not record any new data. Please Note: The logger uses 10 times as much power in Main Menu mode than in Log Mode, and could use up the internal batteries in just a day or so.
2. Is the memory full? If you are using the option to stop logging when the memory gets full, this could be the reason you have no new data. To check this, go to Main Menu Option 1, sub menu Option 5. Both the free memory and full memory capacity is shown. If both figures are 121020 then the memory is full. You will need to download the data and clear the memory to start again. To change the Memory Full options, use Main Menu Option 7.
3. Is the START / STOP logging mode enabled? If this feature is enabled, check the main clock time is correct and check the times set for the start and stop logging function. This is displayed in Main Menu Option 1, sub menu Option 5. To disable this function and to return to Normal or continuous logging, use Main Menu Option 7.
4. Is the Logging Threshold or Log on Non Zero mode enabled? These features are intended to save memory space by not storing unwanted or unnecessary data, such as measurements above or below a set threshold, or data which is zero (e.g. zero rainfall). To disable these features go to Main Menu Option D and choose Normal Logging for each channel.
A: Yes, this is easily done, please see the Raingauge Event Logging datasheet on the Technical Datasheets page.
A: The DataHog2 data is alphanumeric or ASCII space delimited format. It includes time and date for each record, plus the channel number followed by the measurement for that channel. You will need to refer to your logger’s Hardware Configuration Certificate to check which Software Channel Number corresponds with each sensor. If you cannot locate your certificate please email Skye with your logger serial number to request a copy.
Time Date Channel 00 Channel 01 Channel 02
11:30:00 24.01.18 00 004.697 01 00235 02 0986.91
12:00:00 24.01.18 00 004.697 01 00225 02 0987.75
12:30:00 24.01.18 00 004.907 01 00215 02 0988.60
13:00:00 24.01.18 00 004.614 01 00225 02 0989.44
13:30:00 24.01.18 00 004.949 01 00205 02 0989.86
14:00:00 24.01.18 00 004.991 01 00215 02 0989.44
A: Instructions on how to change the time and date can be found on page 21 of the DataHog2 manual.
A: Details regarding how to set sample and log intervals are in the Datahog2 manual on page 23.
A: Please see page 20-21 of the DataHog2 manual for instructions to clear and reset the logger memory.
A: Please see our datasheet on our Technical Datasheets page for instructions on how to turn off unused channels and instructions to turn previously unused channels back on again.
A: We have several datasheets available which can guide you through the process of setting up new channels and updating existing channels on the logger. These can be found on the Technical Datasheets page of our website.
A: Please see the datasheet on our Technical Datasheets page which can guide you through this process.
A: If you are enquiring about a product you have yet to purchase, you may with to take note of the product code you are interested in, these can be found on our Product Datasheets.
If you already own a Skye product, have checked our Technical Datasheets page and still have an issue, please visit the Contact Us page. Please note that it will be helpful for us to have your product serial number; this is a 5 digit number.
If you own a Skye DataHog2 or a SpectroSense2+, it would be highly beneficial if you could complete a Diagnostics File (DataHog2) or an SS2+ Data Offload (SpectroSense2+). Details for these can be found on the Technical Datasheets page of our website.
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