What portion of a Tempest device holds the Firmware Revision update? In other words does the installed Firmware reside on the Bottom PCB (aka WF-BASE02-REVJ) or is in on a PCB under the dome (top cap) portion?
I found some photos of the bottom PCB. Do you have a photo of the top.
The forum software is sufficiently awful that I can’t find any teardown posts with photos. One would be pretty interesting to look through I’d think.
(wild guess if there are multiple boards is one is firmware+power+RF and the other handles the specific sensors in that rev of the unit, but that is a completely 100% wild guess)
In the past. . .I successfully performed a “Dr. Tempest Frankenstein” experiment. (just like Boris Karloff did as a “mad scientist.”) I transplanted a lower PCB from one Tempest into another because the first one had a bad battery charge controller, and the second one had a good charge controller . . .but. . .I wanted the good charge controller in the first Tempest because it was “newer” than the second one. I merely swapped them out…carefully labeling the cables so I’d know which one to plug back in – where. The two Tempests both had the same Firmware Revision so that wasn’t a problem. The experiment proved that both Tempest devices retained their original respective serial numbers. . .and did not mix-match them or “swap” them based on the lower PCB transplant.
I am wondering if I performed another experiment like the one before. . .what would be the outcome? . . . because the two Tempests in the next possible scenario have different Firmware Revisions on them. e.g. The Newest Tempest has the newest FWR = v176 and the Older Tempest has FWR = v165 on it. Would the older Tempest then become automatically FWR = v176 and the newer one become FWR = v165? . . . OR . . .would the FWR`s be retained internally as they were originally?
An orderly test with only one device on will tell you a lot. Shut down devices A + B. Power up A with the second card from B. See if it reports the former A’s serial number and firmware rev and what its power looks like.
Run my wfudptools utility to see what is in the UDP hub_status and obs_st data that the hub broadcasts.
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Per the image below (and the one just above this) . .I would like to do this same thing with a “dead” Tempest. i.e. battery / large capacitor is shot and one end of the gold-colored metal ends on the UTIL flat cable has peeled away…thus not making contact in the UTIL socket on the bottom Printed Circuit Board (WF-BASE02-REVJ) . . .and the Temp/RH sensor has failed.
In order to disassemble the Tempest. . .I will need a Tool. This tool is a long device capable of removing the three long 3+ inch bolts that connect the main section to the 3 radiation shields and then screws into the bottom air-gap plate with the North marker on it.
I looked inside the dead Tempest and the 3 bolts in question are neither phillips-head screws nor Hex-head screws. All of the other screws, however, have phillips-head. The image above was from a thread on the community forum back in early to mid 2021 under “Tempest Owners” but I can’t seem to find it nor the URL reference either. Assistance would be appreciated.
This thread from last month said that they are torx screws:
I’m pretty sure that Hazard Fraught Tools has long torx screwdriver sets on the shelf…
Thanks @vreihen. . . I must-a missed that.
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Like Monkey Wards and Kame Apart.
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There is a newly-opened Harbor Freight store in my area. I saw a 4-pc Torx set on their website so I will check the store locally to see what they have.
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Look up “Hazard Fraught” in your search engine du jour if you haven’t seen the parody flyer…
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It would be nice if someone could tell us what size torx screws are used in the Tempest, because I’m thinking that it could be smaller than T10 without having ever opened a Tempest to look…
When take the Tempest to Harbor Freight (or a hardware store that sells Torx items). . .I’ll see if I can “try-on” a T10 to see if that works. (could be a T8. . .but it could be some other smaller size like a T6.
WSS — We Shall See
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@vreihen et. al.
Come to find out. . .I had a 58-piece screwdriver set (circa 1998 from Radio Shack) that included various Torx and Hex bits.
I did a partial deconstruct of an old non-operational Tempest° device (blue North marker and blue WF logo on the backside.) The bit used to remove the three deep Torx screws was a T9. T8 would’ve worked also. . .but was just a weee bit loose. . .so T9 worked best.
The Tempest° device was Capital "F"ilthy! It was a Mess! So I cleaned it up. . .got rid of 4x molted spiders from several yrs ago. . .and put it back together. This Tempest° device will continue to be non-operational because there is a temperature sensor issue (Temperature Failed, RH Failed). . .but the sensor didn’t look bad when I examined it. Also the UTIL cable that plugs into the UTIL socket on WF-BASE02-REVJ had the metalic ends worn off. . .so it will no longer make contact with the main bottom PCB. And. . .the LTO battery has “seen better days” and will no longer charge. . .especially because of the UTIL flat cable problem with UTIL socket as described above.
Some day. . .I will have to turn off all 3 of my operational Tempest° devices (1 at a time). . .partially disassemble them for cleaning. . .then reassemble and RTS (ReturnToService).
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