The network comprises nearly 100 weather stations from Barani Design, a number to be proud of for a small country… if it weren't for the fact that the weather stations are constantly showing defects…
By the end of February 2024, the counter was at 55 defects, a rate of failure that cannot be justified. Yet, it seems that in the eyes of the manufacturer, no serious problem has arisen yet. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to climb steadily in "Barani Belgium" and even beyond, it seems more like an elimination race… Therefore, we believe that the BMCB has made the right decision not to promote these products any longer and most certainly no longer sell them.
Since some people question what we report and think that we are grossly exaggerating, here are a few examples for corroboration. In addition to physical evidence, there are also various emails to and from the manufacturer from which we can deduce that even they themselves no longer know what to do next.
Below, we show some photos of the most common problems that were encountered during repairs on MeteoHelix stations. We want to make you aware that working on their equipment during the warranty period is not permitted. As a result, your warranty will become void.
Sensor issues
To the right of the small black square with a hole in the middle (this is the temperature and humidity sensor), you can see that the coating layer has disappeared, thus moisture and condensation are free to corrode the contacts of the sensor chip. Was the coating poorly applied, or has it been eaten away by pests?Another victim of poor coatingPests have feasted on the gel filling of the air pressure sensor (circle in the middle)The sensor module is full of pests due to a poorly fitting filter cap; however, there is no way to make the filter cap fit completely as there is no thread. Note that here too, the coating next to the temperature/humidity sensor has been damaged. The air pressure sensor (white circle in the middle) is also full of pests that are stuck in the gel layer.And there are more of the same… Defective sensor module? That will cost you 100 euros + 21% VAT + shipping costs! Note that the sensor is excluded from a (paid) extended warranty. Damage caused by pests also seem to be entirely excluded from the 2 year warranty according to what we can read on their website. In other words, it seems that as the owner, you are entirely responsible for any pests that infiltrate. Shouldn't this have been considered in the design?A collection of defective sensors. You can undoubtedly tell with the naked eye what went wrong here…
Poor solar panels
Upon receival, the MeteoHelix is nice looking and shiny. However, after just one year outdoors, that's already much less the case… the solar panel no longer looks good. But according to Barani, it measures solar radiation just as well. We certainly don't believe that and it has been confirmed by multiple measurements with professional equipment in parallel with the MeteoHelix. This was also communicated to Barani.MeteoHelix that has been outside for a longer period of time: delamination is starting to occur (the various layers that make up the solar panel are coming apart from each other).Image of the underside of the solar panel. Here too, water seems to be the enemy of the electronics.Once again, the underside of the solar panel… the connection of the wire that provides energy to power the station and measure solar radiation. Can't seem to find the wire? Well, neither can we! It seems to have broken off due to all the moisture and corrosion.The red wire has broken off from the solar panel (it's dangling).
Pests and their gluttony…
Just like us, pests seem to be very interested in meteorological equipment. They seem to like to visit the electronics…Besides the victim that is MeteoHelix itself, there are other victims inside the weather station as well…The invading pests truly devour everything…
Poorly applied coating on electronics
Gap left during coating: ideal spot for moisture and condensation to penetrate. Unfortunately, this MeteoHelix no longer works either.
Affected sensor connectors due to moisture and water
Constant exposure to moisture and water damages the connection to the sensor head. The connectors used by Barani are completely unsuitable for outdoor use. Or as CEO Jan Barani puts it: “the connection remains a challenge…”
Image of a connector not yet affected where the sensor head is inserted.The blue-green deposit on the bottom right indicates corrosion of copper. Cause: water coming into contact with the copper layer made possible by poorly applied coating.
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