Is this circuit dead ?

please tell me if i can do anything to resurrect this weather sensor ?
(alternatively i’d like to reverse engineer it, reading electronics for dummies:P)
thank you
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Answer #1
Possibly dead.
If you get some isopropyl alcohol or some Tetrachloroethylene (or Trichloroethylene) you can use a toothbrush to clean those circuits – if the circuitry has been eaten by the corrosian, you’re buggered.
RevEngineering will be almost impossible – they deliberately don’t have any info or codes on the IC to stop you doing that – and it’s one of those all-in-one chip things.
Answer #2
will try to get my hands on some alcohol, thanks for the tip.
as for reversing, i was really hoping that such project would actually be an interesting way of learning about electronics.
here’s an additional picture of what’s on the other side http://~ Disallowed host.  Please use another image host. ~/a/sW5t0
couple questions :
1) what are those two black spots ? looks like some kind of plastic-tar thing. is that to mask something out ?
2) my flawed noob logic made me assume that perhaps i can somehow decode/eavesdrop the RF signal (in case i order a new working sensor unit). perhaps then i could emulate it in a similar way using arduino + rf transmitter + temp sensor ? (way over my head, but like i’ve said, i was hoping such project would boost my enthusiasm to learn electronics:)
thanks !
Answer #3
Mm.. don’t know – they are too even and regular to be part of the circuit (I know that sounds wrong, but you probably know what I mean – they feel like separate things).
Also it doesn’t look like the tracks go to them.
The bigger one is the cpu-on-a-chip thingy, the other ios a surface mount battery.
This was designed to be used and thrown away when the battery died!
You could probably monitor the signal Ok, but decoding what each part of the signal wave means is more problematic..
Answer #4
dunno about cpu statement but you’re wrong about the battery because this sensor was powered by 2 AA batteries. somehow i doubt it had a CPU..
perhaps those black molten plastic bulbs meant to protect some important components..
Answer #5
Just shoot an e-mail to La Crosse support and see if you can get a replacement, save ~censored~ about.
Answer #6
the Meerkat replied: Just shoot an e-mail to La Crosse support and see if you can get a replacement, save ~censored~ about.
not sure what you were suggesting me to save
like i’ve said earlier, i wanted to use this as an opportunity to learn lil bit about electronics, thus the following thread.