WindNerd OnSpot Initial Setup
- Insert an active SIM card with a data plan. The PIN lock must be disabled. If you use our Hologram IoT SIM card, activate it first. See the Hologram SIM guide.
- Install the antenna. The antenna must be connected before powering on.
- Connect the board to the Sunbank with the provided cable and make sure the battery is charged. The red status light starts a repeating burst pattern, at first 6 flashes, meaning the modem is starting up.
- Check the sensors and magnets. Two green LEDs let you verify them: turn the rotor by hand: the speed LED should blink with each rotation; rotate the vane slowly to find the position where the North LED lights up. It should match the arrow indicating north.
- Connecting. As the modem registers on the network, the pattern changes to 3 flashes (SIM ready, network not yet up).
- Running. Once the board is connected and sending wind data, the burst drops to 1 flash (or 2, see the status light codes). That is the healthy steady state.
From then on, the unit samples the wind continuously and uploads in batches every few minutes: more often on a full battery, less often as it drains.
Troubleshooting
| You see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 4 flashes | SIM has a PIN/PUK lock | Use a SIM with the PIN disabled |
| 5 flashes | SIM missing or not seated | Insert or reseat the SIM |
| 3 flashes that never reach 1–2 | No cellular registration | Check that the SIM is active and that there is signal where the unit sits |
| 6 flashes that never change | Modem not coming up | Power-cycle; if it persists, report it |
| Slow on/off blink | Battery too low | Charge the device |
| Light never turns on | No power or dead battery | Charge, then power-cycle |
| 1–2 flashes (looks healthy) but no data on windnerd.net | The SIM registers on the network, but its data plan is expired or depleted, so uploads are rejected | Check the SIM's data balance and top it up |
The firmware is self-healing: if no upload succeeds for about 20 minutes, it resets the modem, and after about 60 minutes it reboots the whole unit. A unit stuck on 3 or 6 flashes will keep retrying on its own. If a fault keeps recurring, report it with the flash count.