Topic: WeatherLink 6.0.3 - Internet Settings Grayed Out

[shakasha]

Running a new install WeatherLink 6.0.3 on Windows 10 machine. I'm downloading data from WeatherLink.com and there are several things I'm trying to accomplish yet most of the SetUp features are grayed out. Internet Settings is one of them, but also the Set Archive Interval is grayed out.

Background:

We have a Davis Pro 2 Plus uploading to WeatherLink.com every five minutes via Vantage Connect.

WeatherLink.com uploads to Weather Underground every 15 minutes.

Right now my WL software downloads the data every hour from WeatherLink.com and has the 5 minute data that I'd like to present on Weather Underground.

I have the WU module installed and can manually Upload Archived Observations to Weather Underground and it updates the archives there (going from 15 minute increments to 5).

I have my WeatherLink software configured to automatically upload the data hourly, but it doesn't do it on its own. I have to manually upload the archives. I'm not sure what the problem is as the "Test" works and the manual uploading of archives works.

I'd also like to change the Archive Interval in the WeatherLink software to 5 minutes instead of waiting an hour between times it downloads from WeatherLink.com, but the SetUp link is grayed out.

Is this supposed to be like this? Any ideas?

Thanks!

[johnd]

The Archive Interval doesn't really have any meaning on an offline (wrt the logger) system that's just downloading data from wl.com and so is greyed out. AI refers to the console/logger setting of the period between consecutive records. Since an offline system has no direct connection to any logger, the AI can't be changed. To put it another way, the AI is set in the system that's doing the uploads to wl.com (or, for a Connect, it's the plan interval) and once the archive data is uploaded then the AI is effectively unchangeable.

[dalecoy]

Is this your system that does not have a console?  Just the Vantage Connect?

[shakasha]

To put it another way, the AI is set in the system that's doing the uploads to wl.com (or, for a Connect, it's the plan interval) and once the archive data is uploaded then the AI is effectively unchangeable.

Ok we have the 5 minute upload plan with Vantage Connect, and the ISS does send data every five minutes. If I look at the WeatherLink.com page I see updates every five minutes, so that is working fine.

Is there a way to have my WeatherLink 6.0.3 software on my PC download the data automatically more often than once an hour? I have a Strip Chart showing, and it updates every hour. I'd love to get that data every five minutes.

[shakasha]

Is this your system that does not have a console?  Just the Vantage Connect?

Yes, we have no console, just the Vantage Connect.

[johnd]

Is there a way to have my WeatherLink 6.0.3 software on my PC download the data automatically more often than once an hour? I have a Strip Chart showing, and it updates every hour. I'd love to get that data every five minutes.

You need to familiarise yourself with the Internet Settings option on the Setup menu.

[shakasha]

You need to familiarise yourself with the Internet Settings option on the Setup menu.

It's grayed out. I can't get to it.

[johnd]

You need to familiarise yourself with the Internet Settings option on the Setup menu.

It's grayed out. I can't get to it.

Ah, I'd forgotten that. In that case, no other option I'm afraid, other than writing your own program to download from wl.com. We've done that with our Prowlar software.

[shakasha]

Ah, I'd forgotten that. In that case, no other option I'm afraid, other than writing your own program to download from wl.com. We've done that with our Prowlar software.

The XML data WeatherLink.com provides would be very easy to work with, but it does not give all the data.

The WeatherLink software gets all the data once an hour with the 5 minute readings, and Weather Unground gets it all with 15 minute readings. So if a 30 mph gust happens at 10:07 am, the WeatherLink software will get the data at 11:00 am and show the gust at 10:10 am. Weather Underground will get the data at 10:15 am (or so as it varies between 15 and 25 minutes), and it will show the gust as happening when the data gets in, let's say 10:15 am. I prefer to be as accurate as possible to the exact time, and we are paying for 5 minute uploads with the Vantage Connect, so it's frustrating.

If I could make the WeatherLink.com page responsive, or build my own responsive page I'd do it. But again, the XML data from WL.com is missing important data, like wind gusts.

Grrrrrr...

[johnd]

The XML data WeatherLink.com provides would be very easy to work with, but it does not give all the data.

Just for clarity, our interest is in the archive data - for longer-term reporting - not the current conditions, so we download the binary archive packets (ie as WL does) and don't bother with the XML.

It's a funny thing, you think weather data is straightforward but in practice there are many different individual use-cases and it's genuinely difficult to design a system to suit every different need. Customisable real-time screens for inserting into your own web pages don't seem to be a priority for Davis at present. And certainly it's frustrating when your own particular use-case isn't well-served.

[shakasha]

Here's the reality that I am experiencing:

We are paying for 5 minute uploads to WeatherLink.com using Vantage Connect as it was the most solid solution for our environment. We bought the Davis Pro 2 Plus, and the Vantage Connect excited about have the best weather station in the area. I have a logger and WeatherLinkIP at home on my own personal Vantage Vue which is basically realtime data on Weather Underground.

I was not thrilled with a 5 minute delay, but figured that was still good enough. If we get a gust during a thunderstorm, many locals want to see how strong it was and look to weather stations for that data.

First disappointment was that WeatherLink.com only sends data to Weather Underground every 15 minutes. Now that is too long for me. Yes we can iFrame the WeatherLink.com Summary page into our site, which is what we'll have to do. But that page is a fixed 760 pixel wide table format that looks like it was built 10 to 15 years ago. (Do they not have a developer that can create a responsive layout??)

So my work around:

I'm looking at Meteotemplate which has nice features. If I could get my WeatherLink 6.0.3 software to update every five minutes from WL.com, and then upload to WeatherUnderground every five minutes, I could pull that data (wind gusts and all) into a Meteotemplate design and layout which is "mostly" responsive. Since I can edit the Meteotemplate code, I could probably built a modern beautiful responsive weather page using my data that I am paying for, and present it promptly in five minute readings. That would be acceptable to me.

But...

My WeatherLink software appears to not be able to download every five minutes from WL.com, and it is also not automatically uploading to Weather Underground.

If WL.com would add the wind gust data into the XML feed, I could work with that. But I suppose they are holding onto my weather data so people will have to look at their old out-of-date looking Summary page if they want to see it. To me that page says, "We here at WeatherLink.com do not have the resources to create an attractive responsive web page, so we give you this year 2000 styled table layout." 

[shakasha]

Customisable real-time screens for inserting into your own web pages don't seem to be a priority for Davis at present. And certainly it's frustrating when your own particular use-case isn't well-served.

Having the meteobridge and WeatherLinkIP is a good solution for realtime data on Weather Underground. And I am grateful for the Vantage Connect and know there is a need for that. 5 minute data uploads is workable.

My frustration is with WeatherLink.com only uploading every 15 minutes to Weather Underground, NOT providing wind gust data in their XML feed, and not having any kind of modern Summary page that someone might be proud to show in their website.

All three of those issues could be easily remedied. Especially that latter.

I'll make a trade with WL.com, I'll build a few nice modern web pages using the same data already put into the Summary page so that WeatherLink paying customers will have something they can show in their sites. Of course keeping the WeatherLink branding, but would create something that is attractive. And what I get is a responsive page or script that I can put in my website so everyone can enjoy our weather.

[dalecoy]

One other way of looking at this is - although Vantage Connect is very useful, there would be some big advantages if you also had a console with a USB logger.

I know that's not satisfying, and it might be difficult, but it would "solve" your needs.  You could even do "rapid fire" to WU.

[shakasha]

although Vantage Connect is very useful, there would be some big advantages if you also had a console with a USB logger.

Absolutely. I love my home system.

This site is my client's location, it is a 6 floor vacation condo rental building. Even though the wifi is accessible from the roof, we'd have to put the console and logger in a rental unit. Our experience even with just the wifi routers is that we are constantly having to reset them or reconfigure them. People just won't leave them alone. And the wifi is constantly being interrupted, and a few bandwidth greedy visitors can hog up the entire buildings internet. So I researched and suggested the Vantage Connect to my client which should even work during power outages which are not uncommon around here. I explained to him that a 5 minute upload time would be sufficient.

I didn't realize until we installed it what limitations we'd be running into. I am used to my meteobridge - WeatherLinkIP setup. It's a piece of cake to make the Weather Underground widgets responsive.

[dalecoy]

although Vantage Connect is very useful, there would be some big advantages if you also had a console with a USB logger.

Absolutely. I love my home system.

This site is my client's location, it is a 6 floor vacation condo rental building.

There are almost always building spaces that are not accessible to "the public".  Utility areas, entry areas, etc.  Common areas with false (drop) ceilings.  Locked closets for telephone, cable TV, Master electrical entrance, etc. 

[shakasha]

There are almost always building spaces that are not accessible to "the public".  Utility areas, entry areas, etc.  Common areas with false (drop) ceilings.  Locked closets for telephone, cable TV, Master electrical entrance, etc. 

In hindsight I may have discussed that further. I expect the cellular will still be more consistent, especially during thunderstorm season or during tropical storms/hurricanes, etc. Power was out for over a week at the condos after Irma, and internet took several weeks to get back. We had cellular connections though.

I'm sure the 15 minute interval will be good enough for our needs. I'm the IT and web developer, so I'm the one having a problem. I want to provide the best most up-to-date weather on the beach. Even at 15 minute readings we will be, but I want to take advantage of our 5 minute upload.

As far as WeatherLink 6.0.3 having the Internet Settings grayed out, I may reinstall it and see if it comes up. It could be that having a logger is a prerequisite. I thought there was a way to upload data to a web template and it appears the Internet Settings is where that would be.

I'm not giving up, there "has" to be a way...LOL

[dalecoy]

I expect the cellular will still be more consistent, especially during thunderstorm season or during tropical storms/hurricanes, etc. Power was out for over a week at the condos after Irma, and internet took several weeks to get back. We had cellular connections though.

I'm sure the 15 minute interval will be good enough for our needs. I'm the IT and web developer, so I'm the one having a problem. I want to provide the best most up-to-date weather on the beach. Even at 15 minute readings we will be, but I want to take advantage of our 5 minute upload.

Note that WU will, reasonably-happily, accept station uploads from 2 sources.  So, with in-building hardware you could have 5-minute uploads (or even rapid fire) when power is available (noting that your UPS won't last for a week), and with WeatherLink.com 15-minute uploads also always there.

[shakasha]

So, with in-building hardware you could have 5-minute uploads (or even rapid fire) when power is available (noting that your UPS won't last for a week), and with WeatherLink.com 15-minute uploads also always there.

You speak the truth. We may be doing that soon enough. I am sure I won't be satisfied until I am seeing updates every few seconds like I am used to from home. 

[Mattk]

....My WeatherLink software appears to not be able to download every five minutes from WL.com....

Typically WL will upload the WL page but only download after an hour. Not sure what Vantage connect does but a standard WeatherLink logger with archive of say 10 minutes will update the URL link every 60 seconds or so but archive download will occur after an hour of uploads when 6 records will be downloaded.

 

[johnd]

Typically WL will upload the WL page but only download after an hour. Not sure what Vantage connect does but a standard WeatherLink logger with archive of say 10 minutes will update the URL link every 60 seconds or so but archive download will occur after an hour of uploads when 6 records will be downloaded.

What actually happens I think is that the 'Current conditions' data packets are uploaded from the WLIP or PC source every minute but the archive data packets are uploaded just once per hour. In other words, it's the uploads that determine data availability at wl.com.

With Connect, as per previous posts, it's the data plan interval alone that determines data availability, ie current conditions and archive packet are effectively the same thing.

[Mattk]

....current conditions and archive packet are effectively the same thing.

Then by all logic if 5 min archive is uploaded every 5 minutes then one should be able to download a 5 min archive every 5 minutes?

[johnd]

....current conditions and archive packet are effectively the same thing.

Then by all logic if 5 min archive is uploaded every 5 minutes then one should be able to download a 5 min archive every 5 minutes?

Yes, that's how it works IIRC. In fact I've just downloaded one of our 5-min Connects at 1041Z and the latest record downloaded is timed at 1040. Downloaded again at 1049Z and the 1045 record is there now.

Davis don't encourage users to hit the server every 5 minutes, but it's the Amazon cloud after all so difficult to see it being too much of a problem.

[shakasha]

Davis don't encourage users to hit the server every 5 minutes, but it's the Amazon cloud after all so difficult to see it being too much of a problem.

Even if every user were to make that one request for current conditions every 15 seconds it wouldn't tax the server. It is a very quick query that does not have to search through the entire archives. We are not downloading streaming video, or even images, so bandwidth is minimal. There are websites out there that use more resources on one visitor just loading a single page. I would imagine that if you go to Amazon.com and do a search for a product, you have already used more server resources than the WeatherLink server uses in several minutes. Granted the Amazon servers are a bit more robust... 

OK, so I have WeatherDisplay 10.37S build 59 running and downloading 5 minute data from WeatherLink.com. It is missing the wind gusts, but everything else is there including whatever the actual wind speed it at the time of the five minute upload from the Davis Pro 2 Plus via Vantage Connect. I can then update Weather Underground every five minutes from WeatherDisplay with everything but gusts. Then WeatherLink.com sends its update every 15 minutes or so with its gust data.

It's not a perfect solution, but probably as close as I will get for now with added hardware. I'll watch it for a few hours and see how it looks.

[johnd]

OK, so I have WeatherDisplay 10.37S build 59 running and downloading 5 minute data from WeatherLink.com. It is missing the wind gusts...

No obvious reason why the wind gusts** should be missing - they're at byte 25 in the archive record. Maybe WD isn't pulling them out of the data packet, only the mean wind speed.

** wind gust as in the highest wind speed value seen in the interval

Edit: Ah unless WD is looking at the XML rather than the archive packets? But the point is that the max gust value (in each interval) is available, just a question of which data source is used. If the archive records aren't currently being used by WD then maybe Brian might be willing to add this option?

[shakasha]

Edit: Ah unless WD is looking at the XML rather than the archive packets?

That's what I assumed.

If there is a way to get the gusts, I'd be very happy camper!!!! 

It seems like since I've been uploading from WD every 5 minutes, WeatherLink.com hasn't updated Weather Underground. I think you mentioned WU will accept two sources, I think I may have knocked WL.com out then because I have mnually uploaded from my WL software as well.