Topic: Added Davis 6382 Temp/Humidity Station

[miraculon]

This week I installed the 6382 Temp/Hum station. I set the post the previous weekend so the cement is cured (it was quickset anyways).

Here is a photo:


I made a quick and dirty page for the data for when I happen to be running Weatherlink. Since I usually run the Win7 box on weekends, there is a link to the Summary page on Weatherlink.com showing the Extra Sensors at the bottom. I am not sure I particularly want yet another PC running 24/7..

http://www.miraculon.net/Extra_Temp_Hum.htm

GregH

[d_l]

Greg, are there temperature differences in particular that you were trying to monitor with the extra station, e.g. temperatures in a shaded area or temperatures over grass vs. some other surface for your regular ISS?

[miraculon]

The ISS is in a shaded area over a stony area. It only gets sun in the early AM and very late afternoon. It is about 10' away from the house. It is about 3' above ground (an artifact of the post and the satellite J-mast that I used).

The 6382 is in a grassy area closer to the 5' level. So far, they are tracking very closely. Overnight they differed a degree or so. I also have a One-Wire sensor in a passive Davis 7714 shield. Here is the plot from that sensor.



I am hoping that maximizing the distance from the house, being over the grass and at the correct height will give me a good comparison.

[d_l]

Cool.  I was just curious what microclimate differences you were investigating. Thought maybe the differences might be of enough interest to others that they might consider a 6382.

[miraculon]

I took the lazy way and plotted using Weatherlink's plotting facility.
Unfortunately, the PDF conversion lost the color, but you can see the tracking for the last couple of days.
You can tell the Temp2 from the 6382 since it is integer data (the stepped one).
If anyone knows how to convert the Davis PLT file output to JPG, I would appreciate it. (I tried a CAD viewer, but is doesn't seem to be the same kind of PLT file because I didn't see anything once I tried opening it)

Greg

[d_l]

Greg, you might try the ImagePrinter Free utility program: http://code-industry.net/imageprinter.php to print from WL to a PNG or JPEG file format.  The program is 32-bit. 

I've used the 64-bit Pro version of the program for a while and it works well, but I've never tried the free version.  If the free version works half as well as the paid version, it is much better than a screen capture of a WL plot.

[miraculon]

Greg, you might try the ImagePrinter Free utility program: http://code-industry.net/imageprinter.php to print from WL to a PNG or JPEG file format.  The program is 32-bit. 

ImagePrinter works great on everything except WL Plot outputs. Arrrgh!

Thanks for the idea, though. I like it and will use it for other applications.

Greg

[miraculon]

I got this to work:
Print it out as an XPS file, using the built in Win7 "XPS Document Writer" print option. I save it as a file that I can find.
Then run the "Converter for XPS Documents" that I found at http://www.download3k.com/Business-Finance/Calculators-Converters/Download-Converter-for-XPS-Documents.html to convert the file. There are options for different file output types.

Here is the result: (refreshed 9/23/2012)

[d_l]

Greg, as I said I haven't used the free program, but the Pro version works well with WL, except for the following:

1. I've had trouble getting smaller sized plots directly out of the Pro version.
2. It default dumps the plots to folders that are rarely used and I have to hunt for for them.

I only use the program on occasion so I haven't fully mastered it.  You didn't say if you had problems similar to the above.

[miraculon]

The problem is that it renders the plot with only the X and Y scales. No numbers, plots or titles. I'll attach the output that I "printed" this morning.
It converts other printed objects just fine, such as a web page.
I was able to find the image OK, it is just lacking most of the info. No worries, I'll use the XPS method if I need to.

[d_l]

Was that for both jpg and png images?  Which OS are you using?

Now that I think about it, I vaguely remember trying a free version with WL successfully.  That was several years and many builds ago.  I was on XP and WL 5.9 at the time.  I liked it so well I just bought the Pro version.

I'm perplexed about why it isn't working for you.   

[miraculon]

Dave,

I tried them all including the PDF converter. Same result.
I am using Win7 Pro.

Greg

[miraculon]

Dave,

Pro Works!  

I think I'll buy it for the FTP capability.

Update: I did and here is the result:



Here is the direct link to the plot: http://www.miraculon.net/Davis_6382_Plot.jpg

Greg

[d_l]

That's great.  That ImagePrinter software has some great capabilities and ability to "print" a plot to a file in WL is something WL should have had all along.

I thought that using it rather than your round about method would be much simpler.  So I kept pestering you about it.