Author Topic: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"  (Read 6261 times)

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Offline SkiMedicKC

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Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« on: December 31, 2011, 03:59:45 PM »
I would like to create a "weather window" for my family room...Ideally, it would consist of a 20" LCD monitor hung on the wall with a wireless IP connection of some sort.

The background of the entire screen would have an active view from a webcam.

It would then have 4 window panes...

1)  an active radar loop for whatever source I choose. (this pane remains constant)

2)  Current Temp, wind rose, wind speed, wind chill/heat index, barometer   (this pane remains constant)

3)  Forecast,  rotating between next day forecast and 7-day forecast

4)  Historical readings, showing table of precip, barometer, temp for last seven days rotating between table and graph formats

this way, I can put the vue console in my office and have a beautiful weather display on the wall of the family room.


Any thoughts on how to make this happen??   I have a VantageVue.  Will be getting the weatherlink logger later in January.  I currently plan to use Cumulus to provide data to CWOP, Wunderground, Weatherbug and create a personal weather website. 

I assume I could just create a local network webpage that is continuously updated that is then shown on the display...but not sure about this.

Any ideas??






Offline Weather Display

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2011, 07:28:03 PM »
yes you could crete a custom screen (e.g with software that supports that)
or customised web page that runs auto updating like ajax
Brian
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2011, 08:37:31 PM »
I currently plan to use Cumulus to provide data to CWOP, Wunderground, Weatherbug and create a personal weather website.
What about PWSweather.com?   :?  You could use XML data from there to create a custom window.  We did something similar to this for a radio network lobby.  I didn't do the programming but I set up an XML feed for it.
Joe Torsitano


Offline Yfory

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2012, 04:30:27 PM »
SkiMedicKC,

I have a similar setup in my home. My selection of the window content is a little different but you might consider this as a non-programming type of solution.

I am using (Ambient) Virtual Weather Station (VWS) as my base display.

Important Note - I am NOT in any way connected with the software company...just a user.

VWS has a huge array of tools to customize your displays and readouts. The readouts, such as temperature, can be a simple number (as Large as you choose) or a graph for any period you select, or a gauge, etc. And all of the Vantage Vue variables are available for the display. Historical data is easy to display within the VWS window. Each variable display is a window within the main VWS window and can be moved and re-sized.

I decided about a year ago to rebuild an old 90s clunker PC by upgrading the CPU, memory, the OS to Windows 7, 32 bit, and dedicating the upgraded clunker as a weather computer and it is on my home network. I have a 21" LED monitor, on the wall, and it gives me most of the data you mention.

But I am not displaying local forecasts, radar, or a cam view. I may go to a cam soon. Any of these windows can be placed on top of the VWS window if you don't click inside the VWS window and bring VWS to the top view.

I find the display quite effective and it is my main weather check point. I am using a Davis Vantage Vue with a data logger. All of this works well together - all of the programs play well together -so far. The IP version of data transfer (in place of the data logger) is available but apparently, a bit more difficult to set up.

Because of my old habit of protecting my display screens, I have used a screen saver after 30 minutes but the screen saver is a real pain because I usually need to hit the space bar to see my data. So...the real issue is to buy a monitor that will not degrade with the same display on, 24/7.

I am using an LED monitor and I just checked very carefully for any sign of pixel burn out and I do not see any damage after 6 months of use. I know that plasma will degrade and of course phosphor screens will also but phosphor is not an issues in this discussion.

There may be others in this forum who might clarify the LED degradation issue and if the exact same display, pixel for pixel, on 24/7 will damage the screen.

The VWS screen can also be shaped to a rectangle over half the screen to accommodate your other windows (cam, forecast, and radar).


Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2012, 01:56:19 AM »
I may have just the free Windows program you are looking for.  GetGraphs.exe will display graphs from a database or web screens from your local files or off the web.  I would be interested in your thoughts on how you could incorporate your personal weather info using my GetGraphs software because I don't have a PWS yet.  I write the code so almost anything is possible and any questions from all are welcome.

http://getmyrealtime.com/Default.aspx

Thanks
Well actually I do have a LaCrosse temp gage stuck to my window and a plastic rain gage but not a 'real' PWS.  \:D/  hmmm.... I think I just solved your home weather window problem.  #-o
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 02:10:45 AM by carson »

Offline Bushman

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2012, 11:08:57 AM »
Will getmyrealtime read the Davis 2 and 8 days files? (downld02.txt)
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Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2012, 09:12:22 PM »
Hi Bushman,
Like I say, I have not had any experience operating a personal weather station so I do not know what your file of interest is.  If you provide a link to an example or go to my website and at the bottom of the page 'Contact Me' and email me your file example I would love to see what it is and either read it directly into GetGraphs and/or send it first to a database for graphing... or did you mean just show the text file as a text web page in GetGraphs... or both?

Offline Bushman

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2012, 11:37:37 PM »
Dumping it into a db first would be awesome, but even just graphing the last record(s) is fine.  Sample:  http://users.ntua.gr/ge02172/downld02.txt
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Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2012, 03:32:50 PM »
Aw!  Great idea.  I will add a new source type to my GetRealtime for some type of generalized text file where only the data values of interest to write to the database match your first line header names.  I like it.  Let me work on it today and I will post back when you can give it a try.

In the mean time you may want to download my GetRealtime full download, set it up, follow the Help page instructions or Youtube video to clear out all the example data, and add just a random Weatherground station to see how everything works.  Then you can add your day file text source when I have it ready.

Thanks, I love it.

Offline Bushman

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2012, 04:06:59 PM »
Thanks you!  Note that the Davis 2 and 8 day files use THREE lines for header.  You'll need to map that or make it user-definable.
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Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2012, 06:30:59 PM »
Bushman,
Got it running and so that's not an issue.  Either is Tab or Space delimited data... but....

What dates are 12/01/12 and 13/01/12.  Are you in Europe and a day ahead???
Hasn't Davis heard of Y2K? ;)  Can you ouput your day file as mm/dd/yy?  If not I will add a code somewhere to say you are being Unamerican. ;)

Offline Bushman

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2012, 06:47:21 PM »
Not my file actually...  :)  And it is DD/MM/YY   Clearly Weatherlink software ios pre-Y2K.  The output file format  cannot be changed nor can 4 digit years be added.
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Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2012, 10:23:11 PM »
Bushman,
It's ready for you try. 

http://getmyrealtime.com/downloads.aspx

I added a section "Your Personal Weather Station or other Text File" to the Help webpage.  Click on the topic heading and it will take you that section.

It will probably take you a while to figure out all this setup stuff but let me know how it works out.

Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2012, 08:02:00 PM »
I just updated my program GetRealtime 2.2.2 for those with text data files so they can now compute snowpack, snowmelt, ET, solar radian, and long radiation.  This assumes your text file has Temp, Humidity, and Wind Speed.  Wouldn't that be some unique info to put on your weather webpage.

If you don't have text data files for your weather station you can download a nearby Weatherground station to compute these in real-time.

If you are interested in a snowpack and melt example look here (See Fargo):

http://getmyrealtime.com/SierraSnowfallComparisons.aspx

Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2012, 11:21:37 PM »
For Cumulus users... new download as of this post date...

Cumulus from Sandaysoft documentation says it's monthly log file (Aug09log.txt) is in a similar text file format and gets updated about every 10-minutes:

http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/Monthly_log_files

So my GetRealtime should be able to read this (;) or (,) delimited file as well into the Access database... but remember the format is 'dd-mm-yy' or 'dd/mm/yy' and has to be added to the GetRealtime_setup.txt because of this screwy dating convention... just like Davis.

Offline carson

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Re: Creating a custom "Home Weather Window"
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2012, 04:37:42 PM »
Sorry everyone,  I assumed way too much and made and A.S.S. of myself.  :oops:

But on planet does months mean days and commas mean periods.  So after further review of the Cumulus log file formats this afternoon I think I have it right.