Topic: Goldstar Stations

[Jáchym]

Here is the thing... I love my current job, I have great colleagues, boss... everything is perfect. But...I always said I would rather do something I enjoy for less money than have a high wage and do something you hate. However... right now I am working in a state owned company and we belong to the group with lowest wages. Without a part time job that I do I would not even be able to get by and pay the rent. With part-time job, 60% of all my incomes goes to rent + bills, 25% is the most basic food, 10% is insurance and public transport pass and the remaining 5% is a reserve for things like presents, household items etc. Yesterday and today I came home from work by a night bus at 1AM and my wage is almost equivalent to the one our cleaning lady at work has, very close to the minimum wage. It is much better if you work in the private sector. But it was hard to find a job two years ago when I graduated... in private sector they always require you to have some work experience and it would also be difficult with the PhD.

[WheatonRon]

Here is the thing... I love my current job, I have great colleagues, boss... everything is perfect. But...I always said I would rather do something I enjoy for less money than have a high wage and do something you hate. However... right now I am working in a state owned company and we belong to the group with lowest wages. Without a part time job that I do I would not even be able to get by and pay the rent. With part-time job, 60% of all my incomes goes to rent + bills, 25% is the most basic food, 10% is insurance and public transport pass and the remaining 5% is a reserve for things like presents, household items etc. Yesterday and today I came home from work by a night bus at 1AM and my wage is almost equivalent to the one our cleaning lady at work has, very close to the minimum wage. It is much better if you work in the private sector. But it was hard to find a job two years ago when I graduated... in private sector they always require you to have some work experience and it would also be difficult with the PhD.

Hang in there. with your background, including being fluent in multiple languages, you will hit a home run soon. Maybe help Davis roll out the VP3?

[Jáchym]

LOL, yes, it was a combination of several factors. First of all, the unemployment rate 2 yrs ago was over 5% higher than now, second, I had zero work experience and I was glad I was accepted to do what Im doing now despite the fact meteorology was just my biggest hobby, but I did not study it. And I was offered the PhD. Im still not even 30 yet so I take it this is a "temporary situation", and it brings me again to the answer to your original question What will I do in 5 yrs? Meteotemplate in my free time (hopefully), otherwise I dont know

[ocala]

My station lost its Goldstar rating! Should I jump off a cliff or will it return? "Turn the record over" and learn the results. Talk about dating myself, how many posters have any idea what a "record" is, that is a vinyl record!

I have about 140 vinlys. Often wonder what I could do with them.

How 'bout listening to them. Thankfully, after a 15+ year break and a new cartridge, I rediscovered my vinyl. NEVER should have left.

Problem is they were listen to, a lot. There was one Allman Bros album I wore out.
The CD quality sound today is too good to go back to listening to scratchy albums.

[WheatonRon]

My station lost its Goldstar rating! Should I jump off a cliff or will it return? "Turn the record over" and learn the results. Talk about dating myself, how many posters have any idea what a "record" is, that is a vinyl record!

I have about 140 vinlys. Often wonder what I could do with them.

How 'bout listening to them. Thankfully, after a 15+ year break and a new cartridge, I rediscovered my vinyl. NEVER should have left.

Problem is they were listen to, a lot. There was one Allman Bros album I wore out.
The CD quality sound today is too good to go back to listening to scratchy albums.

Are they still selling CDs?

[Jáchym]

Though I would say that lifetime of a cd is shorter than that of a vinyl so unless you are using one of those special durable cds they will be useless in a few years time

[CW2274]

My station lost its Goldstar rating! Should I jump off a cliff or will it return? "Turn the record over" and learn the results. Talk about dating myself, how many posters have any idea what a "record" is, that is a vinyl record!

I have about 140 vinlys. Often wonder what I could do with them.

How 'bout listening to them. Thankfully, after a 15+ year break and a new cartridge, I rediscovered my vinyl. NEVER should have left.

The CD quality sound today is too good to go back to listening to scratchy albums.

Sure, if you're listening to scratchy albums. I have a Rush album I bought in 1979 that I've listened to dozens of times that KILLS practically every piece of digital audio I own, and it's not even my best record.

[ocala]

Strange how we go from Goldstar stations to vinyl albums.

[WheatonRon]

Strange how we go from Goldstar stations to vinyl albums.

True, but the discussion is helping me get through the serious depression I currently am experiencing over losing my Goldstar designation on my PWS! I am most hopeful that my Goldstar designation will return in about 24 to 48 hours, but only the WU gods (and Big Blue) know for sure!

[Jáchym]

Ahhh.... I wish I could send you mine, I still have it, but my station does not deserve it given how it is sited and what it sometimes measures

Maybe we could request a new feature to WU Goldstar Marketplace

[CW2274]

Strange how we go from Goldstar stations to vinyl albums.

True, but I considered the legitimacy of the thread topic before I went elsewhere.

[WheatonRon]

Strange how we go from Goldstar stations to vinyl albums.

True, but the discussion is helping me get through the serious depression I currently am experiencing over losing my Goldstar designation on my PWS! I am most hopeful that my Goldstar designation will return in about 24 to 48 hours, but only the WU gods (and Big Blue) know for sure!

My Goldstar designation is back! It was a six day hiatus of pain and suffering with that designation removed from my PWS, but somehow I survived. Aspirin, meditation and reflection got me through these times. Thanks to all of you for sending me best wishes and condolences--but I persevered. Seriously, this was actually my fault and to WUs credit, they did not give me my star back until I had 5+days of reporting which is what the Goldstar is supposed to be all about. I had changed the computer I upload my data to CWOP and WU and forgot that in the Davis Weatherlink software there is a separate script for uploads to WU vs. the uploads to CWOP. It was missing for two hours when I received a note from WU that my station was no longer reporting to WU. After discovering my script omission in Weatherlink and entering in the correct information, my station was again reporting to WU. My Goldstar status was not reinstated until I had over 5 days of continous reporting to WU. All this being said, we still see many PWSs that receive this designation that have reported at least 5 continous days but the data so reported is flaky, at best.

[PaulMy]

My Goldstar designation is back! It was a six day hiatus of pain and suffering with that designation removed from my PWS,

yes me too
I had some email correspondence with Kari at WU and she replied to my enquiry, and after my response back she was kind to pin on my Gold Star again.  I also lost sleep after finding that other area stations had the Gold Star while mine didn't, and know their data varies and some bad siting  


It seems that the Gold Star program has some human intervention opportunity .


I gave Kari a Goldstar thanks for being helpful...


Enjoying again,
Paul

[WheatonRon]

This station (DW7813) doesn't currently upload its data to WU or if it does, WU removed the station. If this station did upload its data to WU, it would be a great test of the Goldstar designation. As of right now, this station is reporting 115 degrees whereas nearby stations are in the mid 50s, all in the Chicago area.

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?dw7813


This station I previously noted above in this thread, but I couldn't resist repeating.

It is beyond reason that CWOP continues to post data from this PWS.

[Scalphunter]

May you two need an safe room and therapy dogs to console  you?

[WheatonRon]

May you two need an safe room and therapy dogs to console  you?

Actually, I own a therapy dog that helps out at a local memory care facility. So he can help both me and PaulMy. Thanks for the suggestion! His photo is immediately to the left!

[SpringHillWeather]

My third station finally got its Goldstar.

When the Goldstar thingy first came out my AW-1001 had a Gold star but not my AW-0900 or Bloomsky. 
Well a few days later the Bloomsky got the Gold star too but not the AW-0900.

So its been a month or two and I then notice that Rapid-Fire wasn't working for that one station the WS-0900.
I emailed WU support to say the Rapid Fire isn't working for that one station.  About 1 week later I received an email from Kari stating to take a look and see if its working now.   When I checked it was and lo and behold the AW-0900 station go its Gold Star!

Hooray!  But then the next day, Rapid Fire flash stopped working for Everyone's station........     

[Scalphunter]

That  gold star and 4 bucks will get you an beer down at your local pub.

[SpringHillWeather]

That  gold star and 4 bucks will get you an beer down at your local pub.

Wow, beer is expensive in Alaska    but my point is that it has nothing to do with the quality but more of the connectivity or something else. I was also trying to be sarcastic hoping I didn't cause the end of rapid flash by bringing attention to it

[Jáchym]

I remember I read that it depends on data availability from the last 5 days - which is not great quality check, but ok, then people posted here their brand new station got a gold star after less than 24 h

[maarten]

I remember I read that it depends on data availability from the last 5 days - which is not great quality check, but ok, then people posted here their brand new station got a gold star after less than 24 h

I am one of them....(new member here) I just installed my weather station yesterday. I got it for Christmas from my wife, but she didn't get a mounting pole, so I ordered one. I installed the batteries in the unit the day after Christmas and set it in a place it would get some sun to make sure the batteries remained charged....I did not actually set it up though until yesterday, January 2nd, when I went up on the roof and mounted the unit.

I also registered for my Wunderground station yesterday, and configured the wifi, etc.... and it started reporting within 5 minutes or so. I notices the Goldstar logo maybe about 6 hours or so later, and saw the "5 days" remark. My station reports in every 30 seconds or so, could it be that it has collected enough data to consider it a reliable station?

I have an Ambient Weather WS1001-WIFI

[WheatonRon]

I remember I read that it depends on data availability from the last 5 days - which is not great quality check, but ok, then people posted here their brand new station got a gold star after less than 24 h

I am one of them....(new member here) I just installed my weather station yesterday. I got it for Christmas from my wife, but she didn't get a mounting pole, so I ordered one. I installed the batteries in the unit the day after Christmas and set it in a place it would get some sun to make sure the batteries remained charged....I did not actually set it up though until yesterday, January 2nd, when I went up on the roof and mounted the unit.

I also registered for my Wunderground station yesterday, and configured the wifi, etc.... and it started reporting within 5 minutes or so. I notices the Goldstar logo maybe about 6 hours or so later, and saw the "5 days" remark. My station reports in every 30 seconds or so, could it be that it has collected enough data to consider it a reliable station?

I have an Ambient Weather WS1001-WIFI

Welcome to the Forum! The concept of WU issuing a Goldstar award is a joke, for the most part, as discussed in numerous threads in this Forum. I have a high quality, well maintained Davis VP2, and while usually my station has the goldstar, many times, for unknown reasons, it doesn't. And the fact that your station has a goldstar with only one day of reporting is goofy, to say the least. CWOP also critiques our data and it too has issues but not as many as WU. I have found the critiquing performed by MesoWest at the University of Utah the best--see my station report below and note the "grade" in the quality check column in the data summary.

http://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base.cgi?stn=C5020

[CW2274]

http://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/regress_database_top.cgi?stn=C5020

http://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/regress_database_top.cgi?stn=C2274
 

[CW2274]

It...it...it's gone..... my Gold Star..... gone........what happened????? Please......

[WheatonRon]

It...it...it's gone..... my Gold Star..... gone........what happened????? Please......

Mine too! I called the local hospital to alert them how distressed I am and to get the appropriate doctors on call!