Author Topic: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?  (Read 4390 times)

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Offline WxDx

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I have a Davis Vantage Vue set up and reporting to Wunderground as a PWS. I'd like to add a weathercam, but I need something that is both wireless and solar. BloomSky seems like a good way to easily do that (maybe someone can correct me on that or give me different suggestions too, it'd be appreciated. I'm a little worried that other all in ones won't be able to 'report' to Wunderground and may be 'trapped' in their own apps, perhaps I'm totally wrong about that).

Can I add the BloomSky as just a webcam to my Davis Vantage Vue's weather underground PWS page? I don't want the temperature & other data to override the Vantage Vue.

I know that's rather odd, but I don't really see very many one piece solar & wireless weather cams out there.

Offline 92merc

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2017, 12:31:46 PM »
Do you already have your Bloomsky uploading under a different PWS name?  Is that picture updating?

If so, you can right click on the picture on WU pages, get the image location.  Then you go in and add in a second camera and point it to WU's own picture location with URL.  Then attach it to your Davis station.

That's what I was able to do.  I do notice the Davis cam page will be a picture behind the Bloomsky for some reason.  But good enough for me.

My Davis Station:
https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KNDBISMA26
Bloomsky:
https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KNDBISMA25
Bloomsky Image location for me was:
https://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/b/l/blackshadow95/1/current.jpg
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Davis VP2, Cumulus, WeatherDisplay, Blitzortung, Saratoga Scripts, NOAA Stream via PI

Offline WxDx

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2017, 03:12:32 PM »
I don't have a Bloomsky, I'm trying to decide what webcam to get. It sounds like it works for you. At worst I'd have to add the bloomsky first as it's own weather station, which might not be the worst idea anyway, since it is measuring that data.

Offline 92merc

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2017, 03:19:27 PM »
Yeah, that's basically why I added a Bloomsky.  Didn't care too much about the data.  But for my house, it was a quick and simple way to get a camera in the backyard and not have to worry about power or network wiring.  Mine is close enough to the router that it's worked fine.

It's only pictures every 10 minutes.  But for now, that's good enough for me.  Plus, I do like the extra wide angle of the pictures.
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Offline ocala

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2017, 06:37:50 PM »
Personally I would go with a real webcam instead of Bloomsky. I had one of the first ones but it died and they replaced it. The second unit died after about 3 months.
I don't know about the quality of the cams they are putting out today though. The could be a lot better.
Just my 2 cents
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline WxDx

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2017, 10:46:06 PM »
Is it relatively "doable" to get a wireless webcam and 'convert' it to solar? The issue is that I can't run power out to where it's going to go, has to be solar, has to be wifi.

$70 for a wireless solar webcam is hard to beat. OTOH if it fails after a year that's not terribly useful either!

Offline 92merc

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2017, 09:33:46 AM »
My BS died within 3 months of deployment.  They replaced it under warranty.  New one has been going for a year now.  Even survived a pretty heavy hail storm that busted up my siding.  I might be one of the lucky ones I guess.

IF I replace mine, I'll be looking at ways to get more than just screen shots.  I'll probably be going full on video.
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Offline dsscheibe

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2018, 02:26:18 PM »
I was looking at the Ambient weather cam but he is not supporting it any more. Just got a bloomsky, only care about the camera, has a bad solar heating issue in the current, temporary position on the ground spike. If it only took fish eye photos of the sky day and night I would love it. Like the ap  I have a Davis Pro so the other stuff doesn't mean much to me and definitely would not add a storm. One thing I have noticed is the camera is not blinded by direct sun like most cameras would be washed out. A wireless video camera would be what I want if could get to do all that.  Before bloomsky I was thinking in terms of a video camera that sees the station and bird feeder across the yard (empty now). Bloomsky was a bit of a paradine shift for me.
Scott
Davis Pro2 Plus daytime aspirated, wired
Weather Display


Offline dsscheibe

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Re: BloomSky & Wunderground; do I have to use the BloomSky weather data?
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2018, 05:40:05 PM »
My bloomsky has been up about 7 months now with out any major problems.  Bloomsky wanted $50 for a pole mount which I thought was outrageous. I took the wall mount, bought two U bolts, drilled holes near the top and bottom of the mount and it and the solar panel have been mounted on my anemometer pole since. When I have rain or dew the picture gets blurry but otherwise seems to be working.  Have been trying to get Weather underground to accept it as a webcam, any hints?
Scott
Davis Pro2 Plus daytime aspirated, wired
Weather Display


 

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