Author Topic: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com  (Read 17439 times)

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Offline saratogaWX

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Congratulations to Curly and the Michiana Weather in Elkhart, Indiana
for your selection as WXForum.net’s Featured Weather Web Site for Spring, 2009!  =D>  =D>  =D>

Curly's website went live in May, 2006.  He found that "After purchasing my first inexpensive station, the accuracy was extremely inaccurate and I regretted buying it."
It took him month of research to find the right one that was highly recommended by weather enthusiasts.
He purchased a Davis VP2, then added the heater for the rain collector and later added the daytime FARS.
Following the addition of the options, he built a shelter for the temperature/humidity sensors to take care of the temperature
fluctuations during a partly cloudy day. With the accuracy and dependability of the Davis, he couldn't be happier.
A Boltek lightning detector was installed in March 2009.

For his first weather station software he purchased VWS "because of the graphics and it didn't look complicated to set up."
In January of 2009, he added Weather Display to provide more data at a faster rate.

Curly uses Dreamweaver to handle all of the pages contained in the Carter Lake/AJAX/PHP template set.
His motivation behind having his site online is "Primarily [to keep] visitors informed with current data especially during severe weather.
Secondly, it's a wide-ranged hobby that I really enjoy."

He had visited the web site of every member on this forum to get ideas as to what they have in common.
After he mulled over the use of data, colors, content, and layouts, the web sites that validated as XHTML 1.0-Strict and were innovative caught his attention and that inspired him to do the same. 
He says, "There is one particular webmaster that has always amazed me with innovations (and generosity) that provides the functionality aspect of the web site."

Curly's plans for his site in the future include adding more pages and keeping up with the
changes at NOAA's National Weather Service. He says, "This is a never ending adventure and things change like the temperature."
One item that is on his back burner is a page or two dedicated to "weather for kids" so can they can get involved with the weather.
"Kids prefer fun interactive web sites without all of the boring technical stats. Keeping their attention span for a few
minutes while being entertained is the goal but putting this together is the challenge."

His weather data is sent to Weather Underground (it was the first place he sent data when he went online).
A few months past and he noticed Weather for You was participating in the forum and he felt obliged to offer his data because of WeatherForYou's involvement in the forum.  He also sends weather data to CWOP and lightning data to StrikeStarUS.

Curly's involvement with weather started "on a breezy sunny afternoon day on April 11, 1965 I was flying a kite and I was briefly pelted with 1 inch hail stones and it ruined my kite.
While I was walking home with the damaged kite, I was hit with hail again and looked around to see who was throwing this at me.
As I looked to the south, the sky was black and green above the trees and that's when the walk turned into a run.
Tornado warnings were announced when I arrived home and then the family scurried to the basement but I went upstairs to look
out the bedroom window. I was fascinated with what was occurring and the color of the sky. My dad noticed I wasn't in the basement
and he came looking for me. He stood in the bedroom doorway and said "Get down in the basement NOW!" and I said "Look at those clouds!".
He peered out the window with me and said "That's a tornado". That was the moment that started my interest in the weather.
It turned out to be the worst, devastating tornado that hit Indiana and is known as the "Palm Sunday Tornado".
A reporter for the local newspaper snapped a picture of the F5 double tornado and dubbed the name "Double header tornado".
After seeing the aftermath of cars and dead livestock in the trees, leveled homes and farms, I was compelled to watch weather
reports on TV every evening."

His most rewarding experience in having a weather website has been "Appreciation. Feedback from visitors during severe weather when they say TV is slow in reporting and the web site shows everything as it happens."
 
Curly's advice to someone wanting to get started in weather watching as a hobby is
"Learning, curiosity, and a little tinkering is the key to any leisure hobby.
If it doesn't have those elements, it's not called hobby, it's a job.
Make it interesting for yourself and don't expect to be a full fledged meteorologist overnight.
Take your time and take a break if something gets frustrating.

No matter how simple or complex a web site may be, whether your a novice or pro, visual appearance gets noticed.
After a period of time, consider subtle changes in appearance like color, content, or layout to keep up with the times.
Anything can be improved with the available resources that we have today. We've come a long way since ANSI graphics."


Curly is "currently 53, single, and unemployed. While working, I was a district supervisor at a copier and office equipment firm and had a wide range of duties.
Twelve years of that time, I was a tech and trainer. Later I was installing multifunctional equipment on networks and providing IT support.
Due to the collapse of the economy, the company downsized and positions were eliminated.
All my life anything electrical that was odd thrilled me. Lasers, pinball machines, alarm systems and then computers were my main interests.
When I reluctantly bought my first computer, it eventually took over a lot of my spare time and then it started to get boring. After buying the weather station, it was no longer boring as there was a variety of different things that could be done.
To get a clue on what to do with a weather station and a computer, I joined a forum called weatherforum.net. This forum really impressed me and I couldn't believe how many people had weather web sites. I didn't know one thing about a web site and didn't know what the
terms HTML and JavaScript meant. After lurking for a few months, I had a VWS template page on the internet but the forum disappeared.
I was almost ready to give up the whole web site idea because of issues that I couldn't figure out but then found the renamed forum.
I was impressed by the friendliness and everybody's web sites. One day I  nervously asked a question about JavaScript and  there was a quick reply that helped me out without making me look like a fool. I studied the scripts there and learned HTML and JavaScript from the content provided on the forum.
After feeling comfortable with the newly acquired skills, I did the same with PHP and my web site is the result of what I learned on that forum.
Being unemployed has actually been a blessing in disguise. I really enjoy learning and working with PHP as I spend most of my time playing with it.
BTW, the forum that kept me going... It's now named wxforum.net."

Congratulations, Curly and your Michiana Weather website, for being selected by your peers as WXForum.net’s Featured Weather Web Site for Winter, 2008!

Congratulations also, to all our outstanding nominees -- your efforts have not gone unnoticed!
Ken True/Saratoga, CA, USA main site: saratoga-weather.org
Davis VP1+ FARS, Blitzortung RED, GRLevel3, WD, WL, VWS, Cumulus, Meteobridge
Free weather PHP scripts/website templates - update notifications on Twitter saratogaWXPHP

blackjack52

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2009, 05:51:17 PM »
Congrats Curly. Thanks for the innovations too, and to the many others.

Offline BfdWx

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2009, 08:32:58 PM »
Congrats Curly!  =D> =D>

Well done to all other nominee's too!

Offline DanS

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2009, 09:20:31 PM »
Congratulations Curly and well done to all nominees!

Offline capeweather

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2009, 09:23:52 PM »
Nice job Curly!

Chris
Cape Coral, Florida
Website: http://www.capeweather.com
Website: http://www.fortmyersweather.net

Offline Mark / Ohio

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2009, 09:45:36 PM »
Congratulations Curly!   =D> =D>
Mark 
2002 Davis VP I Wireless, WeatherLink (Serial), GRLevel3, VirtualVP, StartWatch, Weather Display, Windows 10


Offline weathergirl

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2009, 10:28:48 PM »
Way to go, Curly! :grin:
Ann-Marie
Beamsville, Ontario, Canada

Offline Axelvold

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2009, 01:16:37 AM »
Congratulations Curly,  =D> \:D/ =D> \:D/ =D> \:D/
Lars Magnusson
Axelvold / Sweden
55° 57' 41" N / 13° 6' 1" E
WX Station: Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus

Offline neondesert

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2009, 07:51:36 AM »
Congrats Curly!  Way to go!  =D>
Larry
"But it's a DRY Heat!"


Offline Anthony

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2009, 07:51:47 AM »
Congratulations Curly.  =D> \:D/


Thanks,
Anthony
WB8YUE

Online SoMDWx

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2009, 07:58:51 AM »
Great site Curly! Congratulations!      =D>  =D>


Jim

Offline TorH

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2009, 09:10:34 AM »
Congratulations Curly  =D>
Davis Vantage PRO2 wireless
VWS V14.00 p103, WD ver.10.37N, WL 5.8.2, VVP.
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Location: Fauske, Northern Norway. N 67°15'41", E 15°24'41"
http://bjornli.net                     

Offline lddaly

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2009, 09:11:41 AM »
Congrats!  =D> \:D/ =D>

Offline sam2004gp

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Offline Curly

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2009, 11:32:13 AM »
Thank you!

I feel very honored by the votes and kind words...

The nominees deserve a round of applause for the time, effort, and pride that they have in their web sites.

If it wasn't for wxforum.net and the members, I wouldn't be here today.
You've kept me going, helped out fixing my issues, gave me loads of information with plenty of ideas, and even provide humor when needed!

Thanks again...
Curly



Offline W Thomas

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2009, 11:39:27 AM »
Congratulations Curly !! 
Thanks for all the hard work and investments you have entered that makes our hobby better!
I especially like your SPC script  ;)


     Best Regards
     Wayne

CWOP CW8217
KVAWHITE22 Wunderground   Davis VUE &  Davis Vantage Pro 2  /   Dedicated Server
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Offline Strgazr27

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Re: Spring, 2009 WXForum.net Featured Weather Website is weather.ricksturf.com
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2009, 05:07:00 PM »
 =D> =D>

A beautiful site and well worth the reward!!

Congrats Curly!!
Bobby M.
Davis VP2 6152 w Daylight FARS - Logitech C525 and C310
WD - WDLive - GRLevel3 - Image Salsa - VVP - Startwatch

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