Davis WeatherLink USB data logger issue

[astixjr]

I'm new here but I've already learned a great deal from reviewing some of the threads today. I am working on a weather page on our airport's website and I decided to purchase the Davis Vantage Vue console with a wireless solar ISS plus the WeatherLink software. I'm having an issue with the DID and Key that the instructions say should be on the Data Logger itself. I can't find it anywhere. What am I missing?  Davis is closed for the weekend so I am not able to get any help. I can't log onto the Davis WeatherLink website without that DID and Key, right? I would like to load the data on our website on Sunday (tomorrow) but I guess I can wait until Monday. Any help would be much appreciated! 

Thanks,
Albert Stix
Creve Coeur Airport
Maryland Heights, Missouri
http://crevecoeurairport.com/localweatherwebcam.html

[d_l]

The DID and Key are only on the Weatherlink IP logger.  If you have purchased a Weatherlink USB logger, you can not connect to the Davis weatherlink.com site which is only for Weatherlink IP customers.

[dalecoy]

... I am working on a weather page on our airport's website
... I would like to load the data on our website on Sunday (tomorrow) ...

Since you have the USB logger, you should be able to upload a weather page to your airport's website on Sunday.  As d_l said, you don't need to do anything else.

[astixjr]

The DID and Key are only on the Weatherlink IP logger.  If you have purchased a Weatherlink USB logger, you can not connect to the Davis weatherlink.com site which is only for Weatherlink IP customers.

Thanks d_l, I do have the USB Weatherlink but I was just following along in the manual that came with it (at 1:30 AM) and got to the bit where it tells me to look for the DID and Key. I guess I should try to do things like this when I am a bit more awake! I'm going back down there today to try to figure out why the ISS and the console have lost contact. I have not put the ISS on top of the building yet. Another lesson: I should have purchased the tripod mounting kit from Davis. I thought I would have plenty of 1.75" ID tube stock in the a/p maintenance hangar that I could use to build my own roof mount. The stuff on the airport's office building roof will not work as a mount. The airport beacon and windsocks are too far away from the console and computer running our webcam.  Thanks for the help!

[astixjr]

... I am working on a weather page on our airport's website
... I would like to load the data on our website on Sunday (tomorrow) ...

Since you have the USB logger, you should be able to upload a weather page to your airport's website on Sunday.  As d_l said, you don't need to do anything else.

Thanks dalecoy, I like the idea of being able to log onto the WeatherLink website and see our system "on the map" but I guess I needed the WeatherLink IP logger to do that, right? Once I figure how to get the ISS mounted on the roof, I'm going to try to get the info loaded onto our webpage. I might build a new navigation page on our a/p's website just for the Davis Vantage Vue info once I get it uploaded. I appreciate the help. It will be years before we can afford an AWOS system at our airport so this Davis system will be acting as a "Poor Man's AWOS". 

[d_l]

You might be able to pick up a tripod a little cheaper than Davis offers at you local Radio Shack or some other local TV store.

[dalecoy]

After you get your own web page going, there's always the opportunity to contribute to Weather Underground

And APRS/CWOP

e.g.

http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:63141.2.99999

http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/site/D4248

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?call=DW4248!Creve%20Coeur&last=120

Oh, and there seems to be a shortage of reliable lightning reporting systems in your area:

http://www.strikestarus.com/index.aspx?id=30

[Garth Bock]

Oh, and there seems to be a shortage of reliable lightning reporting systems in your area:

http://www.strikestarus.com/index.aspx?id=30

Does the map show all stations for each state ? I looked at Illinois and saw what looked like stations NE, NW and South but nothing central. I have wanted a Boltek for a long time. I think I am going to get myself a Boltek for Christmas or just after the holidays so I can have it ready for next summer. (Unless some of our electronic geniuses move it up a notch from cloning a datalogger to a homebrew lightning detector....    )

[dalecoy]

Oh, and there seems to be a shortage of reliable lightning reporting systems in your area:

http://www.strikestarus.com/index.aspx?id=30

Does the map show all stations for each state ? I looked at Illinois and saw what looked like stations NE, NW and South but nothing central. I have wanted a Boltek for a long time. I think I am going to get myself a Boltek for Christmas or just after the holidays so I can have it ready for next summer. (Unless some of our electronic geniuses move it up a notch from cloning a datalogger to a homebrew lightning detector....    )

Off-topic discussion, but .....

Well, it just shows the stations that are reporting their data to StrikeStar.  There's no requirement that people with a Boltek cooperate with other stations, by reporting their data to a central system.  HOWEVER, the way this works, is that StrikeStar does a fair job of correlating lightning strike reports (location, time) from 2 or more stations, so that noise (etc.) reported by only one station isn't  shown on the larger map.

Of course, you can also have your own lightning map on your own web site.
http://www.thecoys.net/stormvue/StormVue.html
or closer-in  http://www.thecoys.net/stormvue/nexstorm.png

[astixjr]

I hit two Radio Shacks, two Home Depots, a BestBuy, and a Mega Wal-Mart in my search for a roof tripod for my Davis ISS. Had some interesting responses from the employees.

"You want a tri-pot to put on your roof?" No, a tripod. "for a satellite dish?" No, for an antenna, but I'm going to use it for a remote weather station. "Are you one of those storm chaser people?" No. "Are you a TV weatherman?" No. "Do you work for the Government?" No. But I guess on some level, we all work for the Government. "What?" Nevermind.

Do you have any roof top TV antennas? Actually I'm just looking for a tripod mount, do you stock anything like that? "What's the matter, can't you afford Cable or Satellite TV?" Thanks, I appreciate your help. Goodbye.

Hi, I'm looking for a tripod style roof top TV antenna, do you stock anything like that? "Sure, they're over here" (takes me to the interior wall HD digital TV antennas). No, I'm looking for something I can mount on a roof. "Can't you just put it in the attic?" Well, I'm not going to use it as a TV antenna, I'm actually just looking for the tripod itself. "Have you looked in our camera department? They have tripods". 

I was just about to take a half hour drive to A-1 Antenna Service in South County when I remembered there is a TV repair place a few doors down from our printing plant. I called them on the phone. The guy said, "hold on, I'll be right back". He was gone for a while but he said he found one in the back. Actually two. One was a tripod and the other was a 4' pole with two arms to secure it to a roof. "ordered these a few years ago, customer never came to get them, $30.00 for the pair" SOLD!

Still having issues loading the Weatherlink Current_Monitor.htm template onto the airport's Weather Webcam page. I'm getting something wrong between the Network Solutions hosted webpage and the WeatherLink's internet setup. It's an operator error issue on my part. I don't know much about working with FTP and HTML stuff. I'll try again tomorrow.

Hmmm...lightning strike sensors? Boltek? Lots of good info for me in this thread. My inner weather geek is starting to show. What other cool stuff do you folks suggest for an airport weather website page?

[SlowModem]

I hit two Radio Shacks, two Home Depots, a BestBuy, and a Mega Wal-Mart in my search for a roof tripod for my Davis ISS. Had some interesting responses from the employees.

That reminds me of the time I was looking for an earphone for my ipod.  I didn't want to use the earbuds, because I wanted to have an ear free, so that I could listen for other important things.  Anyway, I went to Walmart and they didn't have any thing.  So I went to Radio Shack.  They had a young man working there and I asked him for an earplug.  He showed me earbuds.  I said no, I wanted an earplug or earphone like goes in a transistor radio.  Huh?  He gave me a funny look and I realized that I was speaking a foreign language to this young man.  I ended up finding one online, but it was a task indeed.  They're not popular any more.

[d_l]

astixjr, your quest was pretty funny.  I guess times have changed and no stores expect that anyone would want OTA TV reception.

[astixjr]

Ok, I'm getting closer but I still have not posted the WeatherLink Current_Vantage_Vue template image to the airport's website yet. I still can't get the Davis logo to appear and the Davis "ticker" on top of the does not work. The WeatherLink software that displays the ISS information on the computer screen has the wind 180 Degrees off and I've got the ISS solar panel pointing due south so I used the wind "Offset" to get the wind direction report to look more like what pilots might expect. I'm thinking that I will not put the ISS on the roof of the airport's office. I put it out next to the windsockbut but the ISS is only about 5' off the ground so I guess I need to make it about 15' to conform to the "standard"? The technical support folks at Davis have allowed me to hold the data on their server for a while but I'll probably move to Network Solutions as soon as I can figure out how to do that. Maybe this weekend.

http://toolbox.davisnet.com/customer/current_vantage.htm

[astixjr]

Posted an image of the Vantage Vue on the "Weather Station Photos" section of the forums. This will be a good starter ISS but I am already looking to upgrade!

[dalecoy]

Ok, I'm getting closer but I still have not posted the WeatherLink Current_Vantage_Vue template image to the airport's website yet. I still can't get the Davis logo to appear and the Davis "ticker" on top of the does not work. The WeatherLink software that displays the ISS information on the computer screen has the wind 180 Degrees off and I've got the ISS solar panel pointing due south so I used the wind "Offset" to get the wind direction report to look more like what pilots might expect. I'm thinking that I will not put the ISS on the roof of the airport's office. I put it out next to the windsockbut but the ISS is only about 5' off the ground so I guess I need to make it about 15' to conform to the "standard"? The technical support folks at Davis have allowed me to hold the data on their server for a while but I'll probably move to Network Solutions as soon as I can figure out how to do that. Maybe this weekend.

http://toolbox.davisnet.com/customer/current_vantage.htm

Did you follow this guide?  http://www.davisnet.com/product_documents/weather/app_notes/AN_26-weather-data-web-page.pdf

Which of the 8 problems above do you need help with?  [Perhaps one at a time?]

[xykotik]

Ok, I'm getting closer but I still have not posted the WeatherLink Current_Vantage_Vue template image to the airport's website yet. I still can't get the Davis logo to appear and the Davis "ticker" on top of the does not work. The WeatherLink software that displays the ISS information on the computer screen has the wind 180 Degrees off and I've got the ISS solar panel pointing due south so I used the wind "Offset" to get the wind direction report to look more like what pilots might expect. I'm thinking that I will not put the ISS on the roof of the airport's office. I put it out next to the windsockbut but the ISS is only about 5' off the ground so I guess I need to make it about 15' to conform to the "standard"? The technical support folks at Davis have allowed me to hold the data on their server for a while but I'll probably move to Network Solutions as soon as I can figure out how to do that. Maybe this weekend.

http://toolbox.davisnet.com/customer/current_vantage.htm

The davislogo and davisticker are seperate files that need to be uploaded to the path shown in the template.  If you just want to use the davis templates for now, I recommend two things.  #1, replace the davislogo with YOUR logo.  Make it the same approximate dimensions and either name it davislogo, or change the code in the template to your filename.  #2, dump the davisticker, just put a nice text title or banner in its place.  It doesn't seem to work very well, and it can mess with the realtime clock on a PC that has loaded it from the webpage, speeding it up considerably while on your webpage.  Those two things are the only major changes I made to the stock template for my site (link to the left).

[Bushman]

Messes up the real time clock?  HUH???

[xykotik]

Messes up the real time clock?  HUH???

Yep.  I think my first post on wxforum was asking if anyone else had the problem, which I saw on three PCs (loading the page with the davisticker from my website) before I dumped the davisticker.

[Bushman]

Messes up the real time clock?  HUH???

Yep.  I think my first post on wxforum was asking if anyone else had the problem, which I saw on three PCs (loading the page with the davisticker from my website) before I dumped the davisticker.

Sorry - I simply can't see how this is possible.  It is a simple java app.  But If you saw it... (I never have )

[xykotik]

Messes up the real time clock?  HUH???

Yep.  I think my first post on wxforum was asking if anyone else had the problem, which I saw on three PCs (loading the page with the davisticker from my website) before I dumped the davisticker.

Sorry - I simply can't see how this is possible.  It is a simple java app.  But If you saw it... (I never have )

Just one of those things I guess.  To paraphrase someone...  "Who are you going to believe?  The [java specification], or your own eyes?"

[Bushman]

You need to get up to date on you Java VM.  (I assumed you had  an up to date system, hence my present disbelief) There USED to be a system clock issue quite a while back where apps that used ultithreading timers less than 10 ms causes Windows clock to run too fast.  But that was circa 2002.

Do you know what version Java VM you were/are running?

[astixjr]

You folks are great! As usual, there's lots of good info here, much of it taking me in the right direction so I can correct the issues that I'm still having.

dalecoy, that pdf link is much better than the pdf I printed out "Current Vantage Pro Template". I must have missed it on the Davis website. I think I got the pdf I'm following from the documentation on the WeatherLink CD but I looked at the lists on the website also so I'm not sure. In any event, the one you linked, is much better. I hope to be down to two or less problems when I get back from the airport this afternoon.

xykotik and bushman, I really like the idea of doing away with the Davis logo and the ticker. I'm running the most current version of Java but I did get rid of some older versions from the machine on Friday. I only noticed this morning that the computer running the Davis WeatherLink software via USB from the Vantage Vue console and the webcam software, lost contact with our internet at 8:25 AM on Saturday. I got everything working again this morning but my remote link through TeamViewer would not open up so I had to have line service re-boot the computer again. I really think some of my issues could be related to this older XP Dell PC that I'm using to link everything together and send out to the internet.

Thanks again for all you help guys!

[Bushman]

I am going to get rid of the ticker since I do not run my system real time.  And even if I did, I wouldn't use it.  Useless overhead. 

[xykotik]

You need to get up to date on you Java VM.  (I assumed you had  an up to date system, hence my present disbelief) There USED to be a system clock issue quite a while back where apps that used ultithreading timers less than 10 ms causes Windows clock to run too fast.  But that was circa 2002.

Do you know what version Java VM you were/are running?

That's certainly worth checking out, but I know on at least one of the laptops I saw this on, the annoying jusched app is always wanting permission to load a new version (win7 machine) so a first assumption is it should be up to date.  I disable jusched on my own machines.  But I'll stick a pin in that and check on that laptop (my daughter's) because it would be nice to know if that contributed to this.

On this machine, here is the version report, but it has been nearly a year since I tried the davisticker...

Code:

C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin>java -version
java version "1.6.0_17"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_17-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 14.3-b01, mixed mode, sharing)

[xykotik]

Mr. Bushman, sir.  You don't recall which version of Java does the trick do you?  On the machine I ran the version on above, I just visited PatioWorldOnline.com/weather.php page (with davisticker) and watched my windows clock go to warp-1.  (Still haven't tried my daughter's win7 laptop).