VP2 Console Messages and Forecasts List

[George Richardson]

"Can anyone shed light on the console's purported ability to "learn"? Does it exist? If so, how does it work?"

None of my 3 consoles have learned Jack. I look at the console forecast as a novelty. I use Wxsim for forecasts.

FWIW
George

[Skywatch]

mcxTXaws wrote: "This is when the console is in the process of learning and adjusting to the climate and weather patterns. After a few weeks, the forecasting will be almost on the spot accurate."

Can anyone shed light on the console's purported ability to "learn"? Does it exist? If so, how does it work?

Thanks.

Forecasting requires some data to be built up. No station the market that I know of can produce a forecast when first powered on. The Davis bases it's forecast on current conditions (wind temperature humidity air pressure any rain events even solar radiation on Plus models) and trends over a given period of time. Remember the forecast it gives is for the general area. Even if it says "Rain" or "Sun" thats for a large area. Give the console some time at least 3 hours the forecast will slowly become better as the console learns the weather patterns.

[d_l]

Give the console some time at least 3 hours the forecast will slowly become better as the console learns the weather patterns.

The 3 hour minimum time requirement is to allow the console to establish a 3 hour barometric trend.

[Skywatch]

Give the console some time at least 3 hours the forecast will slowly become better as the console learns the weather patterns.

The 3 hour minimum time requirement is to allow the console to establish a 3 hour barometric trend.

But still unless it knows the trend, like if the barometer was rising it won't say "rain"  It'll say "forecast not ready" after being powered up. Missing pressure trend is like the missing peice of the puzzle. For us when the wind is out of the south at 10-15 MPH temperature's are around 60-70 humidity is about 60% and the pressure drops like a bullet the console would display something like
"Increasing clouds and cooler, precipitation possible in 6 to 12 hr, windy with possible wind shift to W, NW or N". Without that pressure trend the console doesn't have a clear answer. The pressure trend is a vital puzzle peice.

[Dan Richman]

A related question:

The documentation for the console says, "Your console generates a weather forecast based on the barometric reading & trend, wind speed & direction, rainfall, temperature, humidity, latitude & longitude, and time of year."

So apparently it doesn't factor in solar radiation or UV, right? I am hoping that perhaps it does, as including those would probably lead to better forecasts.

[Bushman]

A related question:

The documentation for the console says, "Your console generates a weather forecast based on the barometric reading & trend, wind speed & direction, rainfall, temperature, humidity, latitude & longitude, and time of year."

So apparently it doesn't factor in solar radiation or UV, right? I am hoping that perhaps it does, as including those would probably lead to better forecasts.

How do you propose that UV and solar would lead to better forecasts??

[Skywatch]

A related question:

The documentation for the console says, "Your console generates a weather forecast based on the barometric reading & trend, wind speed & direction, rainfall, temperature, humidity, latitude & longitude, and time of year."

So apparently it doesn't factor in solar radiation or UV, right? I am hoping that perhaps it does, as including those would probably lead to better forecasts.

It does if you email Davis tech support. Here's the email I got,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

 

The solar data is used for some weather forecast predictions so it is possible that you will see different forecasts.

 

Eric Nickl
Technical Support
Davis Instruments
510-732-7814
support@davisnet.com

 

 

 

From: Matthew McGee [mailto:matthewjp-mcgee@att.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 10:55 AM
To: Webmaster
Subject: Solar radiation data question.

 

Dear Davis, I had a question about VP2+ or a Vantage Pro with a solar radiation sensor on it. Before I added solar radiation to the station, the forecast used to confuse cloudy days saying, "clear skys" when clouds were rolling in. Since I added the solar radiation sensor, it's much more accurate on cloud conditions. Does the VP2 console put solar data into the forecasting algorithm equasion provided solar data is avalible through the solar radiation sensor?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't take my word for it. I'm only repeating what I was told.

[Dan Richman]

Great info, mckTXaws.

Thanks!

Dan

[meteo.quimper]

Hi

I searching tips for translating (french) the firmware of the vp2 console ?

The firmware is available as single .bin file for using with the davis VP2 updater interface and as .exe file for direct updating within the davis dataloger 6510.
I opened the file VP2_1_90.exe with notepad++ and  i translated the word THANKS:



And now

[meteo.quimper]

i saved the file VP2_1_90.exe, stardted the upgrade, everything was ok, i restarted the console and.. the screen is freeze i can do nothing, i retry to upgrade with the original firmware, the console work now !!!

What is wrong the why the the console is was freezed ?

[Bushman]

Maybe a checksum issue?  MERCI and Thanks are also different string lengths.  What happens if you use a string the same length as THANKS?

[dalecoy]

Maybe a checksum issue?  MERCI and Thanks are also different string lengths.  What happens if you use a string the same length as THANKS?

I agree it's probably a checksum issue.  However, the string that was substituted was the same length.  "MERCI "

[meteo.quimper]

hi

i also try with the MERCIS instead of MERCI, MERCIS had the exact number of letter than THANKS and same problem, when i put the original unmodified firmware the direct pc software say: bootloader ok, firmware: not, it's like when i want to upload the modified firmware, the console errase the instaled firmware (the bootloader stay untouched), but don't install the new translated firmware, no errors on the dialog but there is no reboot at the end, i must reboot the console myself, after the reboot the console only one beep and the display is freezed... everything goes ok if i retry to flash the console with the original firmware...

[dalecoy]

Just to check your process:

Take a copy of the original .bin file -
Replace "THANKS" with "MERCI " and save it.
Next edit it to replace "MERCI " with "THANKS", save it and try the console update. 

If you carefully replace everything as original, and it works OK, then it is almost certainly a checksum issue.

[Bushman]

hi

i also try with the MERCIS instead of MERCI, MERCIS had the exact number of letter than THANKS and same problem, when i put the original unmodified firmware the direct pc software say: bootloader ok, firmware: not, it's like when i want to upload the modified firmware, the console errase the instaled firmware (the bootloader stay untouched), but don't install the new translated firmware, no errors on the dialog but there is no reboot at the end, i must reboot the console myself, after the reboot the console only one beep and the display is freezed... everything goes ok if i retry to flash the console with the original firmware...

The checksums for THANKS and MERCIs are df89e795839ea42c0425275caa0e08fc and
e78dec48bcf672e3ad9042ae4191f27e respectively.  Different.  Sorry.  Maybe the .bin file will work.

What is bizarre to me is that there was  a guy in France who was able to  translate Weatherlink to French; I wrote him but never got a reply.  So it might be possible some way...

[DeKay]

I PM'ed C5250 on this.  He says there is no checksum in the BIN file so it would be the updater that is doing the check.  So I believe you should be able to mod the .BIN file and then use avrdude / ponyprog / whatever to get the new file on the console.  But that is just a theory.  Give it a try, and if it breaks, you get to keep both pieces.   

[meteo.quimper]

Hi

I get the Davis VP2 updater (6311VP2) to put the modified firmware FLASH.BIN and i have the same problem that with the direct pc update, so the console made a checksum verification before flashing the new firmware...

I opened the updater and there is a ATMEGA 128L inside:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110350271154600350738/DavisVP2Updater6311VP2?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCN-Xi_-bjau61wE&feat=directlink

More infos about ATMEGA128 firmwares: http://wiki.hacdc.org/index.php/Secure_bootloader

[KF5APO]

I had been wondering about the ticker tape messages.
Thanks for Posting and Sharing them Guys!.

[C5250]

Not sure if this has been documented anywhere, but I found this in the original VP firmware history doc...

Code:

if ( wind10Min >= 25 && wind10Min < 40 && currentGraph == 0)
// HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT
PushCommentNo (10);

if ( wind10Min >= 8 && wind10Min < 18 && currentGraph == 0 &&
windChill < 80 && windChill > 60 && GetRainStorm (CURRENT, 0) == 0

&& LightOutside ())
PushCommentNo (9);                   // KITE FLYING WEATHER

tmp = GetCurrentVar ();
if ( windChill <= -30 && windChill > -50 && wind10Min >=10
&& (tmp == WIND_SPEED_VAR || tmp == CHILL_VAR || tmp ==

TEMP_OUT_VAR))
PushCommentNo (1);                // LOW CHILL ADVISORY

if ( heatIndex >= 105 && heatIndex < 115 &&
(tmp == TEMP_OUT_VAR || tmp == HUM_OUT_VAR || tmp == HEAT_VAR || tmp ==

THSW_VAR) )
PushCommentNo (5);                      // HEAT ADVISORY

Dated as the 31 May 2001 version, so things might have changed since then.

[Bluezx636]

Does the vantage vue mostly display whats in the first paragraph or is it totally different?

WIND WARNING, LOW WIND CHILL ADVISORY, WARNING, LOW WIND CHILL, DRESS WARMLY, FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA POSSIBLE, DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL,DANGER, EXTREMELY LOW WIND CHILL, RISK OF FREEZING EXPOSED SKIN, HIGH HEAT INDEX ADVISORY, WARNING, HIGH HEAT INDEX, HEATSTROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION POSSIBLE, DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEAT INDEX, DANGER, HIGH HEAT INDEX, HEATSTROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION LIKELY, KITE FLYING WEATHER, HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT, IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS, LAST 15 MIN. OF RAIN, LAST 24 HOUR OF RAIN, 10 MIN. AVG. WIND SPEED, LOW BATTERY ON STATION X, LOW CONSOLE BATTERIES, LOW BATTERY ON REPEATER

[C5250]

I thought I posted this before, but can't seem to find it...

Much the same, but there are some differences:

Code:

HIGH WIND WARNING
LOW CHILL ADVISORY
WARNING LOW WIND CHILL DRESS WARMLY FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA POSSIBLE
DANGEROUSLY LOW CHILL
DANGER EXTREMELY LOW WIND CHILL RISK OF FREEZING EXPOSED SKIN
HEAT INDEX ADVISORY
WARNING HIGH HEAT INDEX HEATSTROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION POSSIBLE
DANGEROUSLY HI HEAT IDX
DANGER HIGH HEAT INDEX HEATSTROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION LIKELY
KITE FLYING WEATHER
HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT
BLUE MOON
ITS RAINING CATS N DOGS
LUNAR ECLIPSE
SOLAR ECLIPSE
SPRING EQUINOX
SUMMER SOLSTICE
AUTUMN EQUINOX
WINTER SOLSTICE
LOW BATTERY TRANSMITTERn
LOW CONSOLE BATTERIES
LOW BATTERY REPEATER X
QUADRANTIDS METEOR SHWR
LYRIDS METEOR SHWR
E AQUARIDS METEOR SHWR
PERSEIDS METEOR SHWR
ORIONIDS METEOR SHWR
TAURIDS METEOR SHWR
LEONIDS METEOR SHWR
GEMINIDS METEOR SHWR
URSIDS METEOR SHWR

[jackman]

I got the message for the Quadrantid meteor shower on my new VVue console this morning. I went looking for how it knew and came upon this thread. Thanks for the info.

A very fun feature.