Topic: Weatherforyou, PWSweather, and HAMweather questions.

[N0NB]

Thinking I'll be a refugee from Weather Underground, I'm looking for a possible replacement.  I understand that PWSweather supplies Weatherforyou with PWS data, correct?  I understand that PWSweather also supplies HAMweather, correct?  What is HAMweather?  At first I thought it had something to do with amateur radio just by the name but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm a bit leery of supplying data to a concern that's not offering me anything in return.  If HAMweather is funding Weatherforyou and PWSweather so they can be used free of charge, it would be nice if that relationship were made more clear.  Perhaps I just didn't look in the right spot.

As a contributor WU doesn't offer much except an advertising free membership to the site.  That is a clear exchange of value.  I would like to determine the relationship of the three sites in question before signing up.

- Nate

[Maumelle Weather]

Hi Nate,

Hamweather no longer exists.  It was bought out by WeatherNation a few years ago.  Joe T. (owner of Weatherforyou.com and PWS weather) can fill you in the gory details on that.

I, too have started supplying data to PWS weather/Weatherbug as replacements for WU.

[weatherforyou]

PWSweather is co-sponsored by WeatherForYou.com and HAMweather.  WeatherForYou.com maintains the program, includes the data with local forecasts and offers items contributors can use to display their data on their own web sites and share with other web sites.  HAMweather provides programming expertise.  Both entities share the cost of servers, bandwidth and other expenses associated with the program.

The program was started in 1999 on WeatherForYou.com to demonstrate the contributions of personal weather stations by including the data with local forecasts (along with credit and link to the contributor), provide a central place where personal weather station data could be shared among users and encourage people to install more stations.  It was expanded to PWSweather.com where archives of the data could be accessed and the data displayed on graphs a few years ago.

Data is available for use by contributors in standard METAR format along with XML.  Also included is METAR and RAWS data.  Many software programs can access the feed to create regional weather maps and outlooks.  The data is also available to anyone who wants to write other scripts and programs to utilize the data.

All services to contributors are provided free of charge.  We're currently researching other things we can offer.  There's a couple threads related to that in this forum that I'd encourage you to contribute to.

There's no reason you can't participate in multiple programs.  I would encourage you to participate in WU, WeatherBug and CWOP along with PWSweather.com.

HAMweather did become a part of WeatherNation a few years ago, however their participation in PWSweather has not changed.

Hope this answers your questions.  If you have more, ask away.  

[N0NB]

Thanks for the replies.

But does HAMweather/weathernation get PWS data free of charge and then offer it to others for a fee?  What compensation does a PWS contributor receive?  Does weathernation push an AGW agenda as does TWC?  Is there a way to designate that PWS data only goes to Weatherforyou, for example?  Those are facts I must know before signing up.

- Nate

[weatherforyou]

But does HAMweather/weathernation get PWS data free of charge and then offer it to others for a fee?

From what I understand HAMweather may include PWS data in their observations endpoint data in their Aeris API but it is not at this time.  However there is not an extra charge for PWS data... it's all in one package with METAR, MADIS, RAWS and other data.

What compensation does a PWS contributor receive?

I never set up the program with the idea of "compensation."  It was established in response to an idea that, in 1998, the "big" weather sites weren't interested in... to share weather data, fill in the gaps of official reporting, make people aware of personal weather stations and encourage installation of more.  Contributors can access the METAR, RAWS and PWS data feeds in METAR (encoded and decoded) formats and XML.  They can also use their weather station data to share with other sites and each other.  And the data is presented on PWSweather.com with tables and graphs and archived.  I'm planning a meeting with HAMweather within the next few months at which time other resources for web sites may be made available either from HAMweather or WeatherForYou.com.

Does weathernation push an AGW agenda as does TWC?

You could scan their blog and facebook posts to determine that.

Is there a way to designate that PWS data only goes to Weatherforyou, for example?

Not at this time.  And after all the time and money HAMweather has donated to the program over the last twelve years, and continues to donate, I wouldn't ask them to be excluded.

Those are facts I must know before signing up.

To paraphrase a Honda commercial running out here... "You weren't this tough on Weather Underground, were you." 

All I can promise is your data will be presented on WeatherForYou.com with local forecasts along with credit and a link to your web site (if any).  You can also use it on any of our images to share with other sites to promote your own site.  You can also access the METAR/RAWS/PWS feeds.

[Beaudog]

I really find this thread to be some what humorous.

I send my data to AWEKAS, CWOP, WU, PWS and WeatherBug.  If any of those can make a few bucks good for them.   

They all seem to put some of it (if not all) back into the sites via updated servers and updated features.

None of them charge me a thing and I can use any of the data as I pretty much please.

My neighbors and friends can see the data and compare it to other nearby PWS.

If I were to get my share of any profits I bet it would be a whole 6 cents a month.   I better go open a new bank account.

Not sending data to any of the sites because they don,t compensate me seems kinda silly.  The whole purpose of all of them is to provide data from as many locations as possible.

[ArmySlowRdr]

I agree.

Further, I could give a whit about whether they let anyone else use the data either.
Sites like weatherunderground support our HOBBY. I am very surprised we dont pay them say 20$ a year or somethng to allow us to send our data and be "listed".

My cycling hobbies have club memberships, even some of the forums charge to gain a certain level of ability.

We have it lucky.  Hopefully TWC doesn't mess things up too much.

I really find this thread to be some what humorous.

I send my data to AWEKAS, CWOP, WU, PWS and WeatherBug.  If any of those can make a few bucks good for them.   

.........

Not sending data to any of the sites because they don,t compensate me seems kinda silly.  The whole purpose of all of them is to provide data from as many locations as possible.

[weatherforyou]

Thanks for bringing that up (and for your understanding of it).  Running a PWS program does require setting up (paying for) additional servers and paying for more bandwidth.  It's not as simple as just adding it to the existing system.  There are significant and additional costs involved for any site.

[N0NB]

Nowhere have I implied that anyone should not be supplying their weather data to whomever they wish.  Far be it from me to make that kind of pronouncement.  Everyone is free to contribute wherever they wish.  Just extend the same courtesy to others is all I ask.

I'm trying to satisfy my own curiosity by asking those who know.  If that is humorous, then so be it.  Fortunately, I get to judge for myself where I'll contribute weather data.

- Nate

[PaulMy]

All I can promise is your data will be presented on WeatherForYou.com with local forecasts along with credit and a link to your web site (if any). 

Joe,
Can you tell me what I need to do to see this?

 
Thanks,
Paul