Author Topic: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value  (Read 8434 times)

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Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #25 on: June 17, 2020, 07:33:58 PM »
Yeah, I suspect that they were simply using a "range" of values to try to determine what data was being sent instead of adjusting those ranges according to reported station elevation.
But then it could have been any of a host of possibilities.

I'm glad their implementing quality control as well though with this and all my messing around, I've got a lot of bad pressure data in their file ;-)

Fortunately, I save all my weather station data locally, so it's all good.

Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #26 on: July 02, 2020, 09:00:05 PM »
Still not fixed...

Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #27 on: July 02, 2020, 09:26:37 PM »
I would email them.

I have also submitted a couple unrelated bugs to them and they keep saying that they are going to get to them and they still haven't. So there are several pending issues that they just aren't getting to in a hurry.
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Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #28 on: July 03, 2020, 10:32:12 AM »
Yep, emailed them yesterday.

Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #29 on: July 15, 2020, 04:37:41 PM »
Well, been over a month since I first reported this problem with everybody's station who's at high elevation (as near as I can tell) barometric pressure being wrong and still no fix.

Never got a reply from my last email to them.

Just noting this in case someone comes here looking for a reason that theirs is off.

Offline weatherforyou

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #30 on: July 17, 2020, 12:02:13 AM »
Instead of email it's best to submit issues through the support ticket system.  That way it can be tracked and assigned to the person best able to handle it.

Joe Torsitano


Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #31 on: July 17, 2020, 07:58:42 AM »
That is what I've always done, submit form via website ticket system. I always get an initial human response thanking me for the submission and letting me know that the problem will be addressed in the next update. Then a few days later I get a survey question which I always fill out and express my disappointment. Because the issue does not ever get resolved. I don't understand getting a survey when the issue is unresolved. The ticket must be getting closed to then trigger the survey. This stuff isn't critically affecting me other than to make me just feel less enthused.
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Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #32 on: July 19, 2020, 01:08:31 PM »
I already have a support ticket, so I just replied to the existing support ticket email rather than have another one opened.

I did get an email back the other day. They replied:

   "Our new Station Dashboard is in final development and going to QA for review next week with a goal to release at the start of August.  The new dashboard will allow you to set the type of pressure you are sending for the station, which will help allow users to resolve this issue.
    The API team is adding an additional check to the existing platform for your software / hardware combo, to define it as MSLP vs altimeter. This is set to be pushed to production on Monday, July 20th.  This took a bit longer, as the team wanted to perform some verification with other PWS users who have the same hardware-software combo before making a wholesale change.


I will provide an update on Monday once this has occurred. Also, We have a separate task to run a script to update all the data you previously sent, which will occur after the update next week is confirmed to fix your pressure issue for new observations."


So, I'll see what happens.

Offline catdon

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #33 on: August 14, 2020, 09:41:32 AM »
I already have a support ticket, so I just replied to the existing support ticket email rather than have another one opened.

I did get an email back the other day. They replied:

   "Our new Station Dashboard is in final development and going to QA for review next week with a goal to release at the start of August.  The new dashboard will allow you to set the type of pressure you are sending for the station, which will help allow users to resolve this issue.
    The API team is adding an additional check to the existing platform for your software / hardware combo, to define it as MSLP vs altimeter. This is set to be pushed to production on Monday, July 20th.  This took a bit longer, as the team wanted to perform some verification with other PWS users who have the same hardware-software combo before making a wholesale change.


I will provide an update on Monday once this has occurred. Also, We have a separate task to run a script to update all the data you previously sent, which will occur after the update next week is confirmed to fix your pressure issue for new observations."


So, I'll see what happens.
"Our new station dashboard"  Any updates on this?
Don
Staten Island, NY

Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #34 on: August 14, 2020, 10:08:47 AM »
Last I heard from them was on the 27th of July and they said that they are planning on making every station display airport altimeter readings but it ain't done yet.

Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #35 on: August 14, 2020, 10:37:48 AM »
Last I heard from them was on the 27th of July and they said that they are planning on making every station display airport altimeter readings but it ain't done yet.

That is ridiculous! Every station to show airport pressure?  [-X
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Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #36 on: August 14, 2020, 10:46:03 AM »
Yeah, that's their plan.
They said they're doing it because that's what most people expect to see since it's the pressure reported by the news stations.

Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #37 on: August 14, 2020, 11:11:52 AM »
Well then why bother even collecting personal weather data then for the other sensors. Are they a going to change their name to AMSweather (Airport METAR Station weather)?

There is no point to uploading from a personal weather station if this happens. They have no business selling data.

The new UI redesign is very nice. It showed promise to finally be a contender to WU. Now this? Who is running this place?
« Last Edit: August 14, 2020, 11:16:36 AM by galfert »
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #38 on: August 14, 2020, 11:15:46 AM »
They're using the airport FORMAT and DATA TYPE, not the actual airport data.  It'll use your pressure reading but display it in the same way as the airport does (altimeter).

Joe Torsitano


Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #39 on: August 14, 2020, 11:23:52 AM »
OH!.... Hmmmm... Like CWOP then. Eh...still not impressed. I don't expect Altimeter when I see weather data. Meteorologists use Sea Level Pressure not Altimeter.
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #40 on: August 14, 2020, 11:25:27 AM »
But, like what was said, the public expects what they see on TV to match what they'll see on weather sites.
Joe Torsitano


Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #41 on: August 14, 2020, 11:31:46 AM »
This change is going to still play out wrong. Most people that report to CWOP understand that the pressure there is not the same as the pressure they see on their display console. Only way to make to match is to zero out your elevation or you have a Vantage Vue which is the only console I've heard of that has a setting for Altimeter. Even still you still have newbies on CWOP that have to contend with Altimeter and they have to be told why it doesn't match their displays. Every other online service uses Sea Level Pressure.

Many Airport METAR report both Altimeter and Sea Level Pressure. They don't all but I'd hope that more and more airports update their systems to continue this trend.

The public can expect what they want. But personal weather hobbyist are not the public.
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Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #42 on: August 14, 2020, 12:18:14 PM »
I like to come up with solutions to problems. I recognize that for high elevations dealing with Altimeter vs Sea Level Pressure can be an issue. Especially in the cases where the METAR does not provide Sea Level Pressure data. Like I said in many cases the METAR does provide both Altimeter and Sea Level Pressure.

My suggestion is for PWSweather to have an online barometer calibration assistance calculator tool. The station owner can then enter the following information in the calculator tool:
- Airport Altimeter pressure
- Airport elevation (with some tips an information on where to get this info)

Then instantly this online calculator tool can compute and provide the station owner the Sea Level Pressure for that METAR.

The tool is using the information provided to find out the airports Absolute Station Pressure and then it calculates Sea Level Pressure.

The station owner can then calibrate their station that was designed to show and work with only Sea Level Pressure to be properly calibrated.

If you want to make the online calculator tool even better you can simply ask the station owner for their METAR ID code. The calculator would then automatically look up the current Altimeter pressure and it would also have an internal database with all airport METAR elevations and simply produce the Sea Level Pressure for that METAR. The results should then show that the METAR is showing such and such Altimeter pressure but to go ahead and calibrate with this other computed Sea Level Pressure equvalance. MesoWest does this.

I've had this idea for a while but I hadn't thought of how or where to begin to hopefully make the use of this calculator tool become a reality. Or to then spread the word for its use.

Somehow though this whole Altimeter vs Sea Level Pressure does not seem to be an issue with all the other weather station online services. Only CWOP requires Altimeter. With other services they mostly spell out Sea Level Pressure or they omit defining it or they call it Relative Pressure.
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Offline weatherforyou

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #43 on: August 14, 2020, 01:58:43 PM »
They don't monitor here so submitting your idea as a support request would be best.
Joe Torsitano


Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #44 on: August 14, 2020, 02:31:11 PM »
I submitted a ticket sharing my idea. I hope they listen. They are about to open a can of worms if they switch to Altimeter.
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Offline galfert

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #45 on: August 21, 2020, 02:37:16 PM »
I have more information on this matter. There was some misinformation and I can understand why it happened and I can now see that it was not deliberate. They are implementing some good changes soon. I think it will make everyone happy. The matter of choice will be made available. More to come. PWSweather / Aeries Weather are working hard at improving their services.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2020, 02:40:17 PM by galfert »
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Offline FW8379

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #46 on: September 29, 2020, 01:04:01 PM »
They are implementing some good changes soon.
Looking forward to the changes. Hopefully soon.
WU and Weathercloud match my console (AmbientWeather)
I am also noticing the pressure on PWSweather is low compared with my console.

This is what AmbientCWOP shows:
Barometer (REL)            30.33 inHg (1027.1 mb) *SLP*
Barometer (ABS)           24.13 inHg (817.1 mb)
Pressure (Altimeter)       30.72 inHg (1040 mb)

PWSweather: 1015.7mb(MSLP)

Just echoing what others have noticed.

Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #47 on: October 24, 2020, 08:53:25 PM »
Stopped checking to see if it was fixed yet for a long time until now.

Airport - 29.89 in
My Station - 29.86 in
Weather For You - 29.86 in
PWS - 30.05 in

So, yeah...still not fixed.

Offline FW8379

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #48 on: October 24, 2020, 09:56:15 PM »
Stopped checking to see if it was fixed yet for a long time until now.

Airport - 29.89 in
My Station - 29.86 in
Weather For You - 29.86 in
PWS - 30.05 in

So, yeah...still not fixed.
Interesting(?) that your PWS pressure is higher than your console.
My PWS pressure is lower than console whenever I check it. My elevation is at 6750 ft. (Calibrated my barometer to Sea-Level Pressure METAR with proper online calculator elevation offset between ABS-REL in console.)

How can I tell what is being sent to PWSweather from my console?
Actually, my data goes from console>ambientweather.net>PWS using an API key(?). I'm not sure what gets sent to -or pulled by- PWS but whenever I check PWS pressure it doesn't match my Relative or Absolute pressure from console. It doesn't match my Altimeter Pressure that gets sent to CWOP either.

Offline Plug Nickel

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Re: PWS Weather displays wrong barometric pressure value
« Reply #49 on: October 24, 2020, 10:07:04 PM »
I suspect that PWS Weather is getting your console pressure accurately.

I don't know what algorithm they are running on the pressure data we send them, but I do know that it results in inaccurate pressure readings on their site.

Still waiting for those "good changes" that are coming soon:-)