Author Topic: WU won't accept my location  (Read 1325 times)

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Offline KathyLauren

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WU won't accept my location
« on: September 26, 2021, 06:04:19 PM »
When I added my PWS, it wouldn't allow me to specify my actual location.  Instead, it did some kind of random database lookup and filled in a nonsensical location for me.  I can enter my street address and it knows the physical coordinates, or I can use lat/long and it knows where it is.  But either way, instead of using the actual community name according to the post office, it fills in a nonsensical location that no one has ever heard of.  What I can't do it type in the actual name of my community.

The consequence is that, when it appears on the WunderMap, instead of showing an actual place name, it shows the gibberish, and the station ID, which is derived from the gibberish.

I expect I am probably ranting into the void, but if anyone has encountered this and knows of a way to fix it or someone to contact who can help me fix it, I would appreciate it.

Offline WSWeather

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2021, 08:30:12 PM »
They screwed this up years ago in an attempt to keep people from using that field for "editorial" purposes.  It has never worked right since and I don't expect it ever will.

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2021, 12:04:47 PM »
When I restarted my station this year after over a year after a move I was able to pick a station name. This may have been due to the fact that I went inactive and had not deleted my WU account. Open your dashboard, then your profile, then devices, then edit. See if it will allow you to change the name. You can not change your station ID and will be part of the name.
In the info popup box (i) button next to the station name on my dashboard for my station the city and state are correct.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2021, 12:33:02 PM by Weatheroger »

Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2021, 12:32:00 PM »
Thanks, Weatheroger. 

I have no problem setting my station name.  I have set it to the name I want with no difficulty.  The problem is with the location, which is displayed on the WunderMap. 

When you click on the symbol on the map, it displays the location and the station ID, but not the station name.  Since the location and ID are nonsensical, the only clue to the actual location is the position of the symbol on the map.  Hopefully anyone looking for my station already knows where to click, because they won't see the real location name displayed.

To see the station name, they must guess that this is possibly the right station and click through the pop-up window to my station's page, which is the only place the station name is displayed.

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2021, 12:35:12 PM »
provide a link to your station please so that I may see the issue.


Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2021, 03:44:04 PM »
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/ISUBDI7

It thinks I live in a place called Subdivision B.  That's what shows up on the map.  It is fine to have something stupid like that as a default, but it won't let me change it.  I can type the real community name (Hall's Harbour), but it refuses to accept that.  I think they are using a census database instead of a postal database, but it is annoying that it will not allow corrections.

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2021, 04:03:12 PM »
The forecast location is a generalized location picked by WU. The forecast is not for the station location but for the general area and odd names are sometimes used maybe based on obscure mapping references. (IMHO). This is normal, same for my station. At least you have named the station as you wished. On my station the forecast location is for the larger city nearest me and not the town that I live in. I notice that the province (state) does not show on your info panel. C'est la vie.
Interesting , I found this https://www.wunderground.com/precipitation/ca/subdivision-b
« Last Edit: September 27, 2021, 04:06:49 PM by Weatheroger »

Offline WSWeather

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2021, 04:07:21 PM »
You used to be able to enter both the station name and location.  The latter was taken away and replaced with this ridiculous geocoded mess.  Mine routinely bounces around between three different municipalities depending on which incompetent fool at IBM bumped the server last.

Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2021, 05:25:32 PM »
The forecast location is a generalized location picked by WU. The forecast is not for the station location but for the general area and odd names are sometimes used maybe based on obscure mapping references. (IMHO). This is normal, same for my station. At least you have named the station as you wished. On my station the forecast location is for the larger city nearest me and not the town that I live in. I notice that the province (state) does not show on your info panel. C'est la vie.
Interesting , I found this https://www.wunderground.com/precipitation/ca/subdivision-b

It wouldn't be so bad if they used the nearby town that actually has an Environment Canada official forecast.  At least it would be an entity that people would have heard of.  But they don't.  It is, as you say, an obscure mapping reference.  Even that wouldn't be bad as a forecast location.  But my station should be identified on the map by its station name or an actual place name, not by an obscure mapping reference.

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2021, 06:24:45 PM »
« Last Edit: September 27, 2021, 06:31:24 PM by Weatheroger »

Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2021, 11:18:56 AM »
You can read about your Subdivision B on Statistics Canada, that being your country's official census designation for your home location:

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=1218001

There does not seem to be any way to change that. I'm stuck in the wrong town because my town doesn't have a post office and uses the one the next town over. Nothing I have done has been able to correct this erroneous named location but at least my station's actual location is correctly situated on the map insert on the wu page.



Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2021, 12:10:12 PM »
You can read about your Subdivision B on Statistics Canada, that being your country's official census designation for your home location:

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=1218001

There does not seem to be any way to change that. I'm stuck in the wrong town because my town doesn't have a post office and uses the one the next town over. Nothing I have done has been able to correct this erroneous named location but at least my station's actual location is correctly situated on the map insert on the wu page.

Yes, I did eventually figure out that they got the name from the census database.  That particular Subdivision B that you linked to is not mine, which illustrates the uselessness of that designation.  Every county in NS probably has a Subdivision B.

A postal database would have made more sense, since then my station's location would have matched a real place that people have heard of, even if it is a ways down the road.  Either would be fine as a default, if I could override it with the correct place name.  But there is no provision for user input.  Poor user interface design.

Yes, the map does at least show the correct location, based on my latitude and longitude, and my station name is based on the actual place name, so people can figure it out. 

I just get annoyed when bad software design makes things inconvenient.  :roll:
« Last Edit: October 19, 2021, 12:12:24 PM by KathyLauren »

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2021, 12:55:01 PM »
Your reason and that WU is discontinuing camera support is why others are migrating to other services. You have several others to choose from that provide better experiences and services at no cost to you.

Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2021, 03:29:06 PM »
Any recommendations?

Offline OldAlaskaGuy

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2021, 04:45:19 PM »
Any recommendations?
PWS Weather, AWEKAS, Weathercloud, Windy are a few. Your weather station manufacturer may have it's own dedicated net. You could peruse the other alternatives under the headings on the start page in the forums for more information.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2021, 04:48:06 PM by Weatheroger »

Offline KathyLauren

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Re: WU won't accept my location
« Reply #15 on: October 19, 2021, 05:23:11 PM »
Any recommendations?
PWS Weather, AWEKAS, Weathercloud, Windy are a few. Your weather station manufacturer may have it's own dedicated net. You could peruse the other alternatives under the headings on the start page in the forums for more information.

Thanks!

 

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