Author Topic: New Weatherlink Live User  (Read 1048 times)

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Offline Rickoo

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New Weatherlink Live User
« on: July 30, 2021, 06:44:34 PM »
Just added a WWL to my Vantage Pro2. Everything appears to be working properly. Was easier than I expected to get up and running. I have a few questions hoping someone can help with:

1. The android app disappointed me a bit. It doesn't appear to function in landscape mode? I have a 10" android tablet I would like to be able to use as a display. It has a charging dock that requires the tablet be positioned horizontally. Seems unfortunate that the app won't display this way. Or am I hopefully missing something?

2. If I want to add a meteobridge to allow use of software that will allow this functionality, which form factor would I be best with? Really don't want to plug my console in to AC power nor have dongles hanging off of it? Can a meteobridge be installed between the WLL and my router? (I have the WLL connected directly to a router)

Thanks!

Offline Brientim

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New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2021, 08:05:02 PM »
Yes, Meteobridge, CumulusMX or Weather Display (and) others can connect to the WLL locally. It is very simple and uses the just WLL IP address

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2021, 08:41:39 AM »
Thanks Brientim,

What would be the best way for someone to learn what these software options look like/what they offer AND how to physically integrate them into the WLL unit. I would assume whatever way I went would have to be wifi or have available ethernet connection to access the WLL?

Is using a RPi the typical way folks integrate the software? I was reading meteobridge has options including using a dedicated mini-router flashed with software, direct connection to the expansion port on the VP2 Console and a Meteobridge Pro that appears to be connected via Wifi?

Does Cumulus MX and others require a pc running 24/7? (Really would like to avoid unless something like a RPi)

Thanks. Trying to figure this stuff out. I'm not a technology neophyte, but to be honest, a lot of it looks a bit intimidating!

Offline galfert

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2021, 09:29:46 AM »
What would be the best way for someone to learn what these software options look like/what they offer AND how to physically integrate them into the WLL unit. I would assume whatever way I went would have to be wifi or have available ethernet connection to access the WLL?

It doesn't matter if you set your WLL via Ethernet cable or via WiFi. You'll get the same capabilities with any 3rd party software you choose to run. Such is the nature of computer networking. When your computer sends a print job to a network printer the computer has no idea if the printer is WiFi or Ethernet. Either way it is just sending the print job to an IP address. The same is true for the laptop computer itself as it doesn't matter if it is on the network via Ethernet cable or WiFi....an Ethernet cable connected computer can print to a WiFi connected printer....because the WiFi printer has an IP address just the same as if the printer were connected via Ethernet cable. The same is true for your WLL and connectivity with 3rd party software. Things don't connect into each other. Things connect to a network and then everything can talk to everything.

The confusion may be that there are other weather station connectivity options that are not computer networking related....like USB or attaching a logger to the back of a weather console. This doesn't apply to you with the WLL...nor would it apply to a Raspberry Pi....as these are network devices.

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Is using a RPi the typical way folks integrate the software?
Yes you could say it is one of the typical options, but a Raspberry Pi is not the only option.

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I was reading meteobridge has options including using a dedicated mini-router flashed with software, direct connection to the expansion port on the VP2 Console and a Meteobridge Pro that appears to be connected via Wifi?

Meteobridge software exists in several hardware options. For you with a WLL I would certainly recommend the RPI version. The Meteobridge RPI can be physically connected to your network via Ethernet cable or WiFi. It doesn't matter in which way the WLL is connected to the network. How a device connects to a network does not matter.

The Meteobridge NANO connects to the back of the Davis console....then to your network via WiFi.

The Meteobridge PRO can get sensor data via two methods; direct sensor transmitter RF or from the network of your WLL. Then the Meteobridge PRO will connect to your network via WiFi or Ethernet cable.

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Does Cumulus MX and others require a pc running 24/7? (Really would like to avoid unless something like a RPi)

You can run Cumulus MX on any hardware computer you want. This can be a regular PC running 24/7 or it can be a single board computer such as a Raspberry Pi. Your choice.

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Thanks. Trying to figure this stuff out. I'm not a technology neophyte, but to be honest, a lot of it looks a bit intimidating!
You are doing fine and asking the right questions. You got this. One step at a time. You got the WLL. This allows you to have as many different weather software on different computers as you want. You can run them all at the same time all getting live data. But you need to decide if your Raspberry Pi is going to run Meteobridge or Cumulus MX as it can't run both. But if you get two Raspberry Pi computers then each can run their own thing and both simultaneously can get data from the the WLL. The issue is the Meteobridge as that software is designed as a hardware appliance and thus it cannot run anything else. But the Raspberry Pi with Cumulus MX can run other things...like WeeWX or Weather-Display or even other things not weather related.

* The Meteobridge RPI version has some hardware requirements; RPi 3 or 4 (but I recommend a 4 unless you just have an old 3 laying around). You also need a special type of microSD card that is of SLC type. You can't buy a SLC SD card from Amazon (at least not one that I would recommend). I recommend getting the SDSDQED-016G-XI from Mouser.com.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2021, 12:22:30 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2021, 09:51:38 AM »
Great info. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

I'll absorb your response as I'm sure I will have additional questions.  [tup]

Offline Brientim

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2021, 01:24:24 PM »
For CumulusMX for simple test without complicating additional hardware/Pi you can downland the latest version for Windows and see if it meets your needs.

The latest version was only released a few days ago and can be found under Current Releases on the link below.
https://cumuluswiki.org/a/Software

The CumulusMX forum can be found here.
https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2021, 08:04:09 AM »
Thanks. Is there anything I should do other than extracting the zip file and clicking on the application? Does that walk you through the install?

Online mcrossley

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2021, 08:30:09 AM »
The CumusMX program is just a command line. The Administration interface is via web pages (so you can easily run it on one machine and configure it from another).

Once you start the program (as an Administrator on Windows until you do some additional configuration), it will output some text telling you to open a web browser. Just leave that window running - you can minimise it if you want.

If you run the browser on the same machine, then you can just open http://localhost:8998/wizard.html
From a different machine http://<ip_address>:8998/wizard.html

This will open the "First Time Configuration Wizard" to lead you through the basic settings you need to get going.

After running the wizard, you need to restart Cumulus MX. Then you can open your browser to just http://localhost:8998/ and you will see the main dashboard and all the other pages.

There are more steps you can take later to make Cumulus run as a background service on either Windows or Linux, and to remove the need to run as an Administrator on Windows. But to try it out and get going just run it in a command window for now.

Mark

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2021, 12:44:31 PM »
Thanks for that!

Went through these steps but can't seem to get my data into Cumulus. It opens fine, but no data populates. I noticed the IP listed in the command line window isn't the IP listed for the WLL in my routers network map.

192.168.1.169 isn't the IP of the WLL. Not sure if it should be?



Doesn't matter if I go to http://localhost:8998/ or http://192.168.1.169:8998/ No data populates.

Truly appreciate the efforts of you folks.

Any advice?

Offline galfert

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2021, 01:26:22 PM »
192.168.1.169 is the IP address of that computer running Cumulus MX. It is basically telling you that from any computer you can simply enter in that IP address (with the given port number) and you'll be greeted with the Cumulus MX interface. There is probably no data yet because of a few possible reasons.

- Did you go through the settings wizard and configure Cumulus MX for your WLL? ....you'd have to provide it the IP address of the WLL.
- After initial configuration you must stop Cumulus MX and start it again for the new settings to take effect.
- You also need to wait long enough 5 or 10 minutes for first data to come along and be graphed...but you should be able to see live data in the dashboard live view.

« Last Edit: August 01, 2021, 01:27:55 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2021, 02:04:36 PM »
192.168.1.169 is the IP address of that computer running Cumulus MX. It is basically telling you that from any computer you can simply enter in that IP address (with the given port number) and you'll be greeted with the Cumulus MX interface. There is probably no data yet because of a few possible reasons.

- Did you go through the settings wizard and configure Cumulus MX for your WLL? ....you'd have to provide it the IP address of the WLL.

Yes, went through the wizard and completed the location, units, station and logging tabs. I left Local Copy and FTP disabled in the Web Hosting Tab. (Is that required to view locally?)  Under the actions tab, I enabled Interval and Real Time Settings and left the values at the defaults.
 
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- After initial configuration you must stop Cumulus MX and start it again for the new settings to take effect.
- You also need to wait long enough 5 or 10 minutes for first data to come along and be graphed...but you should be able to see live data in the dashboard live view.

Restarted Cumulus and waited 15 mins. No data.

When going through the wizard, I initially had the wrong IP address of the WLL. I then went into settings in Cumulus and corrected it. Could that be an issue?
« Last Edit: August 01, 2021, 04:43:14 PM by galfert »

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2021, 02:06:57 PM »
Please see my partial response in your quote. (I kinda screwed that up.)

Offline PaulMy

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2021, 02:10:05 PM »
Hi Rickoo,
From that screen capture it looks like the program is running with a station selected, but not enough in that capture to show the full start up information.
If you go to \CumulusMX\MXdiags and open the latest 20210801-xxxxxxx file it will have the full diagnostics and what is happening and if any errors.  There will be a new MXdiags started each time Cumulus is stopped and restarted.


As galfert mentioned you can use the Settings => Config Wizard to do the basic settings needed to get it working and displaying data (make sure you select Station settings, General Settings, Station Type as Davis Weatherlink Live, and then the tab Davis Weatherlink Live.  Or go through each of the Setting items to set it to your system.


If you are still having a problem zip up that MXdiags file and we can have a look.


Enjoy,
Paul

Offline PaulMy

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2021, 02:13:11 PM »
Quote
When going through the wizard, I initially had the wrong IP address of the WLL. I then went into settings in Cumulus and corrected it. Could that be an issue?

If in the Weatherlink Live settings you [tick] Enable Auto-Discovery then you do not need to enter the IP address as CMX will find it for you.

[EDIT]
Just to get on the right track, after you have done the Station setup and the Weatherlink Live settings perhaps stop CMX, and then restart so that at start it finds the correct station.

Enjoy,
Paul



« Last Edit: August 01, 2021, 02:16:23 PM by PaulMy »

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2021, 02:14:41 PM »
Thanks Paul!

I had the station as Vantage Pro2 and not WLL. Corrected that and it's all good now.

Thanks everyone!

Offline PaulMy

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #15 on: August 01, 2021, 02:18:18 PM »
 =D&gt; =D&gt;

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2021, 04:56:46 PM »
So, liking cumulusmx I decided to pick up a rasberry pi and see if I could keep cumulus running without my laptop on. I installed the pi image per the cumulus wiki. I can get to the cumulus console from my laptop connected wirelessly to the router. (The pi is hardwired to the router)

Now I'm trying to verify the ssh with Putty. Putty opens/connects and will allow me to enter the username (pi) and then asks for the password. The problem is the curser blinks at the password input, but won't allow any input from the keyboard. Forces me to close putty. I've tried uninstalling Putty (had installed the 64bit version) and re-installing (32 bit version) with the same results.

Any ideas?

Offline Rickoo

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Re: New Weatherlink Live User
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2021, 05:01:22 PM »
oops. Google is your friend. I figured it out. Thanks anyway!

 

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