Author Topic: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station  (Read 1813 times)

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Offline TraderGary

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Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« on: March 01, 2021, 06:57:22 AM »

There used to be a way to report a station that was reporting bad data.

There is a station near me, KGALOGAN38, that hasn't reported any precipitation for over a year.
Yet he still proudly sports a GOLD STAR!
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Offline ConligWX

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2021, 07:02:03 AM »

There used to be a way to report a station that was reporting bad data.

There is a station near me, KGALOGAN38, that hasn't reported any precipitation for over a year.
Yet he still proudly sports a GOLD STAR!

there used to be a way of doing it, but tbh it was never monitored.  WU refused to take down the offending station, nor would they contact them.  this was at the height of WU and before the IBM destruction (takeover)

with WU - you take your chances and no guarantees are provided.

Everyone gets a Gold Star. There are no losers in the game of WU  \:D/
« Last Edit: March 01, 2021, 08:54:19 AM by galfert »
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Offline sky_watcher

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2021, 09:07:10 AM »

There used to be a way to report a station that was reporting bad data.

There is a station near me, KGALOGAN38, that hasn't reported any precipitation for over a year.
Yet he still proudly sports a GOLD STAR!
Although I couldn't find which readings are checked by WU, I doubt that the "gold star" analysis would include precipitation at all. I've seen plenty of heavy showers in the one half of the yard and none in the other.

Short-term rainfall comparisons even in a local area are unreliable and WU says cluster checking is over 5-day periods. I think that if rainfall is included in cluster checking, it would need to be over a longer period than 5 days.

I suspect that the big three would be pressure, temperature and humidity, followed by wind speed & direction with a higher level of tolerance. I don't base that on anything concrete, except the comparisons between my station and nearby civil airport which I accept as the local "real gold standard".


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Offline TraderGary

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2021, 09:50:13 PM »

Apparently if you report "anything" for a period of 5 consecutive days this earns you a Gold Star!
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Offline TraderGary

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2021, 12:29:57 PM »

Apparently if you report "anything" for a period of 5 consecutive days this earns you a Gold Star!

That apparently isn't even true now. I've not missed a day of reporting this year and I still don't have my Gold Star. I can't begin to express how upsetting this is for me!  :roll:

On a brighter note, I seem to now be getting my rapid-fire 5 second updates!  \:D/
« Last Edit: March 10, 2021, 12:39:45 PM by TraderGary »
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Online Jim_S

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2021, 03:59:16 PM »

Apparently if you report "anything" for a period of 5 consecutive days this earns you a Gold Star!

That apparently isn't even true now. I've not missed a day of reporting this year and I still don't have my Gold Star. I can't begin to express how upsetting this is for me!  :roll:

I hear you! About a week ago I lost my gold star and I was devastated.  ;)  It's back now but who knows for how long.

Some years ago when WU had an official presence in this forum they explained, in very general terms, how gold stars worked (or as most of us feel don't work). The gold star is based solely on temperature, no other parameters are considered. Your temperature readings are not compared with anyone else's, they are analyzed statistically but the details of the algorithm were not explained. Obviously the algorithm has some weaknesses. From what I've seen if a station has a star and goes offline, it will keep the star forever. If the temperatures are 30 degrees off compared to any other station nearby but stay within the parameters of the algorithm, again you get a gold star.

Offline Eguraldia

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Re: Reporting a Malfunctioning Station
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2021, 02:29:16 PM »
Gold Star!!

I dont have a gold star long long time ago ](*,) :lol: #-o :roll:





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