One of the two extra features for MML v1.02 has now been enabled. If you upload data from a weather station (or manually) in METAR format, you can now set up the MML server to download this data and make it available for display on MML maps. There’s a new button on the main MML Management Centre page to allow METAR providers to set up data collection for their station. The data requirements are almost identical to the clientraw.txt data collection page and the METAR data collection page has help text to assist you in setting up the relevant details. Amateur METAR data will be downloaded every 15 minutes and the database upated when the data changes.
The full URL for the METAR filename must be specified (it must be accessible by HTTP) and the filename isn’t fixed, although clearly something like metar.txt would be a good name to use. In addition, amateur METAR providers don’t have ICAO codes for their stations. To avoid confusion between amateur and airport METARs please include a dummy ICAO code of ZZZZ in the METAR. The software will remove this and add an AM station number generated from your MML system membership number, e.g. MML member 1234 would be station AM01234. Note that if you don’t include the dummy ICAO ZZZZ code, your data will not be processed. If this is a problem for you, please contact me to see if an alternative method can be found.
As you may know, Weather Display can generate METARs. However, if you are a WD user, I would recommend that you continue to use the clientraw.txt collection route rather than switching to METAR collection. The clientraw.txt file generally has more data available in it than the standard WD METAR and is easier to process. However, if you add extra data to your METAR, e.g. cloud conditions, then it may be worth considering switching to the METAR data collection route. You can use both clientraw and METAR collection simultaneously, although this may cause confusion with people who want to use your station data!
Hopefully this new feature will allow data from many more stations to be included on MML maps. If you know of any stations providing data in METAR data, let them know about this new feature.
Amateur METAR (AM) stations can only be displayed on maps provided by Standalone MML v1.02 (or higher). AM stations do not work in MML-Lite (the version built into WDL) and they will not be incorporated in future versions of MML-Lite. As previously stated, future MML development work will take place in standalone MML only.
Finally, this new feature is called ‘Amateur METARs’, to distinguish it from the METARs produced by airports. The use of ‘Amateur’ is not intended to mean that the METARs are in any way unprofessional or inaccurate. The main example used during testing (from Corsock) puts my station to shame in both detail and accuracy! Many thanks are due to Anthony (corsock) for his assistance with setting up and testing this feature. If you have a UK MML map, you’ll find the corsock data provided as station AM00100. Include it…you won’t regret it!
