WD Now uses findu.com APRS/CWOP data as Weather Station Data

[ng7m]

I thought this new feature should be mentioned here in the APRSWXNET section... thanks to Brian's fast turn around on features (amazing turn around), starting with version 10.22h, WD now will poll for data from www.findu.com.  You can setup WD as a stationless setup and tell WD to get it's data from www.findu.com.

If you are interested in why I requested this feature, take a look at this thread in the Suggestion section of the forum: http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,7632.0.html

This feature gives me access to all the cool features of WD for data transmitted by an APRS station.  The graphs at findu.com are a nice start, but with WD running polling the findu.com data and building the local WD database, it's as though I have my remote APRS station attached locally to WD.  I get all the history etc... from WD that findu.com wasn't ever entended for.  Keep in mind that without findu.com, this wouldn't be possible either.

Take a look at the above post and see how I'm going to use a remote APRS Peet Bros weather station connected directly to a TNC to create a WD Weather Website.  I have a test website going right now at: http://nurcacwx.qrq.com This WD created website is getting it's data from findu.com and at the same time, the data was transmitted from my home APRS WX station.

Thanks again to Brian for making this new feature available.  I'm sure there might be some minor tweaks... but it's looking good.

mg NG7M

[Weather Display]

seems like a great way for a remote station to get data out, and for you to have that data available at your pc, with out the need for a internet connection....by using the radio TNC/APRS system
I actualy would like to use that here,....i.e set up a remote station on a exposed hill top, but I am not sure about aprs repeaters here in NZ, etc

[NorCal Dan]

As I mentioned in the other thread, this is a fine addition to WD.  Congratulations all around.   

[ng7m]

I had similar concerns here... I'm about 15 miles from where the APRS station is going to be put on the air.  But, I'm on a hill and I have a clear line of site shot to the site. (the R/C model airport field.)

My solution was to setup an APRS internet gateway IGATE at my home station.  I'll be one of the IGATES that will hear the APRS transmissions and then gate the data to the internet. (where it will end up in findu's database)

Could you setup an APRS station at your house and gate the APRS data to the internet yourself?  I'm using UIView-32 for the APRS IGATE software.  It's free now and was pretty easy to setup.  Once I started seeing the other local APRS gateways in my area, I was surprised to find out that there are two or three other stations that are routing APRS data to the internet.  i.e. they are APRS IGATE stations.  This will give me great back in the event that my home APRS IGATE stations goes off the air.

The bad news was the cost of the equipment for the remote station... I guess it's not that bad considering the whole setup.  I ordered the Peet Bros 2100 weather station with their optional uni-mount. (all the supported instruments, non heated)  The whole setup including the TNC and Yaesu 2 Meter radio with antenna was around $1200.00 US.  Ouch...  give or take a few $$$.  It should be a nice setup though.  Our R/C club will probably pick up the cost once they see what they are getting. (a full blown weather station website for the flying site)  Some guys will drive 30 minutes one direction to go and fly, only to find out that the weather isn't what they expected.

Peet Bros. is the only WX station that I could find that will directly interface with a TNC... no computer in the loop.  Here is a good review of this setup from the Peet Bros site: http://www.peetbros.com/QSTreview.pdf

mg

[Weather Display]

looks like the wind direction is working now (10.22i)

[ng7m]

Yes it is...   (the wind direction).

I just left another reply in the Suggestions area about the rain data... it looks like the rain fall is not getting parsed though, from the findu.com data. 

mg

[ng7m]

This feature is now working very well in WD.  Especially with the Peet Bros Packet APRS data format. ($ULTW)

This is a very nice way to have control over the findu.com APRS/CWOP data.  WD should work now with the standard APRS weather format and also the Peet Bros !! and $ULTW formats.

I would love to know if anyone else is using this feature??? Brian was a lot of help working out the issues as it was implemented in WD.

As I mentioned in previous posts, we are using a remote APRS station at our R/C club flying site.  You can see the main page here: http://www.nurcac.org The main WD page is here: http://www.nurcac.org/wx  Eventually, will probably remove the findu.com graphic from our main page and go with the WD generated graphs etc...

Big Kudo's to Brian!  I hope this sparks interest in the use of WD to present APRS/CWOP/findu.com data for other users out there.

Matt