I am trying to transition slowly from using VWS 15 to WD and would like to continue to use VWS to acquire the raw data from my Texas Weather Instruments station. I want to use the WFLASH and/or WFLASH2.txt files to provide the data input into WD in stationless mode so I can continue with my present system while learning and setting up WD. If I can’t use the WFLASH route (which would provide “realtime” data) can I instead use the data.csv file as the input source for WD?
Please - any instructions would be greatly appreciated!
Steve
Hi
I do have it where you can use one of the data.csv files
(been a while since I worked on that)
how often is that file updated?
The data.csv file is updated once each minute (on my system - or whatever you set the database timer to in minutes) The WFLASH files are used to drive the flash-based realtime web displays similar to the WDLive app I believe.
If I can connect to the data.csv file as I learn WD, that would likely get me started on my journey to WD from VWS. I have ready a lot about taking data from WD to feed VWS but haven’t found anything about how to do the reverse. So if you could give me a short set of instructions on how to do that - or point me to where I can read for myself - I’d be very grateful!
I would likely need to run a second instance of WD on the new computer, as the first is collecting from my new weatherflow station, and I’d like to keep the stuff from the old reliable texas weather instruments station separate. Is that permitted with my current license or do I need to purchase a second one from you?
Thanks - Sorry for so many questions in one post!
Steve
you can set to use the data.csv
see in the stationless setup in WD weathe station type
read from a VWS/weather exchange data.csv file
and select that file
try that
for now
until we can add to use the flash file
Brian - I followed the directions to set up a second instance of WD on the same pc - it is currently running in Trial mode - do I need to purchase a second license for this? If so I can do that - but I just want to be sure I set the registration for the correct instance.
-
I found that I could set VWS to generate data.csv every 2 seconds, but I’m not sure how fast WD is reading that file. The data displayed is quite “laggy” compared with rapidfire display or vws WFlash (I know - flash is deprecated, but I only use it on my internal web to see “live” weather readings).
-
the Data Received box is always red on the stationless WD although the counter is incrementing.
So, the sluggish responsiveness was the reason I asked about using the Wflash files instead of the data.csv files - thanks for your hard work - I have a lot of catch up learning to do before I can just move my system over and let VWS be the stationless one!
Steve
WD should be ready the file every few seconds
email me the file and I will test here (along with the reg code)
Info and file emailed this morning, Brian - Thanks
Hi
in testing your data.csv file
i can change a value in the file and WD picks up the change 1 second later
maybe email your WD settings
Brian - the plot thickens! This morning I happened to notice that the Average windspeed dial on the live display seems to be updating very rapidly (i.e. - looks like realtime) where the windspeed dial is very slow to update. So I looked at the Current Conditions in the main program window and - viola! the same phenomena - the average windspeed is updating very frequency (like nearly every 1 second) but the current wind speed updates around every 15- 20 seconds. It almost appears as though somewhere the two values are reversed?
I did set an mklink to the network share where the Data.csv file is location and pointed the stationless install to the “local” junction point - based on some threads I’d read about improving multimedia access on a LAN with UNC paths. But this has mad no appreciable difference in the windspeed situation.
could very well be then that WD is reading current as average and average as current
i.e reversed
Further info -
If I launch WDLive, it correctly displays the realtime wind speed and direction, and the gust meter shows the gusts. The number shown in the gust meter of WDLive exactly matches what is shown in the wind speed meter on the main display of WD. So it seems that the Main screen is actually showing wind gust in the windspeed meter and not current windspeed. I hope this information helps to sort out what’s got crossed here.
Thanks!
Steve
Gust speed is current speed though
I. E current speed is not average speed
So what I am observing here is that the Speed displayed on the main screen is the gust on a sort of rolling average - i.e. - if the wind hits 16 mph then the wind speed will move up to 16 and stay there for some period of time before gradually decreasing or increasing depending on how high the peak wind speed is during the next period. Is there some setting to calculate the gust as the highest speed in 10 seconds or 1 minute or something like that? As I mentioned the WD Live displays “WIND” as the live wind speed, but to the right also displays a sort of buffered “GUST” which exactly tracks what’s being shown on WD main page. Sorry to keep pounding this issue, but it is frustrating to see the parameter correctly depicted on one screen but not on the main screen. The other weather station (weatherflow) does display the windspeed parameter correctly, so this is what leads me to believe that I’ve got somthing about gust calculation set wrong on the WR-25 Texas Instruments stationless setup.
Brian - I found this old post when VWS changed the format of the data.csv file -
hi
if i could be provided with the changes made to the data.csv format, then i can fix that
WD uses data position 8 for avage speed , and data position 9 for gust (current )speed, from the data.csv file
(and 10 for winddirection)
is that correct?
(i.e look at the values in the data.csv file)
maybe it needs to be reversed?
https://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php?topic=20270.0;wap
So in examining what VWS is outputting into the csv file position 8 is the realtime speed, position 9 is the gust speed as set up in VWS - this could be calculated by the station, or set to be calculated by VWS using several options. In no case does VWS output its calcualted wind speed average into the csv file now (version 1.01)
So is it possible to fix how WD reads the data in based on this current output from VWS in the data.csv file? I believe that would solve completely me problem.
Thanks -
Steve
WD uses position 8 for the average speed
and position 9 for the current (gust) speed
are you saying that WD should be using position 8 for the current (gust) speed
and then also calculate an average from that data for the average speed
but use the gust speed data to check against the maximum gust for the day?
My VWS with the Texas Weather WR-25 calculates GUST as “The highest reading in the database period” on a 60 minute rolling average" so GUST does not equal CURRENT SPEED. On page 52 of the VWS Manual from 2009 it lists the format of version 1.01 of Data.csv as Column 8 - Wind Speed (mph) Floating Point and Column 9 as Wind GUST (According to the setting above) floating point. This explains why my WD setup appears to have the Current speed dial looking like an average - because in fact it is a 60-minute rolling average.
So in my case I need WD to read Column 8 as the current wind speed, Column 9 as the calculated Gust speed , and then let WD calculate the average itself - as my station is not set to report average wind speed.
What I found in the post I provided is that apparently this problem dates back several years, and you asked in the quoted text then for someone to provide the changes in format of the Data.csv . It looks like no one did that, as the forum thread just sort of goes on and on about “me too” with the problem but nobody ever did what you asked them Brian. Now, since VWS is no longer supported and folks are or already have moved to WD, there are a few of us left where I am in a transition period with a lot of stuff still connected to VWS.
OK
try a new .zip update, ready now
8)
Wow! Now the dials - both on the main screen and the Wind Dials and WDL are all operating perfectly!
Thak you so much, Brian for your incredible patience with me and for solving this problem for me.
Simply wonderful, man!
no problem
it just took someone who understand VWS and how it works, enough, and that was you