Trixology

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Felix on August 12, 2016, 11:53:21 AM

Title: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Felix on August 12, 2016, 11:53:21 AM
A couple days ago, Weather Underground started posting little gold medals beside the station names of those who've passed WU's "quality control process for five consecutive days."


However, I haven't found anything on the website which explains this QC process. Anyone else?

Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 12, 2016, 02:22:12 PM
Hey, I too have a gold star.

There are 7 stations reporting to WU in my remote area of the mountain, many of which are using Netatmo stations. Only three of us have the Goldstar icon, none of which are using Netatmo hardware.

This is the only thing that WU has on its website about quality control ==> http://help.wunderground.com/knowledgebase/articles/129122-are-personal-weather-stations-on-weather-undergrou

I also found this thread about WU's Goldstar stations on the WX Forum. They don't know anything more about it than we do, but that does not keep them from having opinions about it.
http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=30096.0

Side note: Whilst I was looking for something about the new Goldstar program, I found this paragraph about removing bad data on your WU site. I didn't know you could do this so I gave it a try with some errant precipitation data I generated yesterday whilst cleaning my tipping bucket. It will let you remove bad data, but not edit (or replace) with correct data. ==> http://help.wunderground.com/knowledgebase/articles/656806-how-can-i-remove-bad-data-on-my-station-history
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 12, 2016, 02:23:58 PM
Where do you see that icon? [rolleyes2] Thought it might have something to do with paid membership only to discover that I seem to have done that! [banghead] I gotta leave in a few minutes but I'll see if there is anything in their blog when I return. In the mean time, Congratulations"! [tup]

Blick was posting while I was typing (with two fingers!). At any rate, he mentioned a "gold star". Felix uses the term "gold medals". Are we talking about the same thing? A "gold star" is simp-ly indicating a station has been added to your "favorites" list. The mystery deepens? :)
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 12, 2016, 02:28:20 PM
Where do you see that icon? [rolleyes2] Thought it might have something to do with paid membership only to discover that I seem to have done that! [banghead]

Just preceding your station name at the top of the screen. I am not a paid member, but am one of those who upload data in return for no ads.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 12, 2016, 06:16:44 PM
Thanks, I went to your WU page and see the 'medallion'.

As I don't remember paying anything to WU, perhaps it shows me as "paid" just because I upload. Who knows?! (http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/xAirbusDriver/dont_know_zpsqsndnufj.gif)
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: The Grand Poohbah on August 12, 2016, 06:19:13 PM
I found my gold star, but now I wonder why the circles for some stations on the map are a solid line and some are a dashed line. It does not seem to be related to gold star status. Anyone know the difference between solid and dashed circles?
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 12, 2016, 06:54:03 PM
More questions?! [rolleyes2]

Not to be impertinent, but don't you need to find something to keep you busy instead of asking so many questions?! :P
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Randall75 on August 12, 2016, 08:44:43 PM
About Goldstar Stations:This is a high-quality weather station that has passed our quality control process for 5 consecutive days


mine is one [cheer] [rock]


cheers


 [cheers1]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 13, 2016, 01:49:45 AM
Grand:

I took a look at your site. Very fun.

I did notice that all of the links to news stories in The Union are bad. The only headline I could find there was "Tri Counties Bank in Nevada City Robbed." Hope you were not on either end of that transaction.

I just looked up 20 WU stations and none of them had solid circles. I don't know what the difference is.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 13, 2016, 03:19:14 AM
Perhaps they are not sending data 24/7? Or missing important to WU data points? I don't have any idea, I don't even have a 'medallion'! [blush] :'(
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: WCDev on August 13, 2016, 08:31:52 AM
According to a paper from AMS (American Meteorological Society), it's:
(https://ams.confex.com/ams/GroundUp/recordingredirect.cgi/id/33229 (https://ams.confex.com/ams/GroundUp/recordingredirect.cgi/id/33229))

I don't even have a 'medallion'! [blush] :'(

Yeah you do :) (or at least you had one when I checked about 30 seconds ago)
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 13, 2016, 04:12:52 PM
According to a paper from AMS (American Meteorological Society), it's:
  • Range checks
  • Stuck Sensor
  • Neighbourhood cluster comparison.
(https://ams.confex.com/ams/GroundUp/recordingredirect.cgi/id/33229 (https://ams.confex.com/ams/GroundUp/recordingredirect.cgi/id/33229))

Thanks for finding this; it is very interesting.

I don't even have a 'medallion'! [blush] :'(

Yeah you do :) (or at least you had one when I checked about 30 seconds ago)

Eight hours later I confirm they haven't taken it away from you, although past performance is no guarantee of future quality.  :)
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 13, 2016, 05:11:26 PM
Quote
past performance is no guarantee of future quality.
I think that should be my new 'sig'. [blush] [rolleyes2]
Title: Gold Stars
Post by: dfw_pilot on August 14, 2016, 06:25:38 AM
Wait, so none of ya'll have a "Three Star Platinum Medallion" award like I do?
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 14, 2016, 08:29:29 AM
Nah. They're only handing those out to pilots who live in Texas.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Randall75 on August 14, 2016, 11:52:02 AM
I BELIEVE WE ALL OWE ALL OF THAT TO STU'S WEATHERCAT   [WCSmall]   [cheer] [cheers1] [tup] [rock] [biggrin]


THANKS STU
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 14, 2016, 02:47:09 PM
Those Texans need all the extra support they can get. It's sad how they have so little self esteem. I think it has something to do with all the countries who dominated their land. Tennessee did all we could by sending Mr. Crockett. I keep hoping some resident, with real talent, will rise up and get them a little respect. :'( tisk tisk

At least a few get to leave the State occasionally and see what is possible. [lol]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: jonn68 on August 14, 2016, 07:37:04 PM
My weather station gold, too [rockon] [bounce]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 14, 2016, 07:42:23 PM
Congrats, Mr. Kaiser? ;)
Title: Davey
Post by: dfw_pilot on August 14, 2016, 07:42:38 PM
Tennessee did all we could by sending Mr. Crockett.
For which we are eternally grateful! LOL!
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 17, 2016, 10:08:28 AM
Alas, my much-coveted Goldstar rating has disappeared. WU giveth and then they taketh away. All arbitrarily, it appears to me.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Felix on August 17, 2016, 10:57:56 AM
I found my gold star, but now I wonder why the circles for some stations on the map are a solid line and some are a dashed line. It does not seem to be related to gold star status. Anyone know the difference between solid and dashed circles?


Dashed circle depictions are for stations which don't report precipitation...usually the popular and somewhat inexpensive Netatmo Weather Stations.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Felix on August 17, 2016, 02:25:46 PM
Alas, my much-coveted Goldstar rating has disappeared. WU giveth and then they taketh away. All arbitrarily, it appears to me.


Check the two Red-X ratings on CWOP. Gladstone seems to believe your barometer and RH readings have significant errors. But then again, maybe you have a microclime in the Timber Lakes area which can't be compared to the data from the surrounding stations.


I suspect WU is seeing the same deviations.


Oh, I just noticed Blick, you must have applied a barometer correction in WeatherCat...the reading increased 0.35 inch Hg in an instant. Maybe that'll be enough to satisfy WU. OTOH, I don't pay much attention to CWOP, I want to know what it is at my location, not just an average of the surrounding stations and somebody's algorithm prediction of what my data should be.



Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 17, 2016, 05:56:42 PM
Quote
my much-coveted Goldstar rating has disappeared.
ahwww... If mine is still there, just copy it to your desktop and print it out (in color, of course). Cut out the little image and stick it on your monitor in just the right spot...  :-*

Quote
Dashed circle depictions are for stations which don't report precipitation
So the rain falls through the gaps in the circle? [banghead] [lol]
[runoff] "My buckets got a hole in it!"
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 17, 2016, 05:59:24 PM
OTOH, I don't pay much attention to CWOP, I want to know what it is at my location, not just an average of the surrounding stations and somebody's algorithm prediction of what my data should be.

Amen. Gladstone has not liked my barometric pressure from day one. His algorithm compares me to an airport that is only 10 miles away, but 2700 feet lower in altitude. There's not much I can do about that.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 17, 2016, 06:30:25 PM
Quote
There's not much I can do about that.
Buy a "Sectional" map for your area (they'll have them at the airport). Cut the map down to just enough to show your location and the airport. You might want to include the color-code section that explains the colors on the map and their approximate altitudes. The county probably has some maps that have contour lines showing every 10/25/50/100 foot elevations. If you can get them on-line, you could send CWOP some evidence showing how much variation you probably have between you and the airport.

I'm assuming there are several PWSs in the area of the airport? Probably many more in the 'valley' than in the 'mountains', anyway. Averaging (of any simple kind) is not going to be of much value in mountainous areas, in my humble opinion.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Randall75 on August 17, 2016, 06:59:22 PM
Hi Blick
yeah Gladestone doesn't like mine either
MADIS
rating
(http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/thumbsup.gif)
Sensor fails following checks:
L3 Spatial Consistency (http://madis.noaa.gov/madis_sfc_qc.shtml)

I check mine against others and I one pws that is always off from the others but he is close to mine so I don't get good checks


cheers


 [cheers1]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Bull Winkus on August 18, 2016, 08:33:41 PM
X, you can get topo maps created by the USGS at this location (https://mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4-free-online-topo-maps.html) for anywhere in the U.S.

 [cheers1]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 18, 2016, 09:03:54 PM
Hey! I inherited a topo map of the area in which I live and I always wondered where it came from. Now I know. Thanks for the source, Herb.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Bull Winkus on August 18, 2016, 09:36:44 PM
Now that I've had time to do some more checking, I think this might even work better (http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=itemList&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=0000000009&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2)/.do) as a USGS topo map resource.

 [tup]

EDIT: Or, more specifically, HERE (http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ustopo&title=US%20Topo%20Download)!
Title: Thanks for USGS maps Herb! (Was: Wunderground "Goldstar" Stations)
Post by: elagache on August 19, 2016, 08:04:50 PM
Dear Herb, Blick, and WeatherCat monitors of their surroundings, . . . .

Now that I've had time to do some more checking, I think this might even work better (http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=itemList&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=0000000009&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2)/.do) as a USGS topo map resource.

 [tup]

EDIT: Or, more specifically, HERE (http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ustopo&title=US%20Topo%20Download)!

Thanks Herb for the link!   [tup] Yes indeed it is a useful resource!  [cheer]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on August 25, 2016, 03:07:23 PM
WU has magically restored my coveted Goldstar rating. Now I can go back to ignoring WU like I was doing before.
Title: Ignoring
Post by: dfw_pilot on August 25, 2016, 03:08:33 PM
Now I can go back to ignoring WU like I was doing before.
LOL!
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 25, 2016, 03:32:06 PM
"Click bait" was invented the day after "Marketing" was. It simply was several hundred years early. When the Interweb was born, it has flourished!
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: HH12831 on October 08, 2016, 05:51:42 PM
I think Goldstar needs a lot of work. Gladstone shows no issues for months. Anemometer at 33' , Temp/Hum/Rain at 5' .  Local comparison is right on. The station nearest me is Goldstar and I correspond to it nicely.   Bunch of BS.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on October 08, 2016, 06:21:40 PM
Welcome to the forum and I totally agree with the Goldstar BS. I have the rating every other week and they remove it during the off week. Just ignore it whilst IBM figure it out.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: xairbusdriver on October 09, 2016, 01:49:39 AM
I think the old IT saying fits purfecklie: "IBM wouldn't know a Goldstar if one landed at headquarters!" Taking over some ones code is hard enough, trying to add features is even harder! Not sure what WU is actually for, but I don't think it's for most WeatherCatters, other than providing access to our weather data to more of the general public. If you get right down to it, we are freely providing them with a product on which they earn money. Really no different than FB, Twit, et al.
Title: Gold star boost
Post by: dfw_pilot on October 09, 2016, 01:54:46 AM
I quite enjoy my gold star (not to be confused with the Cincinnati style chili parlor which is also fantastic). When I need a quick morale boost or bit of cheer, I look no further than my gold star to pick me back up.
Title: Re: Weather Underground "Goldstar" Stations
Post by: Blicj11 on October 09, 2016, 02:32:47 AM
Also not to be confused with Goldstar Microwaves, the brand you go to when you have an emergency need for a cheap replacement and your top criteria is cheap, cheap, cheap.