Author Topic: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com  (Read 2514 times)

testmatch

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Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« on: April 20, 2019, 10:30:07 AM »
Hi,

Has anyone done this? See https://community.windy.com/topic/8168/report-you-weather-station-data-to-windy for the announcement, and (further down the thread) a comment that they'd still like people to do that if our data is already there via CWOP (which mine is, at https://www.windy.com/station/madis-E7347). There's also a forum on https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?board=141.0 discussing it.

I was thinking it would make an appropriate Bank Holiday, but I find I'm not sure sure how to do it from WeatherCat. Any thoughts - and even better, instructions on how to do it - would be very welcome.

Thanks,

John

xairbusdriver

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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2019, 02:26:45 PM »
Thanks for the news! Wow, that IS an active forum! :o I can't even keep the list of replies on the screen as it is constantly updating the list. :headbash:

There is at least one javascript programmer on there who supports WC (and several other WX software apps), so there may be something he creates that can take data directly from your WX hardware and/or WC.

Apparently Mr. Crossley discovered that many values need to be integers (whole numbers). I think Davis uses decimal numbers for almost all values, whether they need them or not. [ do we really need to know the temp is 78.4 not 78.3? ;+) ] Many of these types of details are bound to change while the service is being built. So some dev's may not see this as a high priority in their plans. [computer]

If CWOP is already sending my data, I'm not sure I see the need to do it again. ???
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


testmatch

  • Gentle Breeze
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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2019, 04:36:11 PM »
I've now got a string that seems to put together all the data they want:

Code: [Select]
winddir=[winddir]&windspeedmph=[windspeedmph]&windgustmph=[windgustmph]&tempf=[tempf]&rainin=[raininch]&baromin=[baroinch]&dewpointf=[dewptf]&humidity=[humidity]&uv=[UV]
which gives:

Code: [Select]
winddir=144&windspeedmph=0&windgustmph=3&tempf=72.1&rainin=0&baromin=30.369&dewpointf=47.1&humidity=41&uv=1.5
under the current conditions here. I think I should be able to use custom CGI with cURL in a PHP script to send

Code: [Select]
https://stations.windy.com./pws/update/API-KEY?winddir=[winddir]&windspeedmph=[windspeedmph]&windgustmph=[windgustmph]&tempf=[tempf]&rainin=[raininch]&baromin=[baroinch]&dewpointf=[dewptf]&humidity=[humidity]&uv=[UV] through to Windy - with API-KEY replaced by my key.
 
My understanding of PHP and cURL is gradually increasing, so I'll see how far I get over the next few days.

I've not seen anything about them needing integers - and the example on their announcement includes decimal points - so I'll see how I get on.




mcrossley

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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2019, 05:46:10 PM »
Despite what it says on the initial API post on Windy about instantaneous values, they are expecting the wind speed and direction be 3 minute averages, and gust the max in the last ten minutes. In reality if you use 5 or 10 minute averages I think that will be fine.

Instantaneous readings every 5 minutes aren't that useful!
Mark

xairbusdriver

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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2019, 08:29:43 PM »
Quote
needing integers

Quote
TomSlavkovsky
...You need to select location in map, not by using lat/lon. Also, the height of wind and tempmeters must be in whole numbers.
I think "tempmeters" is probably "temperatures"?

PHP sounds like the easiest way to go. ThU32:-)
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


testmatch

  • Gentle Breeze
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    • EW7347
    • IENGLAND665
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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2019, 09:25:23 AM »
Thanks both - providing integers and averages complicates things a little more. The custom CGI doesn't provide integers for temperatures, or wind direction averages. However it does have 10 minute averages for wind speed, gust speed and gust direction. The missing ones will need calculating - or omitting.

I got sidetracked with gardening in the good weather this weekend, plus some tinkering with my plane tracking setup, so haven't done any more on this. I'll continue with the gardening today and come back to this on the next Bank Holiday - which will probably revert to the normal rainy conditions.

John

mcrossley

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Re: Uploading from WeatherCat to Windy.com
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2019, 09:30:02 AM »
All values except wind direction, but including Temperature can/should be reported as a decimal value. However, Windy only displays integer values for Wind and Temp.
Mark