Gaps in data after Mac sleeps

[FerndaleWX]

Hi, This is my first time on this forum so I am still fumbling around a bit and hoping I'm doing this post right... I am using an evaluation copy of Weather Cat (I have been using Davis Weatherlink for years) but whenever my Mac goes to sleep there is a gap in the WeatherCat data. This certainly doesn't happen in Weatherlink, which simply downloads the data in the logger which was accumulating while the computer was offline.  I presume this can be addressed in setup/preferences but I can't see where. I have gone through the manual without success. Can anyone put me right? Thanks

[washbob]

I had the same issue, so I just set my computer to not sleep.   It will not hurt your computer for it to be on and the energy use is marginal.

[Steve]

i Ferndale WX, and welcome to the WeatherCat forum!

As Bob noted, WeatherCat needs to be running on a Mac that is always awake. Most of us simply tell the computer to never sleep, but have the display keep after a certain period of time. I think you'll find that the ease of use and many advantages of WeatherCat are more than offset by this difference with WeatherLink.

Steve

[Blicj11]

Welcome to the forum FerndaleWx. I started using WeatherCat about 15 months ago and had to get used to the non-sleeping setting as well. As Steve said, I put my display to sleep but keep the computer running. The huge number of cool things I can do with WeatherCat that I could not do with the other software products that run on a Mac won me over.

[FerndaleWX]

Thanks to washbob, Steve & Blicj11 for your replies. I am rather surprised that this is a feature of Weather Cat. What happens in a power outage? You lose your data! I had this happen once to my old Davis station years ago, and of course as always happens, the backup battery in the console was kaput. I lost 2 weeks weather records while I was away, during some unusual weather, too. I also tend to unplug my computer in an electrical storm to avoid having it fried. I think Weatherlink for Mac is incredibly flakey (for Windows it is fine) but at least it doesn't mind being periodically disconnected from the station. A pity, because WeatherCat seems pretty neat apart from that. I guess I shall just have to stick with the Windows Weatherlink under Parallels unless that issue is addressed.

[Steve]

Don't give up yet! WeatherCat will still download the data from the station in the event of a power failure, unplugging your Mac, etc. You won't lose any data (as long as you have your data logger set at reasonable increments so as to not fill it up.) The ONLY time WeatherCat misses data is when the Mac is sleeping or if you are logged in as a different user.

I think you'll find that's worth continuing your free trial to see all the benefits you'll discover.
Steve

[FerndaleWX]

Oh, Thanks for that, Steve. That does change things  a bit. I shall have a think through of the implications. I've always had the Davis logger to download every 30 minutes, which gives enough daily detail but allows  more than three weeks data before it starts over-writing its memory.Right now WeatherCat is recording some pretty unusual UK weather, with temps due to go up to 18C at the weekend. November! I'ver just finished mowing. Whatever next?

Thanks again for your very helpful information.

[elagache]

Dear FerndaleWX and WeatherCat Davis fans,

Oh, Thanks for that, Steve. That does change things  a bit. I shall have a think through of the implications. I've always had the Davis logger to download every 30 minutes, which gives enough daily detail but allows  more than three weeks data before it starts over-writing its memory.

You aren't the first to ponder what is the optimal data download rate.  There is a table on the WeatherCat Wiki that gives you the precise trade-offs:

http://wiki.trixology.com/index.php/Capacity_of_the_Davis_data-logger_to_store_weather_data_depending_on_the_chosen_sampling_interval

I have my data logger set to the same sampling interval as I've set WeatherCat to: 5 minutes.  Even so, the Davis data logger can go almost 9 days before you would lose any data.

Right now WeatherCat is recording some pretty unusual UK weather, with temps due to go up to 18C at the weekend. November! I'ver just finished mowing. Whatever next?

Afraid we are all seeing unusual weather.  All I can offer you is sympathy!  I've had to mow the lawn as late as December here in California with the drought.

Cheers, Edouard 

[FerndaleWX]

Thanks elagache, that's useful. My 30 minute sampling rate gives me just over 53 days--more than I realized, and probably more than I need, though for me having plenty data in the logger is like having money in the bank--or a security blanket!

[Bull Winkus]

Hello FerndaleWX! Welcome!

I too was concerned at first about the inability to let the computer sleep, but it does fine. I've been using the Cat since from the beginning in early 2010. Note that anytime you want, you can exit WeatherCat. When you return to it, you'll find that it loads all from the logger.

I even use my computer to play Minecraft, a Java programming language game, while WeatherCat is doing its thing, with no ill effects. Occasionally, I quit the Cat to play or do other things on the computer and it always fills in all the data from the logger shortly after restarting.

Best wishes,

[FerndaleWX]

Thanks Bull Winkus, that's good to know. You mention Java and Minecraft not creating any problems with WeatherCat. The trouble with WeatherLink for the Mac is that it is very reliant on Java, and whenver it decides to stop working (regularly) it throws up a Java error messages. Nor does the Davis support team seem to know too much about the Mac vesion, hence the WeatherCat trial.

[Bull Winkus]

Well, I can only vouch for my own experiences, but in 4 1/2 years using WeatherCat through numerous power outages and some extreme weather events, the Cat has never let me down. I did lose a couple of hours of data once, when I inadvertently left the mouse pointer hovering over a pulled down menu, but that was due to a feature of the Mac's operating system that halts all processes when engaging menus. Another time, I lost about 3 days of data, because some miscreant yahoo tore up my weather station to steal the pretty white box on its front. Another time, I thought I was going to lose several days of data when, on coming back from a week's absence, I found that a power outage had left the Mac and my UPS completely off. The UPS had drained completely and therefore didn't power back on when the power was restored. However, to my surprise, when WeatherCat started it filled in all the missing date from the data logger, and all was well.

I think you'll like the Cat!