Current Conditions Calculator - additional rules anyone ?

[Michel]

Hello all,

the CCC (with default rules enabled) will return "Heavy Clouds" for a calculated
cloudbase being less than a few hundred feet. This is (not just) a bit off the track
for the place I'm resident since my area suffers from temperature and dew point 
being almost the same from early in the evening until late in the morning, accompanied by
a relative humidity of 96-99%.

During the past week every night has been absolutely clear. Unfortunately, the CCC
mechanisms drive the output to be "Heavy Clouds" under the above described
circumstances - at least w/o additional rules.

I thought about adding something related to solar radiation and barometric
pressure etc. but didn't come to a reasonable result, yet.

Has anybody tried to add some rule(s) to the CCC addressing (or even solving) this issue ?

  Regards !

    Michel

[Blicj11]

Michel:

I haven't really thought about trying to use solar radiation or barometric pressure in the CCC tool. I have just played around with adjusting the cloud base until it gives me a correct result most of the time.  There are still some times when cloud base doesn't work very well for me.  I will give some thought to using a rule that incorporates either  "cloud base or solar radiation" or "cloud base and solar radiation".  In the meantime, see the attached screenshot of my rules. By the way, I have added a rule for snow, which works for me because I have installed a heater in my rain collector cup.

[Michel]

[...] I have just played around with adjusting the cloud base until it gives me a correct result most of the time. 

Thanks for sharing your CCC settings !
I'll try yours in my place and see how they'll work out here and perhaps fiddle around with them if necessary.

There are still some times when cloud base doesn't work very well for me.

I think taking the cloud base into regard only simply doesn't allow for drawing the right conclusions under all circumstances possible...

I will give some thought to using a rule that incorporates either  "cloud base or solar radiation" or "cloud base and solar radiation".

I'm quite curious what you will come up with here.

By the way, I have added a rule for snow, which works for me because I have installed a heater in my rain collector cup.

Cool ! 
I guess you use some kind of heating foil for that ? And some indoor power supply feeding power to it ?
What's the wattage of your heater ?
 
  Regards !

    Michel

[Blicj11]

I guess you use some kind of heating foil for that ? And some indoor power supply feeding power to it ?
What's the wattage of your heater ?

Davis sells a heater for their Vantage ISS units ==> http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07720

I have the power cable buried in a conduit. I added a relay to where it is connected to the mains inside so I can turn the heater on and off from my iPhone. Last year was my first experience with it and it worked very well. It was the first time I have had melted precipitation measured on the same day the snow fell.

I will get back to post something here after I get a chance to think about the cloud base issue. In the meantime, don't be afraid to experiment with the altitude in the CCC rules.

[Michel]

Davis sells a heater for their Vantage ISS units ==> http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=07720

Thanks for the pointer, Blick. Seems to fit the Vantage rain bucket very nicely.
I think I'll go for a "standard" product, say something like this:
http://www.pollin.de/shop/dt/Nzg5OTQxOTk-/Bauelemente_Bauteile/Mechanische_Bauelemente/Sonstige_E_Geraete/Flaechen_Heizfolie_918_1.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pvgl&utm_content=850012&gclid=CL60gZvSn8gCFYUIwwodAfcNXA

I have the power cable buried in a conduit. I added a relay to where it is connected to the
mains inside so I can turn the heater on and off from my iPhone.

A cunning solution. I think I'll use a thermostat which will turn it on around 0C.

I will get back to post something here after I get a chance to think about the cloud base issue.

Thanks for taking the time on this issue !

In the meantime, don't be afraid to experiment with the altitude in the CCC rules.

I won't ! And I'll report the results (as soon as I'll get reliable ones or being at a loss ;-)

  Regards !

   Michel

[WCDev]

Here's mine - my rules are set up to determine the most notable thing about the weather at any particular moment, so first there's the rain, after that comes wind, then solar and temperature followed by one for dampness (using the leaf sensor) and finally the calculated cloud-base.

You can see that currently, the dew is just starting to form for the night and it's calculating 'Damp'.

[Michel]

Stuart,

thanks for sharing your CCC settings too. They look like they will give a pretty good
description of what's up outside. Thanks for the inspiration !

 Michel

[Blicj11]

Stu:

Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the explanation and have implemented some rules based on your post. Inserting rules for wind and sun before the cloudbase rules will help to have a more informative and varied set of conditions that just rain and cloudbase.

Michel:

The false condition I get the most often is when the CCC returns "Clear" based on cloudbase alone. I am experimenting with cloudbase and solar radiation. For example, if the rule requires cloudbase > 2500 AND solar radiation > 400 then it will not return "Clear" on a cloudy day. This does NOT work at night, because it will never return "Clear" if it is dark outside. But I don't care so much about cloudbase conditions at night because only Herb is awake in the middle of the night and he can't see the difference between clear and partly cloudy in the dark anyway.

This is not a perfect solution, but it is more accurate during the day than cloudbase alone. Because I have just started to experiment with this, I'm not sure that 400 is the right solar number, but I will watch it over the next several days and see if I can tweak it for accuracy.

[Michel]

I too set up a few new rules based upon Stuart's and your "templates".
See attachment for my first approach - remains to be seen what it's worth ;-)

Blick, see both of the last rules for output at night ;-)

 Michel

[Blicj11]

I have now adjusted my rules after playing with them today. See attached. I like this much better than what I was doing previously.

[Michel]

Blick,

glad to hear you are happy with your latest CCC changes.
It's the same on my part after having applied the changes yesterday.

I like this much better than what I was doing previously.

Ayup, the old story... there's nothing which could prevent one from being
smarter today than yesterday  ;-)

 Regards !

   Michael

[Michel]

I've been fiddling around with the CCC settings during the past weeks
and it seems I finally found a collection of settings which seem to work
reliably under the current autumnal conditions.
See attachment...
Just a few minor glitches in the morning time around 8am for 30-40 minutes
when it can't decide whether it's misty, foggy or whether there are heavy clouds.
It remains to be seen what these settings will result in in winter/summer...

 Regards !

   Michel

[testmatch]

Thanks everyone for sharing these ideas for new rules - I've shamelessly stolen the ones I like and am  tweaking them for the local conditions here. 

John

[Blicj11]

I spent my career in finance. We wrote something called a prospectus for potential investors to read about a specific company. Every prospectus in the world (at least the legitimate ones) are written in the same fashion. You obtain copies of every prospectus in your industry, take all the best bits you like, copy and paste and then edit slightly for your company.

That is a long explanation of how there is an honoured history of shamelessly "borrowing" the bits you like. That's why we have a forum.

Well done, mate.

[dfw_pilot]

You obtain copies of every prospectus in your industry, take all the best bits you like, copy and paste and then edit slightly for your company.

LOL!

I think that works in a lot of areas of life, from parenting to web design.